questions about bullet grain

[lightman]

As the others have posted, more experience casting will get your weights closer together. I use straight wheelweights and get less than a 3 grain difference with 150 grain bullets. More tin would help but so will more time at the casting bench. If you stay back a little from the max load you will be fine. I often use the starting loads on the same weight jacketed bullets with no problems, so you can look at that data too.
As David said, Bullseye is not the best powder for this cartridge but I understand using what you have on hand. Load 10 or 20 at the starting load and if they shoot and function ok, load the rest of them, maybe going up a few .10's of a grain. You'll find a good variation on charge weights from book to book.

[Larry Gibson]

I wouldn't waste time weighing the rest of that 1000? bullets. I'd throw them in the pot, remelt and recast taking it as a "lesson learned".

The problem you are having is one that many who are just starting with a Lee 6 cavity mould have. You are probably holding all 3 handles while pouring the alloy into the cavities. If you hold the sprue plate handle many times it pivots the bottom of the mould blocks apart. The clue to that is the "wings" on many of the bullets and gross weight variation indicating the blocks are not together when the alloy is poured. Simply close the sprue plate but do not hold the sprue plate handle. Hold just the mould block handles.

Also fill each cavity by itself until a good sprue forms from the molten alloy bubbling up out of the hole. Then move to the next cavity. Don't try to cast too fast....slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Also you might add 2% tin to your COWW alloy if the bullets do not fill out completely.

Larry Gibson

BTW; your "wings" are properly referred to as "fins".

[gwpercle]

Do yourself a big favor.
Cast your boolits , visually inspect them. keep the ones with a perfect base, with no holes or divots and few other flaws.
I'm sort of picky so most with wrinkles get tossed back. I like mine well filled out...but I'm starting to get less picky....they all do not have to be perfect any longer.
Do Not Weigh Them ! If they look good they will shoot good....weighing handgun boolits is usually a waste of your time....unless you are shooting for money or at 50 yards.
Added tin to straight COWW's will help them fill out and be more consistent.
You don't have to but it's just a little casting hint that helps.
Gary

[dondiego]

"high spikes" you mean the 2-3 most consistant weights? and remelt the others. If so that would require me to weigh the rest of my bullets which im guessing is close to 1,000 of them. But I guess with such a wide range in weight that is my only choice. Man what a waste of time casting all them bullets just to find out that they are not consistent. I might just start buying my bullets already made and stop casting my own.

You might be surprised at the variation in the weight of commercial cast projectiles too!

[usmc0811]

I wouldn't waste time weighing the rest of that 1000? bullets. I'd throw them in the pot, remelt and recast taking it as a "lesson learned".

The problem you are having is one that many who are just starting with a Lee 6 cavity mould have. You are probably holding all 3 handles while pouring the alloy into the cavities. If you hold the sprue plate handle many times it pivots the bottom of the mould blocks apart. The clue to that is the "wings" on many of the bullets and gross weight variation indicating the blocks are not together when the alloy is poured. Simply close the sprue plate but do not hold the sprue plate handle. Hold just the mould block handles.

Also fill each cavity by itself until a good sprue forms from the molten alloy bubbling up out of the hole. Then move to the next cavity. Don't try to cast too fast....slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Also you might add 2% tin to your COWW alloy if the bullets do not fill out completely.

Larry Gibson

BTW; your "wings" are properly referred to as "fins".

That's exactly what I was doing when I first started I was holding the sprue plate handle with the mold block handles. I soon figured out what I was doing and fixed that. I will slow it down some and keep an eye on things. Thanks.