Newbie question

[exdxgxe4life]

Hello all! First post so go easy on me, I'll try to make this coherent.


My goal is to load up for a marlin 1894 in .44 magnum. Without slugging it, I know the bores run a little large and I plan on getting a .431 mold or .432 from Ranch Dog Outdoors.

I've smelted down some wheel weights and my ingots appear to have small "cracks" on top. Is that from my Lee ingot mold and will my boolits have the same cracks in them? My guess is the mold wasn't hot enough.

Thanks

[HeavyMetal]

First: Welcome Aboard!

As for the cracks no worries, sounds like a temp thing. Since you won't shot ingots ( or if you do post a pic of the gun) just store and get ready to cast.

When you start casting take a good magnifiying glass to your raw castings and look for such things as well as rounded edges and wrinkles.

That's where the fun starts!

[beagle]

Sounds like you're lead may have a pretty high antimony content which is good for your application. For a Marlin with that Mickey Mouse rifling you need big, hard and gas checked bullets if possible. That's been my experience with the .44 Marlins./beagle

[MtGun44]

Boolits far less likely to have cracks, never have seen it myself.

As to size - try what you want, you may very well luck into the correct diameter right off the
bat. But slugging is just like measuring your feet for shoes. Your size is NOT the same
as somebody else born on your birthday or your brother, except by random luck. You can
buy shoes by just trying on pairs until something fits, but measuring and trying the measured
size and maybe one a touch larger is usually a good bit faster. Either method depends
on Mr. Target to tell you the story, no one else knows the truth.

Bill

[mooman76]

How did the cracks come about? From natural cooling or after you dumped the ingots? If it was after you dumped the ingots, it just means they hadn't cooled enough yet. Either way, I don't think it's anything to worry about.

[GaryN]

I'm a newbie here also. I got some cracks in mine because I dumped them a little early and they had a lot of antimony in them.