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View Full Version : Comparing my cast bullets (pic)



supv26
02-04-2009, 10:14 PM
Here is a shot of my cast bullet compared to a store bought bullet. Mine (on the left) is a TL 230 grain and the other is a lubed 200 grain. After sampling and measuring mine, they were more consistant in diameter than the store bought ones. Also, a lot of the store bought ones had wrinkles and it appeared as if the mold may have not been warm enough. I also see a lot of gaps in the lube.

The one on the left is a dummy round (no primer or powder) and the bullet has not been lubed yet. I just wanted to see how one would load into a case. It loaded very easy, in fact it did not shear any lead as I sometimes get with the store bought bullets. I am not satisfied with depth either. It measured under max COL so when I do start loading I will back out the bullet seater just a bit.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e300/supv26/GUNS/100_2091.jpg

snaggdit
02-04-2009, 10:19 PM
Your boolits look great! Nice job!

jdgabbard
02-04-2009, 10:26 PM
Lookin' good!

You know, the only think I hate about the Lee TL boolits. Is how they have that thick lip on them that make the ogive of the bool look too small for the caliber. That and the lip on the shank before it. But they look awesome!

docone31
02-04-2009, 10:50 PM
I remember, watching those cowboy movies, where they sat by the campfire, ate beans and cast boolitts. Then I got my first shotgun.
I was told, reloading blew up the firearms. I was told, home castings were inferior and could damage the firearm. I was told, it took such expensive equipment you had to be wealthy to afford to do it.
Well, let me assure you. With enough molten lead flowing, you will get experience where even the most wrinkled, crappy homebrew will out peform anything store boughten.
Those look good. As you have spoken of with shaveing, sizing is important! I almost blew my only chance to get an advanced liscence in security because I used store boughten castings. I had lead spaghetti exiting the barrel, miserable patterns, stove pipes like no tomorrow, and cleaning was a real issue.
Like it is said,
If you want it done right, do it YOURSELF!
Like you did.
Oh yeah, no one told me those beans made you fart.
I figuired that one out by experience.

JeffinNZ
02-04-2009, 11:22 PM
......ate beans and cast boolitts....

Eating lead is bad for your health. :-D[smilie=1::Fire:

docone31
02-04-2009, 11:27 PM
Hey! we be tough guys here.
Over here, men are men, women are ugly, and sheep run fast! We don't need fists, we got beans!!!

SCIBUL
02-05-2009, 03:30 AM
You boolits look good. Shoot them and tell us !

supv26
02-05-2009, 08:57 PM
You boolits look good. Shoot them and tell us !
I would love to shoot some but I cannot get any LLA at the moment. I have stopped at 2 stores and no one has any and if I order on line the shipping is more than the lube. So...............I will just have to wait.

EMC45
02-05-2009, 09:09 PM
Yours look better!

dubber123
02-05-2009, 09:12 PM
I would love to shoot some but I cannot get any LLA at the moment. I have stopped at 2 stores and no one has any and if I order on line the shipping is more than the lube. So...............I will just have to wait.

Buy the softest stick lube you can find, and either pan lube, or just rub some on with your fingers. Both work.[smilie=1:

supv26
02-05-2009, 09:27 PM
I have considered the "rub" method since I cannot find any LLA. I didn't know if that would work or not.

Willbird
02-05-2009, 09:37 PM
Use some of the paste wax some of the guys extoll the virtues of, or cook up a batch of felix lube and dip the bullets in it base first, or pan lube them.

Bill

supv26
02-05-2009, 09:40 PM
......off to the lube recipe thread!!! .....................thanks!!!!!!!!!

zardoz
02-05-2009, 09:46 PM
Good looking boolit there.

My very first casting, and reloading was the TL 230 for 45 ACP just like yours.
I tumble lubed them with a little Johnson Paste Wax in a baggie, and loaded with 4.5 grain of Unique. Worked great the very first time!

That was a little over 2 months ago. Since then, have done 9mm, .357 Magnum, and 44 Magnums. Ventured into pan lubing with wax mixtures, and using LLA.

Good to know the sole craftsman still outperforms the mass machine.

2TN Mules
02-05-2009, 11:41 PM
Great looking boolits. I'll be following in your footsteps just as soon as my mold and press comes in. I can only hope my results as as great as yours.