First casting session today!

[45pro]

Well I casted for the first time today. It went really well, lots of shiny bullets and a few frosty ones. So how long should I let them be before I start lubing them and sizing them? I thInk I read to wait a week for the bullet to harden before loading it. Is that correct?



http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g357/jared2134/427546_2706934632278_1224153198_32071193_174331585 8_n.jpg

[Tar Heel]

Nice looking bullets 45pro. Why wait? Lube em and shoot em!!

[mktacop]

:guntootsmiley:

Go shoot'em!! No need to wait, unless you want to see how the BHN changes over time.

[45pro]

Ok guys will do. I think i'll wait until i have more before i lube them. I only casted 150 today. I plan on casting a couple hundred more tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

[Tar Heel]

What mold is that??

[Bullet Caster]

I usually wait for about a month before I reload to shoot my cast boolits. But, you do not necessarily have to wait for 'em to harden. Load 'em up and shoot 'em. That mould looks like a Lee .452 228 grain with 1 ogive radius with 2 lube grooves. They shoot really well out of my Norinco .45 1911. However, geargnasher will disagree with me 'cause he says the ogive is all wrong. Not for me though, since that is the only RN boolit I have. lol. BC

[45pro]

ok, so whats the process for lubing, sizing, and lubing again?

Lube, let dry over-night, size, lube, let dry over-night, then load???

[runfiverun]

using tumble lube yep.
if you warm the boolits and have some mineral spirits in the lube and set them in front of a fan you can cut the drying time down to an hour or two.
use about 1/8th the lube you think you need for the first coat.

[45pro]

Ok, so not much lube just to size them. Then use quite a bit more when i actually load them?

[runfiverun]

nope, then use the same small amount.
you wanna just see some color on them.

[stubshaft]

You should end up with a bare hint of a copper colored hue on the boolit. Less IS more in this case.

[45pro]

Ok, thanks

[292]

You should end up with a bare hint of a copper colored hue on the boolit. Less IS more in this case.

What he said, too much lube gunked up my boolit seating die. Now I thin my LLA and do multiple coats. Less aggravation.

[Grandpas50AE]

Yep, lube 'em and shoot 'em. Very nice looking boolits 45PRO, especially for a first time.

[fcvan]

Years ago (when I had an unlimited supply of range lead) I would cast 200 boolits, 100 .45 and 100 .35 boolits. I would reload the pot with range scrap and set the molds on top of the pot. After lubing, seating and crimping 100 .38s or .45s, the pot would be ready to go. I'd cast another 200 boolits and repeat. I was shooting 1000-1250 rounds per week but casting 2000-3000 boolits per week. I traded 500 boolits for 100 primers and another 500 boolits for a pound of powder so my shooting was free.

Nowadays, I cast a couple hours at a sitting with the goal of keeping about a coffee can of boolits for each mold I own. I still generally lube as I go because I prefer softer lube in my Lyman 450. If I am storing lubed boolits I use a harder lube to keep the boolits from getting lube all over the stored boolits.

I am making my own soft lube from a recipe gleaned from the board. I will be making a harder lube at some point in the future just so I can ship boolits to my shooting buddies. gone are the days of totally free range lead or wheel weights but I still have many friends who scrounge around and pass along. I gladly convert them to shiny boolits and pass them along. Happiness is a large stockpile of loaded rounds and full coffee cans. Frank