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Thread: So... I wanna' try casting hollow points??

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Whitespider's Avatar
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    So... I wanna' try casting hollow points??

    I have this mold... picked up in a trade somewhere I'm sure... a Lyman 457122 HP.
    Now, the mold I have is a bevel-base, which is strange because every illustration I see of that boolit is a plain-base?? But that's really beside the point.

    I've never tried a HP mold.
    What advice can y'all give me to avoid as many pitfalls I as possible??
    Keep in mind I cast with a ladle.
    *

  2. #2
    Boolit Master


    Walter Laich's Avatar
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    You need to keep the mold and the pin hot!
    And cast quickly to keep it hot
    Some folks will hold the pin in the melt to keep it hot between casts
    (seeing a pattern here?)

    When I cast HP I will preheat the mold on a hot plate while the pot is heating to temp

    best of luck and, oh, yea: keep everything hot
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  3. #3
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Walter Laich View Post
    You need to keep the mold and the pin hot!
    And cast quickly to keep it hot
    Some folks will hold the pin in the melt to keep it hot between casts
    (seeing a pattern here?)

    When I cast HP I will preheat the mold on a hot plate while the pot is heating to temp

    best of luck and, oh, yea: keep everything hot
    What he said....

  4. #4
    Boolit Master Whitespider's Avatar
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    LOL
    I get it... HOT.
    But how do you hold the pin in the melt when you're using both hands to manipulate the mold??
    *

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    I've found as others stated, you need to keep pins an mold hot! Move quickly!
    Last edited by Eddie17; 05-01-2017 at 05:56 PM. Reason: Misss spelling

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master OS OK's Avatar
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    That's going to be a tough one...especially since the pot level will drop as you cast.

    I set my pin in a big hex nut that sits on the saw blade...that sits atop the hot plate. Hmmm? I wonder if a hot plate is in your future?

    "Has anyone mentioned yet...'KEEP IT HOT?' . . . . . ."
    a m e r i c a n p r a v d a

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  7. #7
    Boolit Master Whitespider's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OS OK View Post
    That's going to be a tough one...especially since the pot level will drop as you cast.

    I set my pin in a big hex nut that sits on the saw blade...that sits atop the hot plate. Hmmm? I wonder if a hot plate is in your future?

    "Has anyone mentioned yet...'KEEP IT HOT?' . . . . . ."
    That I can do... my "pot" is an old cast iron sauce pan and the heat source is an old electric kitchen 4-burner range.
    I use one of the other burners as the "hot plate" to preheat and keep everything hot during refills.
    The hex nut is a good idea... I was actually thinking about some sort of hanger to set the pin in that would hold it in the melt... the hex nut is a simpler solution.
    Thanks.
    See... it's always worth my time to ask questions here.
    *

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy Ateam's Avatar
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    Here is the secret, get that mold HOT! I dont mess with heating the pin separately, I find if I stick the corner of the mold in the melt and get it to the point where it takes a while for the sprue puddle to cool(10 seconds or more), then you are just a little above ideal temp. This will trow slightly smaller boolits untill you get back in the right temp zone. Cast as fast as you can, I dont think you can over heat this mold by casting.

    My 457122 is a plain base, no bevel. Maybe you got a special run for muzzle loaders? It would start easier with the bevel.

    I find if my alloy has any antimony at all the hp will shear its petals. I think this design is begging for some of that copper toughened alloy I keep reading about. That or cutting of a third or so of the pin, I find the cavity to be so deep that when proper expansion occurs it is just a micron away from shearing off.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master daloper's Avatar
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    I just started casting HP with a new MP mold I bought. Like everybody said. I heated it up on a hot plate. Before heating I rubbed a soft pencil lead over the pins. I had no sticking on the pins.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master OS OK's Avatar
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    This being your first HP's...I'm curious as to what you have planned?

    What Pb are you going to use?
    What pistol or revolver are you loading for?
    How fast are you going to send them?

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-M...hm02hMxIIY-b0w . . . This is a channel called 'Loads of Bacon' on the Y-Tube...he is doing a comprehensive study of all the factors involved in casting successful HP's. He is sharing all the gritty details of his success and he is doing really well just starting out like he is.

    You might give it a view...'empirical evidence and data' is unbeatable if you want to get right down to casting successfully...and he is PC'ing these rounds too.
    a m e r i c a n p r a v d a

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    “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” G. Orwell

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
    DerekP Houston's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Whitespider View Post
    LOL
    I get it... HOT.
    But how do you hold the pin in the melt when you're using both hands to manipulate the mold??
    *
    I cheat, grab a butane pencil torch and just run it over the pins when they start sticking. Works for me at least.
    My feedback page if you feel inclined to add:
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raight-Shooter

    Thanks Yall!

  12. #12
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    A little NOE plate lube on the pin and cast normally and you will be fine. I only cast with the hp mold when running hp as opposed to running 2 molds otherwise. I do pressure cast with a bp pot but other than that no real problems. Eric's hp molds are well worth the money and avoid having to fight with a separate pin.
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Get it hot, cast fast. Don't stop and admire them, don't roll em around seeing how they dropped, don't stop and wonder why there are voids or wrinkled noses, don't stop..... Just cast like yer arm was on fire, and it'll get to temp and start turning out pretty ones. You'll learn later how much you can slow down and poke at em while waiting for the sprue to harden. But until you are dropping pretty ones or frosty ones...... CAST CAST CAST CAST!!!! Good luck.
    KE4GWE - - - - - - Colt 1860, it just feels right.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
    DerekP Houston's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Beagle333 View Post
    Get it hot, cast fast. Don't stop and admire them, don't roll em around seeing how they dropped, don't stop and wonder why there are voids or wrinkled noses, don't stop..... Just cast like yer arm was on fire, and it'll get to temp and start turning out pretty ones. You'll learn later how much you can slow down and poke at em while waiting for the sprue to harden. But until you are dropping pretty ones or frosty ones...... CAST CAST CAST CAST!!!! Good luck.
    That describes all my casting sessions, sort at the end!
    My feedback page if you feel inclined to add:
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raight-Shooter

    Thanks Yall!

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master OS OK's Avatar
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    It's all in the routine...

    We do things a 'wee-bit' differently over here on the 'left coast'....

    CAST...CAST...CAST...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER..CAST...CAST...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER..CAST...CAST...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER...CAST...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER..CAST...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER..CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER...

    Then you keep going till you run out of Pb or Cold Beer . . .

    It's a flexible routine, gotta stay hydrated ya know!
    a m e r i c a n p r a v d a

    Be a Patriot . . . expose their lies!

    “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” G. Orwell

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
    DerekP Houston's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OS OK View Post
    We do things a 'wee-bit' differently over here on the 'left coast'....

    CAST...CAST...CAST...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER..CAST...CAST...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER..CAST...CAST...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER...CAST...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER..CAST...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER..CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER...CAST...TAKE A SIP-O-COLD BEER...

    Then you keep going till you run out of Pb or Cold Beer . . .

    It's a flexible routine, gotta stay hydrated ya know!
    I'm a slacker at heart.....get the work done as efficiently as possible so I can go back to relaxing and chillin' . I like your style Charlie.
    My feedback page if you feel inclined to add:
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raight-Shooter

    Thanks Yall!

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master OS OK's Avatar
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    I'm tellin ya Derek...it's a great routine for reducing the 'reject-ratio'...by the time your finished, you can't find a single 'reject'!
    a m e r i c a n p r a v d a

    Be a Patriot . . . expose their lies!

    “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” G. Orwell

  18. #18
    Boolit Master Whitespider's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OS OK View Post
    This being your first HP's...I'm curious as to what you have planned?

    What Pb are you going to use?
    What pistol or revolver are you loading for?
    How fast are you going to send them?
    I'm planning on starting with COWW with a bit of SN added, for use in my .45-70 Handi-Rifle, at maybe 1500 FPS (give-or-take).

    Couple of things...
    They don't need to expand, I won't be hunting with them (at least not now). I've been shooting a 405 grain (very) hard-cast commercial boolit over 50 grains IMR3031 in it; that's over-kill for killing beer cans and yard vermin. I'm planning of casting the hollow-point to "lighten the load" (so to speak), test the effect on accuracy, and because I've never cast hollow-points (which is an excuse in itself).

    My only concern is the diameter of the boolits from the #457122... hopefully they will drop a touch over .459 (which is the sizing die I have). If it works out and shows promise, I may remove the bevel-base from the mold... maybe.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master Whitespider's Avatar
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    Oh... and my beer fridge is just a couple steps from my casting stove... by design.
    Casting boolits is hot, thirsty work ya' know??
    *

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master

    Wayne Smith's Avatar
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    Mine is the mold that demands to be pressure cast with the ladle. That is - hold the mold sideways, put the nipple of the ladle in the sprue plate, tilt the whole thing vertical, slow count to three, and remove the ladle. Very small sprue. Remove hollow point pin, dump mold, replace HP pin, repeat.

    I've never heard of a bevel base 457122 - is it in fact a Lyman mold?
    Wayne the Shrink

    There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check