My reject rate way to high! why

[montana_charlie]

Yes, it seems he has a strange problem.

He was using W/W in the past, and apparently got some usable bullets.
Now, he is using 'mag shot' (whatever that is) mixed with tin...at a ratio of 40:1.

Since he is "down to" using mag shot, I guess he has run out of any other metal.

I know shot is often added to an alloy to increase hardness, but is it suitable as the 'main ingredient'?
CM

[Char-Gar]

The boys have about covered all the possibilities. The only issue I find missing is the possibility the spru plate hole is too small. The older SAECO molds were bad about this. I have had to drill the holes out to a larger size to get good well filled bullets. Drove me nuts for several years until I just did it. No problems since with those couple of molds. With the larger holes, the lead got in their fast and plenty. The air got pushed out and the blocks held the tempreture better.

Pay particular attention to the notion of cooling the spru on a wet rag which was popularized on this site by Bruce B. It will speed up your casting a bunch and help keep the mold at the right tempreture.

If you don't have a good drill press, you really should have one. They are almost essencial around a gun/reloading shop. The 17 inch Jet floor model sells for around $400.00 and is a very fine machine and all you will ever need for gun work.

[leftiye]

No way you're not hot enough. If the sprue stays molten for 20 seconds you should be (or almost be) frosting boolits badly. Contaminated lead, BADLY restricted pour spout (at that temp a slow pour should still work fine), or some of Lee's wonder crap coating still in the mould. This oily stuff takes forever to burn off, and will cause wrinkled and poorly filled out boolits. Even Lee molds will work just fine - no smoking needed - with good alloy if clean and hot enough.

[gregg]

Here pictures. Have any of you see this Lyman mold before. Bought it in rapid CitySD and it is marked 31141 or somthing like that? You know the old 30 wcf bullet. Well as you can see that not it in the picture. I don't know if it was factory goof or what. Was going to bring it with tonight but forgot it, NOW REMEMBER I HAVE HAD THIS TROUBLE WITH MANY MOLDS! NOT JUST ONE. I'M THINKING I NEED MORE HEAT. I'M ON 12 HR NIGHTS AND THEN GOING TO MOM'S HOUSE FOR TURKEY DAY. BE AWILE BEFORE I GET THE POT HOT AGAIN. Going to bring the mold out next time so I can take pictures.
I do have a harbor fright digital temp reader. One like we had a talk on this board. Works well. Need a longer probe but still gets the job done.
MAG shot for shotgun reloading. PACO over at leverguns.com uses it. Gives you a known alloy. Its somthing you can find in your local gun store. If you get a chance to get to leverguns.com read some of Pacos stuff. Good writing I think anyway. http://leverguns.com/articles/Default.htm Have Paco's new book and a CD of his old book.

[floodgate]

gregg:

Those are from the Ideal / Lyman #311413 for the 169 gr. "Squibb" bullet (named after a Sam Squibb who developed it in the 1920s). Maybe a "goof" in the stamping, leaving off the last number. It is reported to be capable of good accuracy, but temperamental. Search "Squibb" and you should find quite a bit of discussion on this boolit.

floodgate

[gregg]

gregg:

Those are from the Ideal / Lyman #311413 for the 169 gr. "Squibb" bullet (named after a Sam Squibb who developed it in the 1920s). Maybe a "goof" in the stamping, leaving off the last number. It is reported to be capable of good accuracy, but temperamental. Search "Squibb" and you should find quite a bit of discussion on this boolit.

floodgate

COOL! Thanks floodgate. Still going to post pictures tonight. I seem to remember somthing odd about the stamping on this mold?? Maybe I though the 3 look like an letter? Will check it out today.

[ktw]

I beagled a mold the other day and easily got a long run of the best looking bullets I have ever cast from any mold. Thinking back on the few other occasions when I tried beagling a mold, it seems the reject rate went down significantly in those instances, also...

All of which leads me to believe that most of my fill-out problems tend to be related to poor venting (given a clean mold, sufficiently heated and a good, hot alloy) more than anything else.

-ktw

[Steelbanger]

That one started leaking so Wife gave me a new one. Found the fix is running a screw thru top rim to hold the pot liner up so the valve can seal the opening. So now GF gave me a new pot last Xmas. Both these ladys love casting.

gregg,

With both a wife and a girlfriend these casting problems must seem like small potatoes.

[montana_charlie]

Oh!
I see what's wrong with your mould. It's out of focus!
CM

[Calamity Jake]

gregg:

Those are from the Ideal / Lyman #311413 for the 169 gr. "Squibb" bullet (named after a Sam Squibb who developed it in the 1920s). Maybe a "goof" in the stamping, leaving off the last number. It is reported to be capable of good accuracy, but temperamental. Search "Squibb" and you should find quite a bit of discussion on this boolit.

floodgate

I have a single and double cavity mold in this design but they are the gas checked version.

The SC throws .315Ø in my alloy.

[gregg]

gregg,

With both a wife and a girlfriend these casting problems must seem like small potatoes.

Well your right about one thing
(casting problems must seem like small potatoes)
Lost My wife 6 years ago this Dec. 23 to cancer.

[gregg]

Oh!
I see what's wrong with your mould. It's out of focus!
CM

Thats a very good point???
Hay there a write up in the new fouling Shoot on a guy making a hunting bullet
out of the 311413. He bumped a flat on the point. I have not read it yet but sure will.
Floodgate I rub white out into the stamping and wonder what I thought I saw when I bought
this mold???:-0

[Steelbanger]

Gregg,

Please believe me when I say that I was only joking when I put those remarks online. I would never have posted that if I had known your circumstances. Please accept my sincere apology.

[gregg]

Gregg,

Please believe me when I say that I was only joking when I put those remarks online. Please accept my sincere apology and if you would prefer that I post it publicly I will do it immediately. As a matter of fact I will post my apology as soon as I finish this PM. I can only imagine how this post made you feel.

No no no . I understand. Hay Pard how were you to know?
Way it was posted if you did not know me that is how it would look like.
I can tell you that girl like to cast bullets. She killed deer with other guns but her
fav was her TC Hawken I built from a kit for her. She killed many deer in reg Rifle season
with that gun.
Hay glad I came back here one more time before I left.
We are good Steelbanger
Gregg

[MT Gianni]

Thats a very good point???
Hay there a write up in the new fouling Shoot on a guy making a hunting bullet
out of the 311413. He bumped a flat on the point. I have not read it yet but sure will.
Floodgate I rub white out into the stamping and wonder what I thought I saw when I bought
this mold???:-0

I made a flat point out of a 413 by filing them flat. I used a trim die from a 264 as I recall and put an even flat point of .264 on them. I could not get them to shoot in any kind of a group. The 413's that were unaltered did fine. I wonder how big of a flat he put on them and did not recall if he said in his write up. Gianni

[northwolf]

I have cast .375 "perfect" boolits (WW+about 1%+ Tin)sized and lubed with GC. After storage for a while (a long while) they look like aluminum left out for a couple of years.
Any suggestions??!!
They still are sharp except for the dust like covering!!

Wolf