Pondering soft nose cast

[armednfree]

Here's what I'm pondering. Lyman makes a 255 grain 44 cal GC Mold. That boolit appears to have a pretty good size nose on it. I am considering getting that mold and pouring part of the nose in dead soft lead. I figure a 380 case to be about the right amount, or maybe a 32acp.

Any experience with this? Tips?

[Wayne Smith]

BruceB has a stickie on this somewhere.

[44man]

Not needed with the .44 at all.

[white eagle]

alot easier with a hp

[HollowPoint]

I think that at some point or another when a guy starts casting his own bullets they'll inevitably
ponder the soft-pointed bullet thing.

I know I did back when I first became a member of this forum.

I used the methods described in various posts and videos and it worked real well for me. The problem was that it took so darn long just to make up a handful of good bullets that it started me searching for some other way of doing.

I finally came up with a functional "Soft-Pointing-Tool" that I've been using ever since. It lets me make soft-points as easily and quickly as casting regular lead bullets without having to follow the routine of making soft-points the old fashioned way.

I posted this project along with several pictures of both the tool itself and the bullet performance test as well. This was a long while back so I've since removed most of the pics I posted just to make room for some of the other things I've posted pictures of.

The couple of pictures I did leave up are of my initial prototype. From their It evolved to more reliable tool.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=65379

Take a look if you get the chance. If not, the tried and true method of making soft pointed bullets is just as reliable as it's ever been; it just takes a little longer, that's all.

HollowPoint

[44man]

Slick looking tool! :bigsmyl2:
I really need a soft nose for my 45-70 but the .44 has not needed it at all, just a good meplat.
I am going to use 2 pots, I have the little soft nose pot from LBT. I want to make a mold holder to keep it level and a way to hold the handles shut tight. A little dipper for the soft in one hand and the ladle with hard in the other so I can pour one after another.

[Wayne Smith]

I think that at some point or another when a guy starts casting his own bullets they'll inevitably
ponder the soft-pointed bullet thing.

I know I did back when I first became a member of this forum.

I used the methods described in various posts and videos and it worked real well for me. The problem was that it took so darn long just to make up a handful of good bullets that it started me searching for some other way of doing.

I finally came up with a functional "Soft-Pointing-Tool" that I've been using ever since. It lets me make soft-points as easily and quickly as casting regular lead bullets without having to follow the routine of making soft-points the old fashioned way.

I posted this project along with several pictures of both the tool itself and the bullet performance test as well. This was a long while back so I've since removed most of the pics I posted just to make room for some of the other things I've posted pictures of.

The couple of pictures I did leave up are of my initial prototype. From their It evolved to more reliable tool.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=65379

Take a look if you get the chance. If not, the tried and true method of making soft pointed bullets is just as reliable as it's ever been; it just takes a little longer, that's all.

HollowPoint

Did you ever get that thing reliable enough that somebody might actually produce it? Of course, it would probably cost the price of a gun, too. I think I'll stick with Bruce's method.

[357maximum]

Soft nose boolits as well as Hp's are a waste of your time and energy if you are hunting deer and your launch speed is over 16-1800 fps. Under that speed they have their uses but over it and you are spinning your wheels and breaking things harder than they need broken. A proper alloy with a flat meplate will do all you need )and sometimes a bit more) when over the criteria listed. Now if someone was trying to blow inedible things like varmints up and turn them to red mist yet maintain an accurate alloy....then soft point and hollow point cast shine brightly.



The above is one man's opinion....you paid nothing for it, but he is pretty firm in his beliefs after shooting scores of deer with various castboolits. He is still learning everyday though.

[HollowPoint]

"Did you ever get that thing reliable enough that somebody might actually produce it? Of course, it would probably cost the price of a gun, too. I think I'll stick with Bruce's method."

Yes; I got it working reliably. Wether anyone would consider manufacturing them is something else all together. I haven't used it since shortly after completing the project.

That's because at the time I used it to cast a small mountain of soft pointed bullets that I have yet to use up. I'll have no need to fire it up again till after I've shot all those soft points I already made.

In its present configuration, this Soft-Pointing-Tool is the third prototype I made. It has manual thumb levers that trigger the dispensing of my alloys. The cost of making this tool by a single individual (myself) would most likely be prohibitive but, the correct manufacturing process could surely bring the price to a more manageable level for the average bullet caster.

I've gathered all the materials I'll need to make one more upgraded version of this tool then I can rightly call it finished. This "Finished" version of the Soft-Pointing-Tool incorporates a set of 12-volt actuators that will do away with the manual thumb levers. Just the push of a button dispenses soft and hard alloys smoothly one right after the other.

I've had so many other small projects going that this Soft-Pointing-Tool project sort of faded into the background for now. I want to get my Daisy BB gun project finished before I get back to this Tool project.

HollowPoint