A Funky Mold

[JohnH]

About 6 months ago I purchased new, an RCBS 30-150 CB, that's their plain base 30 caliber 150 grainer intended for Cowboy Action. A very good shootin' boolit from my 30-30 Savage over 7 grains of Green Dot. But it casts weird.

I have to run the sprue plate so loose it is floppy, hold the mold about 1 1/2" below the pour spout and then shake the mold ((kind of a trembling action) after filling to get the bases to fill out. I'm sure the culprit is trapped air, but I've never seen the problem this bad. If I don't follow that sequence, I lose 50% of what I pour. What gives?

Boolit weight varies by 12 grains, with the majority falling between 141.5-146 grains but the extreeme spread is 139 to 152 grains. I'm convinced that at least part of this variation is a result of the casting method to get properly filled out bases. Anything I can do to get this to cast more normally?

[beagle]

Slightly bevel the top edges of the mould where the halves meet at the bullet bases. Just a little to shere you can see a "shine" on the edges when held to the light. Do this with a stone. That should insure good venting.

I have this morund and it shoots well in my M94 Win Legacy over Reloader 7./beagle

[Glen]

+1 for what beagle says. Your bases aren't getting vented.

[JohnH]

Slightly bevel the top edges of the mould where the halves meet at the bullet bases. Just a little to shere you can see a "shine" on the edges when held to the light. Do this with a stone. That should insure good venting.

I have this morund and it shoots well in my M94 Win Legacy over Reloader 7./beagle

Thanks, I'll do that tonight and cast some over the weekend and let ya know how it did.

[JohnH]

That worked very well, the bases filled out proper and the weight variation was cut in half, 144-149.5 grains, that spread is over 265 boolits. Thanks again, JohnH

[ra_balke]

Clean yur mould w brake cleaner, and a tooth brush.
Get a ticondaroga lead pencil, and pencil in any sharpe edges, or the entire inside if yu want !
Smoke the mould w/ a wood kitchen match.

get yur mould good and hot.

Put yur mould right up to the pour spout, and force lead into it !
Keep that up, till you get really good bullets ! The lead seems to need to learn where it is supposed to go.

Lower the mould below the pour spout, and give it another try.

You might also tighten up the strue plate.

Yu might have zink in yur lead..

you might get yur lead good and hot, and yur mould to, then..... flow in a good big header puddle, and bang the mould a little to settle the moulton lean.

What I have told you has worked for me, I have owned nearly 100 moulds, and I have had only one that I could never get to cast right.