Water Drop boolits Bigger?

[Adam604]

Hi Folks,

Again back to the fountain... All this casting really increases the thirst for knowledge..

On my last bullet casting session casting 200 grain 45 flat nose boolits from a Lee single cavity using straight WW.

I cast about 100 and dropped them on a folded towel.

I cast about 100 more, dropping them into a bucket of cold tap water.

When I went to load the bullets:

The towel dropped bullets sorted about the same as before, 80% would more or less fit a flaired 45 case and loaded with only a couple of them getting shaved by the seating die.

However the water dropped bullets almost none of them would fit into the same flaired 45 case. I haven't loaded any of these yet. but they are harder thumbnail test....

So I proceeded to measure a few boolits: (3 bullets each - reach into bag and grab the first 3 boolits I can selection process)(who would think bullets could be so slippery even unlubed)

Towel dropped: .4525 .4520 .4530 ( ave. .4525)

Water Dropped .4595 .4595 .4605 (ave. .4598)


I didn't believe my numbers at first so I measured them again and got pretty much the same values. (again, slippery bullets)

Is this usual results? Does this happen with oven treatment too?

[GabbyM]

You got something jammed in your mould preventing it from closing. That's the only explanation for a .007" jump in size. Your mould was not closing tight.

[Down South]

You got something jammed in your mould preventing it from closing. That's the only explanation for a .007" jump in size. Your mould was not closing tight.

Same thing that I was thinking.

[Pepe Ray]

It may not be a foreign object. It may be a technique flaw. Especially found in new casters but also found in casters not accustomed w/gang molds such as Lee's.
When squeezing the handles while pouring, if you include the 3rd handle you will allow the torque to be misplaced and the halves wont close.
Pepe Ray's BTDT :roll:

[mooman76]

I seems like with the, Lee 6x the bullets start coming out bigger after I get going good. Probably something to do with my technique I am sure or something that just changes as I get going good.

[HeavyMetal]

This is the second or third time I've "heard" someone mention squeezing the sprue handle on the Lee six banger molds.

Don't think that's the case here, why would he not do it on the air cooled ( first lot) and then decide to do it on the second batch ( water quenched)?

I
m going to suspect two things: the obvious one you got something on the mold face. and then I'm wondering did he add metal to the pot before he started his second batch?

A HIGH TIN / ANTIMONY content alloy will pour a larger diameter boolit. If not he unknowingly "beagled" the mold!

[runfiverun]

he is using a single cavity mold here guys....

i would think accidental beagle here

[Adam604]

Adam604 again...

I inspected my mold and nothing on the mating surfaces now (used a magnifying glass and a box knife blade) (the 45 ACP RF Lee mold single cavity)

Well, I did add some lead, but the muffin tin ingots came from the same batch of WW.

I didn't measure any of the bullets cast from my Lyman 2 cavity mold (158 gr RN) before I used all of the towel dropped boolits. But I did notice that the water dropped bullets cast in this same session did not seat near as easy as the towel dropped ones did. I had to resize all of the .38 loaded rounds with the water dropped boolits cause of "bulged" cases. They did not just drop into the cylinder like the usually do. I did not see any thing on the Lyman mold faces either.

I try to be pretty consistent in mold handling when casting... Same handle squeeze, same sprue plate opening (gloved hand), boolits usually just drop out after "Leementing" my Lee mold.

Now using the Lyman is a bit tricky for me yet, first multi cavity mold and getting a good pour into both cavities is something I will still need to work at.

[dubber123]

My 6 cav 228 1R mould just squeeks out .452" air cooled, water quenching does add .001" to them. I found this out the hard way.

My sizer is oversized to prevent sizing the boolits at all, to keep them at at least .452", and that causes no problems. The water quenched boolits however measure .001" larger, and my die sizes to this. Unfortunately .453" boolits will not chamber in my 625, as I found out AFTER I got to the pistol shoot.

[Ricochet]

That sort of thing is where the Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die will save your bacon.

[44man]

It could be a time thing too! Antimony alloys always harden and expand more with time. Water dropping speeds the process.
Set aside some of the water dropped and air cooled ones for a few weeks and then measure them again and get back to us if they become closer in size.
It is not a good idea to start measuring too soon after casting because you won't know the true diameter yet.
My .476 boolits as cast expand to .478 with time. By sizing right after casting I get nice fat boolits if I wait.
If I wait before sizing, boolits will be smaller.
It's been a tough call when I make a mold. Sometimes I am dissappointed with too small a diameter but I have learned to just add some to my boolits or wait a while. Even two days will show some expansion.

[BABore]

Measure both batches as close to the parting line as possible, then again at 90 degrees to it. That will tell you if the blocks were held open for some reason. You'll see an egg shaped bullet if it was. Heat treated antimonial bullets will grow in size, over time, if left unadaulterated (not sized). But, were talking 0.001 to 0.004". Not 0.007" and certainly not right away. It takes months.

[44man]

I didn't look at the figures that good! :roll: Yeah .007" is way too much for normal expansion. Something else is going on and it isn't water dropping.