Does anybody weigh their boolits ?

[Xcaliber]

Does anybody here go as far as weighing their cast boolits ? Would keeping them within 3/ tenths be good enough? Am casting from a Lyman mold newly acquired
in .22 cal. Mold is #225415 and am using the last 9 bars of Linotype left in my small arsenal of lead left. They seem to drop at different weights from one day to the next. Average is 52.0 on up to 53.0 and everything else in between. How can I keep them closer in Weight? Could use some help here. Thanks.

[HeavyMetal]

So many variables so little time!

Is this a single or double cavity mold?

It really doesn't matter in either case. You will get more consistant boolits if you use a dipper rather than a bottom pour pot.

The ladle can be every bit as important as the alloy or mold, I will suggest an RCBS or Lyman ladle. For consistancy this is the one item you can not fudge on!

Heat up your pot and put your mold on top to pre heat while the alloy melts.

If your using a gas set up you must have a way to maintain a consistant temp. Same with an electric pot it must stay within a reasonable temp range.

dropping in ingots to re fill a pot will change temp and effect weight. Plan your casting accordingly.

Once the alloy and mold are hot dip a corner of the mold into the alloy until the lead will not stick to it. Then dip the sprue plate, the part your supposed to hit with a Mallet, into the alloy until it won't stick.

Now fill your ladle half full turn the mold side ways, bring the ladle and the sprue plate into contact with each other and, here's the important part, rotate both without breaking the ladle contact from the mold while pouring!

When you lift the ladle makes sure you leave a good sized puddle on top of the sprue plate that is liquid for at least a slow 10 count, then wait a bit longer perhaps use an old screw driver to test the sprue puddle to check for hardness, then open the mold and repeat.

It is very important to keep the sprue plate hot! most inconsistancies can be traced to in complete fill out of the boolit base, heating the sprue plate in the manner suggested has really dropped my reject weight in HP boolits!

This will not give you a lot of production but it should give you very consistant boolits. They should be half a grain or less. Quality is what your looking for here, match grade if possible!

Bear in mind each time you fire up your lead pot some differences will occur in each lot of alloy so keep each casting session seperated.

[Xcaliber]

Thanks HeavyMetal... Consistency in my weight is what I'm trying to get here. So if boolits are within that 1/2 grain ( 5 tenths) of each other ..that will be good enough for me. My mold is 2 cavity. I know that there could be a little difference between the 2 cavities but I really think both are good to go. Its the same stuff diferent day kind of thing I'm running into in he .22 cal. mold. I'll finger it out soon I hope.

[mike in co]

yes...

[Marlin Junky]

If I was casting for a .22 caliber, I'd be going for +/- .1 grain or better.

+/- .3 grain is OK for my purposes in .30 caliber but I strive for 1MOA and normal shoot for +/- .2 grain in .30.

I feel if one wants their cast boolits to shoot like copper patch, the tolerances should be about the same.

MJ

[Shiloh]

I seperate into lots. I don't have them in front of me, but the bulk goes into one batch. The others, both much smaller lots, are over and under batches. Most fall into the main category.

Shiloh

[Shiloh]

I seperate into lots. I don't have them in front of me, but the bulk goes into one batch. The others, both much smaller lots, are over and under batches. Most fall into the main category.

Shiloh

[XWrench3]

well, in the beginning i didn't. mostly because of inexperience. i ASSumed that the boolits would weight what the label said. then, one day, just for grins, i decided to plop one in the scale pan. i am really glad i did. i was loading up some cast boolits for my 380acp, and on that little shell, every grain counts. the 105 grain (advertised) actually weigh in @ 110 grains. since that point, i weight a couple (at least) out of every batch i cast. if i am going to try for real accuracy, i weight every boolit. just like every case and every charge.

[imashooter2]

I seperate into lots. I don't have them in front of me, but the bulk goes into one batch. The others, both much smaller lots, are over and under batches. Most fall into the main category.

Shiloh

I do the same. Rifle only though. Handgun would require someone much better than me to determine the difference in groups from a grain difference in boolit weight.

[largom]

I weigh everything, cases, powder, and boolits. My 22 cal. boolits are separated into lots with a max. spread of 1/10 gr.

[FAsmus]

Xcaliber;

I usually don't bother weighing bullets unless I'm going to shoot then in a Match or in match-grade practicing.

For me this means that my 500 grain 44s are weighed to within +/- 0.5 grains.

Naturally the bigger the bullet, the more tolerance seems legitimate or you'll wind up tossing more back in the pot than you shoot. Your 22s should easily make +/-0.15 grain as a general thing.

Over time I have learned a good deal about what makes bullets go light or heavy during a given run at the pot by simply weighing the bullets as they are cast. To do this I just keep a electronic scale right on the casting bench and weigh the bullets as they drop from the mold.

As a fellow does this it soon becomes apparent how a change in casting cadence results in a change in bullet weight. Or, a change in alloy temperature, or a change in ladle technique or a (?) you name it change. The scale will tell you more than any amount of study or feed-back from a thread on this site!

Good evening,
Forrest

[quack1]

For .22's, .24's and .25's that I plan on hunting small animals with, I weigh and separate into .1gr lots. Like Fasmus said, careful watch on the temp and cadence makes consistent weights. Once I get in a "groove" I can cast a couple hundred and only have 2 or 3 lots. I weigh my cases too, and separate them into 1 or 2gr lots depending on size of the case. I don't know if that matters as much, but I do it anyway.

[HammerMTB]

I take a sheet of notebook paper and weigh boolits and put them in columns, by .1 gr per column.
In just a bit, you will find you are drawing a bell curve.
Now that you have your bell curve, you can choose the 2 tenths that represent the most boolits, and do what you will with the rest.
If I'm shooting pistol, I can shoot pretty much the whole curve, unless I find some way light, meaning they have an internal void. Those just go back in the ingot pile, to return to the pot next time its hot.
It's not finished, but I am making a PID controller. I think it will do more to get consistent boolits than any of the other things I have tried. Consistent temp will give consistent weight as long as your pouring is consistent.

[canyon-ghost]

Originally, I poured mine for shooting matches with TC Contenders with a 10" barrel. In 22 Hornet, I used 3/10ths as a spread, the same as you do. Until I cast some larger 32 calibers with linotype one day, and the alloy went all over the chart. Your alloy consistency will vary from pot to pot if you're adding linotype sometimes. I went back to straight wheelweight and got the same consistency back. Now, I use very little linotype and tend to water quench for hardness- it works better for weighed boolits.
I don't just weigh some, I weigh them all. So, I notice tiny changes. 30 and 32 caliber, I go about 5/10ths grains difference, 38s , I go to about 7/10ths grains difference. It's an individual thing but, you have to pick out a criteria somewhere. I ususally choose the medium to heavy weights and ditch the light ones. That, more or less, keeps me away from internal voids, improperly filled out bases, and flaws that mess up accuracy.
I wouldn't say I'm perfect at this, it's just what I've figured out for me. Hope that gives you something to go on.
Ron

[Xcaliber]

Thanks all for the input. It sure does ease my mind a lot. Had only csted for .38 and .357 Max . Hadn't done that in years. Id forgotten how much fun I had been missing until I got my .22 cal. mold. I was used to the bigger mold and this tiny 2 cavity mold had me going in circles wondering what it was I needed to do to get my consistency back. Thanks all for the info here. Truly needed.

[stubert]

I weigh a sample, I cast to hunt. I am getting good results with +/- 1% I cast mostly 44 mag and 45 cal. rifle, 240 - 500 grain. I can't see a differance. But I dont shoot competively.

[excavman]

I use the 20 lb Lee bottom pour and have found that the level of the lead in the pot will effect the temperature and the quality therefore the weight of the castings. I try to keep the pot at half full to full to reduce the negative effects.

Larry

[dragonrider]

I only weigh boolits when I get a new mold, to be sure they cast somewhat close to what they should be. After that never.

[Shooter6br]

i used to shoot benchrest You weighed everything. Bullets cases powder . Not to mention neck thickness and concentricity Was chore not a hobby You can lose by a few thousands. I wasnt "anal retentive" enought to enjoy it.But to each his own I dont say it doesnt matter but I dont go to extremes.

[mpmarty]

I sort rifle boolits by weight but not pistol. I visually inspect pistol boolits at the loading bench and toss any defects into the remelt can.

[FAsmus]

Gentlemen;

In an associated question, as we consider weighing components as closely as seems necessary I wonder if any of you have encountered "electronic scale drift" as I call it during the inspection of your bullets.

I ask because I most certainly have seen it and have developed a certain distrust of electronic scales as a result ~ namely I will no longer use them to set my powder measure any more.

In this drift I first find a bullet that is in the middle of the "bell curve" of weight, set the Tare of the scale and go to checking. I keep the standard bullet separate and when things don't seem quite right I re-check it's weight and (amazing) the scale's zero will have changed as much as 0.4 - 0.5 grain, usually to the plus side of zero. All I can do is reset the Tare and continue but the problem recurs and I am stuck with my distrust of the electronic scale.

I use a Lyman LE-1000 for this work too, not some cheap item.

Good afternoon,
Forrest

[MGySgt]

I only weigh my hunting bullets - I keep those in 2/10's of a grain and these are 435 grs for my 45/90 and 45/70's.

Normal practice loads - I don't take the time toi weight them - I would rather spend that ime loading or shooting!

Drew

[MGySgt]

Gentlemen;

when things don't seem quite right I re-check it's weight and (amazing) the scale's zero will have changed as much as 0.4 - 0.5 grain, usually to the plus side of zero.
Good afternoon,

Forrest

I would be calling Lyman about that. I had their 1200 model for throwing and weighing. Before it died it did not 'drift'

Why do I know - because I throw light and dribble up on my ballance scale. I didn't like the .10 low or .10 high it would throw and my group went from sub MOA to 2 plus when I only used the electronic despense and scale.

[Patrick L]

Here are my thoughts on the subject. Like anyone, I have opinions. They are just opinions, but they are mine and I'm entitled to them.

I weigh only one of my boolits, that's the SAECO 301 that I use to shoot Highpower with in my 03A3. It casts out at about 195-196 grains. I keep boolits in a 1 1/2 grain spread for my match shooting. I used to do lots with a .3 grain spread (so five lots gave me the 1 1/2 grain spread.) Then about 5 years ago I decided that it was just as easy to keep them all segregated by their specific weight. I used a variety of colored Sharpie markers to put a dot on the meplat to keep them separate. I make sure all of the boolits for a stage are the same lot. I keep the light ones and shoot them up for practice.

Here is my weigh/sort setup:
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/Sorting%20and%20Sizing/GunStuff030.jpg

Again, I do this only with this boolit. All other designs, both rifle and pistol, are visually inspected only. I'll cull any really bad ones, but everything that looks good is shot.

Whether it makes a difference or not, I really don't know. It may give me a point or two on the prone slowfire. Then again, I once loaded up 10 pristeen boolits, and 10 boolits that looked like deformed raisins. I shot them slung and prone and couldn't see any difference in the group size. And honestly, my practice boolits shoot as well as my match ones.

I think the late great Jimmy Clark said it best; If you think it makes a difference, it does make a difference! I think it makes a difference, so I do it.

[FAsmus]

MGySgt;

I have a Midway el-cheapo that did/does the same identical thing .. it now lives out in the casting shed.

In researching it I have found that if I leave it on, plugging in to the wall instead of the battery for a day or so the drift does not appear.

Good morning,
Forrest

[PatMarlin]

I finally got a good RCBS electronic scale that does not drift, but I still only use it to weight boolits.

I just can't bring myself to trust anything but a balance scale for loads, and I like the LEE safety scale that locks into position.

[sargenv]

I weigh them for pistol butnot so much for accuracy concerns as much as for ammo that is going to be chrono'd at larger matches. I want to make power factor so I tend to try to keep them within about .5 gr plus or minus. If I kept them any tighter tolerance wise, I'd have to make up too many batches to get the 500 or so that I like to have for a major match. I will usually claim that they are a few grains under and base my velocity x weight on that so that I can be assured that when they weigh the boolit, it will come in above where it needs to be. I tend to go 8-12 PF above what is needed due to varying chronographs at different ranges. I also will chrono when the weather is warm or cold since some powders are temp sensitive. Otherwise I just check a few to make sure my data and the boolit are comparable for pressure reasons. Just like the gent who found he was loading with 105 data and they were actually 110 gr. In my 185 RN I have found as much as a 8-10 gr variance depending on alloy.

[A J]

I don't trust anything that weighs unless I check it with test weights equal to the charge or boolit that's being weighed. Also watch out for breezes or drafts that mess with the weighing process. For weighing boolits electronic is OK. For powder, the balance beam makes me more comfortable. Did I mention that I'm nuts?
A J

[durant7]

Newbie here. Cast my first bullets ever last night. 31141 early Lyman mould, single cavity, 10 lb Lee pour pot. Mix of ingots scrounged from range lead to WW. I did not note what was what so i've got a unknown I can't do much about, 38 lbs worth. Newbie mistake.

Started the fun. Got some frosted, turned down heat, got poor fill, turned up heat, cooled mould on wet sponge, got good fill out, hazed grey bullets. Look ok.

Sorted out defects. Weighed on Dillon scale. 173.4 to 176.5 range and it was a bi-modal distribution. YUCK! Clustered around 174.5 and 175.9. Based on what I read above...temp mgt, alloy mgt, ladle don't pour. Sigh, a small set back. Game is 200y Cowboy Lever Action in a Marlin 336CB. 200y is a poke and I'd like to see if I can use my own bullets. And, the gun likes .311 size which is not easy to find.

I guess I need to shoot the light ones and the heavy ones and see if there is any different with a +/- 1.5 grain or .8%. Am I over reacting? Just shoot 'em?

Second, this issue that a ladle with give better weight bullets over a pour pot. Help me understand? Hard to get a ladel into a 10lb Lee pour pot....grrrrr

Thanks!

[John Boy]

Does anybody here go as far as weighing their cast boolits ?
No - CAS, 45 Colts ... what they drop is what they are and not sorted
Yes - BPCR and Schuetzen Match bullets are weighed and sorted by 0.5gr differences. A few of grains difference in bullet weight can mean a foot or so off target shooting at 1000yds

[qajaq59]

I do weigh the cast. But it's mostly because I like to sit in my loading room. I'm an old dude and using a Winchester 94 with a peep sight for shooting my cast. Realistically, I couldn't shoot a perfect group at a 100 yards any more no matter what I did. It's fun to try though. lol

[canyon-ghost]

Mix of ingots scrounged from range lead to WW. There's the YUCK right there, most of us would use ww by itself or make up alloy in a large batch (38 pounds isn't large). It would go easier to start with ww or a certified alloy(pricey stuff). I did that only once and ended up with a batch that I threw away 70%! What you need to do is get some wheelweight without any range scrap or additives and try again.

Once you get the alloy consistent, then the batch will have 100% improvement and you can pick your criteria, write it down. You WILL want to know what they weigh for future batches.

Ron

[Ed Gallop]

I weigh every one and normally a single batch comes out quite close. I also weigh every powder load because the dispenser sometimes varies, especially with some powders. It likely makes very little difference in my accuracy because my aging eyes. ;-)

I know a dipper is favored but I use a bottom pour for convenience. I stir frequently and try to keep the temp steady. Maybe that is why I have good consistency. It still varies from batch to batch though. I don't add rejects or buttons until the end of the session because it changes the temp and slows me down. Everyone says I am a perfectionist and take things way too far. It may be true but I do it because it is the fun part.

[JIMinPHX]

The .22s are the only ones that I weigh. .22s seem a lot more sensitive to every little thing than the larger calibers do. In my particular gun, I didn't get good results until I seated the boolit waaaaay far out. You can see a good picture of it in post #10 of this thread - http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=68853 That worked find in my single shot, but there probably isn't enough boolit still inside the case neck for it to function in a semi auto, or maybe even a bolt gun, without the boolit getting pulled out of the neck.

There is a lot more good info on loading the .22s here -

http://www.castpics.net/memberarticles/Cast%20in%20the%20.223.htm

http://www.castpics.net/memberarticles/Cast%20in%20the%20.223,%20Part%20II.htm

http://www.castpics.net/memberarticles/Cast%20in%20the%20.223,%20Part%20III.htm

[fatelvis]

Only one, after casting in a new mould, to see the actual cast weight. Never after that.

[MGySgt]

To Weight or Not????

This group was shot at 100 yds with my Marlin 1895 Guide Gun, one of the early ones that is ported.

This is with Ranch Dogs 350 TL in 6 cavity but run through my sizer luber with Lyman Super Moly. These were NOT sorted nor was the cavity taken into consideration. I weigh my hunting boolits only because of Murphy and the money I put out to go after Elk.

[Frank]

MGySgt says
To Weight or Not????

This group was shot at 100 yds with my Marlin 1895 Guide Gun, one of the early ones that is ported.



Thanks. Now I can put away the scale. [smilie=1:

[PatMarlin]

To Weight or Not????

This group was shot at 100 yds with my Marlin 1895 Guide Gun, one of the early ones that is ported.

This is with Ranch Dogs 350 TL in 6 cavity but run through my sizer luber with Lyman Super Moly. These were NOT sorted nor was the cavity taken into consideration. I weigh my hunting boolits only because of Murphy and the money I put out to go after Elk.

Fine shooting there Srg- I've got that mold but never had a chance to use it yet... :Fire:

[Bass Ackward]

I weigh my hunting boolits only because of Murphy and the money I put out to go after Elk.



Yea, but you better aim at the knees! :grin:


Pat,

You actually gotta shoot to use a mold or a gun!

[MGySgt]

Missed you too BA!

Drew

[PatMarlin]

Yea, but you better aim at the knees! :grin:


Pat,

You actually gotta shoot to use a mold or a gun!


Why I autta...


I knew I was missing a part of the puzzle ...:mrgreen:

[PatMarlin]

Who let John out of his room anyway? ...:mrgreen: