Water casting?

[shootinxd]

In the thread I posted over the weekend(can lead break my barrel) no one asked if the boolits had been water cast.I just thought I would ask as I just cast 600+ this evening that I just air cooled.I know someone will chime in on this.:cbpour::p

[462]

For your auto-loader, no need to water-quench.

[Recluse]

In the thread I posted over the weekend(can lead break my barrel) no one asked if the boolits had been water cast.I just thought I would ask as I just cast 600+ this evening that I just air cooled.I know someone will chime in on this.:cbpour::p

Water-dropping is a tool you use in casting.

Like any tool, you need to know why, when and for what application you're using that tool.

Some folks have a personal preference for either water-dropping or air-cooling their cast boolits. Me? I water-drop according to my needs and intentions for the boolit I'm casting at the time. For most big slow-movers, I'll air-cool.

But again, it's a tool, same as heat-treating.

:coffee:

[Rick N Bama]

I water drop for my Beretta 92 & for a Puma 44mag rifle because each shoots better with a hard boolit. There's no reason to WD unless it is needed in your guns & only test firing a batch will tell you that.

Rick

[243winxb]

I saw in your other post you tried bullets both ways , air & water . If the bullet diameter is correct both work. A harder bullet may raise pressure. If the harder water dropped are way overside, pressure may go up? :confused: The 40 s&w works under high pressure when loaded to maximum. This requires a harder alloy. Oven treaded water dropped wheel weights containing 2% antimony and .5 tin work well. Air cooled will need 6% antimony & 2% tin. Light slow target loads around 800fps will work with 50/50 pure lead and wheel weights air cooled. A good lube is a must. But first and most important is bullet diameter, .001" over groove diameter.
40cal 175grn trouble
I'm having some issues with my 175grn lee TC boolit not wanting to fit the camber of my XD40.The boolit hits the camber right at the front of the case.It fails to fully seat by .035" most of the time.If I tap on the Dummy round it will finaly seat but has to be pryed from the barrel.My reload manual shows a COL min of 1.115",but this won't even come close to seating.Has anybody had this issue with this boolit.My plated reloads fit just fine. Water Dropping-Oven heat treating and dropping from the mould give different results.

[Echo]

I believe your gun will like it if you seat your boolits so that they contact the rifling when seated. This cuts end-play to zero, and makes for more reliable ignition. A touch of engraving is OK, too...