Reverend Recoil Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 I have been working on a cast bullet load for my Ruger No.1 9.3x74R. I did not want to invest in custom bullets molds, sizing dies, and gas checks. Paper patched .358 cast bullets seem to satisfy everything. With a Saeco #352 mold and wheel weight alloy I cast a .358 bullet. With two wraps of vellum tracing the diameter is 0.367-0.368. Finished weight is 250 gr. No bullet lubricant is used. Cases are neck expanded with a Lyman 9.3mm M-die and loaded to 2500 fps. The powders I have used are Varget, Reloader No.15, IMR-4064. All work well. The accuracy of these paper patched bullets is the same as the jacketed bullets that I have tried. On November 27, I shot a wild boar with one of these bullets. He dropped in his tracks. Bullets pictured left to right are: Paper patched Saeco #352 250 gr., Speer 270 gr., Barns 250 gr. XFS, Noslar 250 gr. Accubond, Priv Partizan 286 gr., and Hornady 286 gr. SP/RP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenden Posted December 5, 2009 Report Share Posted December 5, 2009 That is neat as can be. I have never heard of this, such ingenuity. Now for a dumb question. When you seat these bullets, the paper, does it not get distorted or tore? Or when you expand the neck with the die, does that just make them sit in there snug with out distortion? (hope you get what i'm asking lol) Nice boar by the way and 9.3 for that matter! Brenden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Recoil Posted December 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2009 Brenden, I expand the case mouth with a Lyman 9.3mm M-die and seat the bullet the same way lead pistol bullets are loaded. Being a single shot rifle, no crimp is needed. Shredded paper leaves the bullet at the barel muzzle. My next project may be to paper patch 303 cast bullets for a 8x57 Mauser. It should work as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gun nutty Posted December 5, 2009 Report Share Posted December 5, 2009 This issue of paper patching has been brought up before. I remember an article from Ross Seyfried years ago in Guns and Ammo I think, but I can't locate the damn article. Could you post a tutorial for the archives? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Recoil Posted December 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2009 Brenden, I forgot to mention the paper is rolled on soaking wet with water. When the paper dries it shrinks on the bullet for a tight cling fit. Some shooter lubricate them before loading. I shoot them dry with good results. I like the idea of keeping them as simple as posible. I can imagine buffalo hunters patching their bullets by a camp fire on the prairie with nothing more than a pocket knife and sheets torn from a Sear Robuck catalog. Sometime simple is best. The ghosts of a million dead buffalo would agree. Paper patched bullets are not that hard to do but a complete tutorial may take a while. I got started with Paul Matthews book, The Paper Jacket Bullet. Most of his information is for 45 caliber but it worked for my 9.3mm. http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Jacket-Paul-Matthews/dp/1879356023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260039300&sr=1-1 I also watched a couple of videos on You Tube. The latest and most complete information can be found on Cast Boolets web site's Paper Patching forum. There are contributors from Europe, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. Most every rifle caliber is being paper patched somewhere. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/ Paper patched bullets are no longer a lost art. Everthing you need to know can be found in Matthews' book and on the Cast Boolet Forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenden Posted December 5, 2009 Report Share Posted December 5, 2009 That is very neat indeed. Thank you for sharing this. Brenden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gun nutty Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Reverend Recoil: Thanks for the link. Very interesting stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Really nice work, Rev! I've done paper patched for my 38-55. I've both sized-down cast to .369 and patched back up to .378 and cast using a home-brew push-out mold (easier to make than you'd think). The great thing about a paper jacket is that it really is a jacket - you can push velocities with cast bullets just as fast as with commercial copper jacketed. Nothing expands better than a real cast lead bullet either. Accuray is just as good as with copper jackets too. The only problem is casting and then patching up to the right diameter. Its a bit labor intensive, but like all labor intensive things isn't really a big deal once you get your procedure sorted out. There's a good forum over on the Cast Boolits sight: Cast Boolits paper patching that I learned most of what I know from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelsdou Posted December 10, 2009 Report Share Posted December 10, 2009 Paper patch works good too in the Husky 9.3x57s. The Reverend is right on about using the M die. The Lee universal expander doesn't work as well. After wrapping and drying I'll lightly lube the paper with LLA or sizing lube, not really for lube purposes but as a precaution to prevent the paper from picking up moisture. Nice hog Reverend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Recoil Posted December 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 The Lee universal expander may work well for most cartridges but it is too short for the 9.3x74R. The Lyman 9.3mm M-die works great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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