Newbie--Sizing Ques.

[kevmc]

Cast first boolits today....HG # 50 .358 146 WC (button nose).
Alloy was about pure lead (soft enough to scratch with fingernail).
Boolits didn't look to bad, but when sizing things went wrong.
Dropped at .3595, .357 size die, LAM2 sizer. TP #429
Sized boolits (now .357) showed smeared lead on sides, almost closing lube grooves and crimp groove mostly gone.
"Extra" lead pushed a "cup" up around nose.

How many things am I doing wrong??

[462]

I'm not familiar with that boolit and the depth of its lube and crimp grooves, but by sizing it down .0025", the lead has to go somewhere.

Why are you sizing so small?

[Buzz64]

Slug your barrel - sounds like a revolver so do cylinder throats too. Bet you don't need to go below .358 for the sizing...but without KNOWING your barrel you (and we) are just guessing.

[runfiverun]

it's basically the same as the 358091 lyman boolit.
there are only a couple of way's to make a mold pour a boolit smaller and you are already using one of them.
i'd be more inclined to make the sizer larger.
and then use a spray in release to make the mold smaller.

one other thing that might be causing the issue also is the older size dies had a step in them instead of a taper and this would smear down a boolit if things weren't perfectly aligned [and sometimes even if they were]

[kevmc]

Revolver is a SW 586...throats slugged at 357, .358 is hard to push thru throats.
I haven't slugged the bbl yet,....

[462]

For revolvers, I size .001" over the fattest cylinder throat.

It may be a good idea to slug the barrel, just to make sure it isn't larger than the cylinder throats. A restriction, where the barrel threads into the frame, is quite common, and can be a cause of leading. Drive a slug into and out of the muzzle, and another just past where the barrel threads into the frame, and compare measurements.

[runfiverun]

the gun isn't the problem, getting good boolits to load is the issue.
nevermind the gun right now.
I would look at opening the sizer to 358 to begin with.
the lead alloy might just be too soft also and you are damaging the boolit from shear in the sizer.
you could try waiting a week and try again the boolits might harden up enough to take the stress.

you might also have good results just getting lube on the boolits and shooting them as they are.

[kevmc]

I opened the sizer to .358 and looks to be working better now.
Bullets have some wrinkles even after mold should be up to temp., mold preheated on hotplate, sprue down.
Melt is at 700*.
50-60 yr old mold prob has some oil in it from somewhere in the past................
Boiling in TSP currently....

[462]

Okay, .358" is much better.

Pre-heat the mould to 375-400 degrees.

[454PB]

If the alloy is truly pure lead, it melts at 621 degrees, and you need it considerably hotter than 700 degrees for good casting.

It sounds to me like you're using too soft an alloy for sizing much.

[kevmc]

After the TSP boil, bullets came out very nice!!! dropped at .3595-.3600.........
alloy (thought to be mostly pure lead) solidified at 637* by a new lyman thermometer.........was casting at 700*
Rechecked throats......avg. .3578, so opened sizer to .359
slugged bbl.... .3565 or as close as I can measure (5 grooves!!!!)
Made a new top punch to fit (big diff!) I think this was the problem with the nose.
Will send 'em down range tomorrow!!!
Also made some FWFL to lube with......