I am interested in using cast lead bullets for long range shooting and hunting because they are cheaper and making my own bullets appeals to me. There is a company that I know of that makes precision custom molds that may be able to make a vld bullet mold. With paper patched bullets and low pressure loads I can match jacketed bullet velocities(or so I have read). The one question I have is how accurate or consistent are cast lead bullets at long range?
My best advise is to contact Lasercast Bullets in Baker Oregon. (541)-523-???? They should be able to clue you in a bit. Theyre a very well known and respected, cast bullet company. Im not educated enough on the subject to help you out any more than that. Sorry
You might want to look at this site. These guys shoot at 1000 yards with cast lead.
It's not as simple as just casting boat tail spitzers and shooting them in your 300 Rem Ultra. Lead doesn't take kindly to that kind of treatment. The group aggregates can give you an idea of what accuracy is possible with cast lead. Compare it to 1000 yard NBRSA match aggregates. It's aggregates which win matches. Small group records are mostly just statistical anomalies though they still require good equipment and good shooting.
This site has a lot of info on equipment and cartridge preparation too. I do some cast bullet shooting (Browning 30" 45-70 BPCR and an original 34" 50-70 Rem Rolling block) but I'm a novice at it. Sure, you can use cast bullets for hunting and you can use (appropriate) smokeless powder in the same cartridges. At least cast bullets expand well at low velocities and they were used for deer, elk, and buffalo for around 50 years before jacketed bullets and smokeless powder (mostly) replaced them. Cast lead needs to be treated gently though. The reduced velocity will cut what "long range" means roughly in half. The longer time of flight affects both wind deflection and vertical stringing. The latter by the square of the time of flight. (drop = 1/2 G t^2 where drop is in feet, G is 32 ft/sec^2 (the acceleration of gravity) and t is the time of flight. Gravity may be repeatable but muzzle velocity and wind velocity are not.
