Need some general direction!

[stocker1042]

Hey guys...brand new caster here.

I've been reading this board for quite a while. I also bought the Lyman book, and a few other books along the way. I've also read a ton of website info, watched youtube vids, etc. I purchased a Lee 20lb pot, and I have a few questions that I see some conflicting information on.

I was given about 1000 lbs. of lead, some of which are already in small ingot sizes. I tried to attach a picture. Some of it looks to be an alloy of some kind and some looks to be pure lead. Do you guys use a hardness tester to test your ingots before you start casting?

I shoot 9mm, 38, 357, and 44 magnum. I make all my loads light due to the fact I don't hunt, I just target shoot. Do I really need to go though the trouble of slugging the barrel or can I grab a mold or two and just get rolling? If so, what are some molds that I can use to get me started? If I am shooting light loads, does the exact hardness matter or can I be close enough due to the relatively low speed of my loads?

That's enough questions to get me started. Any help appreciated.

[hermans]

Welcome to the addiction! Since you shoot only light loads, you should make a few test castings and see if you get good fill out, if not you should add a little tin to your alloy. What is more important than knowing the exact hardness of your castings, is your boolit to barrel fit. I like mine to be 0.0015 - 0.002 over size....that way I get perfect seal and no leading at all.

[**oneshot**]

A hardness tester does just that, it tells you the BHN of the sample. It will not tell you the percentages. Might be a good idea to have it analyzed to see what you have, punch it in the alloy calculator on here, add X if needed to get BHN, then make a big batch of alloy.

Of all I have learned about casting one thing is of all importance: Boolit fit-Boolit fit-Boolit fit. A good fitting boolit takes alot of the headache out of the picture.

[John Allen]

Hermans, hit the nail on the head regarding sizing and fill out. Sizing to the proper size of your bore makes all the difference. I usually just size a little big aka 357 sized to .359. I do this for the convenience of running it through a couple of different guns. If you put more effort out you will probably get better accuracy.

[stocker1042]

So..it sounds like the fit is more important than the alloy given my application? If I'm a little soft shooting light loads I'll be OK?

[Bullshop]

You cant get much softer than comercial swaged and they shoot perty good in light loads with no real lube to speak of. Just a dusting of dry powder.
Time now to move past the talkin stage and on to the doin stage.

[stocker1042]

I wanna get castin! But I'm gonna need to buy some molds and I'm not sure what sizes to buy. I have all S+W revolvers, and one Smith 559 9mm. What size molds should I try, without slugging? Even one to get me rolling.

[Bullshop]

All 9mm? By size do you mean weight or diameter?

[stocker1042]

Sorry...should have been more specific. The 559 is 9mm, and the 38/357/44 are all Smith revolvers.

[Bullshop]

You didnt answer the rest of the question,
" by what size do you mean weight of bullet or diameter of bullet?""
Its hard to answer a question if we dont really know what the question is, or am I missing something?

[fcvan]

I first started casting with my dad and he had varied equipment, mostly. When I started casting own my own I was loading for a S&W 459 using a Lee 356-125 2R. I found out rather early the S&W liked .358 boolits. Fortunately, my mold dropped at about .3585 and 126 grains from range scrap. I shot them over 5 grains of Unique with Javalna but now i use Lars White Label BAC lube. Lars is a vendor here.

When I started loading .38 special I rand the same boolit over the same 5 grain charge. I have cast over 500k with that mold over the past 27 years with most of them lunched as .38 special. Lots of folks are now using the Lee 358-125 RF in .38 and 9mm. Although I don't have that mold I did some swapping with another member for some of those boolits. I really want that mold! I have also been using the Lee 356-120 TC which for me is casting at .358 at 125 grains from range scrap. These are shooting very well from the .38 and the 9mm, and with plain based gas checks through the .357 mag.

As far as the 44 goes, I bought the Lee C429-240 SWC which takes a gas check. I haven't done much with this mold as I originally bought it, and dies, to load for a friends .44 Bulldog. Last year, the wife decided she wanted a Ruger SBH so now I'm loading for her. Although I don't have it yet, I horse traded for a Lee 429-208 WC mold which should arrive in a few days. I'm hoping the lighter wad cutter mold will make for some pleasant loads for my wife's short barreled SBH.

You have lots of lead of varying alloys. I suggest you read up on using pencil lead for a crude hardness tester. There's a sticky on the subject here at Cast Boolits. Heck, there are volumes of knowledge to be had right here on this site. Learn how to do searches on the site and you will find lots of answers to questions you didn't even know to ask.

[stocker1042]

Sorry..size. I typically shoot waducutters or SWCs in the revolvers, 148-158G in the 38/357, and 240G in the 44. I have not reloaded 9mm yet, but I am thinking a 120g or so.

[ubetcha]

The bullets should as large or a couple thou larger than the throat of the revolvers cylinder.My 44mag Ruger SBH has .432 throats so I strive for .432 or .433 if possible

[wv109323]

Without slugging your bores, no pun intended , but you are taking a shot in the dark.
You can go with nominal sizes for your calibers and try them. You might get lucky. Besides that is what you do when you buy cast boolits. .356 for 9mm,.358 for .38/357, and .430 for .44 Mag.
Of course it is optimum for accuracy and non-leading issues to get the sizing and lube right for the bore.
I don't know the source of your lead but with the amount you have, I doubt it is of a consistent alloy throughout. You may try the finger nail and scratch the edge. Or take a file and see if you can determine if it is the same hardness.
It should be suitable if you keep the velocity low enough.
If you like 148 WC for the .38/.357 I would get that mold. You may get a 125 grain RN or TC nose bullet that would cast .358. With that mold you may be able to use it in .357 and 9mm by sizing it down if needed. Make sure you get something that should feed through the semi-auto.
The normal weight for the .44 is around 240 gns. I would not go over that and would look hard at something in the 200 grain especially with lower velocities. The shorter bullets is easier to stabilize given the same twist rate of the barrel.

[MtGun44]

Welcome.

Be careful with the YouTube videos. Not a bit of QC there, so some are great, some are not.

Spend time with the Stickies. This one may help.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?121737-Setting-up-for-boolits-in-a-new-9mm


Bill

[stocker1042]

Thanks for the assistance. Much appreciated.

[Bullshop]

Now you rolling. Have fun, good luck!

[oldtoolsniper]

You are doing the right thing. Ask the questions. Also compare your loading manuals, you will find different load recommendations for the same boolit depending on the manual. They will even change from year to year from the same publisher. Use a manual or one of the online "reputable" powder or component manufactures web sites for your load information. DO NOT USE some information you found on you tube telling you to use x amount of powder Y to get your boolit down range. Use only information provided by a reputable source. Someone randomly publishing load information on a web site IS NOT that source.

Read and re-read, if it's not clear do not proceed, ask some questions and get it explained until you understand it. This is a good site for that.

I have learned about metal lathes, reading calipers, figuring out threads per inch on screws, and a whole pile of other things along the way.

Just do a search or ask the question.

Welcome to the madness.