Is any body as frustrated as I am? No Powder to buy!

[Lefty7mmstw]

Not really. Cast lead bullets are primarily for handguns and short range stuff. No way could a cast bullet achieve the BC or shape required for longer range shooting.

We shoot a lot of handguns and short range stuff so casting pills is a viable way to offset the cost of factory made projectiles.

Besides, it's fun. We use a propane burner to heat the pot and wheel weights for material.

Mostly WC and SWC bullets.

It really depends on the long range shooting you are talking about. Shuetzen competitors and other black powder cartridge people regularly use cast pills for competition, but for most of us centerfire guys not shooting slower twist straight(or nearly straight) wall cartridges, you will have a hell of a time getting a high b.c. cast pill going. And you will need a custom mould and a lot of patience. This is advanced handloading that makes loading for an auto rifle look like coloring in a coloring book. Things like bullet placement in the case and mettalurgy of the bullet alloy for examples start to matter while a jacketed bullet guy can be oblivious and do very well.
The only two cals I load cast for are 375 and 405. (I do have a 30 cal 160 grain rn mould that'll shoot like crap no matter what you do with it though) The 375 is about 1.5 moa and the 405 is showing promise but I'm working too much to sort out something I don't need yet. I can still get components for my 405 and I've got 160+ factories I'm shooting out for brass yet. Incidentally, the 375 pill I shoot is quoted at a .315 bc and the 405 pill I shoot is quoted at a .161 bc so considering that I can only load to 2200 fps or so these aren't good for over 200-300 yards.
Lyman has a couple of mid weight paper patch 30 cal bullets intended for '06 type rifles driving cast to 3000 fps, but I'm not sure it's worth the fuss (getting a sub moa load for that pill would be a hell of a fuss) to duplicate a 150 or 165 that you could buy for less than $30 a box most days. I'm at a loss to find info on them at present, but thumbing through my lyman cast bullet manual the best I can find is a 300 win doing 2808 fps with a semi spitzer 178 grain at 46000 cup with 4064. With the 300 win's short neck that'll scoot around corners I'd bet.

Now that I'm done with my long winded retort I'll simply say that in short Sidecarflip is basically correct that it isn't for the lr game or high pressure centerfire rifle game. Could be done, but not really worth the trouble.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Lefty...

I knew it was a ****er. We run just the WC's and SWC's for pistols. Nice straight wall 5 grain loads, nothing fancy and not alot of muzzle velocity.

Sort of a cheap date at the range and 1 pound of Lil' Gun goes a long way, unlike the centerfire stuff I also load for. Those 90 plus grain 338 loads eat up propellant fast.

I've been half tempted to get a rifle that loads a straight wall cartriodge like a 44 or a 45 or even a 357 magnum. So much easier to reload and the cases aren't particular either. besides, I have a empty kitty liter jug full of once fired 45 cases.

I really like the Henry Big Boy. It appeals to my asthetic side and it's probably a darn good Michigan deer rifle. Up here, 200 yards os a loooooooong shot.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Lefty...

I knew it was a ****er. We run just the WC's and SWC's for pistols. Nice straight wall 5 grain loads, nothing fancy and not alot of muzzle velocity.

Sort of a cheap date at the range and 1 pound of Lil' Gun goes a long way, unlike the centerfire stuff I also load for. Those 90 plus grain 338 loads eat up propellant fast.

I've been half tempted to get a rifle that loads a straight wall cartriodge like a 44 or a 45 or even a 357 magnum. So much easier to reload and the cases aren't particular either. besides, I have a empty kitty liter jug full of once fired 45 cases.

I really like the Henry Big Boy. It appeals to my asthetic side and it's probably a darn good Michigan deer rifle. Up here, 200 yards os a loooooooong shot.

Get a lever or single shot in 38x55 win and get power and cheap brass with cast pills. I'm shooting a pill in my 375 designed for a 38x55 and while it works fine, I need to jamb the bullet into the rifling a bit to get the heel of the bullet flush with the back of the neck proper so I don't blow my gas checks loose. A straight wall cal. would be an easier play for sure.