What got me started casting

[michael.birdsley]

So what got me started down the road of reloading and casting was trying to find a cheaper bullet for my inline triumph muzzle loader. I decided to get a inline muzzle loader because it was cheaper and easier on my shoulder than shooting my rifled 870 in the shotgun zone. Last year I was shooting Barnes tmz's and they are about $1.50 each up here. So I started asking around on Michigan-sportsmen forum as I didn't have a clue on how to cast boolits even though, I make my own fishing sinkers and jigs. Only advise I got was the boolit needed to be .452 to fire out of my inline. The one guy who helped me out also told me to check out cast boolits.com. So I basically just picked a lee mold at random, ordered some mmp crushed sabots, a lee .452 sizer, and a cheap lee C press.

I actually haven't had time to dial in the load. The mold is a lee 452-255-rf 2 Bangor mold. My alloy is just coww lubed with lee Alox for the sizer. I shoot it over 60 grains by volume of pyrodex with mmp crushed rib sabots. Just with messing around a little bit with it is actually more accurate than the Barnes tmz's. If and when I get time to dial it in the groups will get better. I shot this target tonight only had enough time to touch of three rounds but, I pulled the third shot. I think the metplate is big enough to hunt with and hopefully like I said by next season hopefully I have a load dialed into hunt with. I have not ran it over the chronograph.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161123/101e6e650dea5f0de540b0f43cd62b5a.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161123/e70f56f43217759c30d27f1a9cf37bab.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161123/5afcb63261b3ce3a9fb137f9acd2a4f0.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161123/c3d1e68e5d40fa19ef983cc847c76d92.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161123/344b495784dc8a7572464017254804d4.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rodwha]

Those meplats are most certainly good for hunting with!

I got into casting because there was only one fellow who cast them and sold the custom molds of the bullet you have. He was charging $40/100 + shipping and raised his price to $50.

I tried to buy one of his custom Lee molds but at the time Lee was behind and won't make a special run for him until he had enough demand himself.

So I chose to have a custom mold made by Accurate Molds and am quite happy! I increased the meplat a bit more, reduced the lube groove, and reduced the overall length to that of a ball for my revolvers. Now instead of a 144 grn ball I have a 195 grn WFN. At $1/lb that makes 35 boolits and saves me a ton! Plus I got to create my own designs.

[michael.birdsley]

Those meplats are most certainly good for hunting with!

I got into casting because there was only one fellow who cast them and sold the custom molds of the bullet you have. He was charging $40/100 + shipping and raised his price to $50.



Those are some expensive cast boolits. I can see why you wanted to cast your own.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Omnivore]

Yup; that boolit looks like it should be a real thumper. It'll do more than OK on just about any game, within your shot placement abilities.


I'd say that's a nice group on target, but I don't know if it was shot at 20 yards or 200, do I?


it looks like you have some rounded corners on the rear drive bands on that boolit. That points to either your mold not being hot enough, or the lead not being hot enough. If you have a lead thermometer, try running the pot at around 720 - 730 for cow and a little less for pure lead, and if your bullets still aren't filling out, get the mold hotter. I've found that a mold that's at the right temp, right after a pour the puddle on top of the sprue plate will take at least six seconds to freeze completely. Eight or nine seconds is still a good mold temp. If you're still getting fill-out issues, wipe the cavities clean, making absolutely sure there is no oil or grease, and smoke them. My prettiest bullets always come out of the freshly smoked mold cavities. Working faster (more pours per hour) will make for a hotter mold, but sometimes I have to use another heat source, or if you can, dip the mold slightly into the lead pot to hear it up. I use propane torch, but others use an electric hot plate nearby, to occasionally heat up the mold. There's no reason you shouldn't be getting beautiful bullets with sharp corners-- that would also mean your bullet weights will be very consistent. If the lead smears into a film over the top of the mold, under the sprue plate, it may be getting too hot, but if you're getting great bullets don't worry too much about that. Casting fishing weights, you wouldn't care too much about such things, but for good consistent bullets you have to watch the temps a little closer, and smoke your mold now and then.

[CastingFool]

I am using that very same mold for my Henry BBS in 45LC. Hoping to take a deer with it this year, but I haven't worked up a good accurate load yet. The Lee 452-200 rf works well on woodchucks, but I want something a little heavier for deer. I do wish I could get the speed a little higher.

[michael.birdsley]

Yup; that boolit looks like it should be a real thumper. It'll do more than OK on just about any game, within your shot placement abilities.


I'd say that's a nice group on target, but I don't know if it was shot at 20 yards or 200, do I?


it looks like you have some rounded corners on the rear drive bands on that boolit. That points to either your mold not being hot enough, or the lead not being hot enough. If you have a lead thermometer, try running the pot at around 720 - 730 for cow and a little less for pure lead, and if your bullets still aren't filling out, get the mold hotter. I've found that a mold that's at the right temp, right after a pour the puddle on top of the sprue plate will take at least six seconds to freeze completely. Eight or nine seconds is still a good mold temp. If you're still getting fill-out issues, wipe the cavities clean, making absolutely sure there is no oil or grease, and smoke them. My prettiest bullets always come out of the freshly smoked mold cavities. Working faster (more pours per hour) will make for a hotter mold, but sometimes I have to use another heat source, or if you can, dip the mold slightly into the lead pot to hear it up. I use propane torch, but others use an electric hot plate nearby, to occasionally heat up the mold. There's no reason you shouldn't be getting beautiful bullets with sharp corners-- that would also mean your bullet weights will be very consistent. If the lead smears into a film over the top of the mold, under the sprue plate, it may be getting too hot, but if you're getting great bullets don't worry too much about that. Casting fishing weights, you wouldn't care too much about such things, but for good consistent bullets you have to watch the temps a little closer, and smoke your mold now and then.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161123/cf3ea7c0a176a049e80f8e0a48b8cb58.jpgthis is my lead melter it doesn't have any temp control. Actually those boolits are a little undersized I cleaned the mold out with break cleaner and and a rag. I was thinking of adding some tin to see if it would help with fill out. I casted these last year and I am still useing them. I shot that group at 50 yards. Wanted to shoot more but, I was running out of day light. When I get to tweaking this I'll cast some more



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Omnivore]

You control the temp by controling the heat source. I wasn't saying it had to be automatic.

COWW already have some tin in them. That's not the issue. You should be getting good fill-out even if you were using pure lead, which is supposed to be the most challenging. It's all about temp control of your pot and of the mold itself. Heed my words above (don't fight it) and you'll get good bullets. Six seconds or more, after you finish pouring, for the puddle on top of the sprue plate to freeze completely; that's one of the best metrics, and it has more to do with the mold temp (though for wheel weights I think your pot should be at least to 720 Deg. F, and certainly no more than 750. Thermometers are cheap, and you can make use of one even if you're melting lead in a pot over a camp fire in the woods.

That's a decent group for fifty yards, but as you say; I'm sure you can get better ones. Once you get it though, you've got it.

[mooman76]

I got started as a teenager making slingshot pellets. A friend of my dads was a plummer and he told me basically how to do it. Been casting ever since.

[michael.birdsley]

You control the temp by controling the heat source. I wasn't saying it had to be automatic.

COWW already have some tin in them. That's not the issue. You should be getting good fill-out even if you were using pure lead, which is supposed to be the most challenging. It's all about temp control of your pot and of the mold itself. Heed my words above (don't fight it) and you'll get good bullets. Six seconds or more, after you finish pouring, for the puddle on top of the sprue plate to freeze completely; that's one of the best metrics, and it has more to do with the mold temp (though for wheel weights I think your pot should be at least to 720 Deg. F, and certainly no more than 750. Thermometers are cheap, and you can make use of one even if you're melting lead in a pot over a camp fire in the woods.

That's a decent group for fifty yards, but as you say; I'm sure you can get better ones. Once you get it though, you've got it.

I have been slowly getting stuff around to get casting seriously. I am building my work bench this weekend in my garage. Which will be better than casting on the wooden Marposs shipping crate that my shops expensive digital variable Gage's comes in. At that point I will be looking at buying a hot plate like you said to get my molds up to temp. I didn't know about how it should take 6 seconds for the lead to cool on the spru plate. I know for a fact when I casted those it hardened up probably after 2-3 seconds. That bench will help with slugging my guns as I don't have a vice or any where else to put it at the moment. I didn't want to slug barrels in the house.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk