To Graphite or Not that is the Question

[copdills]

After casting my Buckshot I roll them around in graphite just a little and then load , a few of my friends told me they load thiers straight out of the mold just as they come, no graphite , what do you fellows do Graphite or Not

Thanks

[megasupermagnum]

I don't know what graphite would really give you in buckshot. I think it's usually added to smaller shot so it feeds better through shot measures. I don't currently cast buckshot, but the stuff I buy seems to be clean, no graphite.

[copdills]

Thanks it might be a step i don't have to do

[Littleton Shot Maker]

for shot, is has to be graphited , so the SHOT does not oxidize and stick together inside the shells. Has less to do with the loading part.


for large pellets or balls, If you plan to cast , load and shoot it all soon , then go with out.
IF you plan to store it at all or you dropped it into a water quench "THEN YOU NEED TO GRAPHITE" for safety .

With shot , that can turn into a CHUNK of lead and over pressure you barrels. same could happen with 00 buck too if stored too long and it sticks together.

Maybe powder coat the buck shot?? Got to try that one day…...

[KrakenFan69]

I Hi-Tek coated some. It looks cool but I don;t think the juice is worth the squeeze. It was a bit of a pain in the **** to do too.

Kraken Fan #69

[copdills]

Thanks thats what I wanted to know

[Hogtamer]

I usually fill an empty 1lb powder bottle about 1/3 full and put just a squeeze of graphite, then vigorously shake it for a couple of days back and forth to work - poor man's tumbler. As stated above if it's going to the stash it definitely needs the graphite and the shaking smooths the shot nicely.

[copdills]

I usually fill an empty 1lb powder bottle about 1/3 full and put just a squeeze of graphite, then vigorously shake it for a couple of days back and forth to work - poor man's tumbler. As stated above if it's going to the stash it definitely needs the graphite and the shaking smooths the shot nicely.

Thanks Hogtamer

[bstone5]

I also Hi-Tek coat the buck shot I cast. The coating is applied in two very thin coats. On the 00 I remove the lips on the wad and the coating keeps lead out of the barrel. The #4 buck is also coated. The Sharp shooter mold I have will cast 00 and #4 at the same time. The mold works very well but has to be real hot for good fill out on the buck shot.

[GhostHawk]

I have not bothered with graphite yet, probably because I don't have any.

But I have not shot any of my loaded rounds either.

I'll be watching this thread hoping to learn a little more as we go along.

[EMC45]

My buck loads don't sit long enough to oxidize.....

I shoot them shortly after I load them.

[Rally]

I scorched my first double batch of Bens Red bullet lube when I made it. I hated to just throw it out, so now use it to coat slugs and buckshot. I have the lube in a designated sauce pan and heat it until liquid(real low heat). When i get a batch of slugs or buckshot made i place them in a small metal spaghetti strainer and lower it into the sauce pan. Let it stay in the pan for several minutes to make sure the slugs/buck are the same temp as the lube, to keep from getting too thick a coat. When it's up to temp i bring it out of the lube and let it drain a few seconds, then dump it on a old cookie sheet I ripped off from the wife, until cool. I like the idea of a lube on slugs and buckshot for long term storage, and the lube sure couldn't hurt anything. Stand the slugs up on the cookie sheet or a piece of wax paper, while still warm,to keep from getting an excessive amount of lube inside the slugs. If you don't have any Bens Red, Beeswax works well.

[Geezer in NH]

I would roll in BLL dry and shoot them.

[r6487]

i cast 00 with a sharpshooter. when I cut it off the trees it has a flat spot at the cut. I put the shot with 2-3 squirts of graphite in a thumblers tumbler and if you tumble it long enough will get rid of most of the flat spot and gives the 00 a nice black shiny factory look, plus I think for long term storage it does ensure none of the shot will attempt to stick together. I use latex gloves when loading since I am manually packing 3 tiers of 3 buckshot per shell.

[copdills]

Thanks for all the information Fellows