Which is easier to cast- large or small boolits

[snaketail]

I'm planning on buying a new lever gun (yea me!). I'm down to 25-20 vs 32-20. I'm wondering which will be easier to cast boolits for...are the larger ones easier to cast than the smaller ones?

Not hunting with either rifle - just shooting for fun.

M

[Beagle333]

I am finding smaller is easier to cast, personally. Good luck with it! :D

[tg32-20]

I cast for both cartridges and find there is no difference between the two.
Sure you might have a mold that casts better or worse but not because of the caliber.
There are certainly more boolit options available in the 32-20 as opposed to the 25-20,
plus brass is much easier to find in the 32-20. Yes, you can form 25-20 from 32-20 brass but
I have never been completely successful with trying to do it.

Both cartridges are lot of fun to shoot and either would be great.
Just my thoughts,
Tom

[runfiverun]

if you follow the keep the mold up to temp mantra small boolits ain't all that hard to cast.
I do find I have to fill the cavity's with a slower stream of lead, and pour a fairly big sprue.
keep the mold moving open, close, open, close.
do not worry about the sprue cooling off, just keep the thing moving.

[xacex]

Casting is one thing, but putting on lube, paper patching, or putting on a gas check is another thing to consider. Larger boolits are much easier( for me) to work with than tiny tic tac boolits. If that is not a consideration I actually find casting smaller boolits easier.

[turmech]

I don't currently cast anything smaller than 30 caliber, and it could just be me, but I find the larger calibers are easier to cast. It could be my molds,my technique, or in my head I suppose. All molds have made good bullets but the larger ones seem to do a little better for me anyway. I seem to get a little more rejects the smaller the caliber.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I really like making the smaller boolits...like 22 cal.
But it is more challenging, especially when you include the GC and Lubesizing those tiny things, I like to use the old Ideal/Lyman #1 lubesizer for those, there is just more finger room and less metal to block the natural light.
Accuracy is much more dependent on perfect boolits for the smaller ones than the larger ones...So close inspection is necessary, which adds another step.

[10x]

Little boolits are difficult for big fingers to pickup, put on a GC and handle in general...
But with a hot alloy, hot clean molds, a large sprue, and the right casting sequence they can be right pretty boolits and very accurate.
37 grain hornet bullets come to mind...

[marada]

both are not hard to do if you keep the temp right.

[Artful]

OK, my experience is limited to .257 to .458 - to me the smaller boolits are harder to get to shoot well (256 win mag in T/C Contender) - I find 7mm thru 38 caliber easiest to cast for - the truly large (over 300 grains) can have over heating problems with molds unless you watch your pot temp and casting rate especially in single cavity mold. The other problem is it really eats your lead supply.

I had to use bamboo tweezers or medical clamp to load 25 acp 'cuz my fingers were too large and got in the way.

[Bret4207]

Were it me, and I have both 25 and 32 WCF, I'd get the 32 first. There's nothing harder to cast about 25's really, but QC is more difficult IMO and handling them surely is. The 32 is lots easier to get shooting good too IME.

[.22-10-45]

I find casting .22, 6mm, .25 & .30 rifle calibers, and all pistol calibers from .32WCF, thru .45 L.C. to be relaxing..a nice even pace seems to work best & keep mould at constant temp. It's those heavy .40 thru .45 rifle moulds that are tiring..once those big blocks come up to temp. there's a wait for that sprue to properly harden before cutting. resting cutter on copper or aluminum heat sink does help speed things up.

[bbqncigars]

Bigger boolits cast better for me, either bottom pour or ladle. That said, I shoot so much 25-20 that I just buy commercial by the 1000. The AP just loves to load the little darlings. If you go the smaller route, buy at least 500 brass when you can.

[Cherokee]

I would go with the 32-20, love that little cartridge. Easy to cast for, lot of selection, don't really need gas checks for normal loads.

[besk]

I have cast bullets only in the .357 size with both Lee aluminum molds and the Lyman iron molds. It seems that maybe the aluminum molds are easier to use regardless of bullet size.

A small imperfection with a small 22 cal bullet would seem to me to affect accuracy more than a 300gr 45 cal. pill.

[TXGunNut]

One bonus to the 32-20 is that your mould also drops a nice plinking boolit for your 30-30. Don't have a 30-30? You will. ;-)

[snaketail]

No 30-30 yet, but I'm searching for just the right one.
I did some internet shopping. 32-20 brass is easier to find than 25-20, but both are available. I guess it will come down to the individual rifle as to which comes home with me.
Thanks guys.
M