My First Born

[Phlier]

Cast my very first bullets today. Never would have been possible without the help of the fantastic people here at castboolits. Thanks to you guys, I had a very successful day today casting my first boolits!

I used the Lee six cavity TL 356-124 RN mold. The following picture is after they were sized to .357, then lubed with 45/45/10. The Lee .357 sizer turned out to be highly accurate. I measured 50 bullets post sizing. Every one was right on at .357 diameter.

181019

Cast size varied from .357 (colder mold) to .362 (barely frosted, hotter mold). The fatter bullets had very little groove left on them after sizing.

I cast a bit over 1,000 total boolits, but only 212 made it to the "keeper" pile. I used Lyman #2 from RotoMetals. My Lee hardness tester showed a BHN of 15.0 two hours after casting.

Bullet weight varied from 122.2 grains (colder mold) to 124.7 grains (barely frosted). Lee recommends lightly frosted bullets from their TL molds, and indeed, that's where I obtained the best results, especially regarding weight.

Kind of a useless thread I'm making here, and I apologize for that... I was just excited to finally cast up my first boolits and wanted to share.

Thanks again to all the guys here on the board for all the help and advice.

[shoot-n-lead]

I cast a bit over 1,000 total boolits, but only 212 made it to the "keeper" pile.

It seems like you might be a bit...over critical.

Shoot some of those rejects...you will see that most of them will shoot well, too.

For general shooting, if you have a good base...it will shoot well.

[Phlier]

It seems like you might be a bit...over critical.

Shoot some of those rejects...you will see that most of them will shoot well, too.

For general shooting, if you have a good base...it will shoot well.

Yup, I think you're right. I'd think that probably half the rejects would have worked just fine, but the other half... I was doing them a favor by melting 'em.

[Mk42gunner]

Always fun to actually see yourself making something that others can't or won't.

.005" is a lot of change, are you sure you didn't put any pressure on the sprue plate handle? That is one of the easiest ways to make a Lee six cavity mold increase that much.

the more you cast, the better you will get.

Robert

[runfiverun]

your using the session as a test to learn your mold and are trying for the best boolits you can make.
I applaud that.
you'll be a better caster in the long run.

[Phlier]

Always fun to actually see yourself making something that others can't or won't.

.005" is a lot of change, are you sure you didn't put any pressure on the sprue plate handle? That is one of the easiest ways to make a Lee six cavity mold increase that much.

the more you cast, the better you will get.

Robert

The sprue plate gave me some difficulties early on. The nut that keeps the sprue plate attached to the mold kept coming loose. I think that sprue plate technique is pretty important with the six cavity mold. If I didn't move the sprue plate juuuuust right, things didn't turn out well. I did lubricate the bolts with beeswax as recommended by Lee.

[Bzcraig]

It looks like you took the time to 'read up' before your first casting session and it paid off! BTW, that was also the first boolit I cast. Welcome to the addiction......

[Maven]

"The fatter bullets had very little groove left on them after sizing."

Phlier, Fill those grooves with lube before sizing them to prevent that problem.

[WHITETAIL]

you did a great job of your first try.
As said the more you do the better you will get.
Now shoot them and report back, love Pics.:Fire:

[rancher1913]

thats the same mold I first started with, still use it sometimes.

[OS OK]

The first thing I noted as with others is the large increase in size...as said before, 'Close the sprue plate handle and ton't touch it while casting'

My other thought is that you got a speck of lead inside the face of the mold and that will do the same thing...make them fatter and out of round.

So you see...it's not a useless post and no apologies are necessary! Huh?
Look at what you've picked up already. Some of the fellas, the Newb's, take a long time to figure things out..."Why?''...Because they didn't ask!

'Good Go...on your First Throw!'...charlie

[Phlier]

Thanks, gents!

I must admit, I was having a bit of a problem with the darn sprue plate, but I think today's session will go better. Hopefully close up the big size gap.

I was really impressed with the rate at which the old Saeco pot digested lead. It took a bit more than 10 minutes to bring the first batch up to temp, then after that, it would melt new ingots (5 lb RotoMetal ingots) like they were Hershey bars.

[Murphy]

Phlier,

Congratulations and keep up the good work. No one gets it right the first time so don't worry too much about the small things. They will come to light along the way.

Pretty soon I'll be a member of this board 11 years. Aside from all I've learned here, which is a heck of a lot after nearly 20 years of casting on my own, one of the greatest things is seeing a new caster achieve success. Your boolits are filled out well and the slight weight variation isn't enough to be overly concerned about. Load em' up and shoot some groups. If you're happy? That's all that matters my friend.

Last and far from least. Once you first those first rounds, if you're experiencing anything that seems out of the normal (leading, boolits hitting the target sideways, etc) do not hesitate to ask questions. That's what this sight is about, learning. And you will find no better teachers than the members of this board.

Murphy

[mdi]

Keep casting! And pay attention to what's going on with your melt and your mold for future reference. I even kept notes. I've heard it said "The only way to earn to cast bullets, is to cast bullets", so you're well on your way. (FWIW my first casts I only got about 20% keepers..:roll:.).

[robg]

Don't be over critical of your boolits if the bases are flat and square they will shoot fine .lube then size then relube .well done by the way now watch those molds start breeding.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

I'd agree that that is a bit much of a size variation to be caused solely by temperature of mould or metal, and either an obstruction or pressure on the sprue plate is likely to be responsible.

I think being unable to do it is an exaggeration. You will find a lot of information here on making bullets particularly well, or suitable for extreme conditions or unusual requirements. But you can take the instructions in the box and with a little experimentation make bullets that will be extremely usable.

[725]

For your first "go 'round", I'd say you did great. It's true that the steepest learning curve comes at first. After 38 years of casting something, I still look to learn more. This is the place and these are the folks to help you learn. (Me too).

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yeah,,, don't worry about a "useless post." many here do it all the time.

You will find nothing but encouragement here. We want you to succeed because it makes the sport better when more people come in, and success makes them stay longer.

Randy

[Phlier]

Don't be over critical of your boolits if the bases are flat and square they will shoot fine .lube then size then relube .well done by the way now watch those molds start breeding.

LoL, yup :) Already have my eye on a few more.

Going to turn the remaining 45 pounds of Lyman #2 from RotoMetals into boolits today. I also have a vintage (around 1960) Lyman #429421 (Elmer Keith .44 Cal) that I'll probably cast with today as well. I got that mold (along with an old Saeco melting pot) from my Father. I now know why the old Saeco pots are so popular around these parts. It's just an amazing furnace. I had a bit of a problem getting the thing to pour, but now that that's fixed, it's just a fine piece of equipment. I have a buddy that's going to build me a mold guide for it. I was initially worried that the pot wouldn't be able to keep up with a six cavity mold. Not an issue at all. It'll keep up with a six cavity mold no problem. Now to see if it'll keep up with *two* six cavity molds!

[Phlier]

Just got done casting more. 451 keepers. Up to about 95% keeper rate. Today's bullets looked sooo good. Looks like the mold is nice and broken in!

The old Saeco pot is being a bit troublesome, though. I set the pour screw to what seems to be a good position, but then the stream rate varies from a trickle to a waterfall. Getting that figured out, along with the addition of a mold guide, and I'll be set!

Now to go size and lube 'em, and put the second coat of lube on yesterday's batch. I know a lot of guys say to lube, size, then lube again, but I'm gonna take off on my own a bit... size, lube, wait 1 full day, then lube again. Really don't want to be gumming up the sizing die with lube. Plus it seems like it would be better to apply a second coat of lube to bullets that are already *completely* coated in lube, with no bare spots from sizing, than to be putting a second coat on bullets that have lube on most of the surface area and not on others. Ah well, it'll be a fun experiment, anyway. Might end up doing just like you guys say in the end.

[runfiverun]

the initial lube makes sizing them easier.

[Phlier]

the initial lube makes sizing them easier.

Kinda figured as much, but they're going through without too much trouble, with no base deformation.

[Norbrat]

The sprue plate gave me some difficulties early on. The nut that keeps the sprue plate attached to the mold kept coming loose. I think that sprue plate technique is pretty important with the six cavity mold. If I didn't move the sprue plate juuuuust right, things didn't turn out well. I did lubricate the bolts with beeswax as recommended by Lee.

Cut the sprue handle short; it doesn't need to be that long. See my post here http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?320779-Lee-6-Cavity&p=3850409#post3850409 That way you won't put any pressure on it while holding the handles and you are much less likely to break the cam.

Also, try lubing with synthetic 2 stroke oil; I have a marker pen full and use it all over the mold aside from inside the actual cavities.

Lube pen are available from NOE Molds http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=85&products_id=2376 but as I am in Australia, it was easier for me to get a Molotow 311EM marker pen and fill it myself.

That boolit is exactly the one I cast the other day. As I use it in 9mm and 38 Special, I don't bother to cull or size them; just cast, tumble lube and load. :-P

[country gent]

A good day for you, as said above look for a little obstruction on the faces of the mould. Also keep good notes on what your doing and why. This diary will help to troubleshoot problems in the future

[PbHurler]

The old Saeco pot is being a bit troublesome, though. I set the pour screw to what seems to be a good position, but then the stream rate varies from a trickle to a waterfall. Getting that figured out, along with the addition of a mold guide, and I'll be set!

My old Lyman Mag 20 furnace would sometimes do this, seemed to always be a little dirt (dross) in the alloy trapped at the spout.

Give the metal another fluxing, scraping upward from the spout & needle. My guess is you've got a little dross clogging the spout. You might also try opening the valve while running a bent paper clip or piece of appropriate sized wire into the spout from below, and rotating it while it's there (be sure to have an ingot mold below to catch the stream and obviously wear gloves).

Hope this helps

[Phlier]

Cut the sprue handle short; it doesn't need to be that long. See my post here http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?320779-Lee-6-Cavity&p=3850409#post3850409 That way you won't put any pressure on it while holding the handles and you are much less likely to break the cam.

Also, try lubing with synthetic 2 stroke oil; I have a marker pen full and use it all over the mold aside from inside the actual cavities.

Lube pen are available from NOE Molds http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=85&products_id=2376 but as I am in Australia, it was easier for me to get a Molotow 311EM marker pen and fill it myself.

That boolit is exactly the one I cast the other day. As I use it in 9mm and 38 Special, I don't bother to cull or size them; just cast, tumble lube and load. :-P

Great posts...and the thread too.


A good day for you, as said above look for a little obstruction on the faces of the mould. Also keep good notes on what your doing and why. This diary will help to troubleshoot problems in the future

Good idea.


My old Lyman Mag 20 furnace would sometimes do this, seemed to always be a little dirt (dross) in the alloy trapped at the spout.

Give the metal another fluxing, scraping upward from the spout & needle. My guess is you've got a little dross clogging the spout. You might also try opening the valve while running a bent paper clip or piece of appropriate sized wire into the spout from below, and rotating it while it's there (be sure to have an ingot mold below to catch the stream and obviously wear gloves).

Hope this helps

Sure does. I had to really work that orifice a lot to get it to flow at all after 40+ years of sitting idle. Looks like I might just need to work it a bit more.

[45workhorse]

Did you keep your first born? Or did you just leave it with all of it's brothers and sisters?:drinks:
Molds are like rabbits they seem to multiple, quite fast.
I have even found a good deal on a mold, bought it, Then have to buy the rifle so I can use the mold. The wife thinks I am crazy, but she has been with me for 23+ years.:drinks:

[Phlier]

Did you keep your first born? Or did you just leave it with all of it's brothers and sisters?:drinks:
Molds are like rabbits they seem to multiple, quite fast.
I have even found a good deal on a mold, bought it, Then have to buy the rifle so I can use the mold. The wife thinks I am crazy, but she has been with me for 23+ years.:drinks:

Glad to hear I'm not the only one.. my wife thinks I'm nuts, too. She's onto me, though.... "Are you collecting all this .45 auto brass so you can justify buying a .45 auto to shoot it all?"

[Moonie]

Easiest way to learn is to jump in and do it, reading here will help you fix issues but nothing like experience to help you learn. As others have said, be sure you do not put pressure on the spru handle with the 6 cavity molds. I really like them and have quite a few but they do have their own set of rules to work properly.

[Phlier]

So last night I shot my first born, along with 59 of his brothers and sisters.

There's something very satisfying about shooting bullets that you cast yourself. Especially when they work right! I loaded up a total of 60 rounds, and shot 20 of them through three different guns. No malfunctions, good accuracy, no keyholes... they worked very well.

I was very anxious to see how the Lee TL356-124-RN bullet performed, as I've read quite a few posts around here where that bullet has given some guys quite a bit of trouble. I'm very pleased with this bullet so far.

The load I used (for reference only! Use at your own risk):

Lee TL356-124-RN (average bullet weight of 122.7 grains)
4.6grs CFE-Pistol
CCI 500 Primer
1.125 OAL

I was unable to chronograph it yesterday, but it should clock in right at the 1,000 fps mark. Hoping to load some more up today, then take them out to the desert to chrono.

Thanks again to all the castboolits guys that helped me get to this point. I initially got into casting boolits to help economically feed my family's appetite for large quantities of 9mm ammo, but I'm finding that it's a really enjoyable hobby.

[Budzilla 19]

Hey,guys, is he hooked or what???? Great job on your first cast, I think you did ok! It's extremely enjoyable to load some boolits you cast, then shoot them. You get this silly grin on your face! And I agree with the statement about help on this site! You got some who will always be naysayers, but the other 99.9% will applaud you in your efforts! You are on your way now,in the right direction! Have fun. Keep up the good work.

[Phlier]

Hey,guys, is he hooked or what???? Great job on your first cast, I think you did ok! It's extremely enjoyable to load some boolits you cast, then shoot them. You get this silly grin on your face! And I agree with the statement about help on this site! You got some who will always be naysayers, but the other 99.9% will applaud you in your efforts! You are on your way now,in the right direction! Have fun. Keep up the good work.

Yup, I am truly hooked. :) I must admit I held my breath through each magazine the three of us shot, praying for no malfunctions. I was elated to see all three guns eat them like snack food.