Newbie success!

[mktacop]

Greetings to all. I have been lurking around this forum for a month or so picking up all the knowledge that I can. I decided to try my hand at casting boolits so that I can save a little more money over reloading alone, and to allow me to shoot more for the same amount of money spent.

I started reloading a few months ago and the next logical step was to start casting as well. After a lot of research, I cast my first boolits this morning. I melted down about 20ish pounds of WW and using an old muffin pan made some small ingots. While I was at it, I decided to try casting. I have a 2 cavity Lee 200gr SWC mold for .45ACP and I cast about 100. I ended up with 70ish keepers after I got some experience with mold temp, pour rate, etc. I was just using the mold and a ladle, so I am very happy with my results. I have those boolits sitting in some Darr lube I made up after my smelting/casting session. By this evening, I'll be able to load some rounds using my new castings.

The wife has blessed me getting a Lee bottom-pour pot and a few more accessories that I'll be ordering come payday. I can't wait to up my production capability and go shoot some of these boolits!

Many thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge on this forum, it has proven invaluable for a newcomer like myself.

[zomby woof]

you're on your way.

[725]

Sounds like you are off to a great start. Best of luck & welcome aboard.

[1Shirt]

Your first step to addiction! Good luck and welcome!
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[geargnasher]

There is no telling how many millions of fine boolits have been made and fired with a pot and ladle. Some prefer it and never bother with an electric furnace, although the electric jobbies let you cast indoors during bad weather (provided adequate ventilation, of course).

Looks like you're off to a great start, the only thing you might want to watch is the softness of those fresh boolits. WW alloy is soft for the first few days after casting, and needs a week or two to "age harden" completely. The reason I mention this is that the boolits might be soft enough to a). get squeezed undersized when seated in the brass, which may cause them to lead the bore due to being too small to seal and allowing gas-cutting, and b.) if they are too soft they may get hammered back into the case during recoil in the magazine, resulting in reduced case volume, excessive pressure, and possibly a Kaboom. I've blown up a .45 due to the deep seating. First two or three shots were fine, then it went to pieces, the rounds left in the magazine had the boolits almost flush with the case mouth because the alloy was way too soft to resist the case tension and hold.

Gear

[Lizard333]

Gear has good advice. If you water dropped your booklets the hardening occurs much quicker. And good luck "saving money", all your going to do us spend the same amount but shoot a LOT more.

Welcome aboard!!

[Bullet Caster]

Welcome to Cast Boolits forum. We hope you'll find a home here. There's a wealth of knowledge from the old casters and reloaders on this forum. I'm also new to casting and reloading with two casting sessions under my belt. My boolits are over two months old and have gotten harder with the passage of time. I read early on on this forum that you shouldn't load recently casted boolits until they've hardened up a little. You don't want what happened to gear to happen to your gun. If you're like me $$ comes at a premium and if I blew a gun up, I couldn't replace it any time soon. Sometimes in reloading patients are a virtue and some things just don't need to be hurried. Just my 2 cents worth. BC

[geargnasher]

Many times loading "green" boolits isn't a problem, I just wanted to point out that it can be depending on how soft they are, how big they are, how much the brass is expanded, etc., so it's something to be aware of.

Gear

[rak1]

Welcome to the forum. I too am new to casting and have only two sessions under my belt. There is a wealth of information on this forum and one can learn a lot from the people here. Don't be afaird to ask questions.
Dick

[cbrick]

Welcome to CastBoolits mktacop,

The OP said he was casting for the 45 ACP and using WW alloy. There is no need or reason to water drop WW for this cartridge, could well cause more problems than it could solve. Too hard is just that . . . Too hard. After a few days his WW should be in the 12 BHN range and that is plenty hard for the fairly low pressure and sedate velocities of this cartridge. Sizing to fit the firearm is far more important than making them too hard.

Rick

[44man]

I want to welcome a new fella too.
Super job for a first time! :bigsmyl2:
Savings will pile up real fast when you cut the price to a primer and a pinch of powder. It might take a week or so to cover the price of tools! [smilie=l:

[mktacop]

Thanks to all for the welcomes. I'll be loading some rounds with my new castings in a few days and am looking forward to sending them downrange. I decided to hold off on loading them since some measured .453 and a few measured .454. I ordered my accessories (including a .452 sizer) today, and I'll wait to size them before I load any rounds.

[cbrick]

Before you size them .452" load a few dummy rounds and see if they will chamber and function in the action, if they do simply don't size them, shoot'em as is (lubed of course). They will shoot their best 1 or 2 thou over measured groove diameter so if they chamber shoot'em. If there is any difficulty chambering them don't size them down any more than needed to get them to chamber.

Rick

[Recluse]

"Save money by reloading and casting?"

That's a hoot.

I'm going broke from all the tools, equipment, accessories, supplies and "I gotta try these boolits and reloads out" trips to the range.

:)

Welcome to the group. It's like quicksand. Once you're in here, the more you struggle to get out, the more you get sucked in deeper and deeper.

But man oh man, what a way go go.

:coffee:

[mktacop]

Before you size them .452" load a few dummy rounds and see if they will chamber and function in the action, if they do simply don't size them, shoot'em as is (lubed of course). They will shoot their best 1 or 2 thou over measured groove diameter so if they chamber shoot'em. If there is any difficulty chambering them don't size them down any more than needed to get them to chamber.

Rick

Thanks cbrick. I'll give them a try before I do any sizing. I learn more every time I check this site!

[mktacop]

"Save money by reloading and casting?"

That's a hoot.

I'm going broke from all the tools, equipment, accessories, supplies and "I gotta try these boolits and reloads out" trips to the range.

:)

Welcome to the group. It's like quicksand. Once you're in here, the more you struggle to get out, the more you get sucked in deeper and deeper.

But man oh man, what a way go go.

:coffee:

I hear you. It DOES make it easier to sell the wife on things when I can show her how much I'm saving over buying factory ammo though :)

[Bullet Caster]

That's a real hoot, Recluse. You hit the proverbial nail right square on the head. The more you struggle the deeper you get! I never realized that casting & reloading was like quicksand. A great analogy. BC

[rintinglen]

Recluse, you just made me spray coffee on my Lap Top. "Save money" Ha.