My second batch. A point of no return.

[Mark_IV]

Using the Lee Makarov 2 die mould. I had some issues with the sprue plate galling on the aluminum block. I honed the plate to remove any burrs on the edges from stamping. After that I started to heat up the pot, melt some ingots and start pouring. I happened to have a bottle of silicone oil and worked well with the swage plate swing bolt and handle hinge. But the sprue bolt started to work loose, I just kept it snug with a screwdriver (found a post for the fix).

I was hooked. From the first set of maybe 150 boolits about 30 were 'ok'. The problem was getting the base filled. I started pouring molten lead on the sprue plate while filling the mould to heat it up, that seemed to work very well. If it isn't right you just plop it back in the pot, transformative isn't it?
You are so focused on mastering this noble skill that before I knew it I had a pile of nice shiny Makarov boolits.

I have ALox coated then loaded about 150 in 9mm cut length Luger cases with 3.4gr Titegroup. Can't wait to try 'em out.

They weigh in at about 100 grains which leads me to believe that the alloy may have a high lead content.

76870

[DrCaveman]

Congratulations on diving in to the deep end.

I believe you are referring to the 'sprue' plate, not swage

Not sure about silicone oil, but 2-stroke works great for me lubing sprue plate and alignment pins

Your boolits look nice, maybe a bit too nice and shiny. A bit hotter mold and hotter alloy will get your edges more crisp/square and there may be a bit of frosting...not a bad thing, based on my experience

I cant comment on your load since i dont shoot makarov but were i in your shoes i would shoot them and enjoy every minute. Then cmon back here with some more questions and these righteous fellows will get you dialed in in no time

Good shooting to ya. Keep that mould hot

[Mark_IV]

Oops, thanks for the correction, that is what happens after a long day, swage sounds sexier I guess.

Your observation on the shine is very helpful, besides I bet that is why the base is not complete. My Lee 4 lb furnace was set to 7 on the dial, without a thermometer it's hit and miss. I will crank 'er up to max and work from there. The ones that are loaded will be used to fire form the Luger brass.

[Walter Laich]

Looking good!
Some times I enjoy casting as much as shooting and don't have to pay range fees to do so

walt

[45 Shooter]

Those look like mine, nice and shiny, though it took me a bit more than the second go round. Casting made me a lead addict. I'm with Walter, I enjoy casting just as much as shootin'.

[Mark_IV]

Range time is few and far between. I have to drive 30 miles to the public range and only have two days out of the week from my schedule to do that. It is a mixed blessing, I save a lot on ammo but I need to sharpen my skills and try these loads.
BTW: I turned up the Lee to 9 and noticed a definite improvement on base fill. I installed a 4-40 set screw to lock down the sprue bolt. Works good. I can't agree more with Walter and 45 Shooter, must be in our DNA to pour metal. Used to see the Bessemer furnaces lighting up the sky from the back window of my bedroom in Pittsburgh when I was a kid.

76955

[DrCaveman]

Looking better! And you got a rifle mold too, eh? Kind of looks like my Lee 30 cal 200 gr

Next thing to try is to get the mold hotter by dipping one front corner in the melt for about 15-20 seconds. When you can lift the mold out of the melt and the bit of lead stuck to it comes off with a little shake or quick wipe with gloved hand, it's pretty hot.

The first few pours after this will take a bit longer for the sprue puddle to harden. You will also be able to back the furnace setting down a bit, maybe back to 6-7 or so, you'll find the sweet spot.

Bases should fill out better, and all edges should be sharper

Yeah, this stuff is amazingly fun. I have taken lately to re-melting runs of several hundred of any given boolit just because it's fun to cast

[Mark_IV]

Yep, the temp is definitely key here. I heat the block dipping the corner until the lead drops off then start pouring. I'll pour over the sprue plate to heat that up too. Starting at 9 I backed it off to 8 and you have to take your time to allow a full pot (4 pounder) to stabilize. At this point I would get great base fills to where the radius would be very sharp. I found that if I could pour a little higher from the ladle to get some hydraulic pressure it would improve the fill. I backed off between 6 and 7 but the base fill would become incomplete. Seven and a half seems to be the sweet spot for these boolits. Now I can do some QC and pick through them to get the nice ones. The Lee 30 cal 200 gr was intended for my AAC Blackout, it was the only mould at the time I could play with. Learned a bit about the term ogive and spitzer because the 1 ogive of this boolit does not like the AR mag. I'll just add it to my collection of 2 and look for the right one.

[DrCaveman]

Nice work!

Bummer about the 200 gr not liking the AR mag. Ive only tried it in bolt actions (30-06 and 7.62x39) and feed was not a problem. Accuracy in the 7.62x39 has so far eluded me...but i think i was pushing it too fast, and left off the gas checks. No dice. In the 30-06, with gas check, shot around 1800 fps it has been a great boolit.

Yes, now that you have seen some improvement from a few minor changes, i think you are fully addicted. That is where the real fun in this comes for me, realizing that there are a thousand small things you can tweak to squeeze out a little better performance. Of course i only deal with a few of them at a time, and only shoot once a week (at best) so i am looking at 20-60 years more of tweaking to really dial things in!

FWIW there are many members here who have already paid their dues, and put the 40+ years into this that it may take to figure out all the little stuff. Of course 300 AAC is a newish round so maybe you can help tread new ground. But there are many here way more knowledgable than me, and you should think of starting new threads with specific questions, when they come up.

Before that though, read EVERY sticky that you have the patience for. Then use the search function, you will find gold. THEN start new threads.

Keep shootin good, and havin fun