If paper patched bullets are considered jacketed bullets, as they should be (see Paul Matthews' book "The Paper Jacket"), then I shoot about 50% jacketed this year.

And of course, I would never consider shooting any centerfire using that funky smokeless powder.

Brent

Hi Bruce! Yep! Me too!Do you suppose we will ever be a 'recovering' castaholic? in my case, I think i do it mostly because I am cheap. But I do like to experiment and it's neat to make your own.

I also like the minimium wear the light loads have on your favorite rifle. I have a friend with a hotshot 6mm/06 wildcat. I understand barrell life on it is less than 1000 rounds before it will have to be set back and rethroated. I understand him shooting the hot loads...if you have a racehorse- you want it to RUN! Mine are more of the 'plowhorse' variety.

The poll has been interesting so far...Someone stopped at the sight that doesn't shoot cast bullets. Hmmmm.....

Dale

This "galenaholic" will never go into rehab, thank you very much.About the only time I use those nasty jacketed bullets is if I'm on a hunting trip, and sometimes, not even then.
I have rifles that are, for all practical purposes, cast bullets olny, and others for those "other kind of bullets" only. Strange thing though. The ones for "those other kind of bullets" are mostly safe queens anymore.
Why do I shoot cast? Independence. If, for some reason, bullet (jacketed) become unavailable, those of us who cast, if we have a decent supply of powder and primers, will be able to continue shooting while othersonly look at their firearms and sadly wipe the dust off them. Think it can't happen? It already did once. During WW2, the only ammo available was .22LR and 30-30. The 22s went to farmers to keep varmints from eating their crops and the 30-30 to ranchers to keep predators from taking livestock. damn little ever trickled down to guns shop that had few new guns and used ones sold at a premium. That's a bit of history and I'm old enough to remember it. What's that old saying? Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Guess it makes us "leadheads" one step ahead.
Paul B.

Hi Brent! Paper Patching is something I would like to pursue. But I don't have time even for normal things..... Not that i was ever normal! LOL

That funky smokeless powder???? hmmmm.....maybe I am more advanced than I thought....

Hi Paul! You are right about the independence! I remember a story where $1 a shot was offered for 30-06 in WW2 and REFUSED. Maybe 1/2 days' pay? Would anyone offer $50 or more for 1 round of loaded '06 today? A war widow gave him 2 rounds...he got a deer that year and one the next. Shot his rifle twice in 2 years!!!!!

Primers did the same in the Korean War. Defense took over production....primers went to $3.50 for 100. A days' pay for 100? Would you give $50 or $100 for 100 primers?

( all this from memory of stories I've read- so be kind)

These are some of the reasons I like the 'older' technology.I think even the 30 cal plinker we have ordered would take a deer ( at subsonic speeds) if you get close enough to put it in the 'pump room'. I've also been known to shoot( actually 'we') 4 or 500 rounds from a rifle in a weekend. Using jacketed bullets is like the little monkey that urinated on the cash register.... It runs into money!

Dale

I only shoot cast out of handguns, and most of my range loads from rifles are cast. I still used jacketed in rifles for hunting loads.

Sad thing is, I've noticed that since I haven't done much casting lately, I haven't done much shooting either

Seems like casting motivates me to load ammo and get out to the range.

You have to have some jacketed bullets to shoot after firing a bunch of cast bullets, just to get the lead out

reloaderman, ol' pard;

You'll note in my post above that I had DECIDED to clean the bore of my Garand, not that I HAD to clean it. At that point it had digested 800-plus rounds of cast bullet loads without cleaning of any sort (except for lubing the action parts), and the bore was still brilliantly shiny and not showing fouling of any type. Accuracy was still fine, too.

Mostly, I just wanted to see what the gas system looked like after all those rounds. On disassembly, the gas system also showed ZERO lead deposits or "plastic" deposits from the dacron which I use in the vast majority of my cast loads. All that was evident was a normal level of carbon fouling in the cylinder and around the piston face. The rifle was still functioning perfectly with loads having enough "oomph" to work the action. (Some of my loads are purposely too low-level to function the rifle, making it a straight-pull bolt-action.)

My NRA Krag carbine is the same way concerning "leading", and I haven't cleaned its gleaming bore in over 500 rounds, and so it goes with almost boring regularity in all my rifles. IF the cast-bullet load contains a suitably-dimensioned bullet for the bore it's used in, and IF the bullet is hard enough for the application, and IF the handloader knows what he's doing (not difficult) then "leading" is a non-factor.

It's just that simple.

I think reloaderman was only havin 'fun' with us. Note the big grin at the end. But that is one reason I don't like jacketed...too much trouble to clean . I bought an old moison nagant rifle once and spent over a week cleaning it.... Hoppes and Sweets and brushes!!!! And then the bore didn't look the best..... Dale

another goofy thought! Why don't 'they' say, "I had to shoot a couple of cast rounds down the tube to clean all that nasty copper fouling out?

I have seen a good cast load take leading out of a bore. Doesn't always work....but it can. Dale

Guys.......I was just funnin ya!

I've shot cast bullets @ 2500Fps with out leading! I spray the plain bullets with Midway's "Drop Out", it's a black,dry stuff(?), they sell to prep your mold, but it works as a great bullet lube!

Ooooops...sorry 'bout dat!

Oh well, maybe some poor unknowing soul who DOES think that cast bullets lead the daylights out of rifle barrels will learn otherwise....we can hope. Then there's the folks who also believe that our lead bullets "tear the riflings out'n yer gun", and I have met at least a couple of such people over the years.

I'm shooting 80% to 90% cast and it's only that low due to a need to shoot up some UMC 7.62x39 for the small primer brass and a lingering fondness for high velocity .25s.

Good thread. Over the past several yrs. I've gone from shooting about 10% cast to shooting 95% cast. In the last 3 yrs. I've shot enough jacketted bullets to help break in a barrel. That and a trip to Saskatchewan for deer, where shots are typically over 200 yds, I have little use for condoms anymore. I like the architectures approach, "form follows function" as it applies to cast boolits. Deciding, what it is I'm trying to accomplish and choosing the boolit for the job. I simply don't have much further use for condoms anymore, as anything that needs doing this side of 200+ yds. can readily be done with the right cast boolit. It requires me to rebarrel or replace a few guns over a few yrs. to go for larger calibers. I really wish there were more good cast candidates between 35 and 40 caliber though, something with a neck longer than, less that a 1/2". Ron.D

Jacket bullets use is just the 7.62x39 because they are cheap and don't shoot the old SKS that much and my 112 Savage HB 223 for PB shooting . Love cast bullet stuff. Easy on the barrel and the cash. OBTW one reason I bought a Savage was for the being able to rebarrel it myself if need be.