update from the new guy

[Indiana shooter]

Last night my friend gave me back my freshly modified lee 310-430 mold. He said he took .123 thousands off. After work I cleaned the mold, smoked it and did a short casting session (92 good boolits). I then pulled 50 random boolits and weighed them. The average weight is 257 gr the heaviest is 258 gr the lightest is 254.5. All that's left is loading some up and seeing how they do. Oh but darn I don't have any unloaded brass. ... guess i have an excuse to go to the range this weekend:-P

[histed]

Welcome to the forum. Pictures, IS, pictures - we like to drool

[Bodean98]

Hello IS.
Another noob to the forum here.
I had considered doing that very thing to mine but was too chicken! I have gotten very good accuracy with the GC 310 gr. Actually it is the most accurate boolit I have ever shot in my Redhawk. My mold casts at .432 and drops 307 gr +/-.
Please keep us posted as to results. I am very interested.

[Indiana shooter]

Bodean, I have tried loading some 300 gr xtps but couldn't get the velocity up enough to get my sights lined up. I also tried some factory loads in 300 gr with the same result. I was, however, attracted by the over generous meplat of this boolit.

Like I said, right now I have to go to the range and free up some brass to load with (what a shame) so I probably wont have an update until at least Wednesday or Thursday.

[Bullwolf]

Hello IS.
Another noob to the forum here.
I had considered doing that very thing to mine but was too chicken! I have gotten very good accuracy with the GC 310 gr. Actually it is the most accurate boolit I have ever shot in my Redhawk. My mold casts at .432 and drops 307 gr +/-.
Please keep us posted as to results. I am very interested.

You could always split the difference, and only do one cavity.

I wanted to get a lighter PB boolit from my Lee C430-310-RF. I really hate to use gas checks, unless I absolutely have to.

Heres the boolit with Gas Check shank, (GC) and converted to Plain Base (PB)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=66528&d=1365215718

Rather than just opening up the GC shank, I milled the GC shank off the boolit entirely. Enlarging the GC shank would probably give you a nice thicker bottom base band though, but boolits would have likely ended up being heavier than 310 grains.

I wanted something around 250-260 grain for my 3 inch Smith 629 backpacker, and for use in 44 Special as well, but I also wanted to keep the 310 GC boolits for rifle and heavy Dan Wesson 44 Magnum loads.

Cast Bullet weights:
With GC shank weight 306 grains cast from 50% pure lead - 50% hardball alloy.
With GC shank weight 282 grains cast using my mix of mostly Mono/Linotype.
PB no GC shank weight 265 grains cast from 50% pure lead - 50% hardball.
PB no GC shank weight 246-248gr cast from straight Linotype.

I'm embarrassed to admit that while I have loaded a few of these plain based boolits in both 44 Magnum and 44 Special, I haven't got around to shooting any of them yet. Sorry about that, and the lack of a range report.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=129810&d=1423126626

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=129811&d=1423126513

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=129812&d=1423126800

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=129813&d=1423126753



Here's a trick borrowed from gearnasher (along with the images) that's so simple it's practically brilliant. Easy way to shorten up, or PB one cavity in a dual cavity mould.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19214&d=1264398989

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19213&d=1264398946

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19212&d=1264398869




- Bullwolf

[Bodean98]

IS,
Thanks, I'll be watching for it. I was looking to use that big meplat also but at the same time try to conserve as much alloy as I could. Most of my shooting doesn't require that heavy a boolit. Bullwolf's shortened ones came out around 265 gr. which is closer to what I think I would like.
Bullwolf,
Man them are some purrty boolits!!! How on earth can you bring yourself to actually shoot them? I have not progressed to that level of purty yet. I'll have to keep working at it!
Thanks for the tips.

[303Guy]

Not only great looking boolits and cases but great photo's too!

[Bullwolf]

Thank you for compliment on my boolits and pics. Those 44 Special plain bases were more proof of concept boolits, rather than my everyday shooting loads.

They were also something of a cheat, and cast from straight Linotype which is why they are so shiny. Makes them much harder than is needed for 44 special, or even 44 Magnum boolits too.

I like to cast the first boolits from a new mould from straight Lino, since I originally learned how to cast with Linotype, and I know how its going to act. Doing this gives me something of a baseline idea of how mould will cast, and the maximum size I can expect boolits to drop using a high tin/antimony alloy.

The majority of my shooting boolits are not cast from this tin rich expensive alloy anymore. In my lifetime though I have cast, and put downrange MANY pounds of print type boolits while simply target shooting.

Because the Linotype boolits are stupid hard, and don't oxidize very much.... I find they make durable test & measuring boolits, photo op boolits, and dummy setup cartridges with. I still shoot a few of them still, to see if a certain load may benefit from a harder alloy.

Nickel cases don't easily tarnish, and are awfully quick to spot. I sometimes use them to help differentiate loads. I can tell at a glance if the load is a test boolit, a HP, or regular shooting ammunition.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=52393&d=1305608071

The nickle cases are also nice to keep in a leather cartridge belt, as the nickel doesn't corrode and turn green. I personally think that they clean up easier too. I can't remember ever having to pull a box of nickel cases to tumble again because they were starting to get funky.

My plain old brass cases don't seem to wear out very easily though, and I think they load better. It sure seems like they don't split as often on me.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=52392&d=1305608071

Course after that's been said, I have a few nickel cases that I've loaded so many times that I've worn the nickel plating almost completely off, so like everything else, it depends.

My regular diluted hardball alloy casts no where near as shiny and pretty, but the hardness is more realistic for mild 44 Magnum, and 44 Special loads as well.

Print type alloys can be hard enough to actually make brittle boolits, if not diluted some with pure lead. They behave much differently than my softer 50/50 mix of Hardball and Pure lead alloy does when it comes to sprues, loading, shooting, and the target.

My 50/50 Alloy (50% hardball/50% pure) works just fine for most things I shoot. It starts to cast well when mould temps are high enough that you start getting frosted boolits.

My regular shooting boolits tend to be frosted.

As has been said in other threads... Folks that are new to cast boolits please keep realistic expectations. Not all great shooting boolits are shiny, nor do they need to be.

Boolits cast at cooler temps tend to be more shiny than ones cast hot, or even water dropped ones. In my experience boolits cast at cooler temps also have a wider range of weight fluctuation as well.

Extremely polished shiny brass, and boolits won't shoot any better (and sometimes may even shoot worse) than dull looking ones. They are just fun for brag pics.

A few of the clear close up boolit pics I've viewed here, really show how well some of our highly skilled members are able to cast. Yes, I'm talking about you here Cbrick.

I'm not above hand picking a few brightly tumbled nickel cases either, or a cylinder full of Linotype boolits for pictures, but my real life shooting stuff will more often be found in plain old brass cases, and using my 50/50 alloy. They may look plain and dull, but they shoot just fine.



Regular old shooting grade stuff. When I actually do get off my backside to buy brand new brass, It's Starline, and it's not nickel plated.




- Bullwolf

[762 shooter]

Some one could make some money off of me if they did a boolit calender.

Just saying.

762

[Wayne Smith]

So you are unscrewing the sprue plate each time you change boolits? How well does Lee's soft alumunium hold up? Any chance of getting two single cavity sprue plates?

[Bullwolf]

So you are unscrewing the sprue plate each time you change boolits? How well does Lee's soft alumunium hold up? Any chance of getting two single cavity sprue plates?

Those images were not what I did. The half milled Lee 6.5 mould was done by gearnasher back in 2011 in another thread about page 2, post #25.

(http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?103567-Milling-Down-The-LEE-6-5mm-Cruise-Missile-Mold-Best-Sized-Bullet&p=1133289&viewfull=1#post1133289)Milling Down The LEE 6.5mm Cruise Missile Mold - Best Sized Bullet ? (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?103567-Milling-Down-The-LEE-6-5mm-Cruise-Missile-Mold-Best-Sized-Bullet&p=1133289&viewfull=1#post1133289)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?103567-Milling-Down-The-LEE-6-5mm-Cruise-Missile-Mold-Best-Sized-Bullet&p=1133289&viewfull=1#post1133289

I just admired the innovation, as it's more versatile than milling a whole mould down. It can also be done by yourself, (rather than a machinist) if you are a little bit handy. It's an amazingly simple and effective idea, which was why I re-posted it.

At the rate I load and shoot 44 Magnum, I would just cast up a large enough pile of both styles of boolits that it would be a long time before I needed to swap the sprue plate back and forth again. I don't see it being much of an issue for me either as I also cast with a pretty loose sprue plate. If it became problematic, I'd likely add a set screw or something.

You make a good point, and had a good idea too Wayne about using 2 single cav sprue plates. I'd bet most of us could scrounge up a pair of older single cavity sprue plates from other moulds and parts lying around, to do something just like what you suggested.




- Bullwolf

[Shuz]

Bullwolf--Great pictures! I have a Lee 310 44 mould that has had the gas check shank milled off like yours and mine casts boolits that weigh 267g. I notice that you fill all grooves with Lars Red. I do the same, because it is my belief that the design, so modified needs that much lube. That design shoots great outta all my .44 mag revolters with 17g of WC 820. Velocity is around 1150fps depending on the gun. Oal is 1.625". Primer is CCI -350 mag. Bhn is 11.

[Bodean98]

IS,
How about some pics of the boolits you cast? I would really like to see some of them.
Hope you got some range time in this last weekend. You got me setting on the edge of my seat!

[Indiana shooter]

Bodean, I have tried posting some pics but can't figure out how, I was able to figure out how to get the pics onto photobucket but can't seem to get them on here.

As far as range time I did get out and free up some brass ( 150 worth) I loaded all 150 back up with the new boolits of varying hardness and powder charges of 4227. I plan on going to the range after work and see what works best.

I also ordered a bullet sizer from midway today for the next batch. I'll keep ya posted.

[runfiverun]

at the top of the quick reply box [4th from the right] there is a picture of a tree.
if you click on it you can bring an image here from photo bucket by right clicking on the image box at photo bucket and putting the url into the box that pops up from clicking on the tree thingy.

[Indiana shooter]

130205

Here's a pic (I think) 1 soft lead that has been tumble lubed a harder lead not lubed and the original boolit. I'm kinda concerned with how small the rear driving band is. The guy that milled down the mold said that i told him to make sure the bevel was gone, well he did.

[Bodean98]

It does look a little narrow on the bottom band doesn't it? I really have no idea if that would be a problem or not. I guess the proof will come with shooting them.

[Indiana shooter]

Bodean, I posted my range results as another thread, if you're still interested. It's titled accuracy results from my modified lee mold, or something like that. I may have a winning load on there check it out.