casting first batch of .44 mag couple questions

[fireguy715]

I'm going to cast my first batch of .44 mag bullets with my new RCBS .44-250-k mold. I'm going to use wheel wieghts. I have some 63/27 tin lead solder. Should I ad some tin lead solder or use straight WW? Should I water drop them? I'm planning on using them for hot hunting loads and reduced loads as well. Thanks.

[WHITETAIL]

fireguy715, Welcome to the forum!
Let the mould tell you what it likes.
Start out with WW and see if you can make
good boolets.
If not then add a small amount of tin.
What I do is add a 1ft. of solder.
And there is no need to water drop them.
What you need to do is make your boolets
.001 over your bore size.
Then coat them with JPW.
Then lube and size them.
Sorry to be long winded.:guntootsmiley:

[williamwaco]

That solder is 63% tin.
One ounce of the solder will contain .63 oz. tin.

A ten pound bottom pour pot will hold about 8 pounds and leave room to stir.
8 pounds is 128 ounces.
.62 ounces is 0.49% of 8 pounds.

Add one ounce to a ten pound pot or two ounces to a 20 pound pot.

The question indicates you are new to casting.

Cast relatively fast, leave as large a sprue puddle as possible on the sprue place.
When the mold is hot enough that it takes three or four seconds for the sprue to harden the mold will be hot and you should be getting good bullets.

I am serious about that three or four seconds. After two or three seconds, you should be able to tilt the mold sideways and the sprue be liquid enough to run off the top of the mold.

Most beginner problems are caused by a dirty mold or a cold mold.

.

[mdi]

Yep, clean your mold thoroughly and preheat it. Personally, I'd start with plain wheel weights and air cool them. Measure the diameter of the bullets as they come from the mold (not immediately, let 'em cool [smilie=1:) Different alloys will produce different diameters bullets and I don't know what alloy RCBS uses for their specs., and some molds seem to have their own personalities and require fiddling/experimenting with methods to get good bullets (fast pour, slow pour, ladle vs. bottom pour, etc.). I like to run my melt temp about 100 degrees over liquid; it gives me a bullet close to mold size, and with a warm mold I have no fill-out problems...

[Blammer]

I'd start with regular old WW's nothing extra added and air cool them. I use this method and push my 44's to about 1350fps with no leading and a plain base boolit.

It is pleanty good for hunting. See.... :)

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/2012%20Deer/DSCN8826.jpg

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/2008%20Deer/DSCN7394.jpg

[runfiverun]

i remember when blammer got that 1-1 pointer.
he was pretty torn up about having to use regular ww's [some regular ol 2400] and didn't have to fancify stuff.
he did have to make the shot however.

[Larry Gibson]

The quality (percentage of actual lead, antimony and tin) of COWWs will vary not only in locale but various sections of the country. WWs are not made by one company to one "standard". Many COWWs are recycled WWs so the % of antimony and tin are usually less. Usually though COWWs have plenty of antimony and are short on tin. Thus, it's hard to say if the WWs you have and whether or not they will cast good bullets of nominal (.429 - .430+ for the RCBS mould).

As mentioned you can simply try the WWs you have and see. However, I pretty much just add 2% tin to my COWWs I have collected in the last 10 years or so. This has consistently gotten me an excellent alloy that will give an AC'd BHN of 14 - 17, with 16-17 being most common, after 7 - 10 days of aging. Adding the 2% tin brings the tin level to a better match with the antimony in the COWWs. Adding tin not only helps the fill out but also makes the antimony go into solution much better in the lead which will give a much better alloy. Once you have the basic COWWs + 2% tin alloy you can stretch it by adding 10 - 50% lead depending on the level of 44 loads you're using if you want to.

You do not have to WQ COWWs with or w/o tin added for magnum level .44 Magnum loads. That RCBS is an excellent bullet and one which I use extensively in my .44s (3 revolvers and a Contender) for general shooting with mid range and magnum loads.

Larry Gibson

[243winxb]

The Taracorp Magnum alloy works well @ 15 BHN,air cooled. http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/joe1944usa/Firearms%20%20and%20%20Reloading/AlloyBlending1.jpg

[MtGun44]

No need for harder than AC wwts. If you have fill out problems, add some solder, as
William said. Great choice of mold. Use NRA 50-50 or LBT soft blue or equivalent and
size to THROAT diam or +.001 and you will be set, unless the gun has dimensional
issues. Just try it and see what Mr. Target says.

Std answer to New Caster question #1: Because your mold is dirty and too cold. ALWAYS.

Best of luck. Scrub the mold with a tooth brush and dish detergent. I normally recommend
Comet for Lee molds, it cleans well and helps remove burrs. RCBS molds don't have burrs.

Bill

[fireguy715]

Thanks for all of the great info. I'm thinking I might ad a bit of tin,(I do have quite a bit of bar solder I picked up from a scrap yard). My next question is what i JPW and Do I coat the bullets , I mean boolits before sizing and lube? and does the lube go on before sizing? Thanks again.

[MT Chambers]

Did ya shoot the antlers off that deer?

[fireguy715]

One more question. Can I measure the bore on the muzzle with my dial head caliper,(I think the inside diameter part will fit between the rifling) or do I have to get a slug kit?

[Charlie Two Tracks]

You can slug the bore and or cylinder throats with a egg fishing sinker that is just a little bit bigger than the throats or you can make some boolits out of pure lead and use them. I don't use Johnson Paste wax except for making the 45-45-10 lube. I don't know what type of lube you are going to use. You can go to the lube section and find out how to make 45-45-10 or any of a number of lubes. These old hands here, know about casting and getting things to work. You really ought to spend a bunch of time reading the stuff they have come up with. Welcome to a great site. Just measuring the end of the barell will not show you if there is a constriction where the barrel and frame screw together. Odds are, the barrel will be good but the throats can be different sized. Check both though.

[Blammer]

lube BEFORE sizing

yes I did shoot the antlers of of it, It WAS an 11 point.

oh wait it still is! :)

[PbHurler]

Mmmmmmm,

Venison-veal, I'll bet this one was a great eater!

[mdi]

Sounds like you could use a copy of Lyman's 3rd Edition Cast Bullet Handbook (the 4th Edition is current but the 3rd is better for a beginner, unless you're into black powder cartridge shooting).