Hard Bullets
So let's look at how to prepare good cast-bullet loads for these two vastly different requirements. With the smokeless powder ammunition I think that the harder the bullet the better. Not only are those bullets going to be driven to fairly high velocities (I use 1600 to 1800 fps as velocity parameters for my military rifles), but they also must withstand the rigors of being cycled from a magazine, up a feedramp, and into a chamber.

Cast rifle bullets are not just used for competing in BPCR matches. The author fires them in his old M1902 battle rifle as well.

A softer alloy than linotype is apt to be "grabby" in such a journey and at the least will be scratched and nicked. Therefore, for my bottleneck, smokeless powder shooting only linotype alloy is used. According to Lyman's No. 48 reloading handbook linotype will have a Brinell Hardness Number (BHN) of 22. That's about the hardest lead alloy one will commonly encounter.

Also, since a cast bullet fired from a bottleneck, smokeless powder cartridge is subjected to higher pressures, I believe they should be of gas-check design. The little gilding metal cups protect the bullet's base from being battered by gases or smokeless powder granules. For this very reason most of the cast bullet designs sold by the major bullet mold manufacturers intended for smokeless powder shooting are cut to carry gas-checks. I highly recommend the gas-check be seated with the aid of Lyman's little gas-check seating tool to ensure it is square with the bullet's base.

As for exact bullet shape, very pointed spitzer-type cast bullets seldom give good service at my desired velocity levels while semipointed and roundnose bullets shoot very well in most rifles. And here is one more item based on my experience. Whenever possible, I like my cast bullets for this sort of shooting to be a bit heavier than the jacketed bullet weight normal for that caliber. For instance, in .30-06 150- to 180-grain jacketed bullets might be considered standard. For my .30-06 cast bullets I now prefer those from 180 to 215 grains. Admittedly without having any science to back up my opinion, I think that the heavier bullets make the relatively small smokeless powder charges burn at higher pressures and deliver better accuracy.

Want a good example of what I consider a fine smokeless powder, bottleneck cartridge cast bullet? Since I'm spending so much time working with .30-caliber military rifles, let's look at that bore size. Lyman has two versions of the same bullet; one is meant for American .30 calibers, and the other is for European-type .30 calibers.

The first is No. 311299, meant to be sized about .309/.310 inch, and the latter is No. 314299, meant to be sized .313/.314 inch. Both have nominal weights of 200 grains when cast of Lyman's No. 2 alloy formula, but from linotype mine weigh 190 grains for the smaller diameter one and 195 grains for the larger. These are semipointed bullets with a long bore-riding nose and short body containing two grease grooves. Bullet No. 311299 is fine for .30-40 Krag and .30-06 while No. 314299 serves excellently in the .303 British cartridge.