Another new caster

[fn1889m]

I cast about 100 .430 (429421). First time casting. No mentor. Used the Lee sizing die, Lyman pot and ladle. They came about at 253 gn. I used wheel weights and remelted cast WC bullets someone donated to me for lead. I smelted for a couple weeks to get a supply of lead.

I can see some issues, mostly related to
temperature. But 90% of the bullets are good to shoot. I have a lot of questions. But they will be resolved over time. Just want to say thanks to the board. I don’t think I could have done as well without you all. I read the board for months before jumping in.






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[kevin c]

Welcome. There's plenty to read in the stickies and the links in them that will help you in your quest to cast better and better boolits (though the one shown is not too shabby!). Don't hesitate to ask questions. Someone who has had the same question or problem and found or was told of an answer or solution is sure to comment.

[fn1889m]

They were not all that good. But enough were good to give me hope.


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[kevin c]

You should have seen my first casts. No keepers; they all went back into the pot.

[smithnframe]

That's the same bullet I started my casting career with almost 50 years ago! Welcome to the forum!

[Mitch]

Welcome to the madness. That bullet looks great next to my first try.

[gwpercle]

Welcome !

Best way to learn is to cast . Your example looks good , don't be afraid of a slight bit of frosting, that's where I get my best boolits ... keep on keeping on !
I cast with a Lyman ladle also , the bottom pour thing didn't work for me .
Casting since 1967,
Gary

[Markopolo]

keep on sir... just bring up the temp a skoosh and your will be rockin.. repeat, repeat repeat.

[Hossfly]

Welcome fn1889m, that looks great, the more you do it the better it will get. I also started here with reading the stickies, a lot of info. Also free book ( From Ingot to Target) good reading. Read for months and someone gave me an old Lyman .303 Iron mould, 2 cavity, wasn’t pretty but got me started. Found old tire shop with buckets of wheel weights, and now have amassed about 1 ton of 2# ingots both COWW and SOWW, some cast in 1#Lyman ingots, there is no limit to the knowledge here @ Cast Boolits. If you have a question just ask and it will be answered. Again welcome to the forum. Hossfly.

[mdi]

Oh my! Another poor soul snagged by the "do it yersef boolit making fixation". Welcome. The bullet in the pic looks very good, and 90% is exceptional for a new caster (it took me a few months of practice to get above 75% keepers!)...

[jdfoxinc]

No! Quick list your equipment on Craig's List. Escape while you can!

Casting since I was in mid mid 20s.

[super6]

(quote) I can see some issues, mostly related to
temperature. But 90% of the bullets are good to shoot. I have a lot of questions. But they will be resolved over time. Just want to say thanks to the board. I don’t think I could have done as well without you all. I read the board for months before jumping in.


I did a few months worth of reading before casting the first boolit. The mechanics have to be self learned, Great first time out! Congrats






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[kmw1954]

I see you have been around the forum for awhile like me. I just finally jumped also about a month ago and am really enjoying the experience. Have to say that I am in about the same position as you and owe much of my success to the members here. There is just so much information available.

Now just working on a routine and acquired skills, Seeing improvement with every session.

[Iwsbull]

Looking good but the downside is it’s an easy habit to pickup but real hard to drop. Enjoy your new addiction er hobby.

[lightman]

You're off to a good start. Thats a good looking boolit!

[fn1889m]

When I lubed the bullets this morning, and examined them more closely, I could see more/new flaws. My score dropped from 90 to 75 sometime in the night. But overall, am satisfied for the first casting session. Nothing that can’t be done better next time. (Casting looked impossible a month ago.)

Lube was Lee Alox with a little Johnson’s paste wax thrown in, bullets swirled around in a Tupperware dish.

Thanks, all.




Edited to add: I know I used much Lee Liquid Alox. Will do better next time.

[Rcmaveric]

Welcome to the craft. Lol more competition for lead. Dont get to caught up in perfect bullets. As long as the bases and bands are good the bullets are good enough for plinking.

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[trixter]

I have been dabbling with this since 1988, and I'm still trying to get it right, however I am so close. I make usable boolits that make beautiful holes in my targets.

[kevin c]

Of course, starting out by striving to improve technique and quality will pay huge dividends in the long run, and being a perfectionist means that there's a never ending journey to the perfect boolit to be enjoyed. It's good, however, to remember that there is such a thing as good enough for the task at hand, and remembering this usually makes me much more productive.

[mdi]

I started keeping a log for my casting when I realized I was repeating some "mistakes". I recorded alloy, pot setting/temp, mold prep, methods and results. Helped me get a higher percentage of keepers.

From my experience a small wrinkle in the nose or upper body doesn't hurt accuracy. I believe a good, flat, sharp corner base is very important...