First Boolits, critiques please?

[Greg B]

First post, been lurking & reading for a while.
I've done some casting of slugs for my shotgun for a while, but these are my first attempt at rifle & handgun projectiles.
Alloy is COWW for all, air dropped onto a towel. Just experimenting at this point.
And for the record, I did toss a lot of culls back into the pot.
First up, LEE C-457-500-F
Came out a little grainy looking, but other than that I'm pretty happy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/GregB/Mobile%20Uploads/7563D00A-EC5B-486D-82CE-E10E222B919D_zpsg5tnieqo.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/GregB/media/Mobile%20Uploads/7563D00A-EC5B-486D-82CE-E10E222B919D_zpsg5tnieqo.jpg.html)

Next is LEE 356-125-2R
These look a lot smoother, perhaps because I fluxed the mix with a bit of beeswax?
Fill out on the lube grooves seems a bit soft. Maybe add some tin?
This was a 6 cavity mold, and it started dropping nicely in just a couple fills, to my surprise.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/GregB/Mobile%20Uploads/8C49992E-5BB0-4D87-9E85-CB9E218BD484_zpsxishu3o1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/GregB/media/Mobile%20Uploads/8C49992E-5BB0-4D87-9E85-CB9E218BD484_zpsxishu3o1.jpg.html)

Lastly, LEE 358-158-RF
This mold gave me the most problems, I think because the cavities got contaminated by my sprue plate lube. Took about 30-40 drops to get looking like this.
Again, fill-out seems to be lacking a bit.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/GregB/Mobile%20Uploads/FB48D0EC-F052-4984-ACB9-FC0ECC9F9CA6_zpshkh13wwp.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/GregB/media/Mobile%20Uploads/FB48D0EC-F052-4984-ACB9-FC0ECC9F9CA6_zpshkh13wwp.jpg.html)

So, criticize & comment away. I'm here to learn.

[Yodogsandman]

Welcome to the site!

Shoot em up! They look good to me!

[Silverboolit]

I would add a little tin to my mix for better fill out and shoot them. They will work just fine the way they are. Ya gotta start somewhere.

[Bzcraig]

Very nice boolits Greg! Load 'em, shoot 'em and enjoy! Welcome aboard and to this addiction!

[Beagle333]

I see nothing that would keep them from shooting just fine. Load em up! :Fire:

[waco]

Your first casts look way better than mine did. Good job.

[Scorpius]

Ripped bottoms indicate too long in mold before release right?


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[hutch18414]

Looks like you have been doing your homework before trying your first ones. I wish my first cast had been 1/10 that good.

[Greg B]

Ripped bottoms indicate too long in mold before release right?


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So I'm waiting too long before cutting the sprue?
The 9mm Boolits don't exhibit the tearing. But the others do. Just got lucky with the 9s.
I'll try cutting sooner next time.

[Beagle333]

Cutting too soon causes tearing. Waiting too long causes that annoying bump on the sprue (if you use gas checks).
If the sprue plate is sharp and you are using some sprue plate lube, the tearing can be almost eliminated. But cutting it sooner than you are now will only make the tears bigger. My .02
As long as it is uniform and you do it the same way every time (so it doesn't change the weight significantly), I'd ignore any tearing and keep doing like you are doing. 8-)

[runfiverun]

your issue is mold temperature.
a titch too hot for the big ones [like by 10-f]
the 9's are too cold
and the bottom ones are too.
slow up on the big guy's and turn the melt down.
do the opposite on the others.

you got the motions down.
you just need to recognize what your looking at and treat each mold a little differently.

[robg]

Just shoot them, look good to me .if you alternate molds it will give time to cool to stop the tearing on the base.

[mozeppa]

i use one tiny drop of ester oil for car air conditioners on my sprue plates.
this oil is applied by using a diabetic 23 gauge needle.

why?....cuz it stays put and doesn't travel all over the mold top.

[gwpercle]

Ripped bottoms indicate too long in mold before release right?


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Nope , just the opposite , the metal hasn't completely hardened in the center of boolit. Give them a few more seconds before cutting the sprue.
The "grainy" look is simply frosting , usually from a high temperature ....but for those big slugs you need a good amount of heat. Frosting doesn't hurt anything , I usually cast mine right at the frosty look . When things are too cool that's when the wrinkles and incomplete fill out can occurre. A nice flat , filled out base is most important , so give the metal a few more seconds to cool before opening . The smaller handgun boolits solidify quicker , thus no torn holes...all smooth. The big rifle boolits takes a bit longer to set up .
You're doing good , those slugs look very shootable , this stuff just takes some practice...you'll get better.
Gary

[Greg B]

Thanks for all the comments. I'll be be experimenting with things when the weather clears up.
I've got some tin ordered. But won't get here till Wednesday, and I likely won't get any casting time this coming weekend.
Right now, I'm just trying to get the motions down. At least I can keep dumping the lead back into the pot and practice.
My plan is to be casting and PCing almost all my own at some point. I've got a few pounds of Smoke's powder, and I'll get the wife a new toaster oven and requisition the old one when the time comes.
I know I'll have more & more questions as time goes on. But I am trying to do as much research as I can before I ask.
Thanks for putting up with me.

[nun2kute]

I wouldn't hesitate to PC those big suckers and feed them to my SOCOM, but my stash of WW isn't that big. Don't remember which mold was last, but they were dropping out rite at 470'ish grains, and MAN that thing eats aLOT of lead. What a fun toy tho.

Through my experience, gwpercle and runfiverun spoke true, so just keep practicing until YOU are satisfied with the results. All of my molds seem to be alot like my guns, each one kinda has it's own personality on how it likes to run. And lastly, I'm just like those other fella's. I wish my first attempt looked half that good.

[Skunk1]

Look good, shoot 'em up. Just keep reading, experimenting, and asking.

[44man]

I can't add more but when you do cut, make little taps on the plate instead of one big one. If it breaks out just wait a few seconds longer.
Breakout will not hurt a thing unless you are shooting .22's anyway.
Mold temps are your control with time. Shiny is cold, frosted too hot because it makes boolits smaller and more out of round. Just need a balance.

[Lloyd Smale]

those are gas checked bullets with the slight tearing. It wont hurt a thing.

[reloader28]

I'd save the expensive tin as a last resort. I only use it for hunting/special purpose boolits. Play with your mold temps as already suggested and they will be fine. They will shoot perfectly fine as is.

[nun2kute]

SCRAP ! I can't quit drooling over those big bullets, what is the length on your assembled cartridge. I just might have to try out one of those molds.

[Soundguy]

I agree.. the big ones frosted a bit due to high temp.. but they will shoot.

the others might need some tin and temperature.