#1 Buck

[Mr Peabody]

Are any members here using 1 Buck more than other sizes of buckshot?

[gpidaho]

I load more #1 buck than any other size. Makes a nice 12 pellet stack in 12ga. Gp

[jsizemore]

Do you have a mold that casts at .300" dia?

[RED BEAR]

I use .310 round ball between #1 and single 0 also get a nice 12 pellet load. This is my favorite load using promo or unique.

[5Shot]

I use lots of #1. I am using the Dixie Slugs load recipe.

[6pt-sika]

I’ve used handloaded #1 buck in 10 and 16 gauge doubles to kill deer . This past season I killed two using factory loaded Winchester 12 gauge 3” #1 in my Benelli . I like #1 but I gotta admit I load and keep on hand everything from 00000 to #3 .

[gpidaho]

Do you have a mold that casts at .300" dia?

Yes I do, I found a new old stock Lyman .300 RB on ebay. Gp

[Markopolo]

There was a great group buy number 1 mold not too long ago... it was 310 though.. but still nice mold and put out some great shot..

[Mr Peabody]

I've been thinking I'd get the Lee 6 cavity .310. The other molds offered you have to snip things apart and for the money involved I want the sprue cutter.
are mylar wraps being used or do most of you load it in a shotcup?

[Markopolo]

You surely want this mold then.... it’s an MP mold... maybe they have some in inventory... very nice mold and no cut apart links... I am very pleased.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?366679-CLOSED-MP-Molds-Shotshell-BUCKSHOT-mold/page7

[5Shot]

You surely want this mold then.... it’s an MP mold... maybe they have some in inventory... very nice mold and no cut apart links... I am very pleased.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?366679-CLOSED-MP-Molds-Shotshell-BUCKSHOT-mold/page7

Wish he would make it in 0.300. I would have bought one in the group buy.

[Hogtamer]

The .310 lee 6 cav. mold from track of the wolf is a great mold, no sprue like Lyman, hogs hate 'em.240076

[Mr Peabody]

Good Shootin Hogtamer

[Markopolo]

Nice Work HT!!!!

[RogerDat]

Track of the Wolf was the only place I found the Lee .310 RB mold in a 6 cavity. Others carry the 2 cavity. I had that already so I didn't buy the #1 buckshot mold from the group buy. But I will say the #00 MP 8 cavity from the group buy is a much nicer mold. A little more money but a distinctly better mold.

You might contact Mihec at https://www.mp-molds.com/ and see if he is still offering the mold, even without the 15% group buy discount the buckshot molds he makes are a good value on very good quality.

[RED BEAR]

Yea i use a two cavity and it is definitely a lot of work for any amount of shells.

[jsizemore]

Wish he would make it in 0.300. I would have bought one in the group buy.

I was going to get on that list but the .308 round ball shooters got involved. I figured they could make both since they did 0 and 00 that also have .010" difference but it didn't happen.

[EVR]

I just got a Do-It slingshot mold that casts a "#1" pellet sized boolit.

Will report as I plan to cast and test some here soon.

https://store.do-itmolds.com/Sling-Shot-PelletbrSz-110-16_p_699.html

Wade Rush has Do'd-It already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV0AhaTpd_8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N67zSP2HetU&t=391s

[gpidaho]

After seeing EVR's post on the Do_It slingshot mould, I ordered one up. You all know me, a gadget is hard to pass up. The first castings yesterday and here's some of my observations. The mould run's best HOT like most of the buckshot moulds. About 775 seemed to give good fill after 8-10 casts to heat the mould after warming on a hot plate. The mould throws 11 round balls per pour and they average about .305 each There's no sprue cutting plate so each ball needs to be broken off. This is much easier than cutting the RB's apart using the Lee 18 cavity moulds. Just give the balls a twist and they break off reasonably close. For #1 buck, I get the nicest result with my Lyman .300 RB mould but one per cast is painfully slow. My Lee two cavity does okay but still pretty slow and it's .311 not .300. I didn't like my Lee 18 cavity #4 it didn't get good fill for me and clipping the RB's apart was a pain. I sold it. The Do-It mould is a small step up from the Lee's in my opinion but the shot isn't as smooth as the mould is cast aluminum, not cut. With each of my moulds I tumble the buck in a Harbor Freight rock tumbler for a few hours and then powder coat it. This is a good place to use up PC overspray as pretty isn't necessary and I get the protection from leading without having to use expensive Teflon wraps when loading over brush wads or gas seals. The Do-It mould was just $34 + $6 shipping That's pretty inexpensive for a buckshot mould. If you need pretty RB's in a hurry I think the Mihec mould would be a good choice but I'll get by with what I have. Works fine for my needs. Gp

[EVR]

GP:

I failed to follow up. I cast a bunch. I degreased the mold in acetone and pretty heavily smoked it with a candle and it started throwing good pellets after maybe three or 4 casts. Just as you say, hot is best and I had it very hot to begin with and it casts easy as can be. I filled each hole separately leaving a minimal pool above the cavity so had to clip each and every one. Wow what a time burner clipping pellets is! Glad I did as Wade Rush suggested and got the 5 dollar flush cutters from the craft section at Walmart. They work great.

I have a bunch loaded up and ready to test.

RE: the "1's", I did find that they mike .315 from my mold using wheelweights, so they are a bit bigger than true #1. Using BP's method, I'd call them "1 1/2's". I was able to get 12 into a AA hull. Weight was 43 grains per pellet for a shot payload of 516 grains. I did nothing more to mine than clip them and load them, so they have a bit of a jagged lip where the clippers left the pellet. I don't think it'll matter much.

The "000's" went 74 grains each and I can't remember what they actually miked. I could only get 6 into a AA hull using my normal load. In a 3" loading getting 9 or maybe 10 of these things in there I wouldn't turn down a close shot on an elk.

I plan to get to my range later this week and will report the findings.

[gpidaho]

Thanks for your input EVR. When I got the mould warmed up to throw a good cast I poured from the hinge end in a fairly fast flow from my ProMelt furnace. I completely filled the trough with an uninterrupted flow. Poured this way the balls broke off fairly clean with just a small twist, clippers not needed. Gp

[EVR]

Thanks for your input EVR. When I got the mould warmed up to throw a good cast I poured from the hinge end in a fairly fast flow from my ProMelt furnace. I completely filled the trough with an uninterrupted flow. Poured this way the balls broke off fairly clean with just a small twist, clippers not needed. Gp

At first I tried it but in two throws I ran out of lead.

{Exaggeration}

Now that I've done it "my way" (complete with...TIME...and clippers) I think I'll try it your way!!!