Had some fun this weekend (pic heavy)

[Jumping Frog]

Here is how I was able to spend some of my time this weekend.
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg126/Jumping_Frog/DSCF1927.jpg

The boolits on the left are Lee 125 gr 9mm FN boolits made via water-quenched wheelweights.

The ones on the right are some sample .45 ACP made with a Lyman mold using wheelweights sweetened with some tin.

Before people start jumping on my case about water and molten lead, these are far enough apart and I've made thousands of boolits this way without incident. I see no practical means by which that water is going to jump out of the pan and dive into the lead pot.

Adding a little tin sure makes them pretty:

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg126/Jumping_Frog/DSCF1928.jpg

After it was all said and done, this is about 1400 new projectiles ready to be loaded into brass cases with appropriate propellant and sent down range.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg126/Jumping_Frog/DSCF1930.jpg

Here they are after sizing and lubing with LLA:

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg126/Jumping_Frog/DSCF1948.jpg

I did find this interesting so thought I'd share it. There were about 7 boolits in the batch that were apparently oversized enough that sizing them down left a flash ring around the base. I guess the Lee punch is sufficiently smaller than the Lee sizing die to allow lead to flow into the gap.

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg126/Jumping_Frog/DSCF1952-2.jpg

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[snaggdit]

I would hazard a guess that in the case of the boolit with the lube grooves swaged off the mold wasn't completely closed that time. Good load of boolits! Look real good, too.

[Shiloh]

How LONG did it take you to stack the boolits noses up??

Great Pics and they look like flawless boolits. Happy Shooting.

SHiloh

[captain-03]

Now the FUN begins!!

[Jumping Frog]

How LONG did it take you to stack the boolits noses up??
A little anal-retentive, I would agree.

I spent about 20 minutes stacking them. Normally, I just spread them out all over the surface to dry in any orientation, but was concerned whether I would have enough room to do it with all 1400. Once I started stacking them, I like how they looked so I kept going. Beats having to listen to my wife complain . . .:groner:

[ghh3rd]

Bet you had a really sticky mess on your hands, literally :-)




ps - don't feel bad... look at my avatar -- my boolits are standing up too.

[putteral]

I use needle nose pliers to stand mine up. Eliminates sticky fingers.
Nice job, I love that Lee mold.
:drinks:

[ghh3rd]

Well, I tumble lubed 500 .38 wadcutters last night, and thought "what the heck, I'll just let them fall where they will this time."

Guess I'm trying to break out of my "mold" :-)

Randy

http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq226/ghh3rd11/IMG_0361.jpg

[GLynn41]

looks like a good time was had and will be had

[desteve811]

I would check to make sure theres no leading in your sizing die. Last time i had that happen, my sizing die was leaded up, even with a nice coat of Alox.

[Jumping Frog]

I would check to make sure theres no leading in your sizing die.
+1 on that suggestion.

There was no lead in the sizing die (although it was all over the punch. But I regularly look at and clean out my dies after learning that I needed to keep an eye on them. That includes all dies, not just my sizing dies.

[jdgabbard]

+1 on that suggestion.

There was no lead in the sizing die (although it was all over the punch. But I regularly look at and clean out my dies after learning that I needed to keep an eye on them. That includes all dies, not just my sizing dies.

I too clean my size dies often. I treat them like a barrel and use a bronze brush, or chore boy pads. I think it makes the diference in the long run...

[Jumping Frog]

Now the FUN begins!!
Well, I thought I'd follow up on the previous post.

Casting the boolits is fun, but using them to make ammunition is also an important part of the equation.

This weekend, I had the time to reload about 1000 of those 9 mm rounds, plus another 800 of previously cast .40 S&W boolits.

My ammo inventory is up 1800 for the weekend. :grin: :grin: :grin:

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg126/Jumping_Frog/DSCF2071.jpg

[desteve811]

Purrrdy!

[Blacksmith]

Now the real fun can start. Shooting them.

[Jumping Frog]

Now the real fun can start. Shooting them.
Well, I figured the real fun already started because I've decided I enjoy casting and reloading about as much as I enjoy making them go BANG.