OK to shoot cast boolits with small dross flecks in non-band areas?

[kenn]

.452 SWC boolit: I cast a bunch of bullets today using ladle pour method. Even though I constantly flux, I still get fast buildup of small amounts of dross. Today, I just kept going once I had my mold up to temp and casted about 350 bullets. There was dross especially toward the end but I ignored it and kept charging forward as I was trying to keep the lead/mold temperature dance orchestrated. Bottom line is a lot of boolits have black specs on the nose, side of the cone, and between driving bands. Any black spots on the outer part of the bands went back to the pot...

Are there any concerns with damaging the barrel with dross flecks in the cast boolits? They're not huge and all over the place but just about every bullet has 1 or 2 small ones somewhere. I'm assuming shooting the ones that are dross free in the bands will be fine as they won't contact the barrel.

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

Based on your description, it wouldn't worry me. Doesn't sound like they would make contact with the barrel anyway. Some pics might be helpful though.

[62chevy]

When you flux are you using saw dust, candle wax or beeswax and are you scraping the sides and bottom with with wood like a paint stirrer??? I smelt and cast in the same pot but makes sure the pot is squeaky clean before casting.

You could always use those boolits for firelapping. I'd toss 'em back and get the lead clean first, guns cost to much to take a chance on hurting the barrel.

[Tatume]

They will be fine to shoot. Sawdust doesn't work well when ladle casting.

The RCBS ladle has a flat blade on the bottom. Use it to pull the surface of the melt to one side, then immediately dip in the cleared area. This will allow you to use clean alloy from beneath the surface. Flux and clean your alloy when the material on the surface builds up too much to be easily cleared.

The RCBS ladle is also a bottom-pour ladle, which help keep any floating material out of your molds.

[GhostHawk]

It is a dance but it only takes a few seconds to grab the spoon and get a bunch of it out of the way.

I've never used sawdust with a ladle, might be ok for bottom pours. I flux once as it comes up to temp, clean most of the **** off the top then just use the spoon often enough to keep a clean spot to dip in.

[62chevy]

I use the ladle to cast with and have no problem with using sawdust to flux with. Even leave a little ash on top to help keep the oxidation down with no problem and even use the Lee ladle to cast with. You need a clean pot and clean alloy. Those boolits may do just fine and not damage his barrel at all but why take the chance when cleaning the pot is so easy to do. Just my 2 cents.

[mdi]

Really, you can shoot any wrinkled, round shouldered oblong, crooked base bullet. Just don't expect any accuracy and you might get severe leading.

When I ladle cast, I used the ladle to push the dross off the top of the melt before I dip, getting only clean lead. Keep fluxing and keep a wooden stick handy to stir the melt. Also you can allow the gunk to settle on top and skim....

[kenn]

I should have noted I'm using a Redding #1 bottom pour. The sawdust, as mentioned above, is hard at times to get out as it seems to stick to the bottom and sides and just when I think I'm clean, a little agitation of the molten lead brings up some more. I think I may get a bottom pour and use the magnum melter to make ingots and just flux and flux and flux and try to get very clean ingots for the bottom pour.

[popper]

Stir & scrape a lot before casting when using sawdust or litter. It doesn't automagically float to the top. Won't hurt your barrel, just your ego. Get a good SS putty knife that will reach the bottom & a good slotted SS spoon.

[kenn]

Stir & scrape a lot before casting when using sawdust or litter. It doesn't automagically float to the top. Won't hurt your barrel, just your ego. Get a good SS putty knife that will reach the bottom & a good slotted SS spoon.

Putty knife... great idea to use that to scrape as the spoon is a PITA.

[JWFilips]

I made one of these scrapers up with an old stainless ruler when I started out. Put a little radius on one of the bottom edges to fit corner of my pot. Not only does it do the bottom sides & corner it is easy to scrape junk trapped on the bottom and bring it up the sides. I'm using a Lee 20 lb bottom pour pot
107499

[mdi]

FWIW; I found some "wooden shims" at the hardware store that are perfect for stirring/scraping a pot. They are rough cut, 1" wide by 12 " long and one end is 3/8" tapers to a point at the other end. I got a bundle of, mebbe 2 dozen for about $5.00. I flux with sawdust, stir/scrape well with a shim, and leave the ash/dross/stuff to float on the top (bottom pour). During casting I'll stir occasionally to keep alloy "mixed"...