First casting went well! (+ a few questions)

[d0n]

I would just like to thank everyone here for all the useful information that has been posted on these forums. Thanks to you all, my first casting session went off without any problems whatsoever.

I cast about 100 45-270-SAA boolits with my new RCBS mold. The only prep I did on the mold was to take a toothbrush and Dawn dish soap to it, and it worked perfectly. I think I had either 4 or 6 rejects as I got the mold up to temp, but each and every one dropped perfectly after that. It really was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

My only question is about "my" alloy. I have a lot of WWs that I've been collecting over the last year, but I was anxious to get started and didn't want to go through the smelting process (I currently only have a single Lee bottom pour). I bought 10# of lead from ebay, that are supposedly smelted WWs. They melted and filled out the mold well enough, but I noticed that the alloy in the pot would develop a somewhat bright blue layer on top. What causes this? Is it just some unknown contaminant in alloy?

I plan on working up a load for this boolit in my Ruger Blackhawk. The only two powders I have at this point are Titegroup (bought on the advice of the gun shop employee who reloads) and 2400 (bought after reading these forums). Could anyone suggest some starting loads for these powders in .45colt? I searched but wasn't able to turn up much for this boolit.

Thanks again everyone, I think I've found a new hobby!

[d0n]

OK, after some quick searching about the alloy color, I found this thread, which describes exactly what I'm seeing. I didn't mention the gold stage before the purple in my original thread (but I saw it in my alloy); this describes it almost perfectly, so I think this is what I'm seeing. Please disregard that question :)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=63550&highlight=blue+alloy

[noylj]

Without going to the answer, my experience is that you have too pure of a lead alloy and need some tin and antimony (Sn and Sb) and should probably get a thermometer so you know the alloy's temperature.
I always smelted in my pot, but I melted (at about 650), fluxed a lot (don't know what the new philosophy is, but I flux a lot--wheel weights always had enough organics that I only had to ignite and stir), removed all the steel and ****, fluxed some more (did I mention that I like to flux), and skimmed off the dross. I then cast ingots.
Keep this up as long as the wheel-weights and other lead lasted (keeping each type of lead source as separate ingots). I could then take x number of lead ingots and y number of WW ingots, and z number of type metal ingots to make my casting alloy. Aimed for at least 1% Sn and no more than 2% Sn by estimate.

[462]

Any edition of Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook or their Reloading Handbook are the best sources for published cast boolit loads. The third edition of the Cast Bullet Handbook has a chapter about boolit alloys that is a must read.

[mroliver77]

http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

I have found Smiths loads to be ok. You are dealing with an internet site though. Get all the published info you can and compare. Sometimes one must interpolate a load as you rarely have the exact components the book used.
http://www.reloadammo.com/45cload.htm

I recommend having at least two load books. Six books would be preferred in my opinion as sometimes one book will have data that just is way off from the others. I mark these with a ? and interpolate from the rest. Not all will have the powders etc. you prefer listed. I find the Lee manual very helpful but do believe it is time for them to compile(borrow) new loads.

[geargnasher]

Any edition of Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook or their Reloading Handbook are the best sources for published cast boolit loads. The third edition of the Cast Bullet Handbook has a chapter about boolit alloys that is a must read.

+1. Buy some books. Supplement those published references with known good internet data, i.e. that published by powder manufacturers. Use equivalent boolit weights where you can't find exact data for your boolit, alway start at the lowest published starting load. We're not in the habit of recommending loads here.

There's a sticky thread in the alloys forum about colored alloy surface. My experience is it's from nearly pure lead, and TOO MUCH HEAT. Get a casting thermometer so you can keep your temps under control, you'll thank me later. Keep your alloy in the neighborhood of 100 degrees above the point that it is fully liquid, and cast fast enough to keep your mould hot enough for good fillout. Mould temperature is key to getting quality boolits, not pot temp. Pot temp should be maintained at a point that is good for the alloy, as excessive heat causes excessive drossing and tin depletion through accelerated oxidation rates, this all starts to go south before 750 degrees.

Titegroup is a very good powder for standard-pressure .45 Colt, not good for +P, Ruger-only loads. Be super-careful not to double-charge, with most loads you can get up to four charges of Titegroup in one case! Use H110/W296 or 2400 for Ruger only, HIGH pressure loads.

Gear

[d0n]

Yeah, I did dig up some other threads that suggest that pure lead + high heat will cause the blues / purples. I also did see the gold before the blue, which at least some have suggested means that there is in fact tin in there, but that my pot temp is too high.

I have some books (and now a lead thermometer) in my midway shopping cart, so that should get me pointed in the right direction. If I got good boolit fill out, should I be concerned about the boolits that I've already cast?

Titegroup was the first powder I bought, but I went back and got the 2400 for the exact reason that you mention; I want to get some experience under my belt with watching charges, and just the process in general before I start using the titegroup. Last thing I want to do is turn my Blackhawk into a pipe bomb.

-Don

[RobS]

Here is an excellent source of load data for that particular boolit:

http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/HL%20246partial.pdf

It starts on the 4th page of the PDF file