58 cal minie

[milltownhunter]

i got a lyman 58 cal#575213 460gr mold is there anyway to get the hollow base all perfect i get some voids in the back of the base at the point end of the hollow end i get about 1/2 that are perfect

[Rattus58]

Let your mold cool before opening up might help and pour it really hot has worked best for me with big bullets. You're always going to get some that have cracks, voids or swirls.

Aloha... Tom :cool:

[milltownhunter]

thanks

[StrawHat]

When I cast minies (or any HB or HP boolit) I get the mold and melt quite a bit hotter than needed for solids. I cast with two molds and as fast as I can. While one is freezing the other is being filled.

For me, it works.

[Buckshot]

...............I file the point off the top of the base cavity plug. This makes a BIG difference in castability. I got voids to beat the band, but hardly any anymore. What made me try it was casting the Lyman 575213 P-H Minie'. This is a 566gr slug and it has a shallow HB with a broad flat top to the cavity. I got zero voids or fillout issues when using it. I don't file the others down like that one naturally, but just file a 1/8" flat on top.

As others have said, cast hot and pour a good sprue. I was having a problem with the Lyman 575611 which is a 530gr thicker skirted Minie', and I ended up putting a 1/4" thick aluminum sprueplate on it with a 90* countersink on the spruehole so it holds a ton of hot alloy over the spruehole. No more problems in fillout.

................Buckshot

[charger 1]

Like Buckshot said. Thicker sprue plate. I'd add to that heat straight from the bowels of hell, and ladle pour... Heck even doin all that with the 577611 I reheat the mold for 5-6 seconds about every third one. If you aint gettin third degree burns you aint castin good minies :veryconfu