1st casting complete - feedback welcome

[MPnine]

I have been gathering information from this site for some time and have just finished my first batch of cast bullets. Thanks to the help of you guys, I was able to (somehow) turn wheel weights into cast bullets

I would like to thank the members of this forum for the information provided that helped me get started.

Below is a picture of my first cast bullets. They are 158 gr SWC (for .38 sp). I took a closeup under light to show the imperfections. The bullets pictured I am considering "keepers" and got rid of ones with funny wrinkles and indentations on the noses, which was about 50% or so.

The bullets are straight wheel weights and were air cooled. I tried to keep the casting temp around 700-750 since I noticed this is where it seemed to cast decent bullets with minor imperfections, as apposed to major imperfections. When the temp got lower, maybe around 600-675, the bullets seemed to get dimpled and imperfections on the nose and lube grooves.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Do these look ok to load and shoot? Thanks and I look forward to learning and participating in this forum.

[Max Brand]

Welcome! They look okay to me, I'd load them up and shoot them.

[Dutchman]

Higher mold temp would eliminate some of those imperfections.

For plinking they're ok. But as you cast more you need to do stringent quality control inspection and toss any defective castings back in the pot. If you tend to accept 2nd rate boolits your entire loading process will be compromised. Strive for the best you can do... not "good enough".

Dutch

[.22-10-45]

Hello, MPnine..you might try adding some tin..I use 50-50 solder for better fill-out.

[truckboss]

What dutch said ,ad some heat see what happens.Those small lube grooves are hard to fill out sometimes and maybe try some heat first.It's ok if the bullets get a little frosty.Tin will help also but that ads to the price,try heat first and then some tin if you want to go that route.Also if you are using a bottom pour set up try dumping the lead in a little faster.

[giz189]

What Dutchman said 'Higher Mould Temp'. Welcome to the madness!!!

[runfiverun]

when i use an aluminum mold i heat it up to the point the lead doesn't want to solidify the first pour of the run, then i pour the alloy pack into the pot.
wipe the whole mold down with a dry rag and apply my anti sieze to the top of the mold, this generally let's the mold cool down just enough to start casting with.
then just go at a rapid pace [about 5 pours a minute] with an alloy temp of 725 or so.
keep an eye on the boolits and adjust my pace and/or wipe the mold on a damp rag if needed.
keeping the mold temp up takes a pretty good pace.

[MPnine]

Thanks for the tips! Since it was my first attempt, I was experimenting with the variables of course. On my next attempt, I will increase the heat of the mold and increase the flow of the lead per your observations. I did notice the flow seemed pretty slow. I am using the lee 20lb bottom pour furnace so I can adjust the flow with the screw on top (according to the directions). Also, I was a bit concerned about overheating the mold. With the material properties of the aluminum mold, I should have known that it would take a lot more to get the mold too hot. It does make sense that a relatively rapid casting pace is necessary to keep the mold temperature up.

Once I begin to understand how the imperfections occur and what makes good casting, I will try to formulate a consistent method for casting and do "stringent quality control inspection" to get 1st rate bullets as Dutch mentioned.

Thanks again guys!

[41 mag fan]

If you're using a Lee mold, you'll need to run your mold temp higher, than you would with a quality mold from one of the vendors on here.
Must be the cheaper aluminum Lee uses vs other mold makers.
Play with the mold temp, and then you might be able to drop your melt temp, so you're not losing metals like tin thru oxidation.
I run my Lee and Lyman pots at 675-700 depending on outside air temp, and i'll cast till the sprue takes longer than 6 sec to solidify, then I'll back it down till it takes about 4 sec to solidify.
I let my molds preheat on a hotplate, while my pots are heating up. I keep the temp on med/low.

[Mal Paso]

One thing that really takes the pressure off. is a Hot Plate off to the side where you can park the mold between casting.

[turmech]

I am fairly new to casting as well, so other may have more experienced to give advise. What helps me get the temp right is the spruce puddle. I seem to get good bullets when it stays wet for a few seconds after pouring. If it hardens right away I am usually running too cool and the mold won’t fill out. Stays liquid to long and I get frosted bullets. I try to pace my casting and set my temp by watching the spruce puddle.

[Wayne Smith]

I am fairly new to casting as well, so other may have more experienced to give advise. What helps me get the temp right is the spruce puddle. I seem to get good bullets when it stays wet for a few seconds after pouring. If it hardens right away I am usually running too cool and the mold won’t fill out. Stays liquid to long and I get frosted bullets. I try to pace my casting and set my temp by watching the spruce puddle.

Small point, turmech, but Spruce burns, it's sprue puddle that you watch. This is how most of us do it.

[turmech]

Auto spell check

[MrXrings]

New to casting but using the same mold and pot as the OP. I heat my molds on a hot plate and keep track of their temp with a infrared thermometer, I've found about 400deg mold temp and lead at 700deg gives me good results. But I'm sure my lead id not the same as what your casting with. My sprue takes about 6 sec to solidify. Just what I've found so far. I also check my mold temp when I'm finished and it's about 425.

[MPnine]

I shot my first batch of cast bullets yesterday and was pleasantly surprised with the results. My load was light since i started with the minimum win 231 amount for this bullet. But the accuracy of the bullets was astounding! Almost no leading in the barrel- there was one very small patch in the the barrel.

Thanks again to the forum members that have helped me get going. Below is a picture of the results. The corners and top-middle were my cast loads. The distance was only 7 yards though. I have some practicing to do...

[BadDaditood]

i take it the 6 in the middle of the target must be them store bought expensive bullets?

sure is a lot more holes in the corners




ps: one of many tricks i learned here was to heat the sprue plate on aluminum molds... i set it upside down on the hot plate for several mins before casting- what a difference!!

[MPnine]

i take it the 6 in the middle of the target must be them store bought expensive bullets?

sure is a lot more holes in the corners




ps: one of many tricks i learned here was to heat the sprue plate on aluminum molds... i set it upside down on the hot plate for several mins before casting- what a difference!!

Yes the 6 in the middle are the expensive store bought ammunition. This was my first time shooting the used smith and wesson model 10 i picked up from Buds, so i wanted to make sure it fired before sending the cast bullets downrange.

Thanks for the tip! I am planning on doing my second casting session this week and will try that now that I have added a hot plate to my casting.

[fishindad]

"New to casting but using the same mold and pot as the OP. I heat my molds on a hot plate and keep track of their temp with a infrared thermometer, I've found about 400deg mold temp and lead at 700deg gives me good results. But I'm sure my lead id not the same as what your casting with. My sprue takes about 6 sec to solidify. Just what I've found so far. I also check my mold temp when I'm finished and it's about 425. "

This is great information! I will be doing the same. I cast my first bullets a few days ago and I am pretty sure this will solve my problem too. Thanks!!

[44man]

If you're using a Lee mold, you'll need to run your mold temp higher, than you would with a quality mold from one of the vendors on here.
Must be the cheaper aluminum Lee uses vs other mold makers.
Play with the mold temp, and then you might be able to drop your melt temp, so you're not losing metals like tin thru oxidation.
I run my Lee and Lyman pots at 675-700 depending on outside air temp, and i'll cast till the sprue takes longer than 6 sec to solidify, then I'll back it down till it takes about 4 sec to solidify.
I let my molds preheat on a hotplate, while my pots are heating up. I keep the temp on med/low.

I do not know why Lee uses such soft aluminum except to save cutting tools. There is so little price difference between aluminum it is not worth the trouble. It must be the forming with the dies in the press.

[41 mag fan]

I do not know why Lee uses such soft aluminum except to save cutting tools. There is so little price difference between aluminum it is not worth the trouble. It must be the forming with the dies in the press.

You make a good point there 44man. But when it comes to business practices and cost savings, a couple of pennies can add up real quick in a mass production.

I can understand Lees concept of offering cheap mold prices and the way to do it is using cheaper aluminum. That way it gives shooter on a shoestring budget a chance to cast and reload.

But I myself, hate their 2 cav molds just for the reason, the aluminum is cheap and you find yourself doing QC on them.

Now their 6 cav molds i like, and will buy.

I just wish they'd offer a higher quality aluminum line of molds. Yes the price will be more, but i'll pay the higher price to get the product i'm wanting.