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Whitespider
06-20-2007, 09:50 PM
Poured my first “large” (600+) batch of boolits last weekend (Lee TL410-210 SWC). Started inspecting them tonight, most all look like keepers. Weighed 20 of them, lightest weighed 211.6 grs, heaviest 212.5 grs. I’m giving myself a big pat on the back, than I get out the micrometer. My boolits are not round, as much as .0033 inch out of round.

Is this normal? Could it be something I’m not doing right?

The smallest measurement is across the boolit on the lines where the mold halves come together, the largest at 90 degrees to that. I’ve checked the mold block and it looks to be closing properly.

dmftoy1
06-20-2007, 10:48 PM
Well I can't say I'm an expert . .BUT I don't think I'd be worried about that kind of variance.

Just my .02

Regards,
Dave

Blammer
06-20-2007, 11:20 PM
how are they after you size em?

leftiye
06-21-2007, 02:10 AM
White spider, I'd almost be willing to bet your mold isn't closing tightly/correctly. That's about the only way that you can get boolits that are fatter perpendicular to the mold faces. Standards are, I think, round within .001", and to spec (size ) within .001".

Springfield
06-21-2007, 04:47 AM
I've checked most of my moulds, and it seems pretty much all the LEE moulds cast bullets that are about 2 thou out of round. Must be the way the aluminum heats up. Once sized they work fine. If you beagle a mould it is even worse. But they still work.

38-55
06-21-2007, 05:25 AM
Hey White Spider,
What are you dropping the boolits on when they come out of the mold ? I use an old cotton towel... If they are a little warm and you get excited and open your mold a little soon you can make them a little lopsided if you don't drop them on something soft....
Just a thought..
Calvin

Whitespider
06-21-2007, 07:52 AM
First of all, I screwed up.:? I must need a refresher in mathematics. My boolits are not .0033 out of round:roll:, they’re .0027 out of round.

Blammer
I haven’t been sizing them, shooting as cast. And I haven’t shot many, just a few to check for barrel leading. Plan to shoot a few at paper and work out a load this weekend. I do have a Lee .410 sizer on the way, one of the board members here made me a heck of a deal on it. But I’ll have to open it up to .412+ to make the boolits fit my barrel when I get it. (Barrel = .4114)

leftiye
I’ll double-check my mold, but it sure looks to be closing. Can’t find any burrs or lead smears.

38-55
Yea, I’m droppin’ them on an old folded up towel.

38-55
06-21-2007, 08:11 AM
Hey White spider,
Good deal... Try waiting a little longer after the sprue frosts over. Bigger bullets take longer to cool and that could be the source of your problem..
It's just me, but I always look for a simple fix and I'm usually the problem.
Just a thought for ya.
Stay safe
Calvin
Ps just as an aside... I find that if the boolits are within 1% of each other wieght wise they seem to shoot as good as I do...

pdawg_shooter
06-21-2007, 08:40 AM
Dont worry about it. I would be willing to bet that after the leave the barell they are about as round as the need to be !

jonk
06-21-2007, 08:52 AM
Twenty seven ten THOUSANDTHS off? You must have a very fine micrometer.

I wouldn't worry about it. Sizing should fix it; if not, the bullet will surely deform that much when fired anyhow.

WHITETAIL
06-23-2007, 07:22 AM
First, load a few and see for yourself.
Do they shoot fine or not?
You did not say if you size or unsized them?

richbug
06-23-2007, 10:20 AM
The forcing cone will size them for you.

Ohio Rusty
06-23-2007, 10:25 AM
I wouldn't worry at all about the bullets being out of round, small wrinkles, etc. Upon ignition, the base of the bullet is mashed, smashed and deformed trying to get the inertia of the front of the bullet going. Then the bullet gets crashed and smashed into the forcing cone, Then the fun part begins where those itty bitty wrinkles get crushed and deformed into HUGE wrinkles that get squeezed into the bullet and take the form of barrel rifling, while the bullet itself is forceably mutilated to take on the shape and roundness of the barrel. And we pleasure shooters are worried about roundness and wrinkles in bullets ???? Load 'em, shoot 'em in the dirt and enjoy the bang ........
Ohio Rusty

drinks
06-23-2007, 11:25 AM
White, the only mechanical cause for out of round I have found on Lee molds is where the steel pins that locate the mold halves are pushed in to the mold, the pin sometimes pushes a bit of the aluminum ahead of the pin and this can keep the mold halves from closing completely, check at the end of the pin, if there is some metal pushed up, I just use an exacto knife to shave it off.