Hollow Point Casting Technique

[rugerman1]

A little while back I bought a 454484 mould off of a friend here at CB and had Buckshot hollow point it:
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q299/sawrm1/Jan72008002.jpg
My first results were dismal and I decided I needed to add a little tin.So my next batch,I added about 1% tin to my WW+range scrap alloy.I cast these up today"
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q299/sawrm1/Jan282008003.jpg
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q299/sawrm1/Jan282008001.jpg
The mould was throughly cleaned and up to temperature,but I was still having trouble getting "perfect" boolits.I varied my casting technique as far as speed of production & pin removal timing.
What do you find works best for your hollow point casting?

[45nut]

I'd sure like to see some specific tips!

[cbrick]

rugerman1,

In all probablity its the HP "pin" that's too cool. A good HP nose with a too cool pin is impossible regardless of how proper the mould temp is.

I've been known to keep the pin near (not in) the flame of a propane torch set with a low flame.

Rick

[Pavomesa]

I agree with Cbrick and for a pin that large, the situation is increased. I've been known to just stick the pin in the molten lead for a ten count and then wipe it off and start casting. This method will guarantee your pin is about the same temp as your mold.

However, even though some of those bullets aren't cosmetically perfect, I'll bet they shoot DANG GOOD.

[rugerman1]

Rick,
I was thinking of using a sterno can.What flame does sterno give off?

[tanstafl10]

I have had more success with a 257 cal mould done by Buckshot running the lead hotter than usual. No thermometer here. I just trial and error until I get good nose fill out. Mine is a spire point and can be finicky(SP).

A 311 291 HP and a 358156 HP are run the same way and I like the results. I use WW w/ a little linotype melted in for these two and I have been using pure linotype in the 257 mould. With pure linotype, I flux a bit more often, especially when the bullet noses go to pot.

I think I got an image attached to this to show the final outcome of the 257. It is not the best image, but i am still trying to get the hang of the camera.

Do not know if this is specific enough 45NUT, but best I can do at this time and place. I have found that I must run HP's hotter than the other moulds. But I am Not an expert, I am still learning that is why I do not post too often.

Keep trying Rugerman1, best advice I saw here one time was "do not be afraid of mistakes, they can be remelted"

[beagle]

First off, you'll never get completely round, perfectly formed, circular cavities with HP moulds and I've cast a bunch.

Your mould is getting plenty hot...in fact too hot from the looks of the bands not completely filled out. I'd slow down some until you get good, filled out bands.

I'd also bevel the top where the mould halves come together just to insure complete venting.

As I mentioned, you seldom get perfect cavities with HPs...especially after sizing. That's why we've developed the "nosepicker" TP. Basically, this is a TP with a pin of a diameter that fits inside the cavity (very tightly but not too tight). This only has to be maybe 1/8" long.

This TP accomplishes two things. First, it centers the bullet and second, it opens the cavity and bumps it to a slightly concave and perfectly round shape and eliminates any flaws in the cavity/nose since there is always a slight taper at the base of the TP pin.

Very easily made from round aluminum stock using a electruc drill to spin the stock and a file as a cutter. Maybe a 15 minute job./beagle

[nemo]

SOMETIMES a pin has cutting fluid ,that has lard in it. Lard & suflur draw heat out of the tool,and are hard to clean. Try alcohol some heat lead pencil.Thats what I did when I made a howelod point for a Lyman .357 double cast 2 peace mold j358624A took a long time and a lot of cleaning,Your bloots look good. Good job Buckshot. nemo

[dakotashooter2]

That HP seems exceptionally deep. Shallowing it a bit may help. When I remove the pin I usually rest it on the top lip of the pot (the tip under the spout arm) and it generally stays just the right temp. You don't want it too hot either or the cavity will distort when you remove it.

[cbrick]

Those that recommend casting HP's at a higher heat said the same thing I did. Except for a higher pot or higher mould temp simply run the pin hotter. I agree, those bullets look like they cast plenty hot. All of the wrinkles are at the pin, its the pin thats too cool.

Never tried sterno and don't know how hot the flame is but it sounds like a good idea to try.

Rick

[colbyjack]

thats awesome i want one for my .45 acp. maybe ill get a 230 gr rn and have it done. -chris

[cbrick]

colbyjack, then you'll love this:

Lyman 45 cal Devastaor HP 200 gr (http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=583831&t=11082005)

[Glen]

To get good high-quality HPs, I have found that it helps to do the following:

1. Cast hot (about 50 degrees warmer than normal)
2. Cast fast (2 pours a minute is good, 3 if I'm really cookin')
3. Strike the sprue earlier than normal (you've got a heat sinc cooling the bullet in the HP pin so the bullet will solidify sooner than what the sprue tells you)
4. Do NOT inspect bullets as you're casting (this just slows you down and lets the pin cool off)

Just cast fast, and spend as little time as possible with the HP pin outside of the blocks.

[Pavomesa]

That HP seems exceptionally deep. Shallowing it a bit may help. When I remove the pin I usually rest it on the top lip of the pot (the tip under the spout arm) and it generally stays just the right temp. You don't want it too hot either or the cavity will distort when you remove it.


No, the tip is the right depth. It should go back about about 2/3 of the way. Look at any Lyman HP mold and you'll see they all run deep.

Everyone is making something really hard out of this simple issue. Just heat the damn HP plug to the lead temp by sticking in into the molten metal for a few seconds and then cast away. If you cast bullets fast like I do, the mold and HP plug will stay the same of nearly same temp and all will work perfectly. I've made thousands of them this way with no problems.

Cranking your lead up to higher than normal temps just means your mold is going to get too hot, too fast and start producing frosted bullets. (Another bad idea)

[MT Chambers]

I cast many great looking Hollow points by altering my casting procedure alot;
a) it is the only bullet I cast that i use a bottom pour
b) turn up the heat
c) remove bullet from mold with the pin still in it, the very last thing you do is pull bullet(hot) off pin and quickly return pin to mold and pour, you can actually take your time until you pull the pin from the hot bullet...oh and one other tip...wear gloves.

[GLL]

I am with Glen on this one. Although I increase the temp a bit it is the speed that makes the difference for me! Keep that pin hot by casting as fast as you can. For me a bored out RCBS ladle is the only way to cast HP bullets ! I pour over the pot with plenty of excess alloy flowing off the mould. Do not even look at the bullets once you start getting good ones.

Jerry

These are from moulds also modified by Buckshot.

http://www.fototime.com/55F07C1E821F1A5/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/764FE0DF38E319D/standard.jpg

[rugerman1]

Great boolits and pics Jerry :drinks:
Today,I cast by using my no-so-instant-start propane torch to heat the pin.Better than yesterday's effort,but not as good as I want:
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q299/sawrm1/Jan292008001.jpg
I picked up some sterno and another propane torch at china-mart today to try out next time.I want to make a mount so I can set the pin on it and be heated during the boolit removal step.
I cast up a few Lee 41 TL's after I got tired of fighting the propane torch,ain't 6-cavs wonderful!:mrgreen:
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q299/sawrm1/Jan292008003.jpg

[fourarmed]

Another thing I find helps is to force feed the alloy. Use a dipper or press the sprue plate tightly against the pour spout, and hold the feed open for several seconds.

[Glen]

Oooohhh GLL, those are PURDY!

[MT Gianni]

Nice bullets GLL. An easy way to keep the pin hot is a wire loop over the lead pot. When you pull it set it in the alloy. It will never be overheated and it makes for fast casting. Gianni

[35remington]

I noticed the same thing Beagle did.

Those bands on your HP's look heavily frosted and sunken. Unless my internet eyes fail me, I'd guess if you measured with a micrometer the bands would turn out to be subcaliber. Oftentimes these will be frosted and sunken on one side and not the other, showing irregularly shaped bands. Yours might be this way all the way around. If the band fillout is good on one side of the bullet and poor on the other you might have lopsided, unbalanced bullets.

Check that out first. The HP's look okay from what I can see, but admittedly there's no closeups.

[HORNET]

I was looking at the pictures of your boolits and it looks to me like the mold might be trapping gas at the pin. You might try taking a small fine-grit polishing stone and stoning the edges where the groove for the pin meets the face of the cavity block. ALL YOU NEED IS TO BREAK THE SHARP EDGE...DO NOT OVERDO IT! I use a small square stone and set a corner into the groove and slide it back and forth a little, just enought that I can see a small line at the conner. It has helped with every HP mold that I've tried it on. Good luck

[kjg]

Well being reletively new can someone tell me how I can reach buck shot fella have a few idea's Ilike to toss at him thanks, kjg

[cbrick]

kjg,

At the top of the page click on members list, look up Buckshot and send him a PM (private message).

[canyon-ghost]

Not using a custom mould or anything but, I have cast some with a ladle and a simple two cavity Lyman mould for 38. I found that to keep everything the right temp, that I had to let the lead get hotter than usual and cast fast enough to only lay the pin down and drop the boolits, then pick it up and re-install. When you pour the mould full and let the alloy cool- get ready to drop them and twist that pin until it moves. Pour, wait a minute, move over the towel, twist the pin, pull it and drop the boolits. I mean I twist it to loosen it, not just pull it. You've probably got that figured out.

[canyon-ghost]

Also doesn't hurt to smoke the mould with a match, or soot from a candle.

[Ramslammer]

G'Day All
I cast a lot of hollow points for wallaby shooting and I always cast hot and fast. This works with 357 and 44 molds but I don't know about the smaller stuff.
Juddy

[ra_balke]

If your bullets are not filling out, first thing yu need to do is make sure yur mould is good and clean. Use brake cleaner, and a tooth brush.

Next, get a #2 lead pencil, and pencil in the sharp corners.

Next, pour the lead in, and give the mould a good tap with lots of hot lead in the feeder puddle. Once the lead "learns" where the corners are, the bullets will fill out fine.

As for your core pin, well, I have my share of problems with core pins, but I solved your problem, by keeping the pin hot, and getting it good and blackened with a wood match.

[Ghugly]

Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Buckshot was kind enough to hollow-point a 429421 for me (the man is an artist). Not knowing that it was suppose to be hard, I just attached my handles to the mold, heated the lead (my alloy is 10-1 wheel weights to radiator solder), cast about 6 or so to warm up the mold, and cast about 100 or so before moving on to another mold. I ended up with about the same reject rate that I always do, and most of them from the base being less than perfect. I didn't even clean the mold before using it.

Other than removing and replacing the core pin, it casts the same as it always did. It was a wonderful, old mold that dropped beautiful boolits. Now it is a wonderful, old mold that drops beautiful, hollow-pointed boolits.

[kingstrider]

Another awesome thread, I'm expecting the Lyman 429640 Devastator mold today and will try some of these tips tomorrow!

[Handgunr]

Good post guys......

I have several HP moulds and I feel your pain......

Glen and Rick are correct in respect to these, as well as several other good points and methods.

I use the same "pin dipping" method that Pavomesa recommended. The moulds with the thinner pins, like the #429421HP, and the #358156HP, need more, or faster attention when it comes to pin cooling. The Lyman Devastators with thicker pins, although they don't vary quite as much, they afford a little more leeway I guess.

As I'm casting, I just keep a close eye on the shape of the bullets being dropped. Once I start to see irregularities, or wrinkles starting to form, I momentarily stop and place the pin in the melt for a couple seconds. The mould itself at those times, is, like Glen mentioned, running hotter than really need be, so it can afford to sit for those few seconds while the pin plays "catch up".

Hope this helps,
Bob

[kingstrider]

Well I'm still learning but bought the Lyman 429640 mold and tried casting for the first time this morning. I must say I really appreciate all the tips you guys have given me over the last few weeks and that I'm officially hooked!

I didn't time myself but it took about 2 hours to make a little over 200 boolits using a 20:1 alloy. After culling the rejects and doing the math, about 65% were keepers while the rest were rejects. Of the rejects, most had problems with the nose while several had incomplete fillout around the gas check.
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/kingstrider/casting1.jpg

Looking at the keepers, about 20% had flash around the hollowpoint like the one shown on its side in the photo below. I figure I can trim these with a knife but am wondering why only some are coming out like this. Any suggestions on how to fix this problem or how to limit the number of rejects next time?
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/kingstrider/casting3.jpg

[skid1945]

i would like to try to cast bullits for my .50 tradition is ther anyone our ther that makes molds for this cal black powder i think a 250 to 300 gr my email adress is norvil mosbroker@hotmail .com im new at this yours look great i'm new at this

[LET-CA]

- - - SNIP SNIP SNIP - - -
Looking at the keepers, about 20% had flash around the hollowpoint like the one shown on its side in the photo below. I figure I can trim these with a knife but am wondering why only some are coming out like this. Any suggestions on how to fix this problem or how to limit the number of rejects next time?
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/kingstrider/casting3.jpg

I had the same problem with mine until I figured out that my pin was not prefectly centered when I twisted the pin to tighten it to the mould. I now only turn the locking screw enough to hold it in place and the extra flashing has pretty much disappeared.

On a separate note, these are great shooting bullets. I recently purchased a Ruger Super Redhawk and they're wonderfully accurate over a pile of H110.

All the best.

[Heavy lead]

I am with Glen on this one. Although I increase the temp a bit it is the speed that makes the difference for me! Keep that pin hot by casting as fast as you can. For me a bored out RCBS ladle is the only way to cast HP bullets ! I pour over the pot with plenty of excess alloy flowing off the mould. Do not even look at the bullets once you start getting good ones.

Jerry

These are from moulds also modified by Buckshot.

http://www.fototime.com/55F07C1E821F1A5/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/764FE0DF38E319D/standard.jpg

What is this beautiful long swc, I gotta get one! :mrgreen::confused::twisted::-D

[Bad Karma]

I have two very old Ideal .357 hollow point moulds. I get a fin on the hollow point sometimes but not so much that I'm gonna toss it in the remelt can.

One thing that is an interesting experiment that I did was to put a BB in the mould (steel BB) in the mould. What I get is a really neat boolit that has a BB in the nose that's about 15% heavier. I wonder if it'll effect expansion?

[buck1]

Or just stir the pot with the pin. I have heard od the devistators working well that way...Buck

[shooter2]

I started as a ladle caster and still do it that way. I think it works especially well with HP's. I use a Rowell bottom pour ladle and let plenty of the alloy flow over the mould. My bullets are generally well frosted and filled out. The reject rate is low. Certainly less than10%. Beagle's advice is good as always.

[Maximilian225]

I have a lyman 452374 Devastator and the way I run it is with the pot on about 800 - 850 with Straight WW.
I use a bottom pour and fill the mold with the sprue touching the spout. Than a Pretty good sized puddle on the sprue. The quickest way I have found to keep the pin in the mold takes three taps. One. Cut the sprue. Two, open the handles just a little and tap the the bolt. The pin falls out at this point on the left side of my towel. Open the handles the rest of the way and tap again, bullets fall on the right side of my towel. Close blocks, reinsert pin. Repeat.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7691&d=1212546640

As to your flash. Check the retaining screw on the bottom the pin locks under. It may not be tight. Small flash will go away when you size the top punch will flatten it.

:castmine:

[jefats]

Maybe this is a bit off topic but......with hollow points, can you get an accurate BHN using the LBT tester by turning the bullet upside down? That's the only way I can see you can do the testing.

Thanks all

[REDTAIL]

QUESTION? with cast hollow point bullets made of linotype being a hard alloy will they expand as a hollow point should, or will they just penetrate the game and not expand like a regular hp would could someone explain this to me as i am new to casting my own bullets

[cbrick]

Wow, guess it's been awhile I looked at this thread. Sorry you didn't get an answer a bit quicker.

Lino is a very brittle alloy (22 bhn and 12% antimony) and a very poor choice for HP's. The nose would break off and the higher the velocity the faster it'll break up, once the nose is gone the now much lighter boolit will penetrate less. With lower velocities the nose wouldn't break up as quick but again less penetration.

Hope this rather late response helps.

Rick

[Jjed]

a couple of lyman 45 cal devastator boolits recovered after passing through 4 1 gal milk jugs full of water, they both expanded to around .740. I couldn't find them at first, jugs where setting on a table with about 7 inches of snow, well the snow melted this week and i found them laying on the table.
sorry for the poor pic's best i can do.

[mikenbarb]

I have found the same as many others that the pin must be kept hot so I made up a holder for it that attach's to a small propane torch. When the pin is out it immediately goes into the holder by the flame till its replaced back to the mold for the next pour. I made the holder so its just out of the flame but it is close enough to maintain the pin preheat. I find this very helpful when casting my 38 HP's and 12 gauge slugs with a large base pin that needs to stay hot to fill out the base properly. I will try to post some pics tommorow.

[redneckdan]

What is this beautiful long swc, I gotta get one! :mrgreen::confused::twisted::-D

Lyman 358627, stated to drop at 215gr

[Tippet]

I have found the same as many others that the pin must be kept hot so I made up a holder for it that attach's to a small propane torch. When the pin is out it immediately goes into the holder by the flame till its replaced back to the mold for the next pour. I made the holder so its just out of the flame but it is close enough to maintain the pin preheat. I find this very helpful when casting my 38 HP's and 12 gauge slugs with a large base pin that needs to stay hot to fill out the base properly. I will try to post some pics tommorow.

Awesome Mike, looking forward to the pics!

[Tippet]

hey having this thread in two different forums is problematic

[largom]

Just found this thread. I have a small 4 lb. Lee pot that I got at an auction for $2. I took a small strip of aluminum flat stock and drilled a hole in the center a little bigger than my hollow point pin. I fill this small pot with lead and lay the aluminum strip across the top. When casting HP as soon as I remove the pin it goes into the hole in the strip with the pin now sticking into the melted lead. This keeps my pin at the right temp. without over/under heating.
Larry

[desteve811]

How do you get those bullets to come out so shinny?

[HollowPoint]

I bought a Devastator mold a couple of years back and I've had nothing but good luck with it. I'll admit there was a learning-curve of sorts before I actually started casting more good bullets than bad.

When I started casting with it I was using straight water quenched Stick-On WW's. These Devastator Hollow Points would expand to nearly the size of a quarter. When I went to a slightly harder alloy, it was just as stated above; the hollow point would shear off on impact and leave very little to penetrate any further.

The only remedy I could come up with was to put together an Adjustable Hollow Point Spud. This allows me to cast these Devastators with more of a "Cup-Point" rather than a "Hollow Point."

With a slightly harder alloy the "Cup-Point" configuration gives me just about the right amount of expansion without loosing the nose of the bullet on impact.

Also; although it's still essential to casting good hollow points, with the hollow point adjusted to a shallower depth, it seems that the work involved in maintaining the correct temperature of the spud is reduced to some degree.

HollowPoint

[Big Dog]

3. Strike the sprue earlier than normal (you've got a heat sinc cooling the bullet in the HP pin so the bullet will solidify sooner than what the sprue tells you)


heat, good castings live & die by it, I am by no means a great caster of bullets, but let me draw some parallels that I know and understand.....

the last job that I had (milling rail car couplers) I had some quality problems (voids) with the steel castings in the tail where a 2 3/8" dia pin was inserted to mount the coupler to the draft gear

the problem turned out to be with what is called "chill pins", they are inserted by the caster just before the steel is poured into the green sand casting mold and their job is to cool the molten steel quicker to keep the mold from shifting, the void problem came about because they did not "fuse" with the casting and become one (I had to wait on the engineers and quality control from my company and the supplier company to tell me what I already knew ... )

so the analogy of the hollow point pin acting like a heat sink is in all likelihood correct, and everyone here stating that they heat the pin in one way or another is the correct action, some pins are longer, different taper, and wider than others and certain variances must be observed to correct the problem

other than the pin heat it appears that alloy is the next culprit in the lineup

[Tippet]

I have had more success with a 257 cal mould done by Buckshot running the lead hotter than usual. No thermometer here. I just trial and error until I get good nose fill out. Mine is a spire point and can be finicky(SP).

A 311 291 HP and a 358156 HP are run the same way and I like the results. I use WW w/ a little linotype melted in for these two and I have been using pure linotype in the 257 mould. With pure linotype, I flux a bit more often, especially when the bullet noses go to pot.

I think I got an image attached to this to show the final outcome of the 257. It is not the best image, but i am still trying to get the hang of the camera.

Do not know if this is specific enough 45NUT, but best I can do at this time and place. I have found that I must run HP's hotter than the other moulds. But I am Not an expert, I am still learning that is why I do not post too often.

Keep trying Rugerman1, best advice I saw here one time was "do not be afraid of mistakes, they can be remelted"
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n226/tayloroid/cast%20boolits/hp.jpg

I'm looking to find a good mould to start casting for my .257 Roberts. Can anyone tell me what mould made these? I gather Buckshot hollowpointed it. Kinda looks like an RCBS .257-120-SP, but then it kinda doesn't.

[David2011]

Reading between the lines it looks like more tin in the alloy may be helping along with casting fast and hot. No experience with HPs but I do add tin rich alloy to my WW alloy and it fill the molds very nicely.

David

[Tippet]

Fine as long as that doesn't compromise expansion. Make it too hard and you may as well just cast non-hp boolits.

[Tazman1602]

Interesting techniques, each and every one. I too had the issue of nasty looking hollow points and finally narrowed it down to what all of you have -- the pin stays too cold and never heats up, when it does the rest of the mold is too hot, arrrrgghhh!

SO, for another $10 for a second hotplate I did this. I found an old block of steel I had laying around the shop. I measured and drilled a hole about the same size as my pin, stuck the block of steel on my extra hotplate and stuck the pin in the steel to get it preheated.

Works GREAT but I don't have any pics not that you need any. If I could find a bigger piece of steel I'd just drill a bunch of hole so every HP pin had it's own hole.

Works a lot better than running your mix too hot or burning the carp out of myself or setting house on fire with a propane torch running and isn't expensive.

Don't ask me why I worry about burning myself or burning down the house with the propane torch trick...................

Just another way to accomplish our goals. MAN I love this board...

Art

OH! And with HP's??? USE SOFTER METAL or you will have nothing more than a hollow point bullet that frags on impact, guess that could be handy but not for what I hunt..............

[mannyCA]

I know it must sound crazy, but I used to have trouble with the hollow point getting stuck in the boolit, use a little bull lube on the pin when its hot, wipe off with a paper towel and no more stuck pin.. :lovebooli

[Merlin43]

Dang!
Now ya's has me lusting after HP mold mod's.
After 30 years of solids, I'm gonna have to cough up some shekels and try this!

[contender1]

Having never cast any HP boolits, I have found this thread very interesting. I do have a question though. I've noticed in the pics, that some makes of HP pins have a handle, and others do not. Do all of them have a handle & the others were just not pictured with them or what?

[GLL]

The “old” standard is a single pin with the wooden handle. Several newer styles are available such as the multi-cavity “CRAMER” currently being produced by Miha at MP and the 2 & 4 cavity RG series by Al at NOE. Go over to the Group Buy section and take a look at molds being produce by these two sources. Although I have some of each I still rely mainly on the old single cavity single pins for many of my HPs !

I love casting hollow-points ! :) :)

Jerry

http://www.fototime.com/54CCEF5FE79FF90/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/6F2288BE4B37A76/standard.jpg

[contender1]

Thanks! I'm in the process of getting a HP mold or two. It's gonna be fun to figure out,,,!

[knobster]

I have a lyman 452374 Devastator and the way I run it is with the pot on about 800 - 850 with Straight WW.
I use a bottom pour and fill the mold with the sprue touching the spout. Than a Pretty good sized puddle on the sprue. The quickest way I have found to keep the pin in the mold takes three taps. One. Cut the sprue. Two, open the handles just a little and tap the the bolt. The pin falls out at this point on the left side of my towel. Open the handles the rest of the way and tap again, bullets fall on the right side of my towel. Close blocks, reinsert pin. Repeat.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7691&d=1212546640

As to your flash. Check the retaining screw on the bottom the pin locks under. It may not be tight. Small flash will go away when you size the top punch will flatten it.

:castmine:

Thank you for this advice! I have the same mold and most of my boolits have the flashing. Once I tumble lube them most of the flashing get mashed down or breaks off so it wasn't a huge concern. Just not as purdee as I would have liked.

[wrongway]

I'm new but how about a heat gun set on low with you HP pin sitting by it to keep it at temp

[raymondl]

As the alluminium mould heats up quicker than the steel pin we will have a situation where heat will go to the pin as it is colder than the mould . In the example earlier with the coupler where cast steel is used they are working with similar metals for casting and the pin . Expansion and cooling rates would be similar . With lead we need all items to have similar temperatures . Pins would work better when polished and with a small taper .

[Lead]

Pretty boolits

[reddhawkk]

Good info, will definitely remember this thread.

[Boogieman]

Would a pin made out of brass hold heat better?

[sureYnot]

I start my HP way hotter than it needs to be. Maybe takes a minute for the first mold full to solidify. Mold cools a little as I work into the rhythm. Never any trouble with sticky boolits that don't want to drop off the pins.
My non HP molds seem to do better starting cooler and letting the casting heat them up and just toss the first few castings back in the pot.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

[Dieselhorses]

Another thing I find helps is to force feed the alloy. Use a dipper or press the sprue plate tightly against the pour spout, and hold the feed open for several seconds.

This is exactly the way I had pour some HP 150 GR 359's today. I started out in the conventional manner of holding mold about 1/4" under nozzle, cast about 20 and threw em back. Held sprue plate directly to nozzle and let off a little for sprue to build a little for each cavity and this got me near perfect bullets! More alloy weight in pot gives better flow too.

[LawrenceA]

In my limited experience:
Run the pot a little hotter than normal
Let the first few bullets linger in the mold to bring it up to heat.
pour hard and fast once you hit temperature.
In a bottom pour keep a good head of lead.
In a Miha mold that is about all I can think of.
With my Lyman mold I twist the pin to free it from the bullet before opening the mold, then use it to remove the actual bullet. I then drop the bullet off the pin and re insert the Pin. End result is the pin is free of hot lead for a very short time.
Hope this is of some use

[DanInCt]

I keep the brass pretty warm, i hit it with a temp gun quite often. Seems the larger the cast the easier it is for me.

[Bayou52]

Thanks to a fellow member who recently sold/furnished a two-cavity RCBS 30-180-FN mould with one cavity HP'd, yesterday, I cast my very first HPs. Looks like they came out pretty good for the very first stab. That was a fun session and a valuable learning experience. The projectiles were powder coated, sized and gas checked. I may put one more thin coat of powder coating on them before testing.

Here's a pic of yesterday's handiwork:

https://i.ibb.co/sVCmrmd/IMG-0154.jpg (https://ibb.co/z4FnwnT)

Bayou52

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I have just started casting with a MP 4 cav brass HP mold. I have learned to preheat this mold much hotter than I do for standard molds. And I have payed much more attention to mold temperature as I cast because this mold has a narrow window where it likes to run. I use a three count after the sprue dulls before I cut. Then another three count before I open the mold and dump the boolits. The tricky thing is how long to pause before you pour again. My issue is the mold getting too hot and the edges of the bands and base get rounded on the boolits. They also get frosted.

But i am improving and getting quite a few nice ones.

[Alferd Packer]

I keep a hot plate next to the casting furnace to heat moulds that use four pins in hp cavities.
I get them hot and dump the bullets when the sprue has changed color.
I cast using six molds alternating 1 to 6.
after dumping bullets the mould goes on the hot plate till it's turn comes up to fill it,then it sits till its turn to empty it.
Then it sits off the hot plate filled till it's turn comes to empty it, then it goes back on the hot plate.
It gives you quite an arm workout after a while moving all those four cavity molds , filling them and emptying but it makes a big pile of bullets too!
Also the hollow point ends are all filled out.

[Alferd Packer]

I also keep another ten pound furnace busy melting lead to keep the main furnace full.
It's easy to empty a twenty pound furnace with twenty five minutes of fast casting using four cavity moulds in 44 and 45 calibers.

[cwlongshot]

Best advice is get a hot plate & USE IT!! Bring molds to 350/375 degrees before staring ta cast. I guaranty the majority of problems will disappear.

CW

[Tripplebeards]

I normally turn my lee 4/20 pot up to 8.5 and make sure my mold and pin are hot first. Mold tinning is normal for me at this temp but bullets look great and most weight within 3 grains of each other.

[Hoosier Carry]

One of my favorite molds. My lead is 96-2-2 that I used to purchase from GT Bullets. The lead has almost doubled in price so I'm looking into mixing my own. But their alloy is perfect for great performing hollow points. My bullets from that mold drop right about 190 grs from their 185 gr mold. Expansion is very impressive and I use those in all my 45s including my carry rounds....Oh No's!!:roll: