The Ideal Cast Bullet Rifle

RBHarter

West Central AR
Okay.... all this talk about milsurps makes me want another milsurp in 3006. I have a 1903a4, original everything except the actual scope. The closest I could get, or rather the closest I wanted to pony up for was a weaver k4 post reticle. Anyway, I love that rifle, but it's in such nice condition I don't want to take any chances.

So my other option is to rebarrel a turkish mauser 1938. It's a gew98 action that the turkish started with.. Currently 8mm mauser. It's already had the stock refinished and altered a bit.

What would be the cheapest way to get that turkish mauser up and running in 3006?
There are a couple of prefit barrels for sale on the other place one still in paper . That would be pretty inexpensive .
 

L Ross

Well-Known Member
As much as I like my Springfields and lever guns, and Mausers, I gotta say my Model 700's in .308 are splendid cast bullet shooters. I have one set up as a single shot in a 40X stock and one as a repeater in a Police stock. Neither one is fussy, both are accurate. My friends offer to buy them or walk off with them when my back is turned so.....
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
the easiest way to get an 8 mauser to be a 30-06 is to buy an 8mm mold.
there isn't a bit of difference between the two.
so much so i went and bought some jacketed bullets for my 8 mauser that weigh 170grs. so i wasn't just shooting 150's at 2800 fps through two different rifles.
then of course i finally figured out i have some Berger J-4 jackets that make 168gr. bullets for the 0-6 up on the top shelf.
 

Dimner

Named Man
the easiest way to get an 8 mauser to be a 30-06 is to buy an 8mm mold.
there isn't a bit of difference between the two.
so much so i went and bought some jacketed bullets for my 8 mauser that weigh 170grs. so i wasn't just shooting 150's at 2800 fps through two different rifles.
then of course i finally figured out i have some Berger J-4 jackets that make 168gr. bullets for the 0-6 up on the top shelf.
How dare you reply with logic and practical recommendations!!! :rofl:

I have all the stuff to do 8mm mauser. Just for some reason isn't as fun.

You know what's a fine rifle for cast bullets?
Type 99 Arisaka.. 7.7. Comes with a pre-installed peep sight, very light weight and has bonus anti aircraft sights!

I did a test in April, lee 160, lyman 311672, and lyman 311291. All powder coated and sized in groups of .310, .311 and .312

Weirdly the lee 160 did the best. This summer I'm playing around with the 314299 and NOEs version of the wonderful 3118. The Type 99 is just a wonderful cast bullet rifle.

But if I were granted a wish. I'd wish for a R.F. Sedgley sporterized 1903 in 30-06. I had one in K-hornet that I bought for 500 bucks. Should have kept that one.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
the easiest way to get an 8 mauser to be a 30-06 is to buy an 8mm mold.
there isn't a bit of difference between the two.
so much so i went and bought some jacketed bullets for my 8 mauser that weigh 170grs. so i wasn't just shooting 150's at 2800 fps through two different rifles.
then of course i finally figured out i have some Berger J-4 jackets that make 168gr. bullets for the 0-6 up on the top shelf.
Truth.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
How dare you reply with logic and practical recommendations!!! :rofl:

I have all the stuff to do 8mm mauser. Just for some reason isn't as fun.

You know what's a fine rifle for cast bullets?
Type 99 Arisaka.. 7.7. Comes with a pre-installed peep sight, very light weight and has bonus anti aircraft sights!
Unless your example is closer to 7.92×58 than 7.7 then you gotta find a 8×57 neck die with a .318 expander ball so you get .316 necks and order a .318 sizer dia unless you just happened to have a Buckshot push through from you misguided adventure with a 7.62/8×39 you paper patched ........ The possibility of it ending up a 277 Fury is not yet ruled out .........it could also end it's life as a 9×57 or Whelen .......
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I nominate this to be filed as a notable quote.

This is the first time I've seen it written. Never once heard it uttered aloud, but I have gotten a look which articulates this exact thought very clearly, many, many times from certain people.
One of my favorites- "Kindly stop trying to apply logic and common sense to an emotion based discussion!"
 

todd

Well-Known Member
or as a liberal activist once said.............

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

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todd

Well-Known Member
you need the bore to be .200" over the bore size. for a .600" barrel and you want to do .375" , that will leave you with .225" thickness
 

Rockydoc

Well-Known Member
My own choice as a dedicated cast bullet rifle is the 7.65 Argentine 1909 Mauser. Shooting a Lyman 311284 HP powder coated. The bullet (mold) I believe came from Brad.

View attachment 28397View attachment 28398View attachment 28399

Some year or two back, story was nose dia too big IIRC but in the .312 bore its been perfect!! Rifle shoots under 2" @ 1650 ish with 2400. It hasnt drawn blood yet but will work just perfect for the sub 200 yard needs of places I hunt. (Mostly sub 100)

View attachment 28393View attachment 28394View attachment 28395
CW, where do you get brass for the 7.65x53 Argentine? Do you have to make it from some other brass?
Would the Saeco 315 Clone with PC Work as a bullet for the Argetting?
Both my 1898 and 1891 Mausers in 7.65 dont shoot nearly as well as the 1909.

CW
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
This one I have had good luck making! Largely Military '06 brass but it works well.

Im gonna make more with that DEW brass I used for the 6.5/06 that I suspect is a problem. (Ill know if its a problem in 7.65 but as I only shoot cast its probably gonna be fine)

CW
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Same here as Todd. I bought a mess of oddball brass in 100 round bags when Grafs first started selling that stuff. It's all been great brass and I have no complaints, in fact I have nothing but praise. You can't imagine how nice it is to have new, Boxer primed 8x56R brass!!!
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
argie brass is so super simple to make from anything bigger i have a real hard time buying it.
But,,, i cheat and use the Dillon size trim dies to do most of the work.
i probably wouldn't size any less than 314 for one [with cast] no matter what the bore is supposed to be.
i do size my tubing bullets to 312 for them but they are half copper and half lead so once again i'm cheating a bit with over half of the body being copper.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Agree with Fiver, my '91 Argie will easily swallow .316 as cast bullets and be rather happy doing it. .314 is about as large a sizer as you will normally find for that cal. and works pretty darn good.

I'm one of the oddballs that finds that inverted "V" front sight on the Argie and some other Mausers rather easy to shoot with. The '91 carries like a long barreled muzzle loader. Not the most graceful profile, but feels good in the hands.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Agree with Fiver, my '91 Argie will easily swallow .316 as cast bullets and be rather happy doing it. .314 is about as large a sizer as you will normally find for that cal. and works pretty darn good.

I'm one of the oddballs that finds that inverted "V" front sight on the Argie and some other Mausers rather easy to shoot with. The '91 carries like a long barreled muzzle loader. Not the most graceful profile, but feels good in the hands.
True about long-slender rifles. It somehow also makes them feel lighter than they really are, and they "hang" well for stable off-hand shots.

The inverted "V," when not peened into some vague form, I think, are good for fairly precise shooting. Having said that, I'm rememdering 20, 30 year-younger eyes too though. NO idea how they would look to me now, but today, shorter barrels tend to put the front sight in one of those ambiguous zones within the few tiny useful areas of my "blended bifocals." I need to shoot some iron sights on a long barrel and see where I"m at today.

EDIT: I got some PPU 6.6x55 brass in the form of ball ammo when I picked up my first 6.5x55. It was cheap and I needed something to shoot. I had no expectations of that brass, but it chugged along, reload after reload, right alongside a bunch of Norma brass I'd bought for "serious work." I"ve had a few other PPU cartridges since and I've never had a single case split or falter in any way. I think it's pretty good stuff myself.
 
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