Problem with 30 cal boolits

[Silvertip 44]

My new Lee mold for 180 gr. 30 cal g/c boolits came today so I rushed down cleaned it with coleman lantern fuel and smoked the cavities.
I used my usual wheelweight metal but i ran into a problem I have never had before. Almost 50% were culls with wrinkles in them. When I first noticed the wrinkles, I turned the heat up on my Lee production pot. I don't think that helped.
The wrinkle was in almost the same place on all wrinkled boolits and was almost identical in appearence. That tells me that either the front or back cavity is throwing this reject.
Now I believe it is a mold problem and not a heat problem.
I am casting for reduced loads in 30-06 and planning to use the Ed Harris LOAD of 13 grs of Red Dot. This will be used in my M1903.
Can you guys give me some suggestions of how to eliminate this problem?

[docone31]

I have the same issues.
Try, heating up the mold more. Second, cast a bunch more. My wrinkling seemed to lessen as I cast more. I smoked the mold, and let it build up carbon.
I have an 03-A3. I paper patch and run pretty much full house loads. I use the Lee C312/185 mold sized to .309. From there I wrap and down size to .311.
I am pleased with the results.
I suggest, keep casting. I shoot the wrinkles. Developing my load took quite a few rounds.
What size does the mold throw? I use wheel weight, water quenched with some tin thrown in.
My .30 cal molds throw light on sizing.

[Larry Gibson]

The cavities are still fouled. Reclean the mould block/cavities with spray carborator cleaner and then don't smoke them. After they dry use a Q-tip to further clean the cavities.

Larry Gibson

[Silvertip 44]

I haven't miked the actual cast which is listed as .309, but I do put it through the Lee .309 sizing die to seat the gas checks and all of the bullets give good resistance in the die. I did lubricate lightly with mineral spirits thinned liquid alox set the g/c's and then size them crimping the check.
I was planning to dip them as I read in another thread but it looked too terribly messy.
My main concern is the strange wrinkle. I have never experienced this before and i cast a lot of .44 cal and .45 cal. This is my first rifle bullet and I am a little dissatisfied and disgruntled.

[jonk]

I agree, needs to be cleaned more. You could also try 'leementing' as this will smooth the mold and remove any leftover oil from the cutting of the mold. I usually use purple power and a toothbrush, rinse, dry, then carb cleaner for cleaning.

Then more heat if a 6 cavity.

[Jack Stanley]

I have warmed up two LEE six cavity mold this year . The first was the group buy 311291 and the second was a .38 speacial "cowboy" bullet .
Both were cleaned in laquer thinner before using , both were smoked with a butane lighter , both required the heat up to almost eight hundred before they straightened out both took about six pounds of casting before they made good bullets .
Now the odd thing is once they used up six pounds of good lead , they started making good bullets . Also once this happened , I was able to turn the temperature back to a bit less than seven-fifty .

Depending on how bad the wrinkle it try casting more and if the problem goes away you can use the wrinkled bullets for close range low velocity shooting .

Jack

[beemer]

I have boiled a mold when all else failed. Open and stand on end in a pot of water to just cover blocks and add a few drops of dish washing liquid an bring to a boil for a a few minutes. Sounds like a recipe but it works. Seems to help remove the preservative or oil especially on a new mold. Learned it from an older gentleman that had been casting for 50 yrs.

beemer

[Maximilian225]

I'm with Beemer on this one. I boil all my molds like that. It always seems to stop the wrinkles.

[runfiverun]

it also could be how you are pouring the boolits.
or a problem with the holes in the sprew cutter.

[PatMarlin]

Boil in Dawn.