Cast my first boolits!

[Miller]

Finally got around to casting my first boolits. They are not prefect so will probably will end up back in the pot. These are the best 10 out of my first 40 attempts ever at casting. Using a single cavity Lyman mold.
http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo215/BWMiller07/Mobile%20Uploads/image.jpg (http://s377.photobucket.com/user/BWMiller07/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image.jpg.html)

[Rushthezeppelin]

Not too shabby for first time, I'm only a few casting sessions ahead of you though. I looked up all the advice I could absorb in the past few months before pulling the plug on my casting setup, yet I still had some pretty miserable looking examples in that first batch lol. Just keep tweaking your procedure and you'll figure out what works for your pot/alloy/mold combination. Looks like your getting bullets sticking in your molds a bit though, at least I think that's what those scuff marks are from I also see on my bullets. I assume you are using a Lee mold of some sort? Might want to check out the "Leementing" procedure for polishing up your mold, I'm probably going to do so myself tonight as I'm getting some pretty nasty stickers sometimes.

[AlaskanGuy]

Nice work sir.... Next time you will get more.... Just get a rhythm going and spend a couple hours, and dont look at the boolits till you have cast about 100... Then pause, and make adjustments, and continue casting....

[Randy C]

I think if you get every ting little hotter and keep it that way you will get what you want.

They look good for the first time. I've only casted a few times and I had my fair share that come out like that, I've learned to use my thermometer and keep it off the bottom of the pot I get a accurate temperature that way I use a hot plate to get mould up to temp and get a good steady pace going and try not to stop if you get everything working wright.

[cs86]

Those look pretty good for starting out. I would say before you throw them back in the pot, check the size and make sure they are +.001 or .002 larger then your barrel groove diameter, lube them and shoot them. Its good to do about 10 of them. If they don't work it's not as many to pull.

[Hickok]

I am going to give you a big "Atta boy Miller!" What part of WV you call home?

[Animal]

Very cool ain't it? When my first boolits dropped from the mold, I felt like I had super powers! I transformed a heap of scrap into little shiny boolits!

[Shiloh]

Loaded them and fired any yet??

SHiloh

[Miller]

I live outside of a Buckhannon.

I need to measure the 500 to see if they are close in size. Need to find some large riffle primers for them. My dies just came with the mold so I haven't had a chance to load any.

Thanks! Can't wait to try my first castboolits.

[Hickok]

Miller, I am only a little over an hour away from Buchannon. Good to have you here!

[Teddy (punchie)]

Hi Barry

I see you doing OK with casting. Nice Job, they look great.

You also have to break the mold in to. Season if you will.

What are you shooting them out of, looks like 44?

Hey each mold is different, so keep that in mind, some hot some not so hot, cooler the faster you can cast. If too hot you have to wait before you can knock the casting(s) loose. I have been using a back of a screwdriver to tap them loose a not knocking on the molds, some at right temp just fall out. I use a foil roasting pan to have them land in, softens the fall, catches all of the extra lead falling off.

Hey were you looking for some 31141 cast bullets? There was someone a few months ago that was looking to shoot a 30/30 I think for there wife. ??

Teddy

[Miller]

Thanks Teddy! Those are for the S&W 500 my wife got me as a birthday present! Best wife ever.

That was me looking for something in 30/30. I got side tracked on that project and need to get moving again.

[osteodoc08]

Looks good. My only suggestion is to preheat your mold and if you didn't add any tin, add 1-2% assuming you're using COWW. Front row far left looks like a wrinkle from not enough heat in the mold.


Now how ya plan on lubing and sizing(if at all)?

Keep up the good work and welcome to the addiction.

[TXGunNut]

They'll shoot just fine! Shoot them and go cast some more, they'll get better.

[hickfu]

Nice job on first time cast boolits!!! keep up the good work, you will only get better


Doc

[Miller]

I haven't gotten that far in the process yet. I purchased an old Lyman 45 lube sizer. Not sure if it is capable of sizing and lubing bullets of this size. If not I'll have to get another lube sizer.

I believe the wrinkles might be mold and lead temp. In the beginning the bullets where not filling out very well but after about 20 cast I got these. I will see about getting some tin and adding 1-2% to see if that helps.

I need to buy a hardness tester as I don't believe the lead I have it hard enough but I'm a rookie so I figure a hardness tester is my best bet.

[Walter Laich]

Heck, fire! Load those puppies up and shot them.
As you cast more and more you can begin to be choosey but nothing wrong with the ones in the picture

[osteodoc08]

I haven't gotten that far in the process yet. I purchased an old Lyman 45 lube sizer. Not sure if it is capable of sizing and lubing bullets of this size. If not I'll have to get another lube sizer.

I believe the wrinkles might be mold and lead temp. In the beginning the bullets where not filling out very well but after about 20 cast I got these. I will see about getting some tin and adding 1-2% to see if that helps.

I need to buy a hardness tester as I don't believe the lead I have it hard enough but I'm a rookie so I figure a hardness tester is my best bet.

Should lube and size them just fine. You have to buy different sizer inserts, so be aware of that. Lots of great lubes out there. Randy Rat sells Some that I've been having good luck with recently. A very reasonable sum too.

Don't worry about hardness. Fit is king. A properly fitted boolit should do well in all except your uber magnum super velocity handguns. All my rifles are gas checked.

Keep up the good work.

[IDSS]

Congrats! That really is a good feeling to see your own homemade boolits piling up a they fall out of the mold.
I'd shoot those. It would take a really ugly boolit to make me not want shoot one of the first.

[10mmShooter]

Good job Miller, size those puppies up and loadem up and shoot and repeat

[histed]

Nice looking boolits, Miller. I just started myself. Did one batch of mini balls that still need shot and about 100 358 for my Model 19. My 358 dropped 3585, slightly larger than the Missouri I was shooting. Let us know how they shoot.

[Cherokee]

Good job, my first efforts 50 years ago were not as good. Practice and let the mold season and results will improve. For me, I would call those good enough to shoot.

[snuffy]

I agree with the others, those will shoot, just not match boolits. Additional tin 1-2% and a hotter mold will produce some nice boolits.

What weight are they? I have the lee 440 grain, which is a 640-RNFP nose configuration;

99983

Boolits on the right hand side are the .501 440 grainers. The others are 310GR. 44's.

I also have a RCBS 375GR. that looks remarkably like your boolits.

[Miller]

I agree with the others, those will shoot, just not match boolits. Additional tin 1-2% and a hotter mold will produce some nice boolits.

What weight are they? I have the lee 440 grain, which is a 640-RNFP nose configuration;

99983

Boolits on the right hand side are the .501 440 grainers. The others are 310GR. 44's.

I also have a RCBS 375GR. that looks remarkably like your boolits.
Lyman 375 grain.

Next time I cast I'll try to get the mold hotter. Need to see about getting some tin.

[RBDAVE]

What makes them even better is when you have a successful hunt with home cast and loaded boolits. Probably a good idea to size them, either lee push thru and pan lube or lubesizer. They look fine and if they will load in your brass and chamber they should fire fine. Most of us have fired a LOT WORSE looking boolits than those pictured!!