Tried 2 new to me things tonight.

[Motor]

I finally got to try the "P-Force" .25 gram black ASBBs. Even though it was 40 degrees out powder coated went pretty good. I do believe it worked at least a little better than the white .2 gram BBs I was using before. This was the positive side.

The kinda negative side: This is also the first time using the rubber like silicon baking mat. The boolits are .358" 158gr SWC. I stood some up but laid most of them down because one of the reasons I bought this mat was the shallow ribs on it. They worked great for not allowing the boolits to roll around.

The problem is where the boolits were contacting the mat the power coat melted on to the mat. After baking the boolits were NOT stuck to the mat but most of the PC at the point of contact did.

The ones that were standing were ok although there was a little "flashing" around the base of a few.

I'm not sure where to go from here as far as baking boolits with them laying down.

How does parchment paper work for this and where can you get it?

Any other thoughts or ideas are welcome as always. Thanks in advance.

Motor

[CastingFool]

I think parchment paper would work, but I have never used for baking boolits. You should be able to get the parchment paper at any large grocery store.

[kungfustyle]

parchment paper works great an you can use and reuse it. Boolits just pop right off.

[toallmy]

Nonstick aluminum foil worked for me , but I stand them up.

[bdicki]

Nonstick aluminum foil worked for me , but I stand them up.
This^^^^^^^

[cgm]

Nonstick aluminum foil worked for me , but I stand them up.
This^^^^^^^

I have used non stick foil with bullets standing or, lying on the side. Either one works fine.

[VHoward]

I use the silicone rubber baking mats and do not have this problem. Could it be that you have put too much powder on the bullets? Are you sure your oven is at 400 degrees while baking? Bake for only 10 minutes after the powder starts to turn shiny?

I do not have to help my bullets off the mats. I just tilt the tray sideways and the bullets fall off on their own. No flashing, no melted through spots.

[Motor]

I didn't have any problems with the boolits sticking either. Maybe there was a little too much power. I used the heavy black BBs for the first time.

How do you control how much powder is sticking to the boolits after it has already stuck there. Do you lightly tap your Hemostats on the edge of the bowl to shake it off?

Thanks for the other replies fellows but the silicon baking mats is what's replacing NSAF. Unlike some other folks I wasn't having much luck re-using it. I picked up the silicon baking mat for about the cost of one roll of NSAF and it doesn't ware out.

Motor

[bdicki]

I have used non stick foil with bullets standing or, lying on the side. Either one works fine.

The smaller diameter rifle bullets I also lay them on their side. You can feel where they were on the foil.

[bangerjim]

Anytime a coated boolit lays on something, the powder will conform to that surface and may have lead showing thru. Or give uneven coatings at the contact points. I get that when I shake-n-dump my 223's and all round balls. I NEVER do it with any larger cals. All are standing up on the bases and coatings are nice and smooth! BBDT and ESPC.

Gravity is your enemy when laying down boolits to bake. I have tired all methods and none meet my very high standards. Lay marks and indents are not acceptable to me. The 223's are cradled between the wires of the rack on NSAF (only) and form minimal lay marks, but any larger boolits touch the wires (beneath the NSAF) and form nasty marks.

Works for me. Do what meets your needs.

bangerjim

[gpidaho]

I like the silicone mats best but have no problem using non-stick foil. I never bake a boolit laying down not even the 22s. I just don't like the marks it leaves. That said, I can't prove they shoot any worse having the marks and sizing does smooth them out pretty well so just do what works for you, your the only one you have to please. Gp

[Markbo]

I have done no rifle bullets - only handgun bullets. Sorry....boolits. Up to now I have always stood them up but was going to dry the dump and bake method. This thread has me questioning what some others swear by. I am curious if the temp has been double checked AND for any of you that size after baking does that smooth out any marks?

Also have you actually checked accuracy both ways? Do those little marks actually cause accuracy degredation???

[Love Life]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...at-Shenanigans

Wire mesh, boolits laid down and stood straight on the bases, targets.

[popper]

The powder melts and flows no matter what you do. I stand my rifle boolits on the base, didn't care about pistol.

[Dragonheart]

Your silicon mat is not the problem. I use silicon mats, but I also have used non-stick foil, parchment paper and even aluminum screen. Some powders bond better, coat faster and thicker with everything else being equal, so getting to know your powder is a plus. Your problem is a too much powder on the bullets if you are getting flash.

Besides taking up more room on the tray and rolling around I found laying the bullets on the side tends to give an uneven coating. I stand my bullets up so if there is any flash it will be around a flat base.

[Schrag4]

I've had better luck with parchment paper than with non-stick aluminum foil. Maybe I bought the wrong brand of foil - I went with the more expensive name-brand. None of my PC boolits stick to parchment paper, they all slide right off when I tip the tray.

[guncheese]

parchment paper FTW
reuse dozens of times
i stand mine up
i see many guys using hemostats to pick up the bullets?? to clumsy and difficult
use a grooved face tweezers, they pick up powder and dont mark up the powder thats on the bullet

[Motor]

I'm using groove faced Hemostats. Yeah the powder coats them.

Still looking for the answer to how to decrease powder amount after you shake.

Motor

[alfloyd]

Motor:
Put just a little amount of powder in the bowl and shake.
If they are not coated enough then add just a pinch more and shake again.
Keep doing till you find out how much powder it takes to coat your boolits to your satisfaction.

Lafaun

[Markbo]

I need to get some shorter hemostats