First Time Casting Questions

[BPortelli]

So Im about to start to cast my own 223 rounds to use in bolt action rifle and would love advice please.
I got myself a lee 6 cavity C225-55-RF mold and everything i need to reload

I have some antimony master lead that has 80/20% mix, obviously this is too brittle and i will need to remix to drop the ratios down and add tin to make more suitable

Would producing a alloy like the Lyman #2 @15 BHN be ideal or should i go softer or slightly harder on BHN scale?

Im planing to Water Quench and either Powder/ Hi-Tek coat, therefore the baking temps will alter end hardness

I have read in 2019 Modern reloading book that there is a method to calculate starting powder loads based on BHN and converts to bullet Strength and Max PSI that i can use for reference, is this really what i should be considering for the Lead Alloy that i plan to mix when aiming for an accurate reload?

The more i read or watch videos seems that there are so many ways or variations, and given that in Australia all the gun restrictions its not as easy to get out and test like majority, so would love to get a good base point or peoples advice please that i can work with.

[Rcmaveric]

Mix a 12 BHN batch and then cast and load up. Once you have a good load then go down the BHN until you find a cheap and easy alloy. I use 10 in about everything. Don't focus to much on those numbers in Lee's book. Me he rest in peace but his numbers and ideas are a good starting point but not necessarily true. I started that way also and quickly learned harder bullets aren't better bullets and may be worse.

You will quickly find that bullet fit is king over all else factors. With the fit right you can break most other conventional wisdoms like those PSI numbers.

-Make a general purpose alloy like 10 to 12BHN.
-Seat your bullets at about .004 off the lands.
-size those bullets to your throat diameter (some have their own school of thought, from groove diameter, to .002 over groove or throat. What ever you decide, just don't use an under sizes bullet because we will agree that won't work).

Those are my secrets to success.

Owe, Google a lead mixing cross to learn how to easily and quickly figure out the ratios to mix and alloy of a specific BHN. FortuneCook45LLC and a German guy (that's not his name, I forgot it) have a video on YouTube about it.




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[BPortelli]

thanks rcmaveric

yeah have come across quite a few youtubers that demonstrate casting and techniques etc,
i have the excel sheet that allows me to input percentages for different mixes off one of the boolits thread

good to know about the land and throat details, will have to do some research in that area
i did buy a Hornady OAL gauge, as i knew it was going to be necessary.

Waiting on a few items to rock up in post, got plenty of time given the whole covid lock downs so got nothing but time to try things out and learn.

[mac1911]

im sure someone can correct me but I think what your looking for is the bullets ability to obortrate ?
IIRC 1440x BHN will give you your starting pressures.
so 1440x12 so 17280 psi is where you want to be for proper obortration of the bullet.
A good fitting bullet, the right lube and leading should be a non issue for most cast loads under 2000 fps? Now I dont know how smaller cal vs larger cal plays into it. I shot 250 of those lee bullts in my AR at functioning. I never got to crony them. I had no leading and the barrel was clean. Casted with COWW , gas checked, 2500 lube

do you have a lead hardness tester?

I have kept it simple
I usually run straight COWW for almost everything I shoot. My pistol loads are on the lower end of velocity and my rifle loads are seldom much faster than 1600 fps. I have made a faux lyman #2 with the stuff I have on hand.

My Faux #2 is 10lb COWW and .25lb Pewter for a 12.2 BNh water quenched its harder.

[mac1911]

im sure someone can correct me but I think what your looking for is the bullets ability to obortrate ?
IIRC 1440x BHN will give you your starting pressures.
so 1440x12 so 17280 psi is where you want to be for proper obortration of the bullet.
A good fitting bullet, the right lube and leading should be a non issue for most cast loads under 2000 fps? Now I dont know how smaller cal vs larger cal plays into it. I shot 250 of those lee bullts in my AR at functioning. I never got to crony them. I had no leading and the barrel was clean. Casted with COWW , gas checked, 2500 lube