Back to the ladle ??

I just started casting a couple years ago and i immediately just started using a bottom pour . I bought a ladel , mainly just for pouring Lapping slugs and etc.
Most of the cast bullets i shot was all for close range steel targets and hard cast bullets for up here in Alaska for my 45-70 . Long range accuracy wasn't really needed.
But now that my sharps is on its way , and a 1000yrds is in the forcast it is time to step it up !!
I bought a Lyman mold #457132 postell , i started paying real close attention to my lead temperature, and even used a timer to keep consistent.
I went back to the ladle and man my bullets have never come out this nice . Around 85-90% of my casting sessions come out with in 534.2grs-534.8grs using wheel weights / pure lead / tin with a Bhn of 10.5
. Fill out is great , with nice sharp edges !
I'm keeping all my bullets +or minus half of a grain . What do you long range shooters like to keep bullet Variances limited to? Do you prefer Bottom pour or ladle ?
Man I'm about to die , waiting for my First Sharps to show up ha!ha.... Building shooting sticks on the agenda tomorrow, and more casting lol
Papper Patching is also in the near future, probably this winter i will begin that journey. I am currently reading The Paper Jacket by Paul Matthews.

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Morning,
I cast for over 35 years always used a ladle, you can do a lot more with it in my option.
I used bottom a couple of times, but it is not my favorite way.
There are a lot of variables, a lot!
There are a lot of roads heading to Rome, here is how i preform my trick in the casting shed:
I mostly cast by feeling!
Always a full pot ~20-25 kilo and small ingots at the side.
They alloy is suited for the caliber i want to cast, bhn needed, i dont cast 38 and 308 at the same time from one pot.
4 buckets of 20 liters each filled with water, placed at hip height.
I prepare my molds (i cast with 3 at the same time! it is a game of time also!)
Ventilation on(in my case 360m3 per hour suction)
When my pot is melted, i have a certain setting on my gas dial.
I add candle wax to flux and after some saw dust from hard wood.

I like to take molds from the approx same weight.
I fill the first mold, place it on the bench, get the second one, fill, on the bench, third one on the bench, first one tap empty in the first bucket, fill and place on the bench, second one......ect ect.
When my molds are getting on temperature and i like there color and shape plus the sound they make when hitting the water, i drop them into the second bucket.
Now what you have to keep in mind is speed! this is a constant factor, keep the same speed it will influence your end bhn.

Meanwhile my pot is getting lower in level, in the meantime i add some ingots and i keep on casting but i throw them into the first bucket.
To let the melt get at the proper temp again and my molds wont cool off and i dont fall out of ritem.
When i did a 100 or so cycles i move to the third bucket, ect.

Now the bhn is something you must figure out, what your gun likes best.
After the casting session i let them harden/cure for 3 weeks.
I weigh segregate them first with a deviation of 0.1 grain.
You will find out that the bhn is pretty much the same.
For long range i take the same weights boolits and start to test them on bhn.
So same weight and same hardness.

For long range shooting a use full jacket loads and harder alloy.
308 ~28-30 bhn
223 ~ 25 bhn.
Both with alu gas checks.

For practice/fun:
308 223 and 44mag 20-25bhn
44 mag is always without gs btw
38 10-16
357 15-20 with gs.

I hope this story will give you a idea, this is one way of many to get to the target.
If your temp is good and you dont have sharp edges add more tin.
After every bucket i check the bhn, i found out in my method they will have a bhn of ~8 lower than my end bhn.
If not i will add some rock hard lead, or softer to get it where i want.
When i make my ingots i keep a close eye on what i mix and how i mix.
What I do.
Gather all the scrap lead (from soft to pure antimony) melt, cast 5 ingots of ~5 kilo each and mark the batch number.
Including a small testing piece, to get a idea of the overall bhn.
Make 5 batches total, mark every batch.
Leave m for a week or so, check your testing piece and if satisfied get one ingot of each batch and remelt.

This will give you very consisted and clean lead of the desired hardness in a very big batch, good for one year of fun.
Add a consistand heat and casting pass equals a solid base for long range shooting.
Keep your tolerances as close as possible.
Have fun.
Paper patching ....yes ...well .....it is not my cup of tee, but that book is a good start.

OOOOPS,
Sorry just noticed that it was for black powder section....

I use both and shoot long range C Sharps 1874 45/70/TC Renegade using a Baco 443-530 gr Elliptical P.P flat base . After watching Id*****wis on you tube demonstrate compression casting my bullets resemble the example Baco includes with their mold ! No fooling this has been the most important lesson learned in close to 40 yrs of casting ,@ BHN of 10.4 I weight out of habit (only) as if my alloy casts 528.0-528.5 tops most of the time . If my alloy changes so does the weight but the point is my bullets now counter my lousy eye sight and thanks to Lewis my targets never looked better (with a sidelock ) sold the Sharps /Ed

I ladle pour all my 400+gr bullets. They just turn out better.

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Originally Posted by parkerhale1200

OOOOPS,
Sorry just noticed that it was for black powder section....

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Ha!ha.... No worries , lots of good information and a very appreciated write up . I also shoot lots of cast in smokeless powder for other rifles/pistols and there are many things in that write for me to learn and try out!
Thanks and i enjoyed the read :-)

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Originally Posted by Edward

I use both and shoot long range C Sharps 1874 45/70/TC Renegade using a Baco 443-530 gr Elliptical P.P flat base . After watching Id*****wis on you tube demonstrate compression casting my bullets resemble the example Baco includes with their mold ! No fooling this has been the most important lesson learned in close to 40 yrs of casting ,@ BHN of 10.4 I weight out of habit (only) as if my alloy casts 528.0-528.5 tops most of the time . If my alloy changes so does the weight but the point is my bullets now counter my lousy eye sight and thanks to Lewis my targets never looked better (with a sidelock ) sold the Sharps /Ed

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Thanks Ed , i will look into that . I'm some what new to casting and not for sure what compression casting is ....... but i will find out !!!
Thanks , Pat

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Originally Posted by tmanbuckhunter

I ladle pour all my 400+gr bullets. They just turn out better.

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That has been my findings as well , i believe its the faster and more consistent flow

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Edward

I use both and shoot long range C Sharps 1874 45/70/TC Renegade using a Baco 443-530 gr Elliptical P.P flat base . After watching Id*****wis on you tube demonstrate compression casting my bullets resemble the example Baco includes with their mold ! No fooling this has been the most important lesson learned in close to 40 yrs of casting ,@ BHN of 10.4 I weight out of habit (only) as if my alloy casts 528.0-528.5 tops most of the time . If my alloy changes so does the weight but the point is my bullets now counter my lousy eye sight and thanks to Lewis my targets never looked better (with a sidelock ) sold the Sharps /Ed

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I just looked up compression casting , that is exactly what i started doing with the ladle . I turn the mold 90° marry the spur hole /spout together and turn upright . I then give a it a good pause and slowly remove ladle letting it overflow . I have excellent mold fill out and consistent weights with this method.

Ive got the LEE 20# pro pot and it works very good for casts up to about 350 gr. Once you try 400+ gr pours it gets to be an inconsistient pia to properly fill out the lube grooves. I too have recognized the added flow, speed , and pressure that a ladle pour offers. I like to run my lead temps about 850f when pouring the heavy 535 gr bullits. Its taken me a few years of trial and error to learn how to pour clean 500+ gr bullits. Its not something you learn simply by reading on the 'net or watching youtube vids.