Problem with RG4 me or my alloy?

[Gunsmoke4570]

I've got a bit of a dilemma. I was trying to cast with my new NOE 313640 118Gr. FN mold I picked up from Swede when I jumped on one of the extra 9.3mmGB molds. I started out with the bullets sticking to the HP pins and not filling out very well. I cranked my pot up to max and the bullets quit sticking, but the noses still would not fill out evenly around the HP pins making the noses of the bullets lopsided. The lube grooves and driving bands were nicely formed. I'm using 50/50 clip on and stick on WW at a BN of about 12.5. This is the mix I normally use for my handgun boolits. Should I add a bit of tin to help the nose fill out or try straight WW? Like I mentioned, I was at max setting on my pot.

After trouble with this mold, I switched to the new 368 (9.3mm) 280Gr. FN 4 cavity GC. After a few casts I was producing quality bullets with the same alloy. Opinions?

TIA

[excess650]

It sounds like the mold hasn't gotten hot enough and/or you need some tin. Those are little boolits, and the HP pins are heat sinks.

Did you preheat the mold?

[bhn22]

Your mould is too cold. Hollowpoint pins need to be hot! Also, try smoking the hollowpoint pins with a match or a butane lighter, they'll oxidize a little with some use and the problem will be permanently solved.

[mold maker]

The pins themselves are too cold. It freezes the flow before being completely filled at the nose. The very least open time, the better.
I raise the temp and cast as fast as I can till the fill out is good. Then back off on the temp and cast like a madman.
Of course I do lots of things like a madman.

[btroj]

That mould takes a while to heat up. I hold mine on end with one end 1/4 or so in the melt. Keep it there for 30 seconds or so. Then cast fast. Lots of mould, not much lead. Bad com be in a mould that needs to be hot. Remember. It is mould temp that matters much of the time, not melt temperature.
Took me a bit to figure that mould out, once I got it down, lots of good bullets fast.

[Gunsmoke4570]

Thanks for all the feed back. This is my first HP mold and I figured there is some change in technique I needed to try. I did put the mold through several heat cycles as recommended and the mold was preheated like I normally do. I may have to allow it to heat up longer from the sound of it.

It makes sense about the HP pins cooling off since the rest of the bullet looks great. Looks like I'll try adding a little tin and practice my technique.

[stubshaft]

I wouldn't add anymore tin. Just get the pins hot. Either rest the base on the top of the alloy for a few seconds or get a hotplate to preheat your mould.

[Gelandangan]

The forst time I cast using RG I get the same result, bu then,
besides heating the mold on the melt, I also coat the HP pin with bullplate,
Never got stuck boolits anymore.

[btroj]

I just ran a few hundred with the same mould. Had a few stick to 1 pin in particular u til she heated up real good. Once things got good and hot all 4 cavities dropped off the pins fine.
The combination of a small bullet, a large block, and the HP pins on the rg4 combine to make it a slow heating mould.
Now I need to work up a load for them in my 32-20 Marlin.