Interesting experience with a new Lee 6 banger... do ya'll have this experience?

[Animal]

I lit the fire and started casting with my new Lee TL-430-240-SWC on Tuesday. I was using a soft mix of 50/50 clip/stick wheel weights since these are destined for my CA .44 special.

Last night, I decided to tumble lube and size these boolits. I ran a few through my .430 Lee die to compare how they fit in the throats to a few unsized boolits. It took quiet a push to get the boolits through. A couple boolits looked like they lost 75% of their lube grooves. The die sized them to an exact .430. The boolits fell through my throats effortlessly.

I then pulled out my Lee .432 sizing die. I was fortunate enough to find this die on ebay about a year ago. I intended to use it for my Ruger Super Redhawk, but I never got around to casting for it.

The boolits went through the die with a fair amount of resistance. The type of resistance I usually expect. I could tell that about half of the boolits were being sized, and some just kissed the die as they passed though.

I never thought I'd need a .432 sizer die for a .430 mold. Does this sort of thing usually happen? or is this a normal characteristic of the alloy I used? This was my first time casting with anything but a strict diet of COWW + 1% tin.

[Pb2au]

It would be interesting to get a measurement of the boolit as cast to understand how much over they are.
Though I can't speak from experience, I am aware of quite a number of folks here using the same alloy as yours.
I have a few of the Lee 6 bangers and in I found that they all cast +0.002" over the advertised diameter with my usual air cooled straight COWW alloy.
While you are measuring, check to see if the boolits are obround. Perhaps the mold is not closing completely by a smidge, thus embiggening the diameter.
(yes, embiggen is real word, in my world anyway)

[Maven]

I just got that very mold a few weeks ago, but it, and the 2 cav. version I used to have, only casts ~.429". That works in my Ruger SBH, but .431" would be better.

Question: If some of the CB's lost 75% of their lube grooves following effortless sizing, were those grooves present in the first place? The reason I ask is that I got poor fill out on ~3/4 of mine until I vented the mold (minor bevel on the top of each block: file followed by 600 grit paper). That cured the problem for that and the TL-358-SWC (158gr.) 6 banger I purchased at the same time.

[Larry Gibson]

Make sure you don't hold onto the sprue handle when pouring. Doing so can spread the blocks apart slightly and give some oversize bullets. I'd guess that's what is happening.

Larry Gibson

[SSGOldfart]

got my new mold 430-240-TL, SWC about two or three weeks back a it drops .430 in the first cav. and .432 in the other I also noticed in the first cav the boolit wanted to stick unless the spruce plate is all the way around as far as it will go, I work this mold much faster then most of the ones I have, guess it just feels good I've gotten 2K or so boolits waiting on Ben's Red now I'm going unsizer as much as I can in the T/C Encore 12"barrel.

[Animal]

I just measured and unsized boolit. It was out of round from .430 to .435. I suppose it makes sense that my .432 sizing die was the answer. My only other Lee mold is a .452 6 banger. It dropped almost perfect concentric boolits between .001 +/-. The .452 made them perfectly round without removing any mass. I assumed this Lee mold was going to provide the same experienced.

All in all, I'm happy with the boolits it drops. .430 was just a little smaller than what I wanted.

Larry, I noticed myself gripping the sprue handle a couple of times. It is easy to do without noticing. I don't know if that had much to do with it or not, but I'm going to pay closer attention next time I'm using it.

[Animal]

I just got that very mold a few weeks ago, but it, and the 2 cav. version I used to have, only casts ~.429". That works in my Ruger SBH, but .431" would be better.

Question: If some of the CB's lost 75% of their lube grooves following effortless sizing, were those grooves present in the first place? The reason I ask is that I got poor fill out on ~3/4 of mine until I vented the mold (minor bevel on the top of each block: file followed by 600 grit paper). That cured the problem for that and the TL-358-SWC (158gr.) 6 banger I purchased at the same time.

The ones that lost about 75% through the die were the ones that I ran through the .430 sizing die. My .432 sizing die was the deal-saver. Yes, the boolits did fill out very well for me. I did notice that it performed best around 750 degrees.

[multigunner76]

My 6 cavity 124 grain TL is throwing small using a alloy that mimics Lyman #2.

[williamwaco]

That happens frequently with Lee 6 cavity molds

I have seen it many times.

For my experience on the MISSING LUBE GROOVES:

See

http://reloadingtips.com/pages/missing_tumble_lube_grooves.htm


,

[Maven]

Animal, 750 deg. works for me as well, particularly if you cast, cut the sprues, drop, and refill the cavities. Don't inspect the droppings until they've cooled. Thanks to williamwaco for that tip!

[gwpercle]

When it comes to boolits and casting You never know what's going to happen. I'm no longer surprised at anything .
As Forrest would say " boolit casting is like a box of chocolates , you just never know what you gonna get! ". If you can get a sizing die for cheap , get it, chances are you will need it one day.