NEW to ME 225415 mold

[jhalcott]

I got the mold Yesterday, Monday, and tried it today. It drops a.225x .230" 49 grain bullet cast from Linotype. It needed a little touch up as it would not close all the way. I broke the edge on the pin holes and this helped a lot. There is STILL a bit of light coming thru when the mold is closed though. There was a bit of metal turned under the sprue plate from the manufactureing process. I removed it by running the plate across a sharpening stone a few times. I got a .224 push thru Lee sizer with it and 1000 Hornady gas checks(and the handles). Several hundred bullets lubed with LLA are waiting for gas checks as I type! I am going to prime a bunch of .223 cases tonight and start a loading program in the morning for the 14" TC barrel. I still think a couple wraps of Teflon will work on this bullet.:Fire:

[JeffinNZ]

Before you size to .224 try shooting them 'as cast' at .225 and see how they go.....if you can.

[454PB]

I agree with Jeff. I have the RCBS 55 gr. mould, and they liked sizing to .225".

[jhalcott]

How do you get those tiny gas checks on? The "pusher" is .220" dia. and the sizer is .224". When I run the bullets up thru the sizer the rim of the check seems to be caught against the side. It pushes the check back and raises a slight rim on the base of the bullet, sort of like a cup,but very small. I finally got a pair of water pump pliers to seat the check. Then ,since it IS a FLAT nose, pushed them thru up side down.!This appears to be working! Now for a sensible powder charge. I am belling the brass with a 7TC/U expander.

[jhalcott]

Jeff and 454, these (or others like them) will be squeezed down and tape patched, some will be shot as cast and different lubes will be used. Before it all over, I'll use different alloys also!

[JIMinPHX]

My exploits with that mould -

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=27429

[jhalcott]

Yes Jim, I saw those posts and wondered what charge of 748 you started with. I'm casting these from linotype right now. I loaded some this evening with PB(6.3 to 8.7) and plan on loading some more for testing using teflon tape over the LLA. I have some 748 on hand so I could try that next. Thanks for posting that info. If you do NOT want to put the 748 charge on here send me a PM. My Lyman book has some loads for 748 in it.