Getting into casting. Questions on molds.

[jeph83]

Hi guys, I'm starting to get into casting.
So far I have some wheelweights a turkey fryer and a dutch oven.

Right now I'm looking at what molds to get. I need one for my 44mag and one for my 9mm and 357.

For the 44mag I had been leaning towards the RCBS 250gr Keith style boolit but, it seems I keep reading posts by 44man that says how Keith style boolits are hard make accurate easily. I'm wanting a mid range load around 240-260gr with no gas check. This will be for banging steel and also for hunting deer.

My next mold I want is for 9mm. If it works out and I can use it with my 357 that will be all the better. I'm looking at Lee 6 cavity molds for this. The majority of my alloy will be from wheelweights, do Lee molds typically cast a over or under size boolit?

The two molds I'm looking at are both Lee, the 358-125-RF Flat nose and the 356-125-2R 2 ogive radius. My 9mm that I'll be casting for is a CZ75B and I've heard that they sometimes tend to have a generous bore so I might need a boolit bigger than .356 maybe .357 or .358.

I also have the concern of feeding into the barrel with the different boolit styles. I don't think that the 356-125-2R would have any problem but, I'm not sure if the 358-125-RF Flat Nose would feed well in my gun but yet I might need it to fill the bore.

Sorry for the long post and the bad writing, It's getting late and past my bedtime.

Thanks
jeph83

[Buckshot]

..............A hearty welcome to the board jeph83. Don't forget you're going to need a casting pot to feed the moulds from. Lee production moulds generally drop about exacly what they say, so far as diameter goes. I have a Lee 124gr (maybe 125?) RNPB for my 38 Super which has a .357" groove. The Lee drops AT .357" or just a RCH over if any. Happily it shoots very well. I definately would NOT expect to have to size any Lee's down. In fact, they have a2 TL designs I'd think I'd seriouosly think about. They're in the wieghts you're looking at.

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

[MT Gianni]

Slug that cz's bore with a fishing sinker and make sure of it's size. Mine likes the LY 356402 which also does ok in the 38 spl.

[Bass Ackward]

For the 44mag I had been leaning towards the RCBS 250gr Keith style boolit but, it seems I keep reading posts by 44man that says how Keith style boolits are hard make accurate easily. I'm wanting a mid range load around 240-260gr with no gas check. This will be for banging steel and also for hunting deer.



jeph83,

Starting out at 83 is quite admirable and welcome.

Once you get started, a mold addiction is going to over come you. So worrying over which exact design is not like you are going to be buried with that one. I would recommend that you consider a GC design for use starting out. In truth, Lee molds are cheaper to get started with and you could afford a couple of designs for what the RCBS will set you back. Later, when you know more about your guns dimensions and quirks, you can decide on exactly what design you want to use for yourself.

Form your own opinion on bullet designs cause as soon as one guy brags on a design, the next will moan post after post and visa verse.

[454PB]

Welcome to the forum!

I can only second everything that's been posted.

BA....what makes you think he's 83? I reread the post several times, and his handle suggests to me he's either 25 or going to be.

[jeph83]

Thanks for welcome.

I was planning on getting a pot when I order the molds and the rest of the stuff I need within a couple of weeks. Maybe I will try a gas check mold after looking it only adds a few pennies per shot(and with 44mag I won't be shooting 100s of rounds a week).

I've been meaning to slug the bores of my guns but have yet to get around to it. Anything else that would work that's readily available to slug a bore besides a sinker my fishing gear is severely lacking. Would wax from a candle work or would that deform too much after I push it out of the barrel?

454PB is right about my age I just turned 25 on Sunday.

[mroliver77]

Jeph,
You can cast great boolits with a ladle right out of the pot if you want. I used an open pot and Lyman ladle for a couple years before getting a bottom pour. I still have a couple molds that seem to prefer ladle pouring over pot pouring. Start out with a one or two cavity tumble lube boolit with a ladle for a darn cheap way to get started. The Lee ladle does not get the job done but the Lyman works well for 1's and twosies Personally I would go with a plain base to start out and load some nice heavy plinkers and give that .44 a work out. I have a 11gr unique load that is a blast in the .44. Jay

[Bass Ackward]

BA....what makes you think he's 83? I reread the post several times, and his handle suggests to me he's either 25 or going to be.


454,

I remember what year I was born. I remember how old I was when I got married. I remember how old I was when my kids were born. I also remember what year I started casting, but I don't remember how old I was without figuring it out.

So since it was so easy to remember all that, I just assumed jeph83 was so excited about getting into casting that he obviously wanted to remember how old he was when he made this monumental decision.

You were right though, 25 years old. *#@^ I have lube older than that. :grin:

[454PB]

Geez, I was only 22 years old when I started casting, and I couldn't find any old farts (as I am now) to help me. I talked to everyone at the gun range, then all the sporting goods stores, and finally found one guy that gave me an ancient Ideal handbook to study.

jeph83 is lucky.....he has an endless suppy of old farts available here. My apologies to you experienced young guys, I couldn't help myself!

jeph, if you have some pure or nearly pure lead, cast a few boolits to use for slugging when your moulds arrive. Sometimes the resulting slugs will be too small, but you can cure that by placing them in a vice and squeezing then together top towards bottom, or even place them on something hard and smacking them on the nose with a hammer. I've done this with wheelweight metal, but it's a lot easier with dead soft lead.

[Wicky]

454
Must agree with you, no old farts around when I started either. I just bumbled on reading whatever I could. When I discovered this forum I found out how much I didn't know!
Thanks to all you old farts!!!

Jeph
I agree with mroliver, start with the plain base but I reckon you will need the GC boolits for steel, although reading some of these posts some of these guys are casting some pretty hard PB boolits! Now I'm starting to confuse myself!