jmart
10-19-2012, 01:04 PM
Intro Post with Tons of Questions, thanx in advance for everyone's patience and dealing with my stream of consciousness:
After lurking here I've come to learn there's a lot to learn. I've got an old 30-40 Krag that I'm considering casting for, along with a Ruger .457 BP OAA, a Ruger Speed Six (.357, .38 spec) and a S&W K-38 that will probably not see anything other than WC or a TL SWC shot through it. So now I'm trying to get up to speed on casting and lubing nuances w/o breaking the financial bank. I'm trying to avoid investing in high end lubrisizers or the such.
I live in CO, 5,500 elevation and I would expect to shoot in 25-90 temps. I'd lean toward using Lee's two-cavity mold designs, especially after reading they are redesigning them to incorportae more of their gang-bang mold features. High end production isn't high on my list at the momemt, I'm more concerned with quality and consistency.
I relize I'd need some smelting capability to manufacture pucks/tins, which I would laterremelt and alloy to derive my boolit alloy I'm casting for. (And maybe a thermometer or a PID)
I was perusing Recluse's thread on using the JPW/ALOX/MS thread, but I suspect it works for handgun velocities up to and including TL through Lee's kits. But even for a dummie like me, I think I get the gist of his method(s).
Also came across Felix's lube, which I believe would be more appropriate for mid-teen velocities of the Krag. Do I have this right?
Must one use a Lubrisizer to use the Felix lube or do other application options exist? I was hoping it could be applied in two phases, in a stand-alone bucket, like the JPW/ALOX/MS conconcoction and resized though Lee's resizer.....
I was also thinking the .309 diameter would be a good starting point for the Krag. Should I size larger (.311) or smaller (.308)? Further assummed I'd be using the .309 bullet thrown from Lyman #2 -- is there a better alloy to use for a 1800 fps load? And is 1800 fps to slow, just about right, or too quick? Probably start with IMR 4350 powder since that's what I have on hand, it's pressure compliant, but maybe other powder suggestions abound for which I would not be deaf too so anything you can recommend, I'm all ears.
I feeel I have a decent handle on the pistol boolits, it's just I have a bunch of questions when delving out into Krag land. The thought of running 180-200 grain FMJ/RNFP through this barrel just doesn't sit quite rightly with me and I'm looking to keep it period/true to form as I can. WHAT BETTER WAY THAN CAST BOOLITS........
Thanx in advance for help with all the newbie questions.....
jmart
After lurking here I've come to learn there's a lot to learn. I've got an old 30-40 Krag that I'm considering casting for, along with a Ruger .457 BP OAA, a Ruger Speed Six (.357, .38 spec) and a S&W K-38 that will probably not see anything other than WC or a TL SWC shot through it. So now I'm trying to get up to speed on casting and lubing nuances w/o breaking the financial bank. I'm trying to avoid investing in high end lubrisizers or the such.
I live in CO, 5,500 elevation and I would expect to shoot in 25-90 temps. I'd lean toward using Lee's two-cavity mold designs, especially after reading they are redesigning them to incorportae more of their gang-bang mold features. High end production isn't high on my list at the momemt, I'm more concerned with quality and consistency.
I relize I'd need some smelting capability to manufacture pucks/tins, which I would laterremelt and alloy to derive my boolit alloy I'm casting for. (And maybe a thermometer or a PID)
I was perusing Recluse's thread on using the JPW/ALOX/MS thread, but I suspect it works for handgun velocities up to and including TL through Lee's kits. But even for a dummie like me, I think I get the gist of his method(s).
Also came across Felix's lube, which I believe would be more appropriate for mid-teen velocities of the Krag. Do I have this right?
Must one use a Lubrisizer to use the Felix lube or do other application options exist? I was hoping it could be applied in two phases, in a stand-alone bucket, like the JPW/ALOX/MS conconcoction and resized though Lee's resizer.....
I was also thinking the .309 diameter would be a good starting point for the Krag. Should I size larger (.311) or smaller (.308)? Further assummed I'd be using the .309 bullet thrown from Lyman #2 -- is there a better alloy to use for a 1800 fps load? And is 1800 fps to slow, just about right, or too quick? Probably start with IMR 4350 powder since that's what I have on hand, it's pressure compliant, but maybe other powder suggestions abound for which I would not be deaf too so anything you can recommend, I'm all ears.
I feeel I have a decent handle on the pistol boolits, it's just I have a bunch of questions when delving out into Krag land. The thought of running 180-200 grain FMJ/RNFP through this barrel just doesn't sit quite rightly with me and I'm looking to keep it period/true to form as I can. WHAT BETTER WAY THAN CAST BOOLITS........
Thanx in advance for help with all the newbie questions.....
jmart