more newby questions

[ssn vet]

well, I'm reading and learning....even found a source for WWs who is a re-loader and caster himself.

So here's some more Qs (and thanks for tolerating yet another clueless newb)

1. Is there any problem using the same pot (I'm looking at a Lee) for smelting WW's and melting ingots for casting bullets?

2. Is there any problem letting a load of clean lead to harden in the pot?

3. When casting rifle bullets from WWs for use as target plinkers @ ~1,600 fps, should I drop them from the mold into water to further harden them?

4. Is sizing a must for plinking ammo.? The Lee mold for 7.62x39 lists a size of
.312", which I've read is the recommended size for lead in this caliber. So would sizing to .311" make matters better or worse?

5. Am I looking for other people to answer my questions when I should just jump in and experiment? :roll:

thanks in advance for any replies.

[wiljen]

well, I'm reading and learning....even found a source for WWs who is a re-loader and caster himself.

So here's some more Qs (and thanks for tolerating yet another clueless newb)

1. Is there any problem using the same pot (I'm looking at a Lee) for smelting WW's and melting ingots for casting bullets?


Yes, you do not want all the crap in your casting pot. buy a dutch oven and a turkey fryer or a coleman stove. It allows you to smelt alot more at once and keeps your casting pot clean.



2. Is there any problem letting a load of clean lead to harden in the pot?


No, it doesnt present a problem.



3. When casting rifle bullets from WWs for use as target plinkers @ ~1,600 fps, should I drop them from the mold into water to further harden them?


Yes, or plan on heat treating afterward. Water quenching can give erratic results if bullets stay in the mold differing lengths of time but it generally will harden WW enough to handle 16-1900 fps. Heat treating can create bullets of 30+ hardness that can withstand 2500 fps.



4. Is sizing a must for plinking ammo.? The Lee mold for 7.62x39 lists a size of
.312", which I've read is the recommended size for lead in this caliber. So would sizing to .311" make matters better or worse?


No, as long as the bullet drops at or slightly over bore diameter to begin with. A bullet that is undersized will not work to begin with. A bullet that is substantially oversized will cause pressure problems. Bore diameter +.001 or .002 is generally the rule.



5. Am I looking for other people to answer my questions when I should just jump in and experiment? :roll:


Nope, ask away and then experiment. When we cant answer you, then you'll have to experiment to find your answers.

Good luck and welcome to the obsession

Wiljen

[Ghugly]

I. No.

2. No.

3. Yep.

4. No. Sizing is only a must for changing the size or perhaps, installing gas checks. If it pops out of the mold the correct size, why change it?

5. Learning from someone else's experience is the only reason we're not still living in caves. Learn whatever you can from wherever/whoever you can.

Only #5 is one that I will say is a hard and fast answer. The others are not so hard and fast. #'s 1-4 can depend on the circumstances.

[Buckshot]

................I'll just say 'Ditto' to the above.

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

[NVcurmudgeon]

3. When casting rifle bullets from WWs for use as target plinkers @ ~1,600 fps, should I drop them from the mold into water to further harden them?


You have been given good advice, but I'll swim uptide (DD 783) on quenching for 1600 fps. I have never needed harder than WW alloy up to 1,900 fps. It is possible for overly hard boolits to CAUSE leading, as well as inaccuracy. To paraphrase Vince Lombardi, "boolit fit isn't everything, it's almost the only thing."

[ssn vet]

great advice....

thanks for the detailed answers.

one more Q if you'll all permit....

I'm not planning on purchasing a high end lube/sizer for my initial set up.

I'm figuring on setting up intiially with the Lee sizing die for .311 with the Alox.

1. If I want to try hard lubes, can acceptable results be had by just melting the lube in a pan, standing the bullets up in the molten lube and then using a drilled out case to "trim" them , after things cool down and firm up?

2. If I lube as described above, can I still push the bullets through the Lee sizing die?

3. Is there ever a reason to consider using both Alox and hard lube?

that was three questions, not one....:)

[wiljen]

1. If I want to try hard lubes, can acceptable results be had by just melting the lube in a pan, standing the bullets up in the molten lube and then using a drilled out case to "trim" them , after things cool down and firm up?


Yes, pan lubing is very possible.



2. If I lube as described above, can I still push the bullets through the Lee sizing die?


Sure



3. Is there ever a reason to consider using both Alox and hard lube?


Not Really, overkill more than anything

[ssn vet]

Man! and I thought the re-loading board over on THR was bringing out the long surpressed engineering geek in me......

Baby, I'm gonna cast me some boolits!! :)

[testhop]

1yes
2no except it takes a longer time to heat up
3 yes water drop but be careful water and lead dont mix
iwould run them just for the lube proess easier and cleaner
5yes to looking and lessonbut try some things on your own
take in all you see and heard sort out what you think will work for you disregard the rest
ask questions ask more qs and rember you willnever know it all
(unless you are a polication)thay always know whats best for us lol

[Blammer]

to the questions numbered

1. no problem, for a number of years all I had was a smelting and casting pot all in one. Just clean the lead well before you cast with it.

2. no problem, It's all I've ever done.

3. don't know I don't water quench anything of mine

4. I'd slug your bore to deterimine what size you'd need, if your mould cast em just the right size without sizing, and it's just plinking, go for it.

5. find out all the info you can, to try to prevent "discovering" what you should not do that 100's of others have already discovered. No problems here, but there will be a time that just diving in will be the best teacher.

[IcerUSA]

One thing is to get some of the casting/reloading books as references and then alot of your questions will be answered and you should have 2 or more anyways, then you can ask away on the things you don't understand.

I have the 2 Lyman books and the Lee book and all 3 have good info in them I also have the Hornady 2 vol. set for the ballistic tables. and then as said before you just may have to jump in on something with both feet and get wet ;).

Most times you will find that you don't have to hot rod your loads to get good results.

YMMV

Keith

[wiljen]

Did Joe and Company ever finish or post the CB Book they had been working on? that would be a good read too. I have the beta but haven't heard much of it lately.

[leftiye]

Wiljen, They must have. I read a post recently where Joe was saying that they are selling it in CD form.

[Misfire99]

I did have a problem from letting lead harden in the pot after I was done casting. I was using a Lee bottom pour pot. When the lead harden it cast itself around the rod that closes off the nozzle. When it did that it pulled it up a little bit. This didn't get noticed when it was cooling. But when I reheated the pot the bottom of the lead melted first and started pouring out of the nozzle. The top part of the lead had not melted yet so the rod couldn't move. I only have one ingot mold and I had a real mess on my hands. If you are casting with a ladle this will not be a problem but if you use a bottom pour pot it just might be.