So I've got an original 44 1/2 with a CPA .30-40 Krag barrel.  I've been shooting exclusively cast boolits (311299, partly for economy, partly because I love making boolits, and partly because I want to keep pressures low in the 44 1/2 frame.)  I'm getting fantastic accuracy at 100 yds from the bench using fixed ammunition with AA #9, 2400, 4227, Blue Dot, and Varget.  The barrel is not technically setup for breech seating, but I've read with the 44 1/2 the action has the leverage to breech seat.  As I have the seating die set up, the bullet is engraved by the lands as fixed ammunition.  So I'm wondering if I operated this as a breech seater - make index mark on the brass head, not resize, either throw charges at the range or use plugged brass, and place the bullet in the case and then insert and close the action, does this serve the function of breech seating with it's benefits of consistent neck tension, etc?  I'm a very experienced handloader, but no experience with breech seating.  I'm intrigued by the claims of enhanced precision, even though I'm getting 1/2 MOA groups at 100 yds currently.  Thanks for your thoughts!
Selmerfan

The way I read your post, I believe that what your suggesting is no different that loading the bullet long and then chambering it?

If you can get a tapered, BSing bullet, you probably could seat it with a pluged case. Although many people have BSed that way and done well I don't have a lot of faith in it. If you want to be serious about BSing, I would make or buy one that's adjustable and pushes the bullet through the neck of the case, into the rifling.

Frank

westerner - thank you!  The lightbulb just came on...when you guys are talking about a "plugged case" I assumed you were talking about a loaded case with a light paper wad to hold in the powder.  Now I see that you're talking about a case with a full-length plug to function as a seating stop while breech seating, correct?  That makes so much more sense - I've been trying to figure out how the seating depth is consistent.  My cast boolit (sorry, the spelling comes from too many years at (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) where "boolits" are cast and "bullets" are jacketed) is a 311299 with a nose that rides my bore perfectly.  Alloy is very close to Lyman #2.  So if I plug a case and use it to breech seat the projectile, then do I simply insert a primed, charged case and fire away?  This slow, precise process of breech seating fascinates me just a bit.  Sorry if I sound naive - I am in this branch of the handloading tree.   

Well, this is well beyond jamming the lands with a jacketed bullet in my .260 rem bolt guns!  . I have a pretty good picture of the idea now.  I may need to make up softer bullets for this purpose.  I'll give BS a shot with current alloy, but I only have 60 of the last batch cast, the rest loaded into fixed ammunition.  And unless I miss my guess, gas checked bullets aren't a great candidate for BS...maybe I need another mold!  . That would be a shame...

The very first thing that must be said is, a cast BULLET shooter NEVER has enough bullet molds! There is alway a mold to buy and try out. In 30 caliber, the list is never ending. That mold that you DON'T have is the one that WILL produce that one hole group that you haven't shot yet!!!!!

That said, there are only a few people in the world that have tapered bullets for BSing in 30 cal. But, the saving grace is a good bore riding bullet. My NEI 311 169 PB (190 gr) will shoot with any of my Ron Long tapered bullets in calmer conditions.

Unless you plan to shoot in competion, your 311299 will work with the GC installed. You will just need to cast it in a softer alloy like 20/1 lead/tin. Make sure that the bore riding section, still makes contact with the lands. At least .0005 to .001 larger than the lands. Both the bands and the nose will be smaller with 20/1.

If you use that bullet, BS it until the lands show, right up to the GC, you can even let the lands just mark the GC but, no further. 

To make a simple, adjustable plugged case, BSer, get a piece of 5/16 brass rod, have someone face it off in a lathe at 2" long and then have them drill and tap it to 8x32, about a 1/2" deep. Get a 8x32  socket head cap screw, run it in all the way and start measuring the engraving on the bullet, backing it out  until it comes in at the above setting. When you get the setting right, meaure the length of it. Then lock tight the screw and re-install it to that length.

You can use your best powder charge from fix loading to start and then add .5 to 1 gr more to compensate for the increased case volume as a result of BSing. The extra powder may or may not, effect accuracy but, you should have lower velocity with the same powder charge with BSing.

I hope that helps,

Frank

One last idiot question, just so I'm clear.  When I have my friend face and tap the rod and install the socket head cap screw, I just screw that in the end as a depth adjustment and drop it back in the case, cap screw head against the inside of the case head, correct?  I had also envisioned possibly D&T the flash hole and get a socket head cap screw that fits the primer pocket, but my idea sounds more convoluted and complicated (Rube Goldberg anyone?) than what I envision you are suggesting.

Quote:

Quarter Bore - thanks for the tip.  Here's another one for plugged cases:
* Cut the end diameter of the brass plug to the widest base diameter for all the bullets of that caliber one breech seats.  Otherwise, a smaller diameter end of the plug will put a round indent in the base of the bullet when your seating it

Well, I went to the range this morning and answered a few of my questions.  First, my idea to push a my bullet as far into the lands as I can get it without a plugged case, then chamber a primed, charge case behind it, is definitely a step backward.  It's obviously slower, which is neither here nor there - I rather enjoyed the sedate, relaxed pace of decapping, priming, throwing a charge, then chambering the charged case.  Trouble is, my groups went all to heck!  Granted, I wasn't using my chrono this morning, which wipes out an important data point, but the targets showed groups that doubled over the same charge in fixed ammunition, and ejecting the spent case required more force on the lever, I assume because the case hadn't even been partially FL sized.  I was rather impressed with my favorite load of 17 gr. of 2400 with fixed ammunition - I shot a 10 shot group that measured less than 1", outside to outside.  The alternative loading method opened that group to 1 1/2" and with 11 gr. of Unique, I shot a 5 shot fixed ammunition group that also measured less than 1" and with my alternative loading method (I won't call it breech seating...) the group opened to 2 1/2".  It was a perfect morning to run this test - almost zero wind (rare in western Minnesota) and a beautiful, sunny 45 degrees.  Interestingly, I did discover that placing a light crimp on the fixed ammunition does seem to improve groups slightly with the 11 gr. of Unique, but made no difference when using 2400. I had a good time experimenting this morning.  Next up - casting some softer 311299 bullets (20:1?) and seeing if they will breech seat in this rifle.  Otherwise, I'm perfectly content with fixed ammunition - I fired an additional 30 rounds at the 6" and 8" steel targets offhand and enjoyed ringing them up - zero misses offhand.