First six boolits I cast . . .

[TexasJeff]

Went to the range tonight and tried out my cast boolits. The first boolits I've ever cast on my own, by myself, came from the Lee .358 148WC mould--but not a tumble-lube mould. The alloy is a mix of plumber's lead (smelted lead pipe), wheel weights and 1/3 lb of a bar of tin/lead solder mix. I water-qwenched the boolits right out of the mould, let dry, then tumble lubed using the Lee Liquid Alox.

I sized using the Lee push-through sizer, then re-lubed, let dry and loaded using 2.7 grains of Bullseye and Winchester small pistol primers. I've been reloading for over two decades, but this is the FIRST time I've ever made my own boolit, loaded it, and shot it.

What a feeling.

http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/c08f01ba2b.jpg (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/)

I'm hooked. I'm done. There IS no going back now.

Thanks for everyone's help and patience.

Jeff

[warf73]

Thats a very nice group.
Welcome to the cast boolit world there is no turning back and no cure.


Warf

[jack19512]

Real nice. :drinks:

[Ben]

Now your " hooked ", you'll love it. Keep pouring. A great hobby and pastime. You're on a good board with some good people that are very helpful if you should need information as you continue your new found hobby.

By the way, that is some real good shooting ! !

Best to you,

Ben

[725]

Welcome aboard. Nice shooting! This adds a whole 'nother side to your shooting sports.

[mtgrs737]

I think what appeals to me is the fact that I am manufacturing something that has high value out of something that is a raw material and might even be considered scrap. I get to be productive, save money on a hobby (Shooting), also there is that thumb my nose at the ammo companies thing too. You are in good company here, like minded folks that are more than willing to share their knowledge with all that ask. I don't even want to know how many moulds I have gained since joining this forum, but I like them all.

[Three44s]

Great first results!

I can't remember the actual outcome but with my luck my "first six" surely went back into the pot and got recirculated!

I will note that you might be striving for more hardness than you need ....... I stress "might be" ......... and that's only a guess. Only you and your gun can tell.

The need for hardness is relative and not the only factor to allieviate leading. And too hard often leads to leading ....... particularily with lighter loads.

Welcome to Casting ....... may your endeavor be "ever fruitfull" ......... though judging from your targets ........ you've about maxed out!!!

Three 44s

[birddog1520]

Nice job Jeff,

I'm in the same boat with you, I've just cast my first Boolits have them lubed and gas checked but have been just to busy to load and shoot them but that's not far away.
Hopfully I will get good results with mine.

Randy, The Birddog.

[Beaverhunter2]

Me, too, Randy! :lol: I've a couple hundred bullets cast, some lubed, a handful loaded, and no chance to get to the range, yet! The closest range where I can shoot my .450 and .480 is 30 miles away. Maybe tomorrow.

Nice group, Jeff!

John

[armoredman]

Very nice shooting, sir! You're right - no going back now! :)

[targetshootr]

Nice shooting. Nothing better than when a plan comes together. Now you'll spend endless hours scrounging lead out from under the rest of us. Kidding.

I had one target stand out recently I'll share. It was the very first shot from an old model Ruger 41 mag converted to 45 and done SAA style. I had to walk up to the target to see if it was really where I thought and then I took it down rather than ruin it with more shooting.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/targetshootr/DSCN0188.jpg

[wheelgunner]

Nice group! This hobby is the most fun you can have with your pants on!

One question. What did you use for an aiming point?

[TexasJeff]

Great first results!

I can't remember the actual outcome but with my luck my "first six" surely went back into the pot and got recirculated!

I will note that you might be striving for more hardness than you need ....... I stress "might be" ......... and that's only a guess. Only you and your gun can tell.

Oh, trust me. Those weren't the first six boolits I cast--those were the first six cast boolits I did myself, saved, loaded and shot.

I probably threw back my first six hundred attempts. Even though Crabo had me over at his place and ran me through the gauntlet in technique and things to always remember, that was about six or more weeks ago. Memory tends to fade the more birthdays you have.

Took a little bit to get it to all come together. But when it did, I was one happy Texan pouring, whacking the sprue plate, dropping shiny hot new boolits. There's a feeling of immense pride and accomplishment in your craftsmanship and creating such things.

Some of y'all may have forgot that initial you-know-what eating grin you got the first few times you cast, loaded and shot. That's what us new boolit casters are here for--to remind you of what you taught us and passed along. :)

As far as the hardness goes, I've got a lead hardness tester ordered and will be keeping some detailed logs on both boolits and ingots. If I have one regret when I started reloading many moons ago, it was that I didn't keep good notes. Hell, I didn't keep ANY notes. Don't plan on making that mistake again--not with the casting.


Nice shooting. Nothing better than when a plan comes together.

I had one target stand out recently I'll share. It was the very first shot from an old model Ruger 41 mag converted to 45 and done SAA style. I had to walk up to the target to see if it was really where I thought and then I took it down rather than ruin it with more shooting.

That's exactly what I did with this notecard. I saw a good group and retrieved the target right then and there. But I was testing my boolits against some 148 gr WC bullets cast by a guy I used to buy from for years and years. He cast some VERY good stuff and I knew how well they shoot.

Jeff

[crabo]

Jeff, stay away, very far away from the group buy section. I am considering buying a mold for a gun I don't have, don't really want one in that caliber, just because it sounds like a great bullet, if I ever do get one in that caliber. (Lloyd Smale's 45)

Glad to have helped in the journey,

Craig

[TexasJeff]

One question. What did you use for an aiming point?

First time I ever shot at a notecard was in the service. The C.O. of our unit insisted that we use 3x5" notecards as targets. Figured if we could keep our groups--not matter what--inside that three inch by five inch area, we'd be okay.

Been shooting at notecards for almost thirty years now.

It's also great for me because I keep a lot of them and catalogue them in my reloading note journals. Let's me see (and more importantly, remember) what certain loads do with certain bullets in certain guns, etc.

My initial aimpoint is usually somewhere around the center of the card for the first shot. Then, ever shot thereafter is aimed at the original (first) shot.

Standard distance I shoot at is 50 feet, and always handheld. I've never had occasion to shoot back at someone/somthing and have a sandbag or rest. So, I sight in guns and loads same way I intend to shoot them--handheld.

THAT "mentality" was taught to me by some old WWII veterans in my hometown American Legion way back when I was in high school. Those old guys would shoot their Colt gov't models, one-handed, at fifty-feet (that was the max distance at the Legion indoor range). Their hands would shake and the gun would wave all over, but those old shooters knew when to pull the trigger.

We'd walk down to get the targets and there was just one slightly enlarged hole and it was always in the ten ring. Those guys could flat SHOOT! I was blessed to have had them to teach and mentor me--and not just in shooting, but in the ways of life in general.

Truly it was the Greatest Generation.

Jeff

[TedH]

Great job! :drinks:

I don't remember exactly what my first results were like, but I'm sure it didn't look like that.

[Three44s]

+1 on the "Greatest Generation"!!!!!

Three 44s

[45nut]

Congrats on that fine shootin, ya done real well. :)

[HORNET]

Jeff, you have passed the point-of-no-return. Great feeling, isn't it?

[badgeredd]

As you can see by my join date I haven't been doing this long, but I fullheartedly agree with you saying your hooked. ME TOO!

Now I am trying to get enough molds to have several guns I can shoot with cast!

HORNET,
I think I will try to catch you soon so you can teach me some about little boolits!