Indexing mark in mould.

[JeffinNZ]

Hi team

Where is the best place to put an indexing mark in a mould?

I was thinking a spring loaded dot punch for a mark near the ogive.

[montana_charlie]

If you look at the base of a bullet that you have cast, you can tell which way the sprue plate was moving when it moved away from the bullet. The sprue area has a little 'smear' pointng the way.

You could use that...
CM

[trk]

I'd pick a place on the nose, just clear of where the nose punch (sizing or loading) engages. You can feel it for loading the projectile into the brass and the cartridge into the rifle.

[buck1]

Yep on the nose. It doesnt take much of a punch mark. ...Buck

[beagle]

I'd take a jeweler's file and cut a VERY SMALL notch on the ogive. This will create a small flashing. Very easy to scrape off with the fingernail during loading./beagle

[Cimarron Red]

I'm with Montana Charlie on this. I use the mold seam nearest the sprue smear, and stripe it with a felt tipped marker for indexing the cartridge into the chamber. I see no point in defacing a mold, especially a custom mold.

[trk]

There is a disadvangage on marking the mould - it spoils the warrenty and it's collector's value.

OK, for an original Pope or Keith Mould don't mark it.

But for a two-cavity (or more) mould, one or more slight indentations with a center punch do well. AND once the bullet is loaded there STILL is no question.

JMHBAO :)

[Cimarron Red]

trk,

I index my bullets into the cases per the location of a particular part of the headstamp. This provides a fool proof and indelible indexing mark on the cartridge. It sounds like you're not merely indexing bullets but identifying individual cavities as well. In my case the only bullets I index are 500 grain plus from single cavity molds. But even with two cavity molds the angles of the sprue cut relative to the mold seams differ for each cavity as a result of the sprue plate swing. That said I have no quarrel with those who feel strongly about punching their cavities. I just prefer to take a different approach.

[sundog]

Indexing to a particular spot on the head stamp does not make a lot sense. Indexing to a particular heavy or light spot in the brass, which does not necessarily correspond to any head stamp will yield more uniform results. Head stamps are applied randomly.

BUT, if you are not a BR shooter, it is doubtful you will see much results.

Also, individual pieces of brass that do not shoot to the group need to be segregated (used for something else).

Be warned, continual registration can lead to premature throat wear - or so the BR guys tell me.

[sundog]

trk, I have several moulds that guys I shoot with would pay premium for (more than I bought them for) and they are indexed. Why pay premium? They shoot that good. Maybe not for them, but for me. The grass is greener.....

Screw the warranty. If it don't work, it might fit something later. Judicious purchase up front helps that problem.

Marking a mould with a punch or anything else does not hurt the mould or the boolit. A mould is a chunk of iron, brass, aluminium, whatever. You can always get another one.

If YOU shoot good, no one is ever going to question why you marked a mould. What they will question is, "How do you do it?"

[Cimarron Red]

Sundog,

My interst in indexing is to get the bullet into battery in the same position each time. Once the cartridge has been inserted into into the chamber, the index mark on the bullet is no longer visible. Ergo, indexing on a headstamp ensures the bullet is where I want it.