Nardoo
03-24-2008, 02:09 AM
Just a quick report on Boomer's 462-420.
Being my first Lee 6 banger I read up on all the threads whilst waiting for it to do the 12,000 mile trip down under. I contacted Dan and some terrific Bull shop lube made the trip south too.
When the mould arrived I did all the modifications suggested. I inserted a hardened screw under the sprue cam, drilled out the sprue retaining bolt and fitted a locked through bolt and cleaned up any burrs as best I could.
I added some Bull shop lube and set to.
Well, the first session was a bit of a flop. My good old RCBS ladle melted (don't ask) so I was forced to bottom pour. The bullets were not dropping and the thermostat on my pot was playing up so I abandoned ship for the day. I made up some laps from the best bullets and spent a profitable couple of hours lapping the cavities. The one positive was the way the Bull plate lube smoothed out the sprue plate movement. It is a winner Dan.
The following day was better. My mould likes to run hot and before long I had a pile of the prettiest bullets you have ever seen.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/nardoo/Picture231.jpg
Well, not that pretty as you can see by the picture, because my particular alloy hates being bottom poured and many of the bullets displayed a nasty but superficial rash. I must have some terrible element in my alloy as I can only get really pretty bullets if I use a ladle. The rash never seems to upset accuracy and weight consistancy is not effected.
My alloy is WW plus 4% tin and these bullets dropped out right on 401 grains plus or minus 1 grain. Wheel weights down here are pretty hard. Diameter was .4625" and no bullet was more than .001" out of round. All cavities were very similar and I could not detect any variation. Thank you Mr Lee. (I thought I would never say that[smilie=1:)
Next step was to hone My .461" sizer die out to a touch over .462" which took the best part of another hour. The RCBS gas checks are a snug fit but seated beautifully and with the addition of some of my home made moly lube started to look like a hunting bullet. The bands were just kissed lightly by the sizer die and came out nice and round.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/nardoo/Picture245.jpg
Next to the loading bench. The good part was I did not have to size the cases. Just prime, fill with powder, flare the mouth a touch and push those fat bullets in with firm thumb pressure. I used my crimp die to hold them in and I was ready yo go. My plan for these bullets was for full power hunting loads in my Ruger #1 45/70. Our deer are bigger than northern deer and I customarily use a .375 H&H so you will excuse me if these loads seem a little over the top. AR 2206 is a beaut Aussie powder much like your IMR 3031 and H4895. My Ruger loves it so I loaded up a few rounds of 50 gns, 52 gns, 54 gns and a compressed load of 56 gns. Luckily I have an old friend who lives a couple of miles up the road with a big property so this morning I threw some stuff in the truck and took off.
I set my little bench up and placed the targets a 50 metres. I know it is close but it is easier to track group size at this distant and check the good ones at 100 m later. (Some of my early loads would not hit a refrigerator at 100m so 50 m is prudent for me.)
I fired 3 shots of each load with no sighters or foulers. This lovely barrel never needs them. Results were:
50 gns 2206 Ave. 1780 fps. 1 1/2" at 50 m. mild
52 gns 2206 Ave. 1870 fps. 5/8" at 50 m. sharpish
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/nardoo/Picture222.jpg
54 gns 2206 Ave. 1920 fps. 5/8" at 50 m. (2 bullets in one hole!) still OK
56 gns 2206 Ave. 1990 fps. 1 1/4" at 50 m. getting uncomfortable, beginning to string?
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/nardoo/Picture221.jpg
Well as you can see these bullets shoot well in my Ruger 45/70. I salute you Mr 45 2.1 - you can certainly design bullets. I have yet to test these bullets at longer ranges but I hope to be able to settle on the 54 grain load with perhaps a 56 grain load as first shot when hunting sambar. I plan to test them out on ferals as this alloy may be a bit hard yet. I have pushed the 405 gn RCBS bullet (Beagled to .461") at 1900 fps with good accuracy using 70/30 WW and pure lead plus 2% tin and the bullets hang together. The straight WW' alloy may be a bit brittle so some more testing is in order.
Nardoo
Being my first Lee 6 banger I read up on all the threads whilst waiting for it to do the 12,000 mile trip down under. I contacted Dan and some terrific Bull shop lube made the trip south too.
When the mould arrived I did all the modifications suggested. I inserted a hardened screw under the sprue cam, drilled out the sprue retaining bolt and fitted a locked through bolt and cleaned up any burrs as best I could.
I added some Bull shop lube and set to.
Well, the first session was a bit of a flop. My good old RCBS ladle melted (don't ask) so I was forced to bottom pour. The bullets were not dropping and the thermostat on my pot was playing up so I abandoned ship for the day. I made up some laps from the best bullets and spent a profitable couple of hours lapping the cavities. The one positive was the way the Bull plate lube smoothed out the sprue plate movement. It is a winner Dan.
The following day was better. My mould likes to run hot and before long I had a pile of the prettiest bullets you have ever seen.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/nardoo/Picture231.jpg
Well, not that pretty as you can see by the picture, because my particular alloy hates being bottom poured and many of the bullets displayed a nasty but superficial rash. I must have some terrible element in my alloy as I can only get really pretty bullets if I use a ladle. The rash never seems to upset accuracy and weight consistancy is not effected.
My alloy is WW plus 4% tin and these bullets dropped out right on 401 grains plus or minus 1 grain. Wheel weights down here are pretty hard. Diameter was .4625" and no bullet was more than .001" out of round. All cavities were very similar and I could not detect any variation. Thank you Mr Lee. (I thought I would never say that[smilie=1:)
Next step was to hone My .461" sizer die out to a touch over .462" which took the best part of another hour. The RCBS gas checks are a snug fit but seated beautifully and with the addition of some of my home made moly lube started to look like a hunting bullet. The bands were just kissed lightly by the sizer die and came out nice and round.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/nardoo/Picture245.jpg
Next to the loading bench. The good part was I did not have to size the cases. Just prime, fill with powder, flare the mouth a touch and push those fat bullets in with firm thumb pressure. I used my crimp die to hold them in and I was ready yo go. My plan for these bullets was for full power hunting loads in my Ruger #1 45/70. Our deer are bigger than northern deer and I customarily use a .375 H&H so you will excuse me if these loads seem a little over the top. AR 2206 is a beaut Aussie powder much like your IMR 3031 and H4895. My Ruger loves it so I loaded up a few rounds of 50 gns, 52 gns, 54 gns and a compressed load of 56 gns. Luckily I have an old friend who lives a couple of miles up the road with a big property so this morning I threw some stuff in the truck and took off.
I set my little bench up and placed the targets a 50 metres. I know it is close but it is easier to track group size at this distant and check the good ones at 100 m later. (Some of my early loads would not hit a refrigerator at 100m so 50 m is prudent for me.)
I fired 3 shots of each load with no sighters or foulers. This lovely barrel never needs them. Results were:
50 gns 2206 Ave. 1780 fps. 1 1/2" at 50 m. mild
52 gns 2206 Ave. 1870 fps. 5/8" at 50 m. sharpish
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/nardoo/Picture222.jpg
54 gns 2206 Ave. 1920 fps. 5/8" at 50 m. (2 bullets in one hole!) still OK
56 gns 2206 Ave. 1990 fps. 1 1/4" at 50 m. getting uncomfortable, beginning to string?
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p317/nardoo/Picture221.jpg
Well as you can see these bullets shoot well in my Ruger 45/70. I salute you Mr 45 2.1 - you can certainly design bullets. I have yet to test these bullets at longer ranges but I hope to be able to settle on the 54 grain load with perhaps a 56 grain load as first shot when hunting sambar. I plan to test them out on ferals as this alloy may be a bit hard yet. I have pushed the 405 gn RCBS bullet (Beagled to .461") at 1900 fps with good accuracy using 70/30 WW and pure lead plus 2% tin and the bullets hang together. The straight WW' alloy may be a bit brittle so some more testing is in order.
Nardoo