First boolits cast

[Jumping Frog]

Well, I got a chance last weekend to cast my first boolits. I was using a Lee 6 cavity mold TL401-175-SWC.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg126/Jumping_Frog/DSCF0222.jpg

I measured a bunch of them. 85% are either .401 or .402. The rest were either .403 or .404. I do not know if one cavity is bigger than the others or if it was driven by some variation in how I casted.

I was hoping to tumble lube them and shoot them as cast, but it looks like I'll need to buy a sizer.:(

[supv26]

Make a couple of dummy rounds and see if they will chamber in your gun. I use the TL-452-230-2R and also get some that are not quite on. I measured a few with my dial calipers and would spin them in the jaws and could see they were not perfectly true. I made up a dummy round to see if it would chamber and it did. I lubed with LLA and today was able to actually load some. I did up around 100 of them and they worked great! I was very impressed with them.

BTW, I am shooting a Glock Model 21C with a KKM match grade barrel. I had one boolit that would not chamber and I saw what the issue was. Apparently it seated to deep and the edge of the case got caught while traveling up the feed ramp.

[Russel Nash]

buy a case gauge!

[garandsrus]

Or use your barrel (off the pistol) as a gauge...

Another option to eliminate sizing is to buy a Lee Factory Crimp Die. If the round is slightly too large, the die will size it down nicely. This works great on a progressive press so it's not an extra step.

John

[supv26]

Or use your barrel (off the pistol) as a gauge...

Another option to eliminate sizing is to buy a Lee Factory Crimp Die. If the round is slightly too large, the die will size it down nicely. This works great on a progressive press so it's not an extra step.

John

Yea I forgot to mention the factory crimp die. I use one for all my loads and it works very well.

[Topper]

From the sample you posted, you doing a very good job.
Nice fill and clean sprue cuts.

[jforwel]

Welcome and good job with the boolits. The first mold I tried was a Lee TL .41 and they turned out great. Haven't shot them yet though.

[Jumping Frog]

Another option to eliminate sizing is to buy a Lee Factory Crimp Die. If the round is slightly too large, the die will size it down nicely. This works great on a progressive press so it's not an extra step.
That is good to know, thanks. I do reload on a Loadmaster with the FCD in station 5.

[opentop]

nice looking boolits! are ya addicted yet?

[Bret4207]

Good for you! Nice start to a rewarding hobby. Take the others fellows advice and see if they won't chamber.

[HangFireW8]

Nice work.


I measured a bunch of them. 85% are either .401 or .402. The rest were either .403 or .404. I do not know if one cavity is bigger than the others or if it was driven by some variation in how I casted.

A tiny splash of lead on the mold faces did that to me. Now I keep a propane torch and bronze wire brush handy while casting.



I was hoping to tumble lube them and shoot them as cast, but it looks like I'll need to buy a sizer.:(

If you want to stay cheap, Lee makes sizers that don't need Lubri-Sizer presses, they just screw into your reloading press.

-HF

[44man]

Those large blocks will vary in temperature causing boolits from the colder side to be different then from the hot side. I don't have any 6 cavity molds but wonder what would happen if you cast from a different side for each filling? Just rotate back and forth. :confused: