Lee has new shot molds

[miestro_jerry]

I found that Lee has 2 new shot molds out, both do the 18 pellet type of casting. The 2 new ones are the 000 shot mold and the other one is the #4 mold.

I think the 000 mold has some potential for my reloading, but I will order both of them. You never know what you can think up these days.

Jerry

[leadchunker]

I do not currently reload shotshells, but intend to in the very near future. I do reload rifle and pistol. Is casting your own shot worth the work/money involved? If so what molds should be on my purchase list?

[StrawHat]

I found that Lee has 2 new shot molds out, both do the 18 pellet type of casting. The 2 new ones are the 000 shot mold and the other one is the #4 mold.

I think the 000 mold has some potential for my reloading, but I will order both of them. You never know what you can think up these days.

Jerry

When you get your molds and make some castings would you let me know if the balls are consistent from cavity to cavity? I am considering getting one of these for a 31 C&B revolver. Thanks.

[miestro_jerry]

I save a lot of money doing my own 00 shot, my Lyman Sabo Slug mold saves me money over buying high end rifled slug shells, and I cast those slugs with WW alloy.

The Lyman Sabo Slugs work much better than people think, I can put 3 in a very tight group at 50 yards. It just takes time and patients to load a bunch of accurate slugs.

Jerry

[perimedik]

When you get your molds and make some castings would you let me know if the balls are consistent from cavity to cavity? I am considering getting one of these for a 31 C&B revolver. Thanks.

Granted I am fairly new to casting as well as Shotshell so bear with me.

I had diffculty with the mold, as did the guy who lent it to me (a veteran caster and reloader)

Even following all directions (prep work, smoking the molds etc) and with the pot and mold rediculously hot the cavities had trouble filling. The sprue would Ice over and no longer allow the mold to fill.

arrows will show the casts (inconsitstant) which leads to a sorting nightmare. I tried a few times too. Will try again however it is difficult at least for me. With 2 cavity mold I churn right through it.

[20nickels]

^^This is the same issue I got last night with the 2nd run on a Lee 00 buck mould. Running the Lyman Mag 20 as hot as it will go the bottom holes just don't want to fill out consistently. If their are any fixes or tricks I'm all ears.

May drill the holes out larger to allow more flow. This of course will make them more difficult to separate.
Would be interested to see If the 000 buck mould casts better.

[Junior1942]

Why would you expect 100% fillout, i.e., 0% rejects, from an 18-cavity mold? Even with a 10% reject rate, my Lee 000 mold casts a pile of good buckshot in a fast hurry. I got the mold hot and started casting and paid no attention to the pile of buckshot until the pot was empty. It emptied a 10 lb pot in 22 minutes. I got a 16 oz or so peanut butter jar full of good 000 buckshot from that 22 minutes.

Re: StrawHat: they're good balls for a pistol but for the little sprue links connecting the cavities. The bottom ball has one sprue while the middle and top balls have two sprues each. Sooner or later I plan to take a file to the sprues on my .360" 000 balls and shoot them in a 357 mag.

[Gunslinger1911]

For most boolits I usually cast with the sprue plate an inch or two below the sprue plate,
I was getting the same results as the OP with the buckshot mould - try casting with the sprue plate up to the spout, "pressure casting", still need the alloy and mould VERY hot, but I get almost 100 % keepers.

[20nickels]

Why would you expect 100% fillout, i.e., 0% rejects, from an 18-cavity mold? Even with a 10% reject rate, my Lee 000 mold casts a pile of good buckshot in a fast hurry.

10% would be great. Hell I expected 15% to go back in the pot but could you live with 40 or 50% rejects? Every other throw is a waste and you have to sort them out??? There's got to be a better way.
I'll try Gunslinger's pressure casting method and see if that helps.

[Junior1942]

10% would be great. Hell I expected 15% to go back in the pot but could you live with 40 or 50% rejects? Every other throw is a waste and you have to sort them out??? There's got to be a better way.
I'll try Gunslinger's pressure casting method and see if that helps.

You have something else going on. I suspect the pot and/or the mold is too cold. If it's a 10lb Lee pot, turn it to max.

[shotman]

it has to be real hot needed a hot plate for mine, and sold it the one that skys sells works

[20nickels]

Lyman Mag 20. It only goes to 10! Just cast 2000 Lee .40's, love that mould.

[1n5ane]

I find that if you can drop the stream of lead directly into the hole without touching the sprue plate, you can get nearly 100% mold fillout.

[perimedik]

I find that if you can drop the stream of lead directly into the hole without touching the sprue plate, you can get nearly 100% mold fillout.

different temps between the steel sprue plate and aluminum maybe?
I don't want to give up on the mold, it's just frustrating as heck to try and get a good cast from it. And I have tried - tried - tried...

I'm not looking for 100% fillout, hell, I'd be happy with 50% at this pioint. Seems like 33% (top cavities) is all I get

I guess I'll try again.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Has anyone tried casting these buckshot without the sprue plate... You have to cut off the sprue at the ball anyway. I have used a round sinker mold for years to make about #2 shot and it has no sprue plate. Get it hot and the mix very hot and it runs just fine.
Mike in Peru

[DrB]

There was a thread on this when they first came out. I got 100% good on each pour at least 80-90% of the time once I got up to temp. I believe I mentioned the prep I used in that thread... Think it was just brake cleaner, swab, smoke, and dip corner to heat....

Also, for anyone who doesn't want to snip all those balls they can be tumbled in a rotary drum tumbler to break then up. I believe the times required to get 100% separations in a harbor freight tumbler are also mentioned.

I too saw the new moulds in the midway catalog. Going to have to get those!

[1n5ane]

different temps between the steel sprue plate and aluminum maybe?
I don't want to give up on the mold, it's just frustrating as heck to try and get a good cast from it. And I have tried - tried - tried...

I'm not looking for 100% fillout, hell, I'd be happy with 50% at this pioint. Seems like 33% (top cavities) is all I get

I guess I'll try again.

Here a couple things that are worth trying:

- When warming up the mold, try dipping the sprue plate side in the melt.
- Try "pressure casting"; pressing the little sprue plate "funnels" against the spout while filling.
- Try "flood casting"; drag the mold slowly across a continuous stream of lead. It's a bit messy and does empty the pot faster but it sometimes works.
- Try dropping the stream directly into the hole; I've found this is the most reliable method. It'll take some practice but you will get 100% fillout every time.
- Try heavily smoking each of the the divots on the top of the sprue plate. I've found this works on some molds. The carbon will slightly insulate the lead from the sprue plate.

[perimedik]

Well, you are not that in5ane after all...
I followed the tips and was able to produce a far better batch of 00 buck with the gang mold
THANKS



I got them in the tumbler now smothing of the cuts/sprue cuts. Worked great thanks...
I had to brush out the mold every now and again from a tiny sliver of lead that allowed "wings" to grow on the pellets.

[Shedhunter]

I'm a new guy and have I have been making some of the 00 buck with the Lee mold. Keeping the mold hot, lead hot and pouring the lead directly into the hole without hitting the sprue plate is the key, like mentioned before. Once things start flowing good I get almost 100 percent keepers. Once they have cooled I snip them apart and throw them into the tumbler to smooth things out.

I am using Winchester AA hulls, Winchester 209 primers with the Hodgdon HS-6 powder and Claybuster WAA12F114 wads. I have tried stacking 9 balls but they are a very tight fit so I took the adivse on this board and am doing the 4 rows of 2 balls. They work great. The big bonus is all the components above work with the Lee slugs. I'll be out chasing the tirty point buck in the morning using my own slugs. It's great being able to load 5 slugs for around .85 cents compared to buying the Winchester cheapies for 4 bucks a box.

Want to say thanks to all the board members for the wealth of information.