How closely do you cull?

[Cloudpeak]

This afternoon, I cast my first 1,500 or so 45 cal., 200 SWC HG 68 design bullets out of my new Lee 6 cavity mold. I used Daniel's sprue plate lube and I think it worked pretty well. In fact, I probably contaminated hole #2 as I didn't get base fill out like I'd like. It got better half way through the session but I did end up with some bullets that only filled 98% so to speak.

Mainly, where the bevel base part of the bullet is, the edges are not sharp. I've been culling these but am not sure I need to. I think I'll mike the bases and see if the rear band is "to spec". Does this sound reasonable?

Cloudpeak

[Phil]

First, I'd see how they shoot as is. Just load 50 or so and shoot five 10 shot groups. Then cull some and repeat with the culls. Then repeat with perfect boolits and compare group sizes. That way you'll know exactly how they work.

Cheers,

Phil

[NVcurmudgeon]

How mercilessly I cull depends a lot on what I am going to use the boolits for. Rifle boolits are given a good visual inspection, and weighed only if they are to be used for competition or load development. Pistol bullets are never weighed, and minor defects are often allowed, but I do like a good, sharp base. I never tested rounded bases vs. sharp ones, so don't know for sure.

[FISH4BUGS]

The great thing about shooting cast bullets in the submachine guns is they don't care WHAT you feed them. I only make sure the bullets look pretty much like a bullet should. I give them a quick once over after they fall out of the Star Sizer.
For handguns, they would need to be obviously deformed on the base.

[imashooter2]

Rounded bases and bands get melted again. With a 6 hole mold you make bullets so fast there is no reason to shoot seconds.

[Cloudpeak]

Rounded bases and bands get melted again. With a 6 hole mold you make bullets so fast there is no reason to shoot seconds.

Yeah, you're right. I guess I got greedy there for a minute:-D Ah, the wonders of the 6-cavity mold!

Cloudpeak

[Bret4207]

Some good thoughts here. I agree the 6 bangers are a godsend for volume. I still tend to cull the same way no matter what. Obvious flaws cause a remelt. Flaws in plain bases boolits near the base ALWAYS get tossed. GC base I will allow a little more leeway as the base will be entomed in the check. Very slight wrinkles in a drive band or a speck of dross in a drive band I sometime tolerate, more so on 44 and 45 peestol boolits. I once shot a mess of straight from the mould, boogered boolits in my M-19 357 Smiff. At 25 yards there was no real difference in group size I could tell. At 50 and out to around 175 (rock type targets) there were definite flyers. This was with 358156, so even with the GC it appears it can make a difference. If I ever get to the eye doc for some glasses I may try it again someday.

[Boz330]

What kind of shooting are you doing? It sounds like it might be IPSC where the targets are fairly close and the shooting is fast. In that case I wouldn't worry about it, I don't. On the other hand for BPCR I weigh and hold tolerance at + or- a half grain.
When I shot IPSC seriously I only had a 4 cavity mold and was shooting 20K+ rounds a year in practice and competition. Match bullets were watched closer but that was probably mental more than anything. BTW I still bought bullets to keep up that sort of rate.

Bob

[Cloudpeak]

What kind of shooting are you doing? It sounds like it might be IPSC Bob

No IPSC, etc. in my area. We do have a small, steel plate shooting club. Just a local thing but a lot of fun.

Mainly, I'm just tinkering. I like working up loads to find the most accurate (and, hopefully, a soft shooting load). I don't really need a super accurate load for shooting plates but I like 'em anyway:-D

[sundog]

Well, if I cull, I git'em as far from as I kin! sundog