Bullets break apart when cast

[inline50]

Sometimes while casting bullets (usually from WW) I find that the bullets will break apart and or crumble and have a frosty look to them. Can it be from casting at too high a temperature? I use a Lee 10lb. bottom pour furnace and typically have it turned to about 7-8 on the settings.

[cheese1566]

Too hot...I find this too and see my 6 cavity sprue's break when falling in the cake pan.
You can squueze the bullets apart with a pliers pretty easy.

Let them cool and they will be fine.

[Calamity Jake]

Let them cool in the mold another 5-6 seconds then dump on something soft like a folded bath towel.

Frosty is good as long as it is not excessive and even all over.

Crystolin frosty is bad.

[prs]

I like frosty boolits, especially if I will coating them with liguid alox. When my molds are getting so hot that the boolits wanna crumble, I rest them on a piece of aluminum angle as a heat sink. I cast with two 6 cavity molds, so one rests while I fill the other and then I switch and cut the spru on the first. If the molds are not hot enough to suite me, I let them rest on a woo cradle and the heat in the lead soaks into the mold. Large castings, such as bulk ingots are even worse to want to crumble because there is so much heat in them and I want to get done to quickly.

prs

[Springfield]

It's not so much that the lead is too hot, but that the mould is. Let them cool just a bit longer. This problem is worse the heavier the bullet is, in my experience. If the sprue isn't staying in one piece it is a good indication of being too soon to cut and dump.

[chris in va]

Wow, 7-8? I cast at about 5.5 and they turn out great.

[Bret4207]

It's not so much that the lead is too hot, but that the mould is. Let them cool just a bit longer. This problem is worse the heavier the bullet is, in my experience. If the sprue isn't staying in one piece it is a good indication of being too soon to cut and dump.

Erzackly the problem. Mould temp is the main thing temp-wise to worry about in casting. Pot temp is relatively irrelevant as long as the alloy flows freely. You control mould temp with your casting tempo. Basically the faster you go the hotter your mould will run. Look up "Bruce B Speedcasting" for another angle on it.

[pt4u2nv]

Around 4 keeps my pot at 700°

[Shiloh]

All given responses are probable contributions to the condition. Have you had trouble with this alloy before?? Is it contaminated with something??

Shiloh

[Gunslinger]

I find that by adding a third mold and setting my Lee at about 8, the cooling times will fit perfectly... and I don't have to worry about anything else than pot filling and boolit casting. A very nice boolit output!