MtJerry
01-27-2012, 03:18 PM
Still searching for the elusive "most accurate load possible with cast boolits"
Got a bit closer today with a load of 12 grains of IMR 4227 and two boolits. Lyman 358439 and Lyman 358156 - both hollow point.
First out of the gate is the 358156 that I had hollow-pointed by our very own Buckshot. (He does GOOD work!) This had all the makings of a fantastic group but a few of the 18 rounds decided to go outside of the neat little hole the others. Must'a been the shooter!
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/MtJerry/DSCF0766.jpg
Next is a single cavity mold that I have had for a very long time. When I first got it the hollow-point pin was not fitting very well, so it too went off to Buckshot to have the hole opened a smidge and new pins made for it. The cool thing about this mold is that with the pins I have I can make the boolit be most any standard 357 mag weight I want. I have cast 148g, 158gr and 170gr boolits all with the same mold.
I also like the fact that I can focus on one single boolit at a time with the single cavity. Every single boolit will be the same diameter as the others. I just have to keep a consistent casting rate and they will all be within .5 gr of the each other.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/MtJerry/DSCF0765.jpg
Next on the agenda is to do some water-testing to see how the 50/50 alloy expands at these speeds. I'm guessing about 1150 to 1200 fps. It's only a guess though as I do not have a chronograph.
All in all ... a good day :bigsmyl2:
Got a bit closer today with a load of 12 grains of IMR 4227 and two boolits. Lyman 358439 and Lyman 358156 - both hollow point.
First out of the gate is the 358156 that I had hollow-pointed by our very own Buckshot. (He does GOOD work!) This had all the makings of a fantastic group but a few of the 18 rounds decided to go outside of the neat little hole the others. Must'a been the shooter!
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/MtJerry/DSCF0766.jpg
Next is a single cavity mold that I have had for a very long time. When I first got it the hollow-point pin was not fitting very well, so it too went off to Buckshot to have the hole opened a smidge and new pins made for it. The cool thing about this mold is that with the pins I have I can make the boolit be most any standard 357 mag weight I want. I have cast 148g, 158gr and 170gr boolits all with the same mold.
I also like the fact that I can focus on one single boolit at a time with the single cavity. Every single boolit will be the same diameter as the others. I just have to keep a consistent casting rate and they will all be within .5 gr of the each other.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/MtJerry/DSCF0765.jpg
Next on the agenda is to do some water-testing to see how the 50/50 alloy expands at these speeds. I'm guessing about 1150 to 1200 fps. It's only a guess though as I do not have a chronograph.
All in all ... a good day :bigsmyl2: