Lyman 452374HV Devastator

[lawboy]

Well, I took delivery of mine today. Unpacked it, removed all the oil. Right away I noticed that the faces of the blocks have tooling scratches. One has a cresent indentation right under the locator pin that looks like someone missed the pin with the punch. Both blocks have some light angled scratches running diagonally across the vent lines. I don't think these blemishes will cause casting problems as the pin channel and the bullet cavity look fine. The vent lines look fine too. Still, a bit disappointing for 52.00.
Now, I am excited about casting with this mould and trying out the bullets. The pictures inf Glen Fryxell's article just look awesome with that wide cavity. I have no real purpose for these bullets other than general plinking and shooting targets and steel plates at the range, but they sure look cool! We shall see.

[lawboy]

Well, I cast about 50 of the devastators. The mould works fine. I dipped the pin in the melt to preheat it and I didn't have any problems getting good cavities. I threw three times, then smoked the cavities, then threw another 10 times or so and I was in business with good bullets. I weighed only one bullet sized and lubed and it came in at 206.4 grains on a Lyman LE300 scale. I am using a soft alloy, about 9.5bhn. I think they will provide some fun on water-filled and capped milk jugs, etc. They look very nice. I am going to buy the 44 and 10mm versions.

[Lloyd Smale]

I sure wish theyd make one for the 45s that ran about the same weight as the 44 devestator with a crimp grove!! That bullet is an excellent shooter in my 44s.

[Buckshot]

[QUOTE=lawboy;201275]Well, I took delivery of mine today. Unpacked it, removed all the oil. Right away I noticed that the faces of the blocks have tooling scratches. One has a cresent indentation right under the locator pin that looks like someone missed the pin with the punch. Both blocks have some light angled scratches running diagonally across the vent lines. I don't think these blemishes will cause casting problems as the pin channel and the bullet cavity look fine. The vent lines look fine too. Still, a bit disappointing for 52.00.
QUOTE]

..............When you come right down to it regardless of looks, if it works as intended then looks don't mean anything in the long run.

However, clean machining and a fine finished appearance show a bit of pride in manufacture. Also there is something purely satisfying mentally and personally in seeing a well crafted and finished item. On one level you just seem to feel better about it being a job well done. Plus, people just prefer'em pretty, regardless what it is. (Just in case you wonder why they polish apples :-))

..............Buckshot

[Blammer]

How about some pics of your boolits!

Sounds pretty cool!

[Greg]

Well, I cast about 50 of the devastators. I am going to buy the 44 and 10mm versions.



lawboy-


Where can you find a 10mm devastator mould? by the time that I made up my mind that I needed one, they were all gone. I looked at midsouth and midway to no avail...

anybody...?

[lawboy]

Well that sucks. I had assumed that they were available for the asking but it seems that is not the case. Now I simply MUST HAVE ONE! The hunt is on!
Meanwhile, I did try out the 45 Devastator today on steel plates. I have a little steel plate that is 3x5 inches. I was able to stay on it pretty much every shoot shooting bullseye style at 25 yards today, about the same as I can do with my H&G 68 load so I think the bullets will do. Now I just need to cast about 1,000 of them so I can load a nice run of ammo. With a one-hole HP mould, that is going to take a few nights of casting!

[Lloyd Smale]

Something that works for me to speed things up is instead of dipping your pin in the lead to heat it try a propane torch with one of the larger heads on it that are designed for heat shrink tube. Even one with a standard head will work. It will get the pin hotter and hot faster so it will cast longer between heatings and keep your mold from cooling when heating the pin. One thing ive found with casting devestators is that you cant have your melt to hot especialy if your using a softer alloy and you cant have your mold to hot or pin to hot. Hot is good. Run it fast enough to just keep it to the point that you will occasionaly get some lead build up on your spruce plate and you will make good consistant bullets. If you keep things hot and get into a good consistant rythm it will surprise you how many bullets you can make in one session without excessive rejects.

[WHITETAIL]

OK boys and girls, If you want to try some I have the mould for 9mm/357.
But it has an extra goodie with it.
I went and modified it to take a gas check on the back.:castmine:

[WHITETAIL]

:-( Greg, There must be somthing wrong with my system. I got a notice from you but I can not connect.

[WHITETAIL]

Greg, they are in the mail.:coffee:

[Merc41]

Blammer, here are a few I made last year. My first attempt at the .45 Deviatator. The yellow color is the liquid allox I used.

http://members.verizon.net/~vze32nzb/45HP.jpg

[Greg]

White Tail-

Let me tell you about my results with the GC’d (Hornady) version of the 356637, the WhiteTail Devastator. I picked three loads from the Lyman 48th Reloaders Handbook; *

In 38 Special Winchester brass, 5.0 grains Red Dot, WSP primers, 1.475 oal, taper crimp. 1114 fps - 1½" groups, no pressure signs, no leading. *1

In 357 magnum Remington nickle cases, 14.0 grains Alliant 2400, CCI #550 SPM primers, 1.585 oal, taper crimp. 1432 fps - 2-2¼" groups, no pressure signs, no leading. *2

In 357 magnum Remington nickle cases, 21.0 grains Hodgdon H110, CCI #550 SPM primers, 1.585 oal, taper crimp. 2014 and 1865 fps - 2½"groups, no pressure signs, no leading. *3

Recoil was a tad bit brisk and thus somewhat harder to shoot extremely well. It got me dreaming of Antelope hunting and the High Plains in October. These H110 loads were in a hodge podge mixture of brass, first 6 went 2014-fps and then the second 6 went 1865-fps, which I attributed to the odd lot of cases used. I’m going to reshoot this load in consistent brass.

weight as tested 135 grains. 8⅜" Smith and Wesson 686 all shooting at 50 yards

* loads from the Lyman 48th Reloaders Handbook
1) pg 334 listed as 356242 120 grain, at 1047 fps and 18,400 cup.
2) pg 337 listed as 358093 125 grain, at 1429 and 38,900 cup.
3) pg 337 listed as a starting load for a 125 JHP, at 1357 fps and 33,500 cup.