coupla newb question on Lee mold

[Jeffery8mm]

Gonna try to cast a few bullets this weekend. I have a new Lee TL358158-SWC mold. The instructions say to lube the sprue plate with a bullet lube but not to use LLA. The only lube I have is LLA, so what can I substitute, And what is the procedure for lubing the plate?? I have read alot of the Leementing stuff.

Also, can you shoot these bullets as cast and lubed?? Should they drop out of the mold at .357 or .358?? If they drop at .357, will the sizing die bump them up to .358??
Thanks for the help in advance, more questions sure to come!!!!!!

Jeff

[DanM]

You do want to use a drop of LLA on all the screw threads. Steel screws into aluminum need some type of anti-sieze compound on them to keep them from sticking. As for the sprue plate, I just smoke it, or use Rapine Mold Prep, or the Midway/Franklin Drop out. Never had any need for specific sprue plate lube. Shooting TL boolits as cast may work fine. Depends on your gun and that particular mold. I have better results sizing them.

[Cloudpeak]

Gonna try to cast a few bullets this weekend. I have a new Lee TL358158-SWC mold. The instructions say to lube the sprue plate with a bullet lube but not to use LLA. The only lube I have is LLA, so what can I substitute, And what is the procedure for lubing the plate?? I have read alot of the Leementing stuff.

Also, can you shoot these bullets as cast and lubed?? Should they drop out of the mold at .357 or .358?? If they drop at .357, will the sizing die bump them up to .358??
Thanks for the help in advance, more questions sure to come!!!!!!

Jeff

You'll want to lube the sprue plate pivot and the mold block "pins". I use Bull shop sprue plate lube (lower right corner) and would recommend you wait until you get some before casting. You're aluminum Lee mold will thank you. :

http://bullshop.gunloads.com/prices.html

Use the sprue plate lube very sparingly. A little goes a long way.

You'll want to mic your bullet diamter out of each cavity. (I assume you have the 6 cavity?) That's the only way to know what diameter bullets the mold will drop. From my limited experience, Lee 6 cavity molds can drop all sorts of diameters. If the mold drops undersized, you can "Beagle" the mold.

I like to size all of my bullets for uniformity's sake. If a mold block is not fully closed, it can drop oversize bullets and I'd just as soon have uniform diameters.

Cloudpeak

[wiljen]

Until your bullplate lube arrives, you can also "color" the bottom of the spure plate with a Pencil or welders soapstone. these help but aren't as good as the bullplate stuff.

[MtGun44]

+1 on BullPlate lube. "Don't cast without it" :drinks:

Bill