Wanna cast .44's now

[the sentinel]

So I have been casting .690cal round balls for my shotgun, and found it to be a fun, interesting hobby. I like shooin cast lead because its cheaper. Its pretty much all I run thru my numerous .357's and my .44, but I've only ever bought factory made boolits before. But lookin at the new cast boolit prices, I'm thinkin I'll be rolling my own from hence forth till the prices settle down. Perhaps thereafter... But I understand I'll have to resize, and such. Lee has that resizer thingamajig that screws into my press. Couple things I would like to know though...

1) Wheel weight lead-do I have to add anything extra to it? Antimony, tin, etc or is it hard enough as it stands? I'd like to drive my bullets at respectable rates without leading the crap out of my barrels.

2) Lubing the bullets... what's the procedure on that? I'm new to the casting world, and I love it so far. Thanks for all of your helpful information!

[DLCTEX]

If you are wanting to load on the cheap the Lee sizers will fill the bill. Lube will be either pan lubing, which I find slow, or tumble lubing with LLA or JPW or some other lube. Of course you could skip the sizing by using Lee's tumble lube molds that are loaded as cast. As you get more advanced you may want to got to a lubrasizer. All these systems can work without leading with the right combinations, and the world of casting is available right here. WW will be hard enough up to 1100 fps, then water dropping the boolit from the mold will take you much farther. Tin is added to help fillout, if needed. so far I don't find it necessary.DALE

[the sentinel]

ok. So dropping the bullets in a bucket of water will make them harder? I let my round balls air cool. I make them out of lead pipe.

I guess what I"m really confused about is the lubing process. all the lubing stuff is alien to me. I would like to learn more about that, though. Thanks for your help so far!

[miestro_jerry]

In a shotgun, you really don't have anything riding the inside walls of the barrel, with pistols and rifles your bullet is guideed by the barrel walls and the rifling. So for your 357 and 44, you need to lube the bullets.

You can drop the bullets in water to harden them, it does work and well for me. Heat treating the bullets also hardens the bullets.

You can use a Lee Lubing Sizing system or jump in toa Star Sizer, that is up to you and your wallet. I use Lee, RCBS LubaMatic and a Star Sizer, the Lee system is something I am just starting to use, because of Ranch Dog bullets. RD recommends certain sizes for this bullets that are to be used in Marlin Lever Guns.

I just did some .458 bullets for my 45=70 rifle and my Contender pistol, these are plain based. Just some bullets for G' Hog hunting.

This is a wide open field and you really just need to ask for advice, you will get a lot.

Jerry

[454PB]

For what you want to do, WW alloy will suffice. You need to dig through the archives and do some searches on boolit lubrication, there is many days of reading that will make the process clear for you.

[Blammer]

WW alloy will be the best and easiest for your 44's right now.

First thing first.

Do you currently load for any rifles or pistols?

If you don't some suggestions may not make much sense to you because you won't have some of the equipment.

For EX.
The Lee push through sizer will work fine. (but you have to have a reloading press to make it work, shotgun press won't work.)

For you're 44, I'd start with a 240gr plain base bullet mould.