Dutchman
10-17-2009, 03:53 AM
Over a year ago I started gathering all the goodies to start casting again. I started casting handgun bullets in about 1970-71 with a Coleman single burner stove and cast iron pot & ladle. I did some rifle but mostly handgun. Now I want to do mostly rifle and don't really want to do handgun as purchased plainbase Pb are still not too bad and I'm not doing the quantity of handgun shooting.
New Lee Pro 20 pot. Yeah, drips a little but still a good pot for the money. I have a new Lyman 4500 lube-sizer but did not get any sizing dies so I could see what the moulds dropped. I was pouring 50-50 WW-Linotype. All measurements were taken 90 degrees from the parting line.
1- Lee 358-158-RF. For .38 Special. d/c $10 new on fleabay. I like the profile.
.3615" 157 grains. In a softer alloy this would be a good bullet for .38 S&W.
2- Lee 452-255-RF. For .45 AutoRim in my 1937 Brazilian S&W. d/c $10 new fleabay.
I like the profile. .452" 253.9 grains
3- Lee C309-170-F. s/c $10 fleabay.
nose .3015" body .313" 173.5 grains
4- Lee Cruise Missile 6.5 d/c new a year ago.
nose diameter .266"
4 bands top to bottom:
1- .270"
2- .2725"
3- .272"
4- .2705"
169.5 grains
The bullets stick. One worse than the other. Needs light polishing.
5- Lee C324-175-R. For 8x58R Danish & 8x57mm Mauser.
nose diameter .314" body .325" 166.8 grains
This mould didn't drop good bullets. Needs the Buckshot treatment (polishing).
6- Lyman 323470 d/c used VG+
4 body bands top to bottom:
1- .325"
2- .3255"
3- .326"
4- .326"
163.5 grains
This mould dropped excellent bullets from both cavities almost from a cold mould. Strange how different moulds have better or worse casting characteristics. I have high hopes for this one.
7- Lyman 311299 new d/c.
nose diameter .3005"
body diameter .3115"
197.8 grains
This one drops good bullets but I'd like it polished out just a tad.
8- 314299 used d/c VG+. drops good bullets from both cavities easily.
nose diameter .3035"
body .314"
203.2 grains
I'd also like this one a touch bigger... like .315" or .316" in the body.
9- Lyman 266673 new d/c.
nose .255"
body .2655"
153.6 grains
This one needs to be lapped out a bit. I'd like at least .267".
Drops good bullets.
I had one new Lyman (Saeco) d/c mould handles. Very nice but expensive. I had 3 new sets of Lee 6 cavity handles. They fit the Lyman d/c moulds perfectly with no mods. However the RCBS d/c will require the Lee handles be thinned just .010" to .015" or so. Close but no cigar. I see nothing negative with the $12 Lee handles (from Midway). I was surprised to learn Lyman quit making their mould block handles and that they seem very hard to find used inexpensively but overall the Lee 6 cavity handles are perfectomundo far as I'm concerned. I'll get one more set and modify for the RCBS 180gr .309" d/c. I also bought from Midway 2 sets of Lyman d/c sprue plate rebuild kits for $7.50 each for the two used Lyman d/c moulds but didn't install them yet. The sprue plates in the kit are thicker than the standard.
I enjoyed casting tonight. I forgot how enjoyable it was. I won't normally cast with 9 different moulds but I wanted to measure these and see what needed doing.
Interested in:
*Lyman 266469 6.5mm d/c only.
*150-160 gr 7mm bullet for 7x57 Mauser. s/c or d/c.
*.512" to .515" 330 gr to 350 gr plainbase for the 12,7x44R Swedish rolling block. Lee makes a special order .515" and .518" for the Smith carbine but I'm never in the right place at the right time to snag one. The Lyman single cavity 330 gr (or thereabouts) would be perfect. If you have a used one to sell let me know.
*Lyman .446" for the 11mm Mauser 71/84.
Dutch
New Lee Pro 20 pot. Yeah, drips a little but still a good pot for the money. I have a new Lyman 4500 lube-sizer but did not get any sizing dies so I could see what the moulds dropped. I was pouring 50-50 WW-Linotype. All measurements were taken 90 degrees from the parting line.
1- Lee 358-158-RF. For .38 Special. d/c $10 new on fleabay. I like the profile.
.3615" 157 grains. In a softer alloy this would be a good bullet for .38 S&W.
2- Lee 452-255-RF. For .45 AutoRim in my 1937 Brazilian S&W. d/c $10 new fleabay.
I like the profile. .452" 253.9 grains
3- Lee C309-170-F. s/c $10 fleabay.
nose .3015" body .313" 173.5 grains
4- Lee Cruise Missile 6.5 d/c new a year ago.
nose diameter .266"
4 bands top to bottom:
1- .270"
2- .2725"
3- .272"
4- .2705"
169.5 grains
The bullets stick. One worse than the other. Needs light polishing.
5- Lee C324-175-R. For 8x58R Danish & 8x57mm Mauser.
nose diameter .314" body .325" 166.8 grains
This mould didn't drop good bullets. Needs the Buckshot treatment (polishing).
6- Lyman 323470 d/c used VG+
4 body bands top to bottom:
1- .325"
2- .3255"
3- .326"
4- .326"
163.5 grains
This mould dropped excellent bullets from both cavities almost from a cold mould. Strange how different moulds have better or worse casting characteristics. I have high hopes for this one.
7- Lyman 311299 new d/c.
nose diameter .3005"
body diameter .3115"
197.8 grains
This one drops good bullets but I'd like it polished out just a tad.
8- 314299 used d/c VG+. drops good bullets from both cavities easily.
nose diameter .3035"
body .314"
203.2 grains
I'd also like this one a touch bigger... like .315" or .316" in the body.
9- Lyman 266673 new d/c.
nose .255"
body .2655"
153.6 grains
This one needs to be lapped out a bit. I'd like at least .267".
Drops good bullets.
I had one new Lyman (Saeco) d/c mould handles. Very nice but expensive. I had 3 new sets of Lee 6 cavity handles. They fit the Lyman d/c moulds perfectly with no mods. However the RCBS d/c will require the Lee handles be thinned just .010" to .015" or so. Close but no cigar. I see nothing negative with the $12 Lee handles (from Midway). I was surprised to learn Lyman quit making their mould block handles and that they seem very hard to find used inexpensively but overall the Lee 6 cavity handles are perfectomundo far as I'm concerned. I'll get one more set and modify for the RCBS 180gr .309" d/c. I also bought from Midway 2 sets of Lyman d/c sprue plate rebuild kits for $7.50 each for the two used Lyman d/c moulds but didn't install them yet. The sprue plates in the kit are thicker than the standard.
I enjoyed casting tonight. I forgot how enjoyable it was. I won't normally cast with 9 different moulds but I wanted to measure these and see what needed doing.
Interested in:
*Lyman 266469 6.5mm d/c only.
*150-160 gr 7mm bullet for 7x57 Mauser. s/c or d/c.
*.512" to .515" 330 gr to 350 gr plainbase for the 12,7x44R Swedish rolling block. Lee makes a special order .515" and .518" for the Smith carbine but I'm never in the right place at the right time to snag one. The Lyman single cavity 330 gr (or thereabouts) would be perfect. If you have a used one to sell let me know.
*Lyman .446" for the 11mm Mauser 71/84.
Dutch