Newbie needs help

[dam555]

I'm trying to come up with a list of items I need to get to start casting .45ACP and .30 for mil surplus rifles (US). I am planning on ordering a Lee mould .451" and a Lee .309" mold for the rifles. After reading some of the posts I am wondering if I should order larger molds i.e. .310 or .311" for the .30 cal. I haven't seen a good explanation of how to order mold sizes. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Don

[jcwit]

How much quanity are you going to mold? How do you plan to lube? Need more input. If you're just starting out, try Lee products excellent value for money spent.

[wiljen]

If you search for "slugging the bore" you'll find info on how to determine the dimensions of your barrel. This is typically done by driving a soft lead slug (ball) through the barrel and then measuring key dimensions. Once you know your bore dimensions, you know the bullet dimensions you need. Typically bullets should be between .001 and .002 larger than bore diameter.

[dam555]

I plan on using the Lee products, 10lb bottom pour melter, the Lee sizing tools and liquid Alox lube, starting out I won't be casting 100's at a time, maybe runs of 50 using double cavity moulds. I've read about slugging bores but haven't got brave enought to try it yet.

[454PB]

Welcome to the forum!

Off the shelf Lee moulds are not necessarily the diameter listed. I own a lot of them, and 80% of those cast slightly larger than the diameter advertised...which is a good thing. I've never found one that was undersized with WW alloy. Go ahead and order the desired moulds, they should be fine for your requirements. If not, you may have to order a custom mould or lap the Lee moulds.