Is this a common technique and I am just a slow learner?

[rhill]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this but here goes anyway. My two newest Lee molds, a .358 158gr.rf and a .452 255gr. rf both leave smeared boolit bases no matter what I did. Tried slowing down, casting lead at cooler temp., cooling mold in between cast on a damp rag, and a few more tricks, nothing worked. Then by accident I let my lead stream pour in between the sprue holes, so I ever so slightly tipped the mold to let the lead run into the cavities. Wouldn't you know, perfect boolits. I then made about 100 casts doing this same thing and I only rejected two or three boolits. Both molds cast great using this technique. On all my other molds I have I pour directly into the sprue hole and I have good boolits, but for some reason not these two. Whatever the case I am happy I don't have to trash these two molds. Learn something new everyday! Well for me, something new once and a while cause evidently I am boolit casting challenged.

[Ed_Shot]

In my experience it's not uncommon for a given mold to have peculiar likes and dislikes especially related to temperature. If your are smearing lead on the boolit base when you open the sprue plate then you are not allowing the lead in the mold and on the sprue plate to solidify before you open the sprue plate....lead that has solidified is not going to smear. Having your lead temperature too hot will also contribute to smearing. Having said that, if you have developed a technique that produces good boolits from your molds you are a winner. Be safe and good shooting.

[runfiverun]

try turning down the heat.

[rhill]

I did turn down the pot, and cast at a slow pace. Maybe I described the problem wrong. I called it a smear, but really it looked more like "finning" around the boolit base,not so much a smear. Almost like the sprue plates are loose creating too much gap between it and the blocks, but the sprue plate bolts were tightened all the way. Anyway, not problems now.

[Wayne Smith]

Yeah, that's finning. Each mold has it's own personality and habits, we learn them and adapt ourselves to them.

[GhostHawk]

They are like those of the female persuasion. Each has its own specific set of likes, dislikes and "Must do's" in order to get perfect boolits.

Get smart, write them down. Put one copy of the notes on the mold, another in a binder or book.

[1988-4551]

Haven't had that issue before, only one I'm working through right now is trying to get a LEE 50 cal REAL bullet mold to fill out properly, no issue with the round ball half of the mold.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

I grind a trench between my holes in my sprueplates, kinda like the accurate mold option. I get good bullets pouring in between holes or from one to the other, in one continuous stream. never have any problems. best of luck, Travis

[Beagle333]

Finning of mine is caused by lead too hot.

Good thing that you found something that works for you. Have fun!

[runfiverun]

tightening it down raises the other end.
you want the plate flat on top of the mold.
of it's own weight.
not mechanically locked into place on both ends.

[S.B.]

Is this causing a problem with accuracy? If not, I'd cast away even with this anomaly.
Steve

[rhill]

It mainly causes problems with boolit seating, and sometimes with larger fins it can bulge the brass a bit. They still chamber, but I don't like it, and probably lose a bit of accuracy too. I like to shoot them as cast unsized, but sizing the finned boolits gets rid of the fins. I have tested both sized and unsized boolits, and in my particular guns, have noticed no difference in accuracy shooting off a rest, so I like to cut out the sizing process and just shoot them as cast. That works for my handguns and handgun cal. leverguns. For my bolt action rifles I definately size boolits, it seems to make a difference having uniform boolits.

[Djones]

Try a smaller volume sprue "puddle" which will lower the pressure during fill.