Use frosted boolits?

[45fan]

Is there any problem using frosted boolits? Obviously had my molds too hot and turned out some frosted ones. Can these still be sized and used without ill effects?

[swheeler]

sure can

[plainsman456]

They will work without any problems.

[500MAG]

I don't let frosted boolits worry me at all. Use em'

[John Boy]

45fan - obviously you have some concern shooting frosted bullets and recogize your mold was too hot.
Ok, back the temperature down so the sprue puddle frosts within 5 to 10 seconds depending on the bullet weight. you won't experience frosted bullets

[454PB]

I don't figure my alloy and/or mould is hot enough until I start dropping frosty boolits.

By the way, that frost can be wiped off after the round is loaded, then the boolits are nice and shiny!

[btroj]

Like Tony, I think they're ggggrrrreeeeeaaattt!

[prs]

Another boolit maker who prefers his product frosty. I don't crank up the heat beyond that which produces frosty boolits, in fact, once frosty I back the heat down to about 700F or less and let the well heated mould do the frosting. After all, tin is expensive and no need to cook it out of the alloy. Anyway, my observation is that frosty pills cast with maximum detail and drop with ease.

prs

[Shiloh]

What every one else says. Just because they ain't purty doesn't mean they won't shoot.
Size 'em, lube 'em load 'em shoot 'em.

Shiloh

[44man]

The only problem with the frost point is the boolits might get too small for revolver throats. Molds too hot will reduce the size.

[**oneshot**]

Shoot them all the time. Never had a problem of any sort.

[Trey45]

Frosting, it's not just for cupcakes!
Lube, load and SHOOT them! No problem at all.
And like was said above, you can wipe the frost off and they're shiny.

[largom]

As 454PB said just wipe the nose with a rag and they will not be frosty anymore.

Larry

[H.Callahan]

I actually kinda like 'em a bit frosty. Generally, they are better filled out and more dimensionally consistent. As long as they have not shrunk so that they are smaller than what is needed for your particular gun, they are good to go.

[sqlbullet]

Verify size, then load and shoot.

[1Shirt]

Read Paco Kelly's articles!
1Shirt!

[GRid.1569]

Tony the Tiger said it best... "Frosties are Great......."

[45fan]

I don't figure my alloy and/or mould is hot enough until I start dropping frosty boolits.

By the way, that frost can be wiped off after the round is loaded, then the boolits are nice and shiny!

Hhmmmm maybe my issue isnt a frosted boolit after all, these the frost can not be wiped off to reveal a shiney boolit. These I dont know how to describe it, best I can say is the surface is not shiney they are very dull and kinda like slightly grainy look to them.

This is my second attempt at casting my first batch were ugly and after posting some pics of what I made, I was told my molds were way too cold. So I bought a cheap hot plate to get them up to a good temp. I have been told too hot boolits will be frosted and that is what I thought had, but now hearing that if they are frosted I could wipe off the frost and have shiney boolits? That is not the case I have.

Anybody help me trouble shoot my issues. I am using lead from COWW and my melt stayed between 650 to 700 (kinda tough to keep a perfectly steady temp).

[W.R.Buchanan]

I use a paper towel to defrost mine, and somehow they stay shinier longer than unfrosted ones. it literally wipes right off.

Randy

[PuppetZ]

Frosty boolits are a good thing. I know when looking over my pile that frosty ones are good, well defined, ones.

Although, as with many things, too much of a good thing is bad. Heavily frosted ones will be undersized. You'll have to get real hot for this to happen though.

I usually cull the shiny ones without looking too much. With lead/antimony alloys, shiny boolits is a sign of cold mold/alloy leading to poor fillout. My first few batches I looked them over real good when sorting the wheat from the chaff. Now I dont go over them too closely. If they are a bit frosty, they go in the good pile. Shiny and they go back into the pot.

Hope that help.

[454PB]

Hhmmmm maybe my issue isnt a frosted boolit after all, these the frost can not be wiped off to reveal a shiney boolit. These I dont know how to describe it, best I can say is the surface is not shiney they are very dull and kinda like slightly grainy look to them.

This is my second attempt at casting my first batch were ugly and after posting some pics of what I made, I was told my molds were way too cold. So I bought a cheap hot plate to get them up to a good temp. I have been told too hot boolits will be frosted and that is what I thought had, but now hearing that if they are frosted I could wipe off the frost and have shiney boolits? That is not the case I have.

Anybody help me trouble shoot my issues. I am using lead from COWW and my melt stayed between 650 to 700 (kinda tough to keep a perfectly steady temp).

You can go too far......in extreme cases the frosting won't wipe off. You don't say what type mould you are using, but aluminum moulds heat and cool more quickly than iron moulds. I cast in about the same heat range you do (700 to 750 degrees) and if the mould begins to get TOO hot, I touch it to a wet cloth while it is filled. It just needs a second of contact to reduce the temperature. Repeat as required until the frosting begins to reduce back to "light". I've done this for many years and have never damaged a mould.

It's far easier to control mould temperature than melt temperature.

[45fan]

You can go too far......in extreme cases the frosting won't wipe off. You don't say what type mould you are using, but aluminum moulds heat and cool more quickly than iron moulds. I cast in about the same heat range you do (700 to 750 degrees) and if the mould begins to get TOO hot, I touch it to a wet cloth while it is filled. It just needs a second of contact to reduce the temperature. Repeat as required until the frosting begins to reduce back to "light". I've done this for many years and have never damaged a mould.

It's far easier to control mould temperature than melt temperature.

I am using aluminum molds Lee 6 bangers to be exact, a 200gr 45frn and 105gr 38 swc. It is only the 45's I am having this problem with though.

[facetious]

When they are evenly frosted they are just right for water dropping to get max hardness.

[Lizard333]

Like others, I prefer a lite frosting. I know I have everything dialed in. Don't know if anyone has suggested it yet but I would lube them and try shooting them. If they work, great! If they don't, melt em down down and try again. You gun will tell you what it thinks. I've shot a LOT of ugly bullets that were more accurate than what I am.

[Alan in Vermont]

I usually cull the shiny ones without looking too much. With lead/antimony alloys, shiny boolits is a sign of cold mold/alloy leading to poor fillout. My first few batches I looked them over real good when sorting the wheat from the chaff. Now I dont go over them too closely. If they are a bit frosty, they go in the good pile. Shiny and they go back into the pot.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who does that. My boolits are generally dull gray, like the difference between gloss and flat paint. It's rare that I get a shiny boolit that is completely filled out.

I tumble all mine after they are loaded to get rid of case lube and any boolit lube that migrated to the noses during storage/handling. 5 to 10 minutes in the vibrator with corn cob media moistened with mineral spirits. After that the shiny ones look the same as the dull ones anyhow.

[Alan in Vermont]

I am using aluminum molds Lee 6 bangers to be exact, a 200gr 45frn and 105gr 38 swc. It is only the 45's I am having this problem with though.

With the 105 SWC I have to cast as fast as I can to keep the mold hot enough, with the 200 SWC 45 boolit (both molds are 6-holers) I either have to slow down or cool the mold every couple cycles. This is with the alloy temp the same for both. The smaller amount of hot metal, my theory at least, isn't enough to add heat as fast as the Al mold carries it away. With a borrowed 401-173-TC 6-holer it seemed to be about the right ratio of metal to mold, that thing ran beautifully as fast as I could cast and rarely needed any cooling.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

The frost gives a little something for tumble lube to stick to.

[ColColt]

I think these are probably a good color...works for me.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF4046.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF4160a.jpg

[pistolman44]

All my boolits I cast for my 45-70 are frost. The mold is a 3 cavity aluminum and with the big size heats up very fast and they frost up. Hard to keep this mold cool enough not to frost. But they all shoot good.

[Northerner]

They work very well, as good as the non-frosty bulets I cast.