First try at casting boolits

[pps]

For my first try I used straight range scrap that was smelted. Most of the scrap was jacketed boolits, so I'm, assuming nearly pure lead.

I cleaned the Lyman 358156 mold with degreaser, then smoked the mold. Once the lead was melted fluxed several times and skimmed I started pouring, throwing the first 1/2 dozen back in the pot just to get the mold up to temp.

Here are the first two cast. The one on the left had better fillout than the one on the right, However, none of the edges were sharply defined.

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l96/pps_2006/Rangescrap.jpg


I added about 1% tin for better fillout and this is what they started looking like. Pretty consistently, the ones that were a bit frosted and had to be tapped out of the mold have the sharpest defined bands. Also, having the ladle an inch above the mold seems to let the lead slam into those little crevices.

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l96/pps_2006/frostedvsunfrosted.jpg

Even the boolits that are not perfect are going to be sized and lubed, as I want to see how the less than perfect ones perform too. I just finished sizing/gas checking. Time to lube, load then shoot and see how they do.

Any suggestions on pan lube preferences? I plan on pushing these hard over 2400, working up to 14.5gr and small pistol primer.

[deltaenterprizes]

Not bad for a first try! My first ones looked a lot worse. A tip I learned from Hensley & Gibbs' pamphlet is to use a single element electric burner to preheat the mold. I have found that if I put the mold on the burner when I start up the lead pot, by the time the lead is melted the mold is hot and the first pour yields good bullets! Start with the lower settings and work up and be careful not to put the mold handles too close to the element as they will scorch.
This is helpful when using a small pot like Lee's "10" pound "( I find it holds 7 pounds).
When first started, I would use up half the pot before the mold was up to temp, cast half a pot of good boolits, refill the pot, and by the pot was up to temp again the mold was cold!
Another tip is use 2 molds,pour one while waiting for the other's sprue to harden, this will speed up production and you will not over heat your molds especially with larger bullets.
Good luck!

[dardascastbullets]

Your 'alloy' is lacking in antimony which will help fill in those fillets in the cavity. The jacketed bullet's core is nothing more than pure lead. You didn't mention your ratio of range lead to tin that you combined. You will need the antimony for strength if you plan on pushing your bullets to 2400 fps. You will realize bad results (severe barrel leading) if it is not added in (6%). Your gas check will not mask the absence of the antimony.

[HeavyMetal]

Good results so far! Also a couple of good tips passed on particulaly the on about adding some antimony. If you can find some wheel weights, clip on style, you've got your antimony!

For what you want to do I'm going to suggest a mix of about 60/ 40 wheel weights to range scrap plus your 1% tin and I think you'll be a real happy guy!

[deltaenterprizes]

I hate to disagree but antimony adds hardness but does noy aid fillout, tin aids the fillout that is why there is so much in linotype,it also adds hardness that is why it is used in high speed babbit. 2% tin is what is in Taracorp Magnum alloy 6% antimony and 92% lead which is the standard for commercial bullet casters. This can also be achieved with 50/50 lead /linotype,makes beautiful bullets.

[pps]

Thanks for the advise guys.

Dard, the 2400 I was referring to was the powder 2400 to about 1400fps. I didn't word that very well in the original post.

I'm going to lube these little guys today.

[Bass Ackward]

I hate to disagree but antimony adds hardness but does noy aid fillout, tin aids the fillout that is why there is so much in linotype

I think it does really.

The only reason that tin aids fill out is that it lowers temperature of the initial melt so that you get more time in a liquid state. Pure lead is 620 degrees. If you add tin it drops down to a minimum of 460 degrees as the percentage of tin is increased.

But it does almost the same thing with antimony as percentage is increased. 2% antimony is 550 degrees. 4% is 484 degrees and it remains the same from there on up in the percentage of antimony.

In fact, if you mix WW and pure, this is a good way to tell just how much antimony you have in the mix as a percentage by at what temperature it melts. That is assuming you have a thermometer. This also tells you how much antimony you have from WW in your area as it varies between 2% and 4% these days.

Then adding tin takes it on down from there to 460. I always add just under the same percentage of tin to antimony as the antimony binds to the tin better than it does lead so that you get a better balanced bullet. IT also is the best insurance that you can get of the bullet hanging together upon impact if you are hunting with it. WARNING: Because the antimony binds better to the tin, increasing the percentage of tin will lower the over all hardness if you intend to heat treat your bullets.

[pps]

In this batch I wanted to see how soft I could have the alloy and still get well formed boolits. If these run through the barrel without leading (I realize I may have to tinker with sizing) then I may go ahead and have buckshot hp this mold. It wouldn't make sense to me to go any harder than air cooled ww/pb 50/50 mix if hp'd.

I have about 50# of smelted hornady swagged captured from my boolit trap and another 20# of wheel weights. I'm ok in being able to add antimony if needed. I'm just tinkering/experimenting and picking all of your brains along the way.

[mooman76]

I disagree with the disagree. I read where they add antimony to the lead in jacketed bullets to aid in fillout.
Anyway PPS glad you did good on your first try! Allot of people get discouraged because they have problems first try or because they expect perfect bullets right off. With time and experience you bullets will get better and you are ahead of the game because you have good bullets right off!

[runfiverun]

from what i understand hornadys swaged stuff has about 5% antimony and no tin in them.
and a few jaketed bullets also run antimony but no tin.
they also run pure depending on what they want the bullet to do.

[HamGunner]

PPS
Weigh all your bullets and segregate them by weight into, say, three or four piles and load each pile in a single batch. They should shoot more uniform from shot to shot even if they are not perfect bullets. You should weed out any that have obvious gross defects and remelt. I save many of my imperfect bullets, if they are not too far off from perfect. Of course I save all the heaviest and most of the next heaviest bullets for my more accurate shooting needs. The imperfects are used for casual plinking.

Another trick to consider is saving all your worst bullets for your Buddy to shoot and then load up again with the good ones and show him how you can really shoot so much better than him.:wink:

[pps]

PPS
Weigh all your bullets and segregate them by weight into, say, three or four piles and load each pile in a single batch. They should shoot more uniform from shot to shot even if they are not perfect bullets. You should weed out any that have obvious gross defects and remelt. I save many of my imperfect bullets, if they are not too far off from perfect. Of course I save all the heaviest and most of the next heaviest bullets for my more accurate shooting needs. The imperfects are used for casual plinking.

Another trick to consider is saving all your worst bullets for your Buddy to shoot and then load up again with the good ones and show him how you can really shoot so much better than him.:wink:

Funny you mentioned about weight segregation. The straight range lead averaged 165.75 grains after sizing and GC with sd of .96 gr The obvious bad ones got re-melted yesterday. The Range lead/1% tin mixture averaged 164.56 grains with a SD of .2 grains. n=10 on both samples.

I pan lubed with a homemade lube I made and will load a few for testing tonight. I'll run them over a chronograph later this week, looking to get a max load with min leading.

[HamGunner]

I pan lubed for years and cut them out of the lube with a Lee cookie-cutter and sized them by punching them through a Lee sizing die with a hammer. It was slow, but I was able to get some unbelievable groups for years before I got a Lyman 450.

Sounds like you are into it for sure. It is fun.

[KCSO]

My first boolits were for a 58 Minnie and they were so wrinkled you got sea sick just looking at them. You are doing great and in 50 or 60 years you will know all there is about casting boolits, maybe.

[38-55]

PPS,
I shoot that same bullet by the bucket full every year ! Just from looking at your pics I'd say ya just need to cast more. I find that with a cast iron mold it kinda takes a while to get it 'broke in' or maybe a better way of putting it would be "seasoned". I've found that smoking molds tends to retard their 'castiblilty' but to each his own. I use unique for light loads and 12 gns of 2400 for my 'go to' 'do all' .357 load. It's not max but burns clean and kills quite well and is fairly pleasant to shoot. But that's just me.. Ya got a good time proven design there that will give you years of good service and enjoyment.
Happy casting and welcome to the brotherhood.
Calvin