Casting slugs

[Heyboy]

Hello all. I’m just wondering if anyone is having luck casting slugs? I’ve been casting for over a decade for different powder burners but am very new to air rifles. I just got a Skout Epoch .30 but I’m waiting on the 35” barrels to begin trying to cast and find an alloy to use. I bought an NOE mold since I d had good luck with many other moulds from Al. The mould is a 68 grain with a slight boat tail and removable pins to make it a hollow, cup or flat nose slug. Anyway it’s good to be here and want to thank everyone for all the great information. I have been reading as much as time allows me to and try to get caught up on this great sport.

 

[RM.510bigbore]

Castboolits.com. Elvisammo YouTube... Powder coating slugs definitely worth it...Airgun s are wonderful with cast lead...cold clean air....opposite of hot fire gas.... I know that it is much easier to cast regular slugs with that noe mold over the hollow points s....Not that you can't cast hollow points... But definitely harder...If you have experience you will be fine.. Super jealous... You have one bad ass airgun!!!!!! I like molds over size and then size down to bore diameter..

 

[Heyboy]

Castboolits.com. Elvisammo YouTube... Powder coating slugs definitely worth it...Airgun s are wonderful with cast lead...cold clean air....opposite of hot fire gas.... I know that it is much easier to cast regular slugs with that noe mold over the hollow points s....Not that you can't cast hollow points... But definitely harder...If you have experience you will be fine.. Super jealous... You have one bad ass airgun!!!!!! I like molds over size and then size down to bore diameter..

Thanks for the lead and advice! So far this forum had been great! Yeah, I figured I would probably have to go back over to “Boolits” and look around. Been a member for a while now there. Hopefully I can get it to shoot as dropped since the Epoch has the different liners. If not I’ll have to see if Lee has something in a push through die. If not , I’ll buy a smaller one and lap it to size. You’re right about the hollow point pins. It takes awhile for them to heat up and not have voids. My 9.3x62 I had to e best luck with the cup points shooting water dropped wheel weights at 2000 fps with a ragged hole group at 100 yards and no leading using LBT blue soft lube. I’ve only played around powder coating some 10mm and other pistol boolits.
So far just shooting factory JSBs with good results in the Epoch. Barrel leading a little but manageable.

 

[RM.510bigbore]

NOE might have a bushing sizing die that would be ideal..Lee might have one..I powder coat 25 lbs at a time with Elvis ammo shake and bake...I have to water quench out of oven and slugs separate perfectly.. I go to local salvage yard and have been able to buy soft lead for $1.00 a pound.. Powder Coating then a perfectly clean barrel and a llittle lube makes for a clean lead free barrel and accuracy usually improve s or consistency kinda the same..

 

[Heyboy]

I have a bushing sizing die by lee already. I’ve been scrounging lead for year. I’ve done roofing and plumbing most of my life and have LOTS stocked up.
Im definitely going to try to powder coat.
Is the accuracy good enough to be competitive in a match?
In my powder burner rifles once I used LBT lube I stopped experimenting with PC since my accuracy and leading vanished and muzzle velocity increased dramatically.
Veral’s book “Jacketed bullet performance with cast bullets” was very helpful.

 

[Scotchmo]

I shoot cast slugs in my .257 and 7mm airguns. They are used in magnum slug and big bore airgun matches. They have been competitive. The cast slug performance is so good that I don’t bother with anything else. I bought powder coat to try but my lithi-bee lube has worked so well that I stuck with that.

 

[DesertSilver]

IMHO casting for airguns you want to use pure lead. Remember, pb use way way higher pressures than any airgun. Even the lowly.22 rf is at 24,000 psi chamber pressure and there is no heat to deal with in a PCP.

 

[Heyboy]

IMHO casting for airguns you want to use pure lead. Remember, pb use way way higher pressures than any airgun. Even the lowly.22 rf is at 24,000 psi chamber pressure and there is no heat.

Pure lead is good to cast with once I get the mould up to temp. A dash of tin, 1:40 or 1:50 even if I get the barrel/slug fit may be an experiment to try but I’m hovering around 1625 psi, which is probably like a 22 short or CB cap. Pure lead works great in some of the Single Shot bpcr’s, like 38/55 and 40/70ss. So pure lead is probably the route I’ll stick with.
Called Darryl at Skout yesterday and my new 35” barrels are on their way!! Can’t wait to try this 68 grain slug!!

 

[aroundlocks]

Pure lead is good to cast with once I get the mould up to temp. A dash of tin, 1:40 or 1:50 even if I get the barrel/slug fit may be an experiment to try but I’m hovering around 1625 psi, which is probably like a 22 short or CB cap. Pure lead works great in some of the Single Shot bpcr’s, like 38/55 and 40/70ss. So pure lead is probably the route I’ll stick with.
Called Darryl at Skout yesterday and my new 35” barrels are on their way!! Can’t wait to try this 68 grain slug!!

Hi bud
I love casting slugs.
Mp molds do some great molds aswell worth a look.
Should be a walk in the park for you

 

[Heyboy]

Hi bud
I love casting slugs.
Mp molds do some great molds aswell worth a look.
Should be a walk in the park for you

I have a truncated .40 MP brass mould that casts hollow points and it casts great bullets but the pin system is not as easy to use as NOE. Those little tiny C-clips come off the pins sometimes on my MP. I just got my 35” barrels so I’m planning to start casing tonight. I’m going from shooting a 44.75 grain JSB pellet to a 68 grain slug. Should be fun. Thanks for all the replies, I’ll keep you posted. This Airgun stuff is a new learning curve.

 

[aroundlocks]

I have a truncated .40 MP brass mould that casts hollow points and it casts great bullets but the pin system is not as easy to use as NOE. Those little tiny C-clips come off the pins sometimes on my MP. I just got my 35” barrels so I’m planning to start casing tonight. I’m going from shooting a 44.75 grain JSB pellet to a 68 grain slug. Should be fun. Thanks for all the replies, I’ll keep you posted. This Airgun stuff is a new learning curve.

Yes be good to know how your new gun performs.
Its probably one of the most talked about airguns ever lol
Hopefully lives up to its price tag
I gotta feeling skout have done their homework?
I'm sure your slugs will be great and your barrel likes them" have fun that's the main thing

 

[Heyboy]

Just got a few minutes to run some out with my new NOE mould. The cup points are around 64 grains and the flat point are 68 grains thereabouts. Ran them out of pure lead. They mic out .3015-3025. We’ll see how they run in the neutral or may the plus barrel. Probably going to get a sizer in like .301. Here’s a few pics: