Makin' Boolits

[Fugowii]

I want to make some boolits but...

I don't have a sizer or luber just yet (lack of funds). Am I scroood?

I've got a Lyman Mag20 pot and a bunch of different moulds so is my alternative
to sizing just to try to get my mix to drop the correct size? What might my
alternatives for lubing be? I've read some about pan lube but is that it?
Thanks, and as you might read from my questions, a real noob here.

F

[par0thead151]

some have gotten lucky with getting bullets to cast at the size they need for a particular rifle/pistol
lube is needed though, and tumble lube is the only "cheap" option if you do not have a luber sizer.

[Down South]

Just because you don't have a Sizer yet doesn’t mean that you can't make boolits. If you are planning on air cooling the boolits then cast away and size later. You may be lucky and be able to shoot as cast.

Pan lubing is using a pie pan or similar pan, adding the lube of your choice up past the lube groove with the boolits stood on end. Pop the pan in the oven at low temp and let the lube become completely liquid. Take the pan out and let cool. Either push the boolits out or make a cookie cutter to cut them out with.

Better than me giving you instructions, it would be easier if you went to Goatlips site and read up on the material he has there.
http://goatlipstips.cas-town.com/index.html

On edit: if you pan lube or tumble lube with LLA you can get a Lee push through sizer cheap.

[snaggdit]

By all means, cast some boolits. If you have some pure lead (or stickons) cast a few for each caliber you plan to use. Use these to slug your barrels. Compare your barrel diameter (groove to groove is the largest diameter when measuring your slug) and compare to cast size. If you are .001 to .002 over with your cast boolits, you don't need to size. Tumble with LLA or pan lube and load. Do a search on slugging barrels to see how it's done. It's really easy. Casting with WW will probably end up slightly different diameter but should be within .001 of pure. This is important to do first before you spend money on sizers that will undersize boolits for your guns. Money wasted. I did it... When you are new you tend to buy everything then discover later you should have done more research. I was guilty myself.

[454PB]

You don't have to have a sizer, but you do need a micrometer.

[stubshaft]

If you have a couple of plain based bullets either tumble or dip lube using LLA.

[mikenbarb]

You can pan lube or tumble lube them and use a Lee push thru die for under 20 bucks. They come in almost every size and they work great with tumble lubed boolits or pan lubed and it comes down to what one you like but both are real good. I still use a couple Lee push thrus for my oddball sizes that I dont need alot of and I roll the boolits in motor mica so they dont stick together in storage.

[larrye44]

I'm wanting to cast some myself, but my lube-a-sizer is on back order from Midway. I was under the impression that if you cast and let the boolits sit for some time, they get harder and then it's harder to size them. Is this a problem, or would it be best to wait (until May 18th) to get the sizer so I can size in a day or two of casting? Thanks everyone. Larry

[opentop]

I haven't seen the Lee push through sizers mentioned in this thread. They are Cheap (15 bucks or so) and they come WITH a bottle of Alox lube to boot! They screw on top of your press. If your just getting started and on a limited budget, the Lee sizers are the way to go.


I'm wanting to cast some myself, but my lube-a-sizer is on back order from Midway. I was under the impression that if you cast and let the boolits sit for some time, they get harder and then it's harder to size them. Is this a problem, or would it be best to wait (until May 18th) to get the sizer so I can size in a day or two of casting? Thanks everyone. Larry

If your dropping and air cooling, you can cast now and size and lube later. If your water dropping, you may want to wait untill you get your sizer.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

For a cheap alternative to a lube-sizer and the dies and top punches, it is hard to beat the LEE push through sizers, So if $$ is a factor, take a look at them, Midway or Mid-South,

I would also recommend that you find out what size your mold drops, you may not need to size if they are .001-.003 over bore size, just coat with Alox dry, shoot.

If you haven't slugged your bores yet, this would be the time, before you buy any sizer of any type and find out you don't have what you need.

[captain-03]

Not just for the beginner -- I like the Lee push-through sizers -- also, seats gaschecks well!!

[JIMinPHX]

Cast some up. If they fit as-is, then hey great. If they are a little on the big size, then put them aside for the day when you do have a sizer.

[leadman]

As an alternative to liquid alox (messy) or pan sizing (slow), you can buy a stick of lube for a luber-sizer and use it like a crayon to fill in the lube grooves. I use SPG this way for my 40-65 Remington Rolling Block with unsized boolits. you can lube this way and then use the Lee push thru sizer if you need to size.

[Bret4207]

As leadman says, you can hand lube. Pan lubing and Mule Snot (Lee Liquid Alox) also work fine. Don't worry so much about sizing and all the tools. Say you want to shoot your 30-30. FInd a mould you like and cast up 100 good, well filled boolits. Try the nose in the muzzle. As long as there is a good amount of interference the nose is larger than the bore and will be guided and you can expect at least plinking accuracy. Make up 1 dummy round and see if it will chamber. If so, load up 20 with a nice mild load after smearing lube into the grooves somehow. If not the boolit WILL need sizing and you can stop there. If it does chamber use a fairly low powered load with a fairly fast powder like Unique- 8 grains would be appropriate in a 30-30. Then go shooting.

This really isn't rocket science. You need to learn to CAST before you get up into the higher pressure loads or start the accuracy search. Just try to have a little fun with it till the rest of the tooling arrives.

BTW- The Lee sizing system may be inexpensive, but it's not "cheap". It produces boolits just as, if not more, concentric as the traditional sizers, seat GC's just as square and is a far faster method for me at least. I have 3 traditional sizers and if I lost them all today I would only be slowed down a bit until I got dies of the right size. Yeah, lubing with lubes other than Mule Snot is a pain, but I can do it and it works great!

[44man]

What are the chances a boolit will be too big? I would say slim to none and they will shoot perfect as cast. Pan lube, load and shoot!
As long as the loaded round chambers it is good to go.
It is a good idea to slug the gun and see what it actually is but then again, not knowing works most times anyway.
I made a bunch of brass tubes and lapped them so a boolit as cast slips through them. I hand lube with soft Felix and push them through the tube to remove excess lube. The tube is the ticket for pan lubing too, just stuff it over the boolits and as you go from boolit to boolit, they push each other out of the tube. Kake Cutter!
Even my Lee dies are lapped so they do not size unless I need an exact size. I have .430 to .434 and an oversize mold I made for the Marlin. I also have .450 to .454 and .459 to .464. But most store bought molds are too small to start with.
The Lee die is wonderful and is easy to lap for whatever you want.

[Tom Herman]

I'm wanting to cast some myself, but my lube-a-sizer is on back order from Midway. I was under the impression that if you cast and let the boolits sit for some time, they get harder and then it's harder to size them. Is this a problem, or would it be best to wait (until May 18th) to get the sizer so I can size in a day or two of casting? Thanks everyone. Larry

Hi Larry,

I use an alloy of 50/50 scrap lead to wheel weights, plus 2% Tin for better fill out.
I also water drop the bullets (more of a convenience for me), and mine do tend to be harder over time, but they still size well...
I find that it's much more convenient for me to have a big pile of bullets pre-cast, as here in the Pacific NW it could very easily be raining when I want to cast, so if they are already on hand, I'm good to go.
Cast up a storm, and see how things go! The absolute worst that could happen (comparing bullets that have been sitting around for a month or more to ones just cast) would be to possibly re-melt.

Happy Shootin'! -Tom