Finally made BOOLITS......My first go at it.

[lablover]

OK, this is my first go at casting. After reading till my eyes bleed here and buying some WW lead here it is. I prepped the mold per conversations here and have a few questions as well. Took about 40 pours to get it figured out with the Lee Production pot 10 LB. No need to lift that handle all the way..WOW..Gusher.

I think I got the pot set about right, I have no Thermometer so I'm at about 5 Slight frosting so I think I'm keeping the mold at a good temp as well.

Questions:
Around the pour hole on the Spru Plate, I'm getting like a thin lead build up..Like the hole is starting to get blocked but ever so slightly. Is this normal? I wiped a very fine coat of Anti Seize here so not sure I screwed this up?

Bullet weight! It's a 200 gr Mold (lee 452-200-SWC) My finished boolits before sizing is 203.5 gr. I figure it's my lead content but not sure how to adjust.

After sizing those bands sure get pretty..I know that sounds weird but damn those babies look good!!!!

Bad news: I'm already eyeing a Lyman Mag 25 :razz:

Last question, the bottoms seem a tad rough but not awful. Anyway to have them cut cleaner? I'm also getting what looks like some time of lube or something on the sides of the nose, not sure you can tell in the pics but it seems to wipe right off after they cool??

I'm up for any tips hints you screwed up whatever...I have to say I'm feeling like a pig in slop right now...Way too much fun

163627163628

[mdi]

Those bullets look great; good fill out, good finish. If all your bullets weigh within 3.0 grains of each other you're doing better than many (most) of the casters here! Bullet weight is determined by the alloy used. You may or may not be able to get the exact same alloy as the mold manufacturers do when they designed the bullet for a specific weight. Other things, of lesser importance, that may determine your bullet weight vs. manufacturer's listed weight is mold temperature, melt (alloy) temperature, and pouring method.

Much of the bullet's base "clean cutting" can be decided by varying cooling time/sprue cutting time; hot bullets sometimes smear during cutting and too cool sometimes tear the sprue. Practice makes perfect.

I'm sure some with more experience than I have will post more/better answers, but I think you're doing pretty good...

[triggerhappy243]

Gee, I'm honored with the first reply. Your boolits look great. Mine come out weighing the same... so not to worry. Not seeing the bottom of your boolits, cannot compare. Mine are not smoothe either. You did not mention what you are using for a sizer,

[lablover]

The sizer is a single lee sizer die set up in my rock chucker.

[ghh3rd]

Nice job! I remember how excited I felt when I examined my first cast boolits!

Be keerful, it gets addicting... I hope to load up 100 275 gr Ranch Dogs in .44 mag cases tonight... started the whole thing with .38, and within a few years have cast and also loaded for .40, 45-70, am about to set up for .45 acp, and occasionally cast .50 for the muzzleloader.

[R.Ph. 380]

Gooooooood looking boolits!!!!

[robg]

Fine boolits and good pictures ,my photos Are rubbish next to those.

[lablover]

Did a good size batch of 200 I think they are good to go. Man is this addicting !!

Question again, I did some ingots to make it easier in the long run and the bottom of my smelt pot had this super fine black like powder...Is that normal?

163636

[Smoke4320]

You did great .. especially for a first timer.. Mine were not that pretty.. way to go..
the Mag 25 with its PID would be a great addition for you .. Just might need to work on the mold tray to fit your molds .. Other than that all I have seen are good reports on it ..

[Ed_Shot]

Great job....now shoot those and do it again.

[mold maker]

I've bought worse factory bullets than those.
Shoot them with pride.

[lablover]

You did great .. especially for a first timer.. Mine were not that pretty.. way to go..
the Mag 25 with its PID would be a great addition for you .. Just might need to work on the mold tray to fit your molds .. Other than that all I have seen are good reports on it ..


Time to try the Powder I got from you as well....Life is good

[daniel lawecki]

Those bullets are awesome you just keep at it. The use one of the lubes here and go out and shoot.

[avogunner]

To reiterate the other posts....those boolits look great! Really, they do and not just for a first time caster - you done good! Personally, I've never been too concerned with all the boolits weighing the "right" weight. Yeah, I want decent accuracy but 3, 4, 5 grains off of what the mold says, bothers me not in the slightest. Cast 'em, lube 'em, size 'em, load 'em, and shoot 'em - repeat.

[ACrowe25]

Glad to hear things went well for you lablover! Boolits look real good. I bet it doesn't take long to drain 10lbs with a 200 grain boolit. How did you end up breaking up the lead sheet?

Also, my Lee molds always drop ~2% heavy for whatever reason. This went away when I got ahold of some higher quality molds from group buys here.

[lablover]

Glad to hear things went well for you lablover! Boolits look real good. I bet it doesn't take long to drain 10lbs with a 200 grain boolit. How did you end up breaking up the lead sheet?

Also, my Lee molds always drop ~2% heavy for whatever reason. This went away when I got ahold of some higher quality molds from group buys here.

Hey Adam, I used my jig saw to cut it up. Still working on it too. Some good lead! Pretty sure I will want more next time your in the area :)

[Don Purcell]

lablover, you're toast. Addicting doesn't come close. You will need at least ten molds for every caliber because that one magic mold might get you a 1/8" smaller group and then you will have at least five different lubes to try along with 3 or 4 or more sizers to get that perfect fit in your barrel. "No, really honey, this new mold has a .005 bigger meplat that will drop an elk faster than my other molds". And so it will go. Welcome to the cult.

[lablover]

I gotta say Gents...BIG MOTIVATION hearing everyones kudos! I swear I went into this thinking, "Yup, it's gonna take some time" I will say the second batch I did (200) started a little shaky. After a half dozen pours it started to get better..I can sure tell that mold has a sweet spot for sure. Now I just set the right pace and I'm flying.

NOW....NOW...Time to find a H&G 68 mold or clone....and and :)

[lablover]

lablover, you're toast. Addicting doesn't come close. You will need at least ten molds for every caliber because that one magic mold might get you a 1/8" smaller group and then you will have at least five different lubes to try along with 3 or 4 or more sizers to get that perfect fit in your barrel. "No, really honey, this new mold has a .005 bigger meplat that will drop an elk faster than my other molds". And so it will go. Welcome to the cult.

LMAO, just as I finished the above txt.....Oh boy...Hmmm Steel or Aluminum...Accurate Molds??? Oh honey, where is that new CC we just got

I'm dying to try Pan Lube..Not sure why but I want to..I plan on Powder Coat...I think ....

[reddog81]

What mold are you currently using? Looks pretty close to an H&G 68 clone. At first that's what I figured it was...

I can't imagine using a 10 lbs pot. I like my Lee 20 lbs but only get around 10 lbs of bullets from it at a time before I fill it up again.

[lablover]

What mold are you currently using? Looks pretty close to an H&G 68 clone. At first that's what I figured it was...

I can't imagine using a 10 lbs pot. I like my Lee 20 lbs but only get around 10 lbs of bullets from it at a time before I fill it up again.

It is close
lee 452-200-SWC.

Oh yea, pot size needs to change in a hurry...Lyman mag 25 looks good :)

[David2011]

Welcome to the addition and CastBoolits. You have a great start.

David

[DW475]

Great looking bullets, a job well done!

[OS OK]

164553164554164555
First 'batch'…second…third…It's like it is raining 'pennies' from Heaven…"I'm sooooo adicted!"

Your work is 'exemplary', congratulations! I'm so OCD about this I use one of these pictures for a computer 'screen shot'…it inspires me to do more!

PS..http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?301055-New-Casters%85Lets-Blend-Pb-amp-make-INGOTS...Here is a basic intro to smelting/blending your ingots from scrap lead…"Your sooo gonna get addicted!"

OS OK

[Boolseye]

Lookin' good, lablover. That was my first mold as well. I find it casts a very accurate boolit in any .45 I've shot it in.
You clearly did your homework. Don't worry about the black sand in the bottom of the smelting pot, just watch out for the tinsel fairy. As for a little lead in the sprue plate holes–normal, as long as it doesn't block it up.

[berksglh]

I'm dying to try Pan Lube..Not sure why but I want to..I plan on Powder Coat...I think ....

I started out tumble lubing, but loading into mags was messy and fingers get dirty when running more then a few mags.

I tried pan lubing, but had a Tumble groove mold and found out quick that doesn't work. Now that I hit the 10+ mold club, I pan lube my 72g NOE 223 loads after powder coating as its shown well worth the effort in accuracy, but thats rifle at 100yds.

For all else, 223 plunking or rapid fire, or pistol out to 50 yds, 45acp, 38spl, 9mm and 357 magnum, I powder coat. I found its easier quicker and cleaner then lubing. For both pistol and rifle, I get great accuracy and no fouling issues in any of my barrels. Smokes Powder works awesome!

Addiction doesn't begin to explain what you just fell into.

I don't think Ive shot or loaded any jacketed ammo in 2-3 years since falling into casting.

You'll find yourself deciding what gun to buy next based on available mold selection and its potential with cast rounds.

Enjoy!

[David2011]

I've bought worse factory bullets than those.
Shoot them with pride.

MOST commercially cast boolits don't look that good. I have never bought any that did. Most look like straight WW or a mix of WW and whatever scrap the caster could find. Most I've bought were dark, dull, corners weren't 100% crisp; obviously not enough tin to satisfy anyone on this forum. I quit casting for a while around 2007-2008 when I could buy commercial for $36-$38/1000. When they hit $80/K I got the pot and molds out. No way I was going to pay that much for garbage looking cast.

David

[lablover]

Yea, this is crazy fun..I'm now the proud owner of a NOE mold and thats a sweetheart for sure..I'm yet on the prowl for another...Something...LOL Wait, I have a 9mm as well and the wife shoots 45 and 380...hmmm so many options..Oh darn! :)

[Boolseye]

NOEs are the best :-o. I think I'm up to 5 or 6. Every one is beauty.