Solid Smooth Side Nose Pour Mold

[303Guy]

After playing around for some time with solid body molds I seem to have 'perfected' the mold for my 303 Brit 'Pig Gun'. The trick was getting the casting 'funnel' just right. Being a nose pour with no air vents, the trick was to get the air to vent out the past the sprue. Well, I finally got it right. I'm back to hollow nose boolits by virtue of the casting spout sitting inside the mold below the casting hole in the nose. I was able to cast 100 boolits before I got bored with it and thought I better make sure the boolits will actually work in my gun (they're paper patched boolits). I started out with the hollow nose concept but found it too slow so I changed to a flat nose but that gave me casting flaws cause the air had nowhere to escape.

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo327/303Guy/204grPIGGUNPPBOOLIT004.jpg

After knurling to grip the paper patch.
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo327/303Guy/205grPigGunMkXXI004.jpg

After patching.
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo327/303Guy/205grPIGGUNMkXXI007.jpg

There is a little nub visible at the nose end. That from the inside of the hollow. I can't get rid of it but hopefully it won't effect accuracy. (They say nose imperfections are less important than base imperfections [smilie=1:).

The bases are perfect - until they get fired! Then all hell breaks loose!

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo327/303Guy/193.jpg

The L/H boolit was with a card wad. That's prolly how I'll do it for now.

[geargnasher]

How about sharing some pics of the mould and cherrie? Been a while since you posted some pics of your handywork.

Gear

[longbow]

303guy:

That is a pretty good looking boolit.

How are you knurling?

I know you generally paper patch but have you ever tried casting to groove diameter then knurling and tumble lubing?

Looks like you are using a pretty soft alloy. What is it?

I generally cast from range scrap or wheelweights and don't see that much base distortion. Or for that matter, that much expansion. Even ACWW tends to resist significant base distortion and does not expand like that.

As you know, I make similar moulds in both base and nose pour styles though my nose pour style are for shotgun slugs.

All my rifle moulds are base pour smooth sided push out moulds producing boolits much like yours.

To be honest, I have had little trouble with the no vents issue. I leave my sprue plate barely snug just so it doesn't swing freely and that seems to help. I guess that and ladle pouring with a swirl.

I started with the idea for paper patching but decided to try some groove size over grease cookies in my .44 mag and that worked pretty well.

Then I tried knurling some to hold lube and that worked too.

Being PB boolits, velocity is limited unless filler is used but I plan on making a PB gas check maker to try.

Then it becomes a toss up as to whether is is easier to paper patch or make and install gas checks.

Unfortunately I am lazy and really don't like paper patching or making and installing gas checks!

I admire your tenacity in paper patching and your patching methods... and your photography skills. Most of your posts come with nice photos.

I like recovered boolits, they all tell a story. Not so much if they are shooting well but they certainly tell you something when they aren't ~ gas cutting, base damage, slumping, skidding, etc.

Longbow

[Buckshot]

..............Looks real good. Plenty of bearing surface! If they shoot okay, that's all that matters, but if the nub on the nose offends, couldn't you simply cut it off with an X-Acto knife, or similar? Do ya roll that boolit under a file to knurl it?

.............Buckshot