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Thread: Hollow Point Casting Technique

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I noticed the same thing Beagle did.

    Those bands on your HP's look heavily frosted and sunken. Unless my internet eyes fail me, I'd guess if you measured with a micrometer the bands would turn out to be subcaliber. Oftentimes these will be frosted and sunken on one side and not the other, showing irregularly shaped bands. Yours might be this way all the way around. If the band fillout is good on one side of the bullet and poor on the other you might have lopsided, unbalanced bullets.

    Check that out first. The HP's look okay from what I can see, but admittedly there's no closeups.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master HORNET's Avatar
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    I was looking at the pictures of your boolits and it looks to me like the mold might be trapping gas at the pin. You might try taking a small fine-grit polishing stone and stoning the edges where the groove for the pin meets the face of the cavity block. ALL YOU NEED IS TO BREAK THE SHARP EDGE...DO NOT OVERDO IT! I use a small square stone and set a corner into the groove and slide it back and forth a little, just enought that I can see a small line at the conner. It has helped with every HP mold that I've tried it on. Good luck
    Rick
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  3. #23
    Boolit Buddy
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    Well being reletively new can someone tell me how I can reach buck shot fella have a few idea's Ilike to toss at him thanks, kjg

  4. #24
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    kjg,

    At the top of the page click on members list, look up Buckshot and send him a PM (private message).
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  5. #25
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    Not using a custom mould or anything but, I have cast some with a ladle and a simple two cavity Lyman mould for 38. I found that to keep everything the right temp, that I had to let the lead get hotter than usual and cast fast enough to only lay the pin down and drop the boolits, then pick it up and re-install. When you pour the mould full and let the alloy cool- get ready to drop them and twist that pin until it moves. Pour, wait a minute, move over the towel, twist the pin, pull it and drop the boolits. I mean I twist it to loosen it, not just pull it. You've probably got that figured out.
    In all, the .41 Magnum would be one of my top choices for an all-around handgun if I were allowed to have only one. - Bart Skelton

  6. #26
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    Also doesn't hurt to smoke the mould with a match, or soot from a candle.
    In all, the .41 Magnum would be one of my top choices for an all-around handgun if I were allowed to have only one. - Bart Skelton

  7. #27
    Boolit Buddy
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    G'Day All
    I cast a lot of hollow points for wallaby shooting and I always cast hot and fast. This works with 357 and 44 molds but I don't know about the smaller stuff.
    Juddy

  8. #28
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    If your bullets are not filling out, first thing yu need to do is make sure yur mould is good and clean. Use brake cleaner, and a tooth brush.

    Next, get a #2 lead pencil, and pencil in the sharp corners.

    Next, pour the lead in, and give the mould a good tap with lots of hot lead in the feeder puddle. Once the lead "learns" where the corners are, the bullets will fill out fine.

    As for your core pin, well, I have my share of problems with core pins, but I solved your problem, by keeping the pin hot, and getting it good and blackened with a wood match.

  9. #29
    Boolit Buddy Ghugly's Avatar
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    Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Buckshot was kind enough to hollow-point a 429421 for me (the man is an artist). Not knowing that it was suppose to be hard, I just attached my handles to the mold, heated the lead (my alloy is 10-1 wheel weights to radiator solder), cast about 6 or so to warm up the mold, and cast about 100 or so before moving on to another mold. I ended up with about the same reject rate that I always do, and most of them from the base being less than perfect. I didn't even clean the mold before using it.

    Other than removing and replacing the core pin, it casts the same as it always did. It was a wonderful, old mold that dropped beautiful boolits. Now it is a wonderful, old mold that drops beautiful, hollow-pointed boolits.

  10. #30
    Boolit Master kingstrider's Avatar
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    Another awesome thread, I'm expecting the Lyman 429640 Devastator mold today and will try some of these tips tomorrow!

  11. #31
    Boolit Bub Handgunr's Avatar
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    Good post guys......

    I have several HP moulds and I feel your pain......

    Glen and Rick are correct in respect to these, as well as several other good points and methods.

    I use the same "pin dipping" method that Pavomesa recommended. The moulds with the thinner pins, like the #429421HP, and the #358156HP, need more, or faster attention when it comes to pin cooling. The Lyman Devastators with thicker pins, although they don't vary quite as much, they afford a little more leeway I guess.

    As I'm casting, I just keep a close eye on the shape of the bullets being dropped. Once I start to see irregularities, or wrinkles starting to form, I momentarily stop and place the pin in the melt for a couple seconds. The mould itself at those times, is, like Glen mentioned, running hotter than really need be, so it can afford to sit for those few seconds while the pin plays "catch up".

    Hope this helps,
    Bob

  12. #32
    Boolit Master kingstrider's Avatar
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    Well I'm still learning but bought the Lyman 429640 mold and tried casting for the first time this morning. I must say I really appreciate all the tips you guys have given me over the last few weeks and that I'm officially hooked!

    I didn't time myself but it took about 2 hours to make a little over 200 boolits using a 20:1 alloy. After culling the rejects and doing the math, about 65% were keepers while the rest were rejects. Of the rejects, most had problems with the nose while several had incomplete fillout around the gas check.


    Looking at the keepers, about 20% had flash around the hollowpoint like the one shown on its side in the photo below. I figure I can trim these with a knife but am wondering why only some are coming out like this. Any suggestions on how to fix this problem or how to limit the number of rejects next time?

  13. #33
    Boolit Mold
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    i would like to try to cast bullits for my .50 tradition is ther anyone our ther that makes molds for this cal black powder i think a 250 to 300 gr my email adress is norvil mosbroker@hotmail .com im new at this yours look great i'm new at this

  14. #34
    Boolit Buddy LET-CA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kingstrider View Post
    - - - SNIP SNIP SNIP - - -
    Looking at the keepers, about 20% had flash around the hollowpoint like the one shown on its side in the photo below. I figure I can trim these with a knife but am wondering why only some are coming out like this. Any suggestions on how to fix this problem or how to limit the number of rejects next time?
    I had the same problem with mine until I figured out that my pin was not prefectly centered when I twisted the pin to tighten it to the mould. I now only turn the locking screw enough to hold it in place and the extra flashing has pretty much disappeared.

    On a separate note, these are great shooting bullets. I recently purchased a Ruger Super Redhawk and they're wonderfully accurate over a pile of H110.

    All the best.

  15. #35
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    gotta know

    Quote Originally Posted by GLL View Post
    I am with Glen on this one. Although I increase the temp a bit it is the speed that makes the difference for me! Keep that pin hot by casting as fast as you can. For me a bored out RCBS ladle is the only way to cast HP bullets ! I pour over the pot with plenty of excess alloy flowing off the mould. Do not even look at the bullets once you start getting good ones.

    Jerry

    These are from moulds also modified by Buckshot.



    What is this beautiful long swc, I gotta get one!

  16. #36
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    I have two very old Ideal .357 hollow point moulds. I get a fin on the hollow point sometimes but not so much that I'm gonna toss it in the remelt can.

    One thing that is an interesting experiment that I did was to put a BB in the mould (steel BB) in the mould. What I get is a really neat boolit that has a BB in the nose that's about 15% heavier. I wonder if it'll effect expansion?
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  17. #37
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    Or just stir the pot with the pin. I have heard od the devistators working well that way...Buck
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  18. #38
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    I started as a ladle caster and still do it that way. I think it works especially well with HP's. I use a Rowell bottom pour ladle and let plenty of the alloy flow over the mould. My bullets are generally well frosted and filled out. The reject rate is low. Certainly less than10%. Beagle's advice is good as always.

  19. #39
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    I have a lyman 452374 Devastator and the way I run it is with the pot on about 800 - 850 with Straight WW.
    I use a bottom pour and fill the mold with the sprue touching the spout. Than a Pretty good sized puddle on the sprue. The quickest way I have found to keep the pin in the mold takes three taps. One. Cut the sprue. Two, open the handles just a little and tap the the bolt. The pin falls out at this point on the left side of my towel. Open the handles the rest of the way and tap again, bullets fall on the right side of my towel. Close blocks, reinsert pin. Repeat.



    As to your flash. Check the retaining screw on the bottom the pin locks under. It may not be tight. Small flash will go away when you size the top punch will flatten it.


  20. #40
    Boolit Mold jefats's Avatar
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    BHN of Hollow Points

    Maybe this is a bit off topic but......with hollow points, can you get an accurate BHN using the LBT tester by turning the bullet upside down? That's the only way I can see you can do the testing.

    Thanks all
    Jim

    I reckon so....

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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