Dimner
11-03-2020, 03:37 PM
This one is for the deep recesses of the cast boolit search engines.
I have long been comfortable and successful in bullet casting 30 caliber. Always get nice filled out boolits with straight wheel weights. Especially when using Lyman or RCBS iron molds. Less successful, but still good results using aluminum molds of 30 cal. Just need to be more strict about temperature and cadence/timing while casting.
Well, when doing 22 cal casting, I have never been able to get anything resembling a nice base from an aluminum or brass mold. The bases are always cratered and pockmarked. Torn and ripped. When I turn down the temp, then the fill out goes to hell. No matter how slow I cast. But as always when I cast with iron molds, all is perfect.
This time though, I decided I had to get these brass molds working right. The profile was something that was not available in iron. So I added 1.5% tin to my mix for the first time.
OH MY DEAR LORD
The impact and perfect bullets were instantaneous. its like a choir started singing. It just changed everything that rapidly and that much.
I always knew tin was important for fillout, but never really needed that with 30 cal. But for 22 cal.......you need it. Don't be cheap like me. Get some tin.
I have long been comfortable and successful in bullet casting 30 caliber. Always get nice filled out boolits with straight wheel weights. Especially when using Lyman or RCBS iron molds. Less successful, but still good results using aluminum molds of 30 cal. Just need to be more strict about temperature and cadence/timing while casting.
Well, when doing 22 cal casting, I have never been able to get anything resembling a nice base from an aluminum or brass mold. The bases are always cratered and pockmarked. Torn and ripped. When I turn down the temp, then the fill out goes to hell. No matter how slow I cast. But as always when I cast with iron molds, all is perfect.
This time though, I decided I had to get these brass molds working right. The profile was something that was not available in iron. So I added 1.5% tin to my mix for the first time.
OH MY DEAR LORD
The impact and perfect bullets were instantaneous. its like a choir started singing. It just changed everything that rapidly and that much.
I always knew tin was important for fillout, but never really needed that with 30 cal. But for 22 cal.......you need it. Don't be cheap like me. Get some tin.