New to casting

[rmatchell]

So I finely took the dive into casting my own bullets with mixed results so far from a few lee molds. Last week a guy I work with told me he was getting out of casting and looking to pass his equipment on to somebody who would use it, lucky for me I was the first person he could think of. So here is the list of what I got for 50 bucks

Lee 6 cavity .38/357 150gr SWC
Lyman 2 cavity .38/357 150gr swc
Rcbs 2 cavity .32 98gr swc
Lyman 2 cavity .45 200gr swc
Lyman 2 cavity .31 110gr fn
Lyman 2 cavity .44 205gr fn
Rcbs 2 cavity .44 245gr fn
Lyman 4 cavity .38/357 150gr wc
a lee mold marked 90324 that looks to be miss marked, it looks to be and .358 wc
and a brass mold .54cal with lyman handles
2 rcbs handles
2 lyman handles
and a lee production pot

As you could guess this box made me very happy. Does anybody have any information on a Lyman 311316, im wondering what all i can load with it. I look forward to learning from everybody here.

[RobS]

$50....................For pete's sake that is freakin awesome!!! I don't have any info on your requested mold but welcome aboard.

Two very good reads:
http://www.lasc.us/castbulletnotes.htm

and for the nuts and bolts:

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

[RobS]

And this is a good reference to boolit molds and design as well as other useful info.

http://www.castpics.net/subsite/HistMolds/default.html

http://www.castpics.net/default.html

[rintinglen]

The 311-316 is THE boolit for high speed 32-20 rifle loads. My browning loves them over 5.0 grains of Unique. I have also loaded a lot of them in 30-30's over 17.5 grains of 2400.

[Bret4207]

Yupper!!! The 311316 is great in almost any 30/31 cal. I've used in in everything from the 32 S+W to the '06 and 303. Great plinker in the bigger 30's. Great small game boolit too. That mould is worth twice what you paid for the whole stash!

[H.Callahan]

$50....................For pete's sake that is freakin awesome!!!

No kidding! He shouldn't have to be paying for his own drinks for a while if you are around!

[rmatchell]

great information guys, I tried to pay him more but he wouldn't take it. He also offered me a lyman 450 sizer with all the dies and punches for these molds for a hundred so im going to jump and that as soon as i build up play money. I'm glad to hear that it will work in 30-30 I was wondering what good it would be to me for what i already reload. im going to post a pic tonight of another mold that was in the box I thought it was for a .54 cal black powder but the guy at graffs thinks it might be a shotgun slug. Maybe somebody here will know something about it.

[Moonie]

Dude, have you taken the mask off yet? That was a steal!

[rmatchell]

anybody ever seen these, the only markings on it is 204.

[attach][/attach]

[RobS]

great information guys, I tried to pay him more but he wouldn't take it. He also offered me a lyman 450 sizer with all the dies and punches for these molds for a hundred so im going to jump and that as soon as i build up play money. I'm glad to hear that it will work in 30-30 I was wondering what good it would be to me for what i already reload. im going to post a pic tonight of another mold that was in the box I thought it was for a .54 cal black powder but the guy at graffs thinks it might be a shotgun slug. Maybe somebody here will know something about it.

Heck you better or I'm going to have to fall over here from the chair I'm sitting in. As a caster, my gosh you have walked into a gold mine. I keep hoping that one day I may have the chance/opportunity .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ......Sigh........................................ ................still waiting.

[David2011]

And you felt no guilt? Cool catch, Mr. rmatchell. We should all be so fortunate. Congrats and welcome!

I had a friend do the same for me. He was in the closing phase of his life and knew it. He sold me his entire gunsmith shop- lathe, milling machine, grinders, buffers, drill press, small tools, 1911 parts, reloading presses, lead furnaces and dozens of molds for a price I could afford. He wanted, as your friend did, to make sure it ended up where it would be used and appreciated. The best gift is that I think of him every time I touch anything that came from him. He was a real patriot and passed away on July 4 three years ago. I hope I can do the same for someone when the time comes.

David

[MikeS]

anybody ever seen these, the only markings on it is 204.

That is a Thompson Center Maxi Ball mould. It's for black powder rifles, not a shotgun slug. I can't tell from the picture, but it's probably 54 caliber, or maybe 50 caliber. The handles are Lyman mould handles, but the blocks are T/C.

[rmatchell]

Thanks for the information MikeS. I figured the handles were lyman but the mold didn't look right. Not sure what ill do with it, never got into black powder.

[rmatchell]

So I got out today and cast 20 or 30 boolits for each mold today out of wheel weights. Everything looks good can't wait to get the #2 ingots out and cast the night away.

[MikeS]

Considering that you got that mould in with a bunch of other stuff for an almost illegal price, you might want to just put it away, you never know when you might want/need it.

Or you might want to check and see if it's 50 cal, or 54 cal, then sell it, either here in the swapping & selling forum (once you meet the requirements for that forum), or on eBay. If in fact it's a 50 cal mould, I've heard of people using that mould in 50 cal pistol loads.

[rmatchell]

ill cast a few to check them out, but I am sure I would trade them for different equipment. I could always use extra shell plates the my lee pro 1000.

[Will]

If I only gave someone $50 for all that I couldn't sleep at night. I'd stay up all night casting.

[rmatchell]

Oh, i did. i'm all out of wheel weights.

[H.Callahan]

Oh, i did. i'm all out of wheel weights.

WHAT??? That deal didn't come with 7 tons of wheel weight ingots?

You got took!

[500MAG]

Were you holding a gun in you hand at the time this deal was struck?