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Fixxah
09-22-2008, 06:19 PM
Folks,

I picked up a Mag 20 for &40.00 and it had a full load of alloy. I made ingots from it initially and after running out of WW, I began to introduce this alloy into the melt. What I found was that bullets were 10 gr. lighter than straight WW.

I now have 400 truncated swc that are not the advertised 230gr. nor are they 200gr. and I wonder if I can use these or if I should make ingots and leave for other alloy. My mold is a Lee 6 cavity made from aluminum.

I am currently loading LRN and using W231 powder. Hopefully I can find a recipe for truncated SWC with W231 for this load.

1. Can I use these 210-212 bullets and load using 200gr. formulas?

2. Same info with 230gr. formula?

Even when cast with straight WW the results are less than advertised at around 219-221gr.

My bullets are near perfect since I preheat mold and when I drop them on soft towel I let my fan cool the mold while I pick the 6 new bullets up and put them into a box.

I have found that the mold temp. is more critical to good casting than screwing around with thermostat on furnace. I also have an RCBS 2 cavity mold for LRN 230gr. steel mold that I have not had as much good luck with but up until now have not had an exhaust fan set up.

Sorry if I'm all over the place on this. This forum rocks.

Bret4207
09-22-2008, 06:50 PM
Sounds like maybe you have an alloy thats got a lot of tin or antimony or maybe both in it. Might be a linotype alloy. See if it's appreciably harder than your WW alloy. If so thats probably it.

I'd use the 200 gr starting loads and work up. Richer alloys tend to throw slightly large diameter boolits so watch your diameter after you cast as it might be .454 instead of the expected .452 as an example.

BTW- Sweet haul for $40.0!!!!

Blammer
09-22-2008, 09:32 PM
nice deal!

I would use the 200gr data, start at the bottom and work up.

35remington
09-22-2008, 09:54 PM
You have not specified either caliber or bullet, just "truncated" "SWC" and "200" and "230."

If this is for .45 ACP as I suspect, keep in mind that bullet seating depth is as important as bullet weight in this cartridge. If it seats as deeply as 230 grain bullets, USE 230 data.

Why?

Because a bullet that seats deeply in the case raises pressures, even if the bullet is lighter than advertised.

Don't assume 200 data is appropriate if the case is as full as a 230 would make it.

If I am off topic, my apologies, but you weren't very specific.

Lee offers a 230 truncated cone, but it isn't a SWC in .45 ACP, so some terms were mixed up here.

If that's the bullet you are referring to, USE 230 DATA. Don't use 200 data.

Fixxah
09-23-2008, 12:15 AM
You have not specified either caliber or bullet, just "truncated" "SWC" and "200" and "230."

If this is for .45 ACP as I suspect, keep in mind that bullet seating depth is as important as bullet weight in this cartridge. If it seats as deeply as 230 grain bullets, USE 230 data.

Why?

Because a bullet that seats deeply in the case raises pressures, even if the bullet is lighter than advertised.

Don't assume 200 data is appropriate if the case is as full as a 230 would make it.

If I am off topic, my apologies, but you weren't very specific.

Lee offers a 230 truncated cone, but it isn't a SWC in .45 ACP, so some terms were mixed up here.

If that's the bullet you are referring to, USE 230 DATA. Don't use 200 data.

Sorry about the confusion.

Lee mold is 6 cavity TL-452-230-TC .45 ACP, the RCBS is 2 cavity 45-230-RN .45 cal. from Midway. Not sure where I got SWC from. My bad.

I think the best thing to do is melt them and start fresh with WW and avoid safety issues. I appreciate the help.

John

Treeman
09-23-2008, 12:30 AM
John, Your light bullets aren't dangerous but as 35rem was intimating you should start with data based upon the nominal weight/shape bullet you are casting rather than basing things primarily on actual weight.

Bob Krack
09-23-2008, 02:41 AM
Lee mold is 6 cavity TL-452-230-TC .45 ACP, the RCBS is 2 cavity 45-230-RN .45 cal. from Midway.
I think the best thing to do is melt them and start fresh with WW and avoid safety issues. I appreciate the help. John

John,
My Lee TL452-230-TC casts straight wheel weight alloy at around 242 grains. A real joy to cast. Nearly all are perfectly formed and drop without assistance.
If yours are around 210-212 I suspect you have lots of tin and or antimony. Not a bad thing, just confuses the issues.

Vic

Echo
09-23-2008, 11:41 AM
John, >MY< suggestion is to melt the boolits back down and use as additive to WW's. The alloy is most likely type metal. Check the hardness as there are different formulations of type metal Lino-, stereo, mono-, and foundry-, IIRC. They all have tin and antimony in increasing percentages in the order I gave, and the added tin will help the WW's fill out better in the mold, and the added antimony will both make the cast boolits harder and allow heat treating to really make them harder. Lots of info on the board to flesh out my comments.

IMHO

Boomer Mikey
09-23-2008, 12:51 PM
There's a reason why there's minimum and maximum load powder charges listed in loading manuals.

Bearing surface area and case capacity has more to do with maximum pressures than weight.

If you're thinking 200 grain swc data is a good place to start with a light 230 grain bullet you're on the wrong page... 230 grain bullet powder charges are typically less than 200 grain bullet powder charges.

A max load for a 230 grain TC bullet isn't going to be dangerous if the same bullet used is 30 grains lighter due to a different alloy.

Boomer :Fire:

Fixxah
09-23-2008, 06:00 PM
Now I have to find load data for them. I am using W231 still. Thanks again everyone.

I have pics of my first casting session in my album.

35remington
09-23-2008, 06:58 PM
No problem. Use 230 data for truncated cone jacketed bullets - it's pretty common. See Hornady's FMJ-FP.

Or drop down in charge weight for standard 230 data and work up until you get standard velocities. Then you will be at standard pressures.