problems with lyman .429 hp

[savage308]

I have been casting for 25 years and have always been able to eventually get a mold to drop good boolits
but I have never cast a lyman hollow point mold. Mine have always been LEE or RCBS. I am using clip on ww at 775 degrees and preheated the mold and cannot get good fill at the base or near the point. most have a lot of wrinkles also. help me with the process .

[Walks]

Dip the Pin into the mold before inserting it in the Pin cavity.
That's what works for me. I count to 10 before opening the mold after filling.
Cast fast using only the HP mold.

[Larry Gibson]

As mentioned you must keep the HP stem hot. I use this to keep the HP stem hot during casting, especially if casting in a cool/cold location.

Attachment 257675

Also, I cast at 715 - 725 degrees (by thermometer), cast at a quick tempo and inspect the bullets later or while the sprue is hardening.....usually later. The idea is to keep the mould hot with a quick tempo and not let it cool much between castings.

Also with COWWs for use in HPs, especially larger ones of 250 + gr I add 2% tin to the COWW then mix it 50/50 or 30/70 with pure lead. Otherwise straight COWW is too brittle and usually too hard to expand much or reliably at hand gun velocity. Also, whether with a bottom pour or dipper, the alloy must be gotten into the cavity as quick as possible with a really good sprue poured.

[Tripplebeards]

I always heat my pin up on my devastator mold. I cracked the wood handle on a couple of them because I got it to hot. If I’m casting next to my Coleman stove I’ll run it across the flame for a few seconds. I’ll also pour a few test boolits and won’t remove the boolit or pin for a while to help heat up the mold and pin. I also keep my lee 4-20 really hot. Around 8 with a full load of alloy. I also let it sit in the pot till it oxides on the top and I have to skim off the crust. She’s hot enough and then some for HPs. I make sure to rest my mold on top of my pot for a good 20 minutes or more so it heats up as well. I spray mold release in my pin as well or color it up with a pencil to help release.

I’ve learned that really hot alloy is the key for me when casting HPs.

[Conditor22]

My 429421BW
always ran nicely for me.
I coat the pon with a #2 pencil then set the end of the mold (with pin inside) on a hotplate until it reaches 400°

When I have mold problems, the first thing I do is scrub the mold out again with dawn and a denture brush.
then preheat the mold to 720°, pressure cast the first couple boolits then cast regularly.

IF I don't get good fill out I throw another 1/2 to 1 oz of tin in the pot.

[savage308]

thanks for all the advice. I will clean the mold again and run it hotter next week then holler back.

[Tripplebeards]

Really hot is the key imo.

[savage308]

tried again after I scrubbed the mold with dawn and let it dry, then put about 4% tin into my clip-on w.w. mix and got the temp to 800 , and got the mold hot with a hand held propane torch and started casting. they filled out better but the nose part around the hollow point still didn't fill properly and I had to cull all the bollits . I tried pressure casting and they did better but still voids near the nose . will try again and let yall know soon.

[gwpercle]

See Post #3 ....You have to heat the hollow pointer and keep it hot , as shown in photo .
Follow the tips Larry gives about alloy...he knows what he's talking about .