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Diggin up an old thread, but I have a question along these lines...sorta.

My boolits are Ranch Dog 350's (gas checked) in a Marlin 45-70 (22" barrel)...I shot a few at a time (5-10) for a while...

I don't think they look right all shiny and stuff...LOL.

I like them slightly frosted...like the one in RD's picture....grey, not silver.

I think you may be on to something there...the boolit was HOT when it went into the water (note the estimated alloy temp) and the water was COLD (outside tap, the temperature outside was just above...

Thanks a million for all the replies...and keep em coming, I'm still learning.

Yep...its starting to add up now.

But it threw me plumb off the horse at first....LOL. :drinks:

I dropped these from the mold into a 5 gallon bucket of water...

Age hardening...

I guess it should be noted that those boolits Michael tested were 2 weeks old...(+ or - a day or two)

Not weird at all...its a good idea.


773 degrees...that don't seem too outrageously hot, but then again...I am new at this, LOL.

It made some purdy boolits....

Thank You for the info...

I'll get a thermometer one of these days...[smilie=l:

The hardness isn't really a problem (maybe even a blessing...)

It was just unexpected...I was expecting 18-19 BHN and when Michael told me 30 I didn't quite know what to think, LOL.

Its a...

Exact temp...unknown.

Pot setting (Lee Pro 4-20)...8

I don't mind at all Michael...

I'm just trying to figure this out...you know how it is...inquiring minds want to know, LOL.

It water quenches to 30 BHN!!!

It is a 2-6-92 alloy, it casts some very nice looking boolits, it drops at the right weight (much like Lyman #2)....its good stuff!

But what is it that allows it...

Remove the rod from the valve, dip it in Permatex 133 anti-seize (just the tip and it doesn't take a lot), put the rod back in, spin it around a few times...and put it back together. (redo this after...

That article mentioned 18 wheeler WW"s...

I'm a truck driver and I have a few big truck WW's...he's right, they make those 1/2 ounce car weights seem microscopic, and the truck WW's are...

10-4

Good stuff to know...Thank You, because I didn't realize they were so similar.

I reckon I should add that the alloy I'll be starting out with is Rotometals hardball alloy (92% lead, 6% antimony, 2% tin)

I bought 60 lbs. of it just so I could learn on good clean alloy...the...

Yes, RD's molds are great no doubt...for the price, the reputation of his molds and bullets, and his customer support (pressure tested load data being one area of his support that is...

Actually I got 2 :)

I haven't yet casted my first boolit, I've been stuck pondering which mold to get for months. I kinda wanted an LBT mold (and still do) but being new to casting I decided to...

I just recently decided to start casting too...

I've bought 350 lbs of lead off Ebay (carefully picked who I bought it from though)...it came out to about $1 per pound. I've also scrounged,...

+P brass, 230 grain Hornady XTP, and a large dose of Alliant Power Pistol.

Not in a 1911...but in a fully supported chamber (XD), I liked the 230 grain bullets at 1,050 fps. Thats not quite 45...

Thanks for the answer...sorry for the late reply.

I've been busy buying lead, so the other casting equipment got put on hold until I got enough WW's to do me...I got plenty now.

This RCBS...

x3...H322 gives excellent accuracy and velocity, but its at its best with bullets weighing between 400 and 425 grains.

Its a tad slow burning for 300 grain bullets...and very slow (too slow)...

Yep...thats what I meant.

If you're lucky thats what it will be...if you're unlucky, the receiver is machined wrong.