Another 40 Caliber Mold Question Before Spending Some $$

[Don McDowell]

KAL can supply handles for Lyman/RCBS or SAECO. They are nice in that they have the smaller diameter handles like the RCBS, but are shorter.

[country gent]

I perfer hard maple over oak for the finer grain on a patch board. When finished the paper seems to slide easier and it dosnt seem to soak up as much

[country gent]

Ive used my original cabine tree handles on my Brooks blocks with no problems, I do perfer the old style with the left right thread adjuster and true yokes for the joints to the new style. Ther easier to adjust and just seem to work better.

[DHDeal]

My Cabine Tree handle is the older style. They work fine example, it just takes some time to get them where I want them. I have to readjust when the mold gets hot. Not a problem really, but when I get a set of molds running good, I hate to take them off the handle. Well, in truth, it's a problem that $70 can handle.

As soon as I can get some cast up, I'll post some pictures.

[country gent]

The new style use a piece of threaded rod (all right hand thread) and the pin, clip and yoke have to be pulled to adjust them. Instead of yoke joints the new ones use a simpler shoulder bolt and one sided joint. There seems to be more play in them. I may try finding some slightly longer shoulder bolts and a washer and belville washer under the heads to help this. I like mine alot and use them alot. With use you get pretty good at adjusting them. LOL. The old style had a adjuster thread (left hand and right hand threads) you loosen the lock screws and adjust then retighten the lock screws. Much easier onb a hot mould. I set them cold so I just feel the mould blocks touch and a very light snap over ( barely felt) and when hot and warmed up they are about right. After a session when they are set "just right" let them cool down for several hours and then feel the snap over and tension cold. This is what you need to set them to so they are right hot.

[Lead pot]

I haven't done any serious shooting with my .40-70 for many years. Looking at Brent's bullet I think it might be time to add another mould to my collection. I have this profile for the .44's and .45's and they go where I want them to hit.
Brent if you don't mind I would like to send this drawing in and have a adjustable mould made. I don't have a good patch bullet for the .40.

Kurt

[BrentD]

I haven't done any serious shooting with my .40-70 for many years. Looking at Brent's bullet I think it might be time to add another mould to my collection. I have this profile for the .44's and .45's and they go where I want them to hit.
Brent if you don't mind I would like to send this drawing in and have a adjustable mould made. I don't have a good patch bullet for the .40.

Kurt

That's fine by me. This bullet already exists as a fixed mould (hence NOT a flatnose that an adjustable requires). BACO makes it as the JIM395415, but that is the long (1.417") version.

Brent

[Lead pot]

TNX. Brent.

I will have the sprue plate with a .110" hole. This leaves the ogive in good shape. I have moulds with this size plate, nose pour and base pour and it makes a very good fill and cut without tearing with all alloys.
I will look at the BA mould.

[DHDeal]

Well, I've had the mold for a week and was able to cast 50 good bullets with it. They weighed out at 389 grains +/- almost nothing using 20/1. I have quite a few molds, but with the exception of a BACO and a Paul Jones mold, none ever are able to hold that close of a weight. Impressive.

My learning curve is getting shorter on wrapping. I had to re-wrap 15 as I did not go up far enough on the ogive where they would chamber easily. Got it figured out now.

Next comes the loading and shooting. All of my expanders are for GG bullets and over expand the case. I have one on order but it was listed as out of stock but will probably get here in a week or so. I have the time..... I'll see about posting some pictures of the bullets.

Brent, they are a ringer for the design you sent.

[DHDeal]

Well, due to surgery I have been away from this project for a while. FWIW, I have 2 PP molds (Brooks and a Accurate) that both cast very round nice bullets @ .395". After patching they are as close to .400" as I can measure.

I waited 2 months for a BACO expander (.400"/.402"), but found the .402" wasn't enough to start the bullet without messing up the patch. I use a .406" expander to give myself a little extra "bell" to start the bullet without any damage to the patch. I works well and since I use an RCBS turret press to load this ammo, any extra step is just a turn of the turret.

I've loaded up some to shoot this weekend.

Particulars: PMC LR primers, Swiss 1.5, .030" veggie wad, and those beautiful PP bullets. I have about .200" of the bullets in the case and they slide into the chamber with only a light imprint on the patch. They go in easily but I have to push the round for the last 1/16". They extract without leaving the bullet in the barrel. I did load some using Swiss 3F too using a thicker wad to take up the extra room (used less powder so more room in the case).

I will wipe between shots. I have to admit I have good luck wiping even with GG bullets though this rifle shoots well with a blow tube too.

I'm looking forward to finally trying this even though my neck isn't really ready for serious recoil.

[country gent]

DHDeal, I expand a couple thousandths bigger than the paper patched bullet also. It makes seating wads easier and getting the bullet in easier also. I expand and drop the charge. add the first heavy wad and then compress to needed depth. I then add any other wads needed hand seating them. I seat the bullets by hand and then with either a bushing sizer or if possible the sizing die size the case neck down around the bullet to set neck tension. I like the bushing die for this as it allows me easier adjustment of tension by changing out the bushing, using the sizing die its all in the adjustment and some sizing dies just wont size small enough for a bore riders dia. In 40 cal you might try a 10mm or 40 S&W sizing die to just snug the case around the bullet. WOuld need to be a lee die or one with the bigger threads for decapper rod so bullet could pass thru.

[DHDeal]

Both bullets loaded. I went ahead and showed the bases as I wanted to see what it looked like myself before I got started and you had to surf the web pretty hard to find a picture. Just in case someone is curious, both loaded rounds have 67 grains of Swiss 1.5F, PMC LR primers, and a .030" fiber wad. I weigh exact charges, drop tube, then use a BACO powder compression stem/die to push the wads to my target depth. I do it this way as I'm used to it loading GG bullets. I don't know how much compression I use and haven't ever seen a need to measure for compression for it's own sake. I measure only for my OAL length for the loaded round. Arguably the same thing, but I see it as I want this much powder in there and I want the loaded round to be X.XXX" so I mash it down and then seat my bullet.

The board was something I made for paper patching and the lines I drew were unnecessary after I got used to patching. There was a learning curve that many helped me with, but until you actually do it, you are just doing a mental exercise. That having been stated, I had to unwrap some in the beginning as the patch wasn't far enough up on the bullet. It's easy, but the measurements need to be pretty darn close.

These will be shot this weekend and while I'm pleased by the overall process so far, I wonder about the thickness of the wads, powder volume, case length, etc. Well maybe not worried, but we'll see. I tend to think on possible issues too much. Being a perfectionist can be more trouble than it's worth.....