So it begins...

[Goose18557]

163271
163272
Had my first casting session last night. No injures and some pieces of lead that are suspiciously disguised as bullet were the results. I had about a 50% scrap rate on both the .30cal and 00 buckshot.

2 issues:

1. Some of my .30cal "keepers" have wrinkles in them(see pic). My guess is that they are safe to shoot. Thoughts?
2. The middle pellet in most of my buckshot string wasn't completely full but the top and bottom ones were.

I was thinking that my molds not being hot enough is the cause. Advice appreciated.

[hollywood63]

It has been my experience the mold is to cold. When I can tap lightly or give a good push on the spur plat the boolits come out with a shine and cool to a light frosty look. I coat with Hy-Tek so some say the frosty look gives it something to grab to?? Works for me .

[Screwbolts]

Yup, mold or/and alloy are to cold, nice boolitz for first time casting. " And So It Has Begun" your on your way to shelves of molds and lots of fun times.

Long live the cast boolit,

Ken

[woody1]

I don't know anything about buckshot casting but I'm thinking also that your mould may not be quite clean also. Clean, clean clean, and with a little more heat, I think you'll do fine. Frosty boolits don't bother me at all. Regards, Woody

[bangerjim]

Temperature. Pre-heat all your molds to FULL casting temp (not just warm) on an electric hotplate and most if not all those wrinkles will go away on the 1st drop! I do it all the time. A hotplate is as essential as a lead pot or a mold in casting today.

There are other things that can cause wrinkles (pour speed, pour style, alloy) but cooler temp molds are the biggest cause. And, no, oil & grease do not cause wrinkles. I have never cleaned and scrubbed any of my molds. Ever. Right out of the box, (smoke aluminum), on the hotplate, and right into casting. Perfect drops from #1.

Shiny......frosty.......they all are good! Once you get going, check out the powder coating techniques in "alt coatings" area on here. Just another cool tool in your bag-o-tricks. I left grease lubes behind 3+ years ago and never looked back.

Cast away, my friend! And have fun.

bangerjim

[Shiloh]

Not only a warmer mold, bet make sure it is clean of oil, grease or other metal protectant.

SHiloh

[robg]

If the base is square they will shoot fine .you're on the slippery slope its addictive

[plainsman456]

It is just the temp of the molds.
The buckshot mold needs to be hotter than you think it ought to be before it throws pretty.

I bet that most if not all of your 30 cal.will shoot.

Nice work,as was said you are on a slippery slope...of fun.

[frkelly74]

There are 2 ways to deal with less than perfect boolits. You can always remelt them, #1. And/or, you can try to load them up and shoot a few. You will learn things trying to shoot them that you can never learn by remelting. Obviously really defective ones need the remelt , but you can start to find out your friearms preferences right away even with less than perfect boolits.

[jimb16]

They are safe to shoot. The only real problem is that they won't be quite as accurate as "perfect" bullets. But they are good enough to play with. Have fun.

[lightman]

You are off to a good start with a fun and rewarding hobby. I agree, the mold and/or the lead were too cold. The wrinkles won't be a danger, they just may not be as accurate as well filled out bullets. I'm also another believer in clean and oil free molds. Another possibility is that your alloy may need a little tin added. I'm thinking more heat will solve your problem.

[country gent]

The buckshot mould probably needs to run pretty hot since the lead is going thrusprue plate and 2 restrictions to get to the bottom cavity. Maybe try pressure pouring at first. also pour large sprues to help keep plate hot and up to temp. Same on the 30s try pressure pouring the mould as this will help keep alloy hot longer and help to force air out of mould. Pre heating the mould helps alot also. Another thing is to make sure vents are not plugged with carbon or crud.

[Bigslug]

Yep. More heat needed in the mold. Possibly oil residue causing vapors. Hose mold down with brake cleaner before starting to de-oil and buy a hot plate to pre-heat them. Any remaining oil should burn off in the warmup or early casting period.

Also make sure your sprue plate is not too tight - for lead to get in, air must also get out.

[Mitch]

+1 on a hot plate.you are doing great for just starting.a bit more heat and you will see the boolit get better each time you cast.welcome to the madness

[dverna]

Frankly, I would not shoot the wrinkled bullets. They will be "safe" but I think you will be wasting powder and primers unless you are just short range pinking. "Perfect" bullets can give problems with accuracy so it is a good habit to set your standards high - especially for rifle bullets. Shooting at 7 yards with a handgun - nearly anything will work.

My mentor was a "hard ***" but that was a good thing.

When bullets are not coming out well, start changing things and determine what the mold likes. Hotter alloy, more sprue, faster casting cadence, etc etc.

DO NOT sit there and admire your handiwork. You will never get a good rhythm established; and to make great bullets you need to have that consistency.

[gwpercle]

And a new mould has to be broken in and seasoned before it gets right...usually after three or four casting sessions. Acetone and a toothbrush will get all the machine oil out .
Gary

[Blammer]

alloy is probably hot enough, get the mould hotter. rest the mould on top of the pot to get it hotter.

[Wayne Smith]

What everybody else said, more heat. But shoot 'em, just for the satisfaction, even if you hit nothing, there is satisfaction in shooting your own the first time. Then you start searching for perfection.

[OS OK]

Until you get a hot plate…rest the mold in the lead melt, the front end bottom 1/2" of it for 10-15 minutes, depends on 2 gang or 4 or 6 and the type metal it is made from. Stick it into the melt.
When you take it out the lead will brush off easily back into the melt. If it is clumping on it is not hot enough.
Bada-Bing Bada-Bang…you will likely make perfect boolits right from the first pour. Then don't dilly-dally around…get a smooth even cadence going and observe your results as you go. Just pour continuous between pour holes to make one continuous sprue. When you break the sprue and you get small divots in the back of the boolits you are not letting it cool/solidify long enough…it is just a matter of seconds.
Pour so the lead goes into the center of the sprue plate hole…if it is going in like a funnel…it is loosing its temperature and poor fillout or wrinkles will result.
Practice this and you will be giving the 'next newbie' advice next week or so!

Glad to HavYa aboard…OS OK

PS…like HB0708 says below…"They're your first bullits!"…Save a couple, in a year or less you can compare and look back at how far you have come!

[HB0708]

That's pretty cool. I'm just starting too. I actually haven't casted any yet because I'm saving for a mold and furnace.

Although it might be a waste of powder and primers to shoot less than perfect bullets, I agree that you should shoot some anyway. They're your first bullets!!!