NOT happy

[cdngunner]

So, I got introduced to this crazy addictive hobby just before the beginning of the year. I have spent much of the time reading up on all that is casting, amassing about 750lbs of assorted lead and building my pot / temp controller.

Last night was the culmination of all my activity, my first proper casting session.

I WAS DISAPPOINTED….

There were all sorts of issues even thought I thought I had most of them addressed. Among them the fact that my gas checks did not want to stay on.

Today I had my second kick at the cat and things went a bit better.

First off most of the squirrly whirrlies disappeared from my bullets

Things I improved on/will improve on…



My mold drops the bullets out of round about .310, I am sizing to .309. I don’t think this gives enough back tension to properly seat the gas checks
I decided to water quench my bullets and wait a few days before applying gas checks hoping that sizing harder bullets will help seat the gas checks better
I am seriously looking into beagling my mold to round out the bullets and increase the O.D.
When I was done with my casting I threw a handful of gaschecks on top of the molten lead and covered the pot and pulled the plug. I think this should anneal the gas checks.


I stopped at 50 bullets, it will give me something to play with. I think I will load up a dozen and shoot as is. My mix is WW + 3%tin.

Anyways that’s it for today

[dilly]

Just like the real world. Education is very valuable but there is just no substitute for experience.

Sounds like you are on the right track.

[243winxb]

More antimony % will increase diameter.

[websterz]

Don't beagle it, lap it. It will cure the concentricity issue as well as remove any mold burrs.

[petroid]

We've all endure the trials you are experiencing. The more you cast, the more you will learn. It helps us to know details of your equipment: molds, guns, pot, sizing method, lube, etc. Then we can offer our advice (for what it's worth) more pointedly and hopefully, more accurately. Keep at it and keep us posted.

[Gtek]

Annealing the gas checks?

[Shiloh]

Annealing the gas checks?

Been doing this for years. No sping at all. they crimp on and stay on.

Shiloh

[osteodoc08]

We've all been there. Keep at it.

[kungfustyle]

When you make changes make only one or two at a time to narrow down issue. If you change everything....you've changed everything and will inevitably get into a whole new set of questions. Best of luck and keep at it.

[leftiye]

Don't beagle it, lap it. It will cure the concentricity issue as well as remove any mold burrs.

Beagle and lap both. Beagling makes boolits bigger across the mold halves, lapping makes then oval along the line between halves. Both together is rounder, especially if you lap first, cast and measure, and then beagle as much as the boolits are out of round.

[mdi]

I've read; "The only way to learn to cast bullets, is to cast bullets".

I too would lap the mold, but before that I would try different temperatures. I like to run my melt at a bit above liquification and keep my molds on the warm side (hot enough for good fill out). Seems to cast a bit larger and "rounder"...

[nagantguy]

It happens, welcome to the club last month I had a casting session that went so bad I thought I had zinc in my melt or a witches curse.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I suppose you took naturally to driving a vehicle on a 2 lane highway without swerving all over the road? Practice is what it takes, if a friend that casts is available to help then that is a plus. Don`t think you are the first person that has issues with first attempts at casting. Good luck and keep trying.Robert

[imashooter2]

Casting is as much art as science. Cast and learn the art. Melt your mistakes and cast them again.

Aging will do nothing for your check issue as the check shank is smaller than the boolit body and isn't sized.

[Springfield]

Wow, 50 whole bullets! Really, that is nothing. If you cast 500 and are still having problems I might worry, but 50? I am barely even getting into a decent cadence at 50. Experience is almost everything with casting, so just keep at it and get a feel for things, and it will go much better. As far as gas checks, all gas checks don't fit all bullets, just the way it is. I personally don't have much luck with lapping moulds, beagleing is much easier and reversable.

[cdngunner]

Just for the record. I have done some casting before, to practice. This was the first time I have done everything together. I just finished building my temp controller last sunday.

I stopped at 50 (good ones) because I wanted to analys what I had done and how my setup was working.

Not planning on stopping or getting discouraged.

Thanks for all the feedback.

[imashooter2]

Even after many, many thousands over the last 50 years, occasionally I will have a day when things just go poorly. It happens to the best.

[bangerjim]

I GC my 30 cal rifle boolits using ONLY Hornady copper checks. They always fit and after going thru the die always stay on tight! Total failure with aluminum ones......might as well be using aluminum foil! Spend the money........get the best.

But as said, sizing has absolutely NOTHING to do with the GC fit area. Sizing "crimps" the check tight to the check area.

If mold is dropping out of round, lap it. There are threads on here on doing it with just cast boolits and lapping compound. I have never had the "fortunate" situation to have to do it, but it should solve your problems. Beagling will make your boolits a bit fatter/heavier, but still out of round if the mold is out of round!!!

Keep it up. Things will get better.

banger

[MGnoob]

Don't get frusterated...well i would.but don't let it get you down.Your probibly doing several thing improperly(nt meant to be rude)
with hand molds i took to it like a duck to water, no problems.. i was only doing it for hands on experience.
I was so confident when i upgrade my equipment, it was a ruff start. when you have more then one or too things off it's hard to try and dial it in.

I wouldn't advise doing anything to your mold after just 50 rounds or even more....
do more in one sesion so you can see what your really getting
review your allow temp/content
clean your molds
how every fast you pour, try to keep it consistant.

Pratice makes perfect, and your in the right place these guys will get you where you want to be.You've got a nice supply of lead, and all the rejects or failure don't cost anything other than time, melt them back down and move on.

[cdngunner]

Looking up....

My annealed gas checks are working. Weighed my gas checked bullets all are within one grain of 150

My children...

114903

[gpidaho]

Gunner: Looks good my friend. Frustration is easy to come by at times some days things don't go right. Next day alls well. Keep it up this is all a lot of fun GP

[leadman]

I use alot of aluminum checks but they are not good for all the boolits. Seems there is a difference in the thickness of the material the makers use for the aluminum checks. I do have some Hornady checks on hand for certain boolits.
If the annealing worked you have cured the problem. If the boolit cleans up and is round after you size them just shoot them, they are probably ok. Even out of round boolits shoot good most of the time.

[cdngunner]

The only issue I have now is that the gas check does not always seat the same. Variance in overall length of the bullet is around 15 thou.

[sthwestvictoria]

There were all sorts of issues even thought I thought I had most of them addressed. Among them the fact that my gas checks did not want to stay on.

My mold drops the bullets out of round about .310, I am sizing to .309. I don’t think this gives enough back tension to properly seat the gas checks



I use the Lee molds, size in the .311 die to crimp on the gas checks, aluminum or copper and they stay on fine, I dig them out my target. My aluminium checks were by sagebrush, are yours vey thin or made from pop cans?
Could it be that your gas shank is not filled out well, with a rounded base?




I am seriously looking into beagling my mold to round out the bullets and increase the O.D.


Beagling a mold will worsen cylindericity by propping the two mold halves apart slightly. Lapping will do a better job to improve release but even a lot of lapping will worsen roundness/cyldindericity as we can't do a perfect job compared to a cutting cherry.

[TXGunNut]

Some days they all go back in the pot, just part of the game. Some day soon you'll get on a roll, boolits drop out perfect and you won't want to stop. Just keep plenty of alloy and moulds on hand for those days. If it was easy anyone could do it. Remember: Only the best shooters reload, the best reloaders cast...should that be in my siggy line?

[Garyshome]

Practice...Practice...Practice...!

[Bzcraig]

This is not in any way intended to be a sarcastic question but asked in absolute sincerity, have you ever gotten good at something you didn't practice? From the pic of your boolits it seems hanging out around here has shortened your learning curve. That is just one reason I spend so much time here.

[303Guy]

Nothing wrong with striving for perfection! Many folks have loaded up their rejects for plinking and trigger time and found surprisingly good results. Having said that, the satisfaction of casting perfectly beautiful boolits is not to be taken lightly. Do remember that the alloy you're using can play a big part in the quality of your castings.

[cdngunner]

From the pic of your boolits it seems hanging out around here has shortened your learning curve. That is just one reason I spend so much time here.


You know it and Amen!

[zuke]

We all learned the same way, most of us without the benefit of the internet to help us along.
You'll get the hang of it.

[mrbill2]

Lee push through sizing die with Hornady gas checks. Run the bullet through dry and the checks will be flat to the bullet base and crimped on tight. WFM.

[44man]

Looks darn good to me. GC's are a pain, some boolits, Lee mostly, I need to tap them on with a little hammer. Then the Lee .45 boolit, they are loose because checks are also made for .458" boolits and Lee never adjusted. I will soon lap that area only. I turn brass disks and put on a bolt for a variable drill. A little compound and a few minutes they fit.
Out of round a little usually does no harm, hard to find a perfect mold.
I have one mold so bad I actually use a LFC die to crimp checks. Best use I found for it!

[44man]

I run loose checks AND the right fits, upside down through Lee dies. Seen the die pull checks back too many times. Not enough force sizing to keep the base punch tight.

[bbqncigars]

You might try to make the base punch concave. It made all the difference in my Star.

[ghh3rd]

Nice looking missiles you have there. I just broke in a 6 cav aluminum mold this morning. It took a while until I started to get good boolits, but they stated to rain from the mold eventually.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

A propane weed burner will anneal a bunch of checks in a hurry:drinks: