Lee 459-405HB

[Greg_R]

After giving up on this mould, I decided to try it again today. My last time I could not get the mould to fill and the bullets were wrinkled. Today I turned the temperature control all the way up. I got boolets that while maybe not perfect, at least they are shootable.

I have 2 main questions. 1st, the nose of all the boolets look rough. 2nd, these are averaging between 388 and 389 grains, I cast with wheel weights and and boolets from all my other molds come out weighing more than called for, not less? What am I doing wrong?

Here are some pictures. If you see anything else I'm doing wrong, please let me know. Thanks!
151366

[rintinglen]

Nothing wrong-just that design needs plenty of heat to function properly. Cast as fast as you can with a hot-melt and maybe add a couple percent tin to the alloy. Frankly, the combination of a base plug and Lee's Aluminum Mold Design is not a good idea, but you can work around it.

[ndnchf]

I just bought one of those molds, but the base plug alignment is poor and it will not close properly. I'm sent Lee an email today asking for a replacement. Quite frustrating. Glad to see yours works.

[azrednek]

I just bought one of those molds, but the base plug alignment is poor and it will not close properly. I'm sent Lee an email today asking for a replacement. Quite frustrating. Glad to see yours works.

If the item is still in the catalog. Lee will offer a replacement for 50% of the retail price listed in their catalog. I worked with a Lee hollow base mold 25+ years ago. I had to get the mold very hot but discovered if I just heated just the base plug either with a torch or over a candle for about 30 or so seconds. Most, not all came out wrinkle free.

[brad925]

I have one of these too. The weight is about the same. The rough nose is caused by the spru plate tearing rather than cutting. I modified one of these to a flat base and they ran about 409 - 411gr at .459 -.460 dia.

[Larry Gibson]

I have 2 main questions. 1st, the nose of all the boolets look rough. 2nd, these are averaging between 388 and 389 grains, I cast with wheel weights and and boolets from all my other molds come out weighing more than called for, not less? What am I doing wrong?

This mould was designed many years ago for Lee by Spence Wolf who wanted a bullet to replicate the 1873 45-70 service bullet. It is spec'd for the binary 20-1 alloy which is softer and more ductile than your ternary COWW alloy. The sprue hole is large so you can get the alloy into the mould as fast as possible. That, if the alloy is at the right casting temp, allows the alloy to fill around the HB plug without wrinkles. Your harder ternary alloy with antimony in it will not cut clean with such a large hole.

Second; Your bullets weigh less because the antimony % weighs considerably less that lead or tin.....basically the same bullet case of 20-1 alloy will be heavier, probably very close to the intended 405 gr weight the mould is designed for.

BTW; having cast several thousand of the Lee 405HB bullets I've found using a ladle to be a lot better with less wrinkled bullets than with a bottom pour furnace. I use an old Lyman ladle with the spout hole drilled out larger (to get the alloy into the mould as quick as possible). I see now with the newer Lyman ladle the hole is the same size as I drilled the old one out to.

Larry Gibson

[ndnchf]

Larry - what size is your ladle drilled to?

[Larry Gibson]

Larry - what size is your ladle drilled to?

The 1st one (got in '68) I drilled out to 3/16", the same as the new Lyman ladle. Another I got I drilled out to 1/4" for use with my 500 gr and heavier bullets. I use the 3/16" ladle for long 200+ gr 30+ cal bullets but mostly for 350 - 400+ gr bullets. I get a lot better and more consistent cast bullets with less rejects using the ladle. Even my Lyman Mag20 with the spout stop all the way out will not get the alloy into the mould fast enough in those long cavities for larger bullets. It will if I cast at a high temp but then that keeps the mould too hot and other problems arise. I just use the ladle for those kinds of bullets since most of my such moulds are single cavity anyway casting tempo is still good using the ladle.

Larry Gibson

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

my copy of that mold works fairly well. One of the issues that Larry kind of eluded to
is the relationship of the base pin, mold cavity size and sprue hole size. The sprue hole is kinda
small for that size cavity, the base pin is in the way to get easy fill out- both of which make getting
lead in there fast enough to keep things hot is difficult with a small fill hole. I run mine plenty warm,
ladle pour and keep the melt hot in the pot. Mess around with your timing and technique it should come together for you.

[Motard]

i havecbeen fiddling with this same mould. i have scarce casting experience but after the first time when i got wrinkled boolits too I did rised temp and speed up my ladding time. it worked. boolits in ww + 2% tin are weighting 425_ 427 gr. and shoots fine




Sent from my C6903 using Forum Fiend v1.3.3.