Anyone seen this before?

[jeepyj]

A week ago I posted that that I was able to pick up 5lbs of lead at camp from a snowbank that has melted away. The loads were all Lyman 358477 with 5grains of Unique in a 38 special cases lubed carnauba red. I get no leading in my Ruger Blackhawk. I have literarily put several thousand of these through this revolver as well as my 686. Now the puzzling thing in the photos I found 4 out of several hundred (all together i picked up 6.1 pounds) that have a hole in them. I can put a needle in around 3/16" more or less. I run a pro melt at 700 degrees. I am about positive that these blemishes are not getting by me during my casting / lubing process. I inspected the blemished ones they almost look like the area around the pin hole is melted however with such a light load and no sign of deformation around the base. I am puzzled. Of course this is the first time I've ever been able to pick up that many in tact cast boolits. The only thing I could come up with is a light spot in the lube allowing the gas to concentrate in one area. Thoughts anyone?
103460103461

[MrWolf]

I don't have much experience with lead boolits yet, but could the hole be caused by water/ice that managed to set in an imperfection? You did state they came from a snow bank.

[fastfire]

I'm far from an expert but could it be gas cutting?

[TXGunNut]

Lube worms. Eggs actually in all boolit lubes, only hatch in extreme cold. ;-)
It's just a void, weighing boolits will find them but who wants to weigh hundreds of pistol boolits?

[tazman]

TXgunnut is correct about the void. Notice the holes all seem to appear where the lands are cutting into the boolit deepest. The voids are just below the surface and get cut into when fired.
These may or may not effect your accuracy. A lot depends on how far you are shooting.
About the lube worms-----Not so much.:veryconfu

[.22-10-45]

Wayne Schwartz did a write up in the Fouling Shot (CBA Asso.) on shrinkage voids. These were in .32 bullets for Schutzen rifles. He used a wood chislel to split then lengthwise..nearly all had voids..and he is a master caster.

[dromia]

I suspect that they are casting voids, it is at least the most obvious cause.

[Tatume]

I suspect that they are casting voids, it is at least the most obvious cause.

+1 The void was covered over and not visible, but was exposed on firing the bullet.

[jeepyj]

Thank you all who responded . At least it didn't seem to throw up any red flags. I'll see if i can find the article by Wayne Schwartz I think it would be interesting to read.
Jeepyj

[casterofboolits]

I read somewhere that all cast boolits have a void. I have never recovered boolits with voids that large tho.

[MBTcustom]

Sure! Thats casting voids. Looks like you throw your lead straight at the hole with a bottom pour pot, and run your alloy less than 740 degrees? (seriously, go ahead and make me look like an idiot. How close am I? LOL!)
check out my thread titled "How consistent are you really" I show such a boolit that looked OK on the outside, but was light on the scale. I filed the side of the boolit and voila! Void exposed!
I could be totally wrong here, but I suspect that the surface tension of the lead makes it so that bubbles stay under the surface of the boolit.

[jeepyj]

Sure! Thats casting voids. Looks like you throw your lead straight at the hole with a bottom pour pot, and run your alloy less than 740 degrees? (seriously, go ahead and make me look like an idiot. How close am I? LOL!)
check out my thread titled "How consistent are you really" I show such a boolit that looked OK on the outside, but was light on the scale. I filed the side of the boolit and voila! Void exposed!
I could be totally wrong here, but I suspect that the surface tension of the lead makes it so that bubbles stay under the surface of the boolit.
I do run a bottom pot at 700 degrees. I did read your thread very it is informative and interesting. I hadn't have thought much about it until I had such a good chance with the snow as a back stop and the Boolits in such good condition upon retrieval. It's interesting how we keep striving to perfect our cast Boolits. Thanks again, Jeepyj

[nicholst55]

I like the theory about lube worms, myself... :kidding:

[MBTcustom]

I do run a bottom pot at 700 degrees. I did read your thread very it is informative and interesting. I hadn't have thought much about it until I had such a good chance with the snow as a back stop and the Boolits in such good condition upon retrieval. It's interesting how we keep striving to perfect our cast Boolits. Thanks again, Jeepyj

Yeah see, push your heat up to around 750, run your mold just this side of frosty boolits, and aim the stream so that it "swirls" into the hole, and adjust your stream so that it's not squirting so fast, and you'll virtually eliminate those voids.

[Tatume]

Better yet, run your mold just on the frosty side, and you'll be assured of good bullets. Frosty bullets are good bullets.

[nekshot]

With alum molds I generally run real hot, the boolits look frosty. I felt those are of a better consistant weight than the cooler nice shiny ones. Any one else expierence this?

[nekshot]

Wow are we reading one anothers mail?

[Tatume]

Looks that way, doesn't it?

[dromia]

All that being said too hot a mould can also lead to voids, poor fill out and imperfections as well.

You have to learn the needs of each individual mould.

[jimb16]

I thought those holes were caused by the boolits passing through mini black holes on their way to the target!

[HeavyMetal]

And this is why I bought a Pact digital scale way back in the late 80's, LOL!

I weigh everything cast and it was amazing how cast 45 boolits seperated themselves into two major weight groups.

More important was the half dozen or so that were 20 grains lite but better was to pair that were 25 grains heavier than the average for the two major weight groups.

Working with the Pact scale was a great eye opener and help me produce some very tight grouping ammo, nice round groups with no flyers.

would only take a few hours to do 1100 or 1200 45 Lee 200 gr boolits time well spent considering the results.