Just getting started and need some help

[skeeter1911]

I picked up some used casting gear from an elderly competition shooter/retired LEO who is getting out of reloading. He said he is at the point where he will be buying factory ammo now and his kids aren't interested in reloading. I’m anxious to cast up my first batch of boolits and avoid as many mistakes as possible. So I could use some input from the members here.

I want to start with .45 acp. I have three different .45 moulds available to me: Lyman 452460 (2 cavity and 4 cavity) and two H&G #130 (4 cavity). So far I’ve acquired about 120 lbs of unknown lead in the form of a sailboat keel (free) and just over 100 lbs of Linotype spacers ($50) which I will smelt separately. I also reload shot shells for clay birds and have some magnum shot (labeled 6% antimony) available to alloy with.

I’m still trying to score some WW which are very scarce (tire shops) or seem very expensive ($0.50/lb at the scrap metal places) in my area.

I read the Lyman 3rd edition book and it shows the #2 Alloy for the 452460 mould. I’m pretty sure I need a hardness tester to check out the boat keel to try to get an idea of how “pure” it might be.

For smelting I have an old 4 quart SS pot and a Coleman stove and ingot moulds.

For casting I have an old Lyman Mould Master XX that has some surface rust in the pot itself. The seller demo’ed the pot by casting about 15, 1lb ingots prior to purchase, so it seems to work okay.

As part of the 'package' I aquired, I also have a Star lubesizer with a .451 size dies. Still need to slug may barrel. I was under the impression that most commercial cast boolits are .452.

Questions:

1) Would either of these moulds have an advantage for a beginner?

2) Assuming the boat keel is fairly pure, how can I approximate the #2 alloy with the materials I have listed above? Or should I wait until I score some WW?

3) It appears a little elbow grease and steel wool will clean up the MM XX pot, any other recommendations for this task? Later tonight, I can post a picture if it would help.

4) If after slugging my barrel I determine I need a .452 boolit, can my existing .451 size die be enlarged? How would one go about this or should it be done by a 'pro'?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Storydude]

1 all of them would drop good boolits.

2. Add magnum shot or add linotype...Or wait till you get some WW and add some.

3. Wear a dustmask. Preferably one good for organic vapors

4. Check out beagling or Lee-menting on this forum. It's easy to lap a die .001 larger.

[skeeter1911]

Thanks Storydude. A dust mask is a great idea I hadn't thought of for cleaning the casting pot. You definatly saved me some lead intake. I'll search on beagling & Lee-menting too.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Hi, some of the gear that you have is definitely worth hanging on to/using. Start with the Lyman Moldmaster melting pot. It can be easily cleaned up; it was made by the same maker as the early Saeco pots and they were real workhorses. The 452460 is a good mold, but the H&G molds are sensational and the #130 is a legendary design. 4 cavs in those are fetching big bucks on e-bay and their performance is exemplary. The other item you want to use is the Star. I don't have one, but other forum members do and will will surely let you know all about them. You won't be a beginner for very long with that kind of equipment and will be very glad that you have it. Just a little patience and practice to follow some reading and good advice and you will be doing very well. Good luck and good shooting. LLS

[skeeter1911]

LLS, based on my limited time lurking here, I figured we (friend & I) were onto something really good. If I listed everything and told you the price for the whole lot, it would probably break your heart. I may be looking for WW, but I scored big on the equipment. For once I was in the right place at the right time

On edit: This forum has been invaluable in educating me on what kind of equipment to look for. Even though I haven't turned on the heat yet, I've learned a bunch from the members here and I'm sure you've shortened my learning curve. Thanks all.

[243winxb]

For the 45acp, 9 lead to 1 part linotype should work. If you bullet is undersize as it drops from the mould, add more linotype, or anything with antimony in it. You should be good to 900fps. Size some bullets first, the .451" die might just give you a .452" bullet.

[Echo]

I use the -460 boolit exclusively in my reloading for SlabSides. The H&G 130 is prized as a lighter-weight .45 boolit - should cast around 185 grs as opposed to 200 for the -460. Some bullseye shooters used them for the 25-yard sustained fire matches.

The .45 doesn't need really hard boolits. The formula of 9-1 lead/lino is a little light in the tin department, IMHO. I would prefer 3 to 1 - the tin lowers the surface tension of the molten alloy, and the boolits come out with square corners where the mold has square corners, and you don't have to heat it to incandescence to get there.

And finally, you are a lucky DUDE!

[skeeter1911]

243winxb, thanks. I'll see what size they come out of the sizer before making any changes.

Echo, thanks too. I'll add radiator shops (for solder) to my stops next time I'm making the rounds of tire shops for WW.