1st Casting Session

[Six Shooter Steve]

Just finished my 1st casting session ever :drinks: Used a LEE 400 Grn mold for Ruger 480. With WW casting at 720 deg the boolits came out 394 Grn, Water dropped them to try to get a bit of extra hardness. All went pretty well after I got my mold up to temp, but still had a good pile of junkers that will get melted back down. Figured out fast that the 10lb lee pot ( Which go figure, holds nowhere near 10lbs) was wayyyyy too small for casting 400 grn boolits, and Im glad I bought a thermometer, cause setting 5 on my pot was right around 720 degrees. All and all ready for the next round!

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Good going Steve! I am just a rookie at casting but it sure if fun. I learn more every time. Enjoy! A great hobby has started.

[Shiloh]

That's the beauty of it, you get bad boolits and we all do, you melt and re-pour. It is a science and an art. One learns quickly the particularities of each individual mold.

A 10# pot empties in a hurry!!

SHiloh

[AZ-Stew]

That's the beauty of it, you get bad boolits and we all do, you melt and re-pour. It is a science and an art. One learns quickly the particularities of each individual mold. Shiloh

Very much like home-brewing beer. But for beer, the disposal process for the less than perfect batches is much more enjoyable. The tongue and nose will tell you a lot about what you did wrong.

Regards,

Stew

[kbstenberg]

Ya Steve I'm new to casting also. It gives you a feeling of pride. To look at that lump of lead an know you can make it into a perfectly formed bullet. Then you can take that bullet an load it into a case an shoot it accurately at whatever you want.
Later you can look at that box of bullets that you cant hardly lift an know you don't have to worry about that you mite not be able to buy the bullets you want.
Kevin

[RobS]

Time............it's all it takes to expand your knowledge and experience. It won't be long and your reject pile will be virtually none. When you have time drop us a line and let us in on how they shot for you.

[Bret4207]

Glad to hear you're off to a good start. But, why do you want them "harder" if you've never shot them to see how they work when air cooled?

[44man]

Glad to hear you're off to a good start. But, why do you want them "harder" if you've never shot them to see how they work when air cooled?
Cuz the Lee is a PB! They really do shoot better when water dropped.
I feel his 10# pot pain, those boolits make short work of a 20#! :bigsmyl2:

[Six Shooter Steve]

Glad to hear you're off to a good start. But, why do you want them "harder" if you've never shot them to see how they work when air cooled?

I went with the water dropped on recomendation of a few of the fellas here that are shooting the same setup as I have. I am hopeing to try and do a pan lube job on these soon. Im sure that will be a messy experience :lol:

[Bret4207]

I recommend that at some point you challenge the advice you were given and try them air cooled. You may find they work fine, or not, but only by trying do we learn what works FOR YOU!

[Frank]

Six Shooter Steve said
I am hopeing to try and do a pan lube job on these soon. Im sure that will be a messy experience
How do you plan to size?