Cast my first Boolits ever yesterday

[62chevy]

6691066911


Used a Lee 160 gr mold, the only one available for the 45 acp. A hot plate and 4# kettle from RCBS. Made 350 Boolits from about 10# of lead, thought I would get over 400 but had to leave a couple of pounds in the pot. This took me over 5 hours to do because of so many mistakes like the mold not being hot enough or not having a big spur. Plus I tossed most of the frosted and wrinkled ones back in the pot.


Hopefully next time it will go faster. One problem was the hot plate not getting hot enough, melted the lead but just barely.


Now for some 45/45/10 and a sizing die.

[David2011]

Congrats, 62Chevy. It will go faster as you gain experience. While you're right that better equipment would have made it easier, you have shown that good boolits can be made with basic tools. If your frosty boolits are otherwise good, keep 'em and choot 'em. Many on the forum prefer a little frost. That indicates that the mold was good and hot. If the sprue takes more than 3-4 seconds to freeze then you're too hot so slow the pace a little. Control your mold temp by the pace of your casting.

Welcome to CastBoolits!

David

[62chevy]

Thanks David2011. It took 3 to 4 seconds to frost over once I got it figured out. The severely frosted ones got tossed back in the pot and just keep the slightly frosted ones.

[awaveritt]

Nice job! Welcome to the addiction er.... fraternity.

[WHITETAIL]

Too late to turn back now!
Welcome to the forum!:drinks:

[**oneshot**]

welcome!! No turning back now.

[dragonrider]

"One problem was the hot plate not getting hot enough, melted the lead but just barely."

If your lead is barely melting you don't have enough heat. Get a better heat source and a thermometer. And welcome to the club. You will get better at it.

[62chevy]

"One problem was the hot plate not getting hot enough, melted the lead but just barely."

If your lead is barely melting you don't have enough heat. Get a better heat source and a thermometer. And welcome to the club. You will get better at it.

I plan on doing that someday but money is tight right now.

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone.

[Arkansas Paul]

Welcome to the addiction.
Things will go faster as you gain experience and will speed up when you can afford to buy some better equipment. But don't let that stop you from contiuing with what you have until then.
I have a basic Lyman 10-pound pot, and once it comes to temp, I can cast 150-200 boolits in an hour or so with very few culls.

You will find yourself looking for lead at all times now. Every time we're on a trip, I notice small tire stores and point them out. I also equate what things cost in terms of wheel weights, such as, "I could go play golf, but I could use that money to buy a bucket of wheel weights." I'm hooked, and you prolly will be too. :) I can't wait to kill a deer with one of my boolits.

[Ben]

Looks to me like you're " HOOKED " now !

Ben

[w0fms]

I'm relatively new, but with the Lee aluminum molds and simple equipment it's much easier to go a little frosted, IMHO. Once tumble lubed with LLA or the superior 45/45/10.. I can't tell the difference from the perfectly shiny ones and the "reasonably" frosted ones, FWIW. If tumble lubing the frosting is actually better as it seems to take the lube ever so slightly easier.

I'm assuming since you are new and have a Lee mold, you are tumble lubing anyway.

I got lucky and one evening for about 2 hrs Midway had the 2 cavity 230 gr 2R 452 in stock. (and the sizer to go with it!) I like it.. but I do like the 6 cavity ones better. If you decide to go heavier, I'd recommend that mold since it has basically the same shape as most of the factory FMJ's I've seen.