Newbie

[sturgeon]

Hey there,
I'm a black powder hunter from Orygun. I own 2 Whites (both are 50's) a G-Series Whitetail and a Super 91. Both are used with conicals 460-495 gr. Its getting expensive to shoot so I'm here to learn how to cast my own...I know nothing so plz accept my pre-apologies for all the stupid questions I'm about to shower upon you.

Both guns seem to shoot .504 diameters very well, how do I get started??

THANX

[OldBob]

I'm thinking you already got started.....yer here..... There are a number of ways to start out, I started with a Coleman gas stove,a Lyman dipper and pot and a round ball mould.Turkey fryers make a good heat source, kinda hard to control, but they work fine. Lee makes a fairly inexpensive bottom pour pot, and they also make inexpensive moulds. Their REAL bullet should do for what you are looking for. Midway has some pretty good prices, eBay has a lot of stuff, but their prices are usually crazy. You'll need to find a source for lead......buying it is almost sacrilege, and some black powder lube. If you use a Lee mould and it has problems dropping the bullet, see the sticky on this forum about "Lee-Menting", that treatment works wonders with the Lees. Once you start this game you'll find it is as much fun makin' em as it is shootin' 'em. Take time to read through this forum and if you still have questions, post 'em. You won't find a better source for answers or folks more willing to help.

[versifier]

Welcome here to the asylum and to the world of casting. Careful, it's addicting. REAL's, Minnie's, Maxi Balls, & Plains if you like the heavy ones. Both Lee and Lyman make .50cal molds. Only pure lead for muzzle loaders. If you ask, you will find someone on the forum that will send you some samples to test before you buy a mold. T/C sells empty sabots that you fill up with your own cast .44's, too. BTW, there are no stupid questions, though you will on occasion get some stupid answers....

[Sixgun Symphony]

I am not familiar with the rifles you have there. Can you tell us what the rifling twist rate is?

[Buckshot]

..................sturgeon, A guy by the name of Don, who frequents the range I use has been hunting with White Systems MLers for years. Goes to Africa about every year. Three years ago he and his wife went on a trophy Elk hunt in New Mexico for the tidy sum of $12.5K. I get the impression he had some financial interest in the company too. He was always talking about "Doc" White. I know they did some hunting together. Then there was a guy who worked in their plant or manufacturing facility named 'Gumby' who he was always talking to.

Don uses a NEI mould for a 500 gr smooth sided slug designed to be paper patched in 45 cal cartridge rifles. Apparently this was a mould White recommended and they had sabots for it. Many years ago, maybe 15 or so when DOn got into them he had our range manager of the time (ken) doing his load development for him. You see, Don is a hunter and the gun is a tool, and that's about it. He knows and likes nice stuff and has the money to get whatever he wants. But load development wasn't his hot button.

What Ken ended up with was something like 130grs of Pyrodex 'P' and that 500 gr slug in a sabot. Don had abandoned real BP when Pyrodex came out, and I believe he now uses 777. I remember Ken had that thing printing 3 rounds in less then 2" at 100 yards, and it would sure rock his world when it went off! THey had been working on the retaining wall at one end of the range and there were some long railroad switch ties laying there.

Ken went down there and got on top of one of the benches while me and another guy dragged a tie over one lying there already. Ken fired down and the slug went through both ties and about 10" of dirt. These were good ties too! Since the slug had been cast of lino, and shot from a sabot you could almost have used it again. In the time since Don has used it for Cape and water Buffalo and one Hippo I know of and has yet to retain a slug.

....................Buckshot

[sturgeon]

Buckshot,
Same rifles from Gary (DOC) White.

Sixgun
1-24" is the rate of twist, they are designed specifically for long heavy conicals. I use 460 and 495 gr. No Excuses .503 and a friend's design 498gr. 504 (affectionately known as the "trashcan".) The 504 is the most accurate and is absolutely lethal on deer DRT. I use relatively light powder loads 65gr. 777 fffg and a lubed wad, Chrono's right at around 1230-1260 fps.

[fiberoptik]

Okay,.........how about that bullet stuff in Eiingliiish??

[contendernut]

I would go visit the DWB forum site and read it if you don't already. UC has written an article about the 451. I don't know about molds for the 504 but I think mountain mold is your best bet. Go to sunrisearchery.com for the DWB forum link.

If you reload, order a custom lee sizer to the size you want. The 410/451 are standard size dies for the lee but I think the 504 will need to be ordered.

I would buy clean pure lead to learn on.

[versifier]

Buckshot will make push-through sizers in custom sizes faster and cheaper than Lee.

[sturgeon]

Thanks all
DWB been there ;-) the Super 91 is one of Bob Bowers creations :) So far I've come up with a composite for what I think I'll need to get started: Mold (mountain mold I think), handles, a press and sizer, furnace/production pot, ladles, flux and lube, and....lead. Am I missing anything???
Hoping to get into this for less than 300 bucks??? Is it possible?