Rookie ?'s; frosted buulets

[klausg]

Okay gang-
It's me again. I seem to remember reading somewhere that frosted bullets indicate that something is wrong with the temperature of your alloy (too hot??). I use a Coleman stove as a heat source, not the easiest thing to regulate temp with & a casting thermometer is on my 'To Buy' list. So I guess the question is this:

1) Is there anything wrong with a frosted bullet? Other than aesthetics of course, I would love to cast those unwrinkled, shiny, almost greasy looking ones. Will the thing shoot effectively or should I reject them all?

I probably ought to be looking this up in my Lyman Handbook, but I find that section on alloys etc. to be almost as exciting to read as a military manual, (I think they give those to insomniacs who don't respond to heavy medication). Thanks in advance.

-SSG Klaus

[bruce drake]

SSG Klaus,

Frosting will not affect the shootability of your bullets. Considering you use Lee Liquid Alox (Frog Snot is a good term for it), any micro-pits that may be in the surface of the bullet are being covered up by the coating of waxy lube. Consider the Frosting as increasing the surface area between your bullet and the lube.

In some molds I have found they cast better when the lead is considered too hot. I have a Lyman 6.5mm mold that casts a very long thin bullet that if I cast at my normal temps I find that the mold doesn't fill out all the way and I'm left with shiny bullets with rounded edges. I add a few more degrees of temp to the pot and the bullet mold fills out but they are frosted. You just have to slow down your casting to account for the longer times it takes for your sprue to cool enough to cleanly cut.

TM's are sometimes easier to read than Alloy Specs but it's worth it to know what to expect when you pour.

Bruce

Army Ordnance CPT in my normal life.
Just Bruce on the boards.

[sundog]

Klaus, frosty boolits is like frosty flakes. There GRRRReeaatt! As long as they are filled out with no voids. Asthectically more pleasing than the greasy kid stuff that you referred to. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Shooting them is proof. sundog

[Bucks Owin]

Yep, nothing wrong with frosty boolits. Some guys even prefer them....

Dennis

[Leftoverdj]

Uniformly frosted is fine, and I can't get any other kind from aluminum moulds. Partially frosted, or so heavily crystalized that they look granular, go back in the pot. I'm told that partially frosted are undersized under the frosting, but have never checked. I get so few that it is easier for me to just reject them. A uniform light gray is normal for me.

[454PB]

I'm one that prefers frosted boolits. About the only time mine aren't frosted is when I cast pure linotype.

[9.3X62AL]

The only possible down side to frosted boolits is that in my 40 caliber-plus molds, frosted boolits tend to run a slight bit smaller than the smooth shiny ones produced with cooler alloy/molds. Particular to my needs, the RCBS 300 FNGC will barely make .458" when cast hot and frosty (izzat a twisted reference, or what?). My rifle needs at least .459", so by running alloy at 675* and casting a bit more slowly, the castings fall out at just over .459", bright and shiny. Dunno for sure, maybe the metal contracts further from the higher poured temperature. Castings fall free just as easily, hot and frosty (!) or cooler and shiny.

[Bucks Owin]

I'm one that prefers frosted boolits. About the only time mine aren't frosted is when I cast pure linotype.

You and Paco Kelly too if I'm not mistaken....

I don't "prefer" them but don't reject them either....

( Why the preference BTW? More uniformity? )

Best,

Dennis

[Edward429451]

Interesting. I had heard on another board that frosted bullets will be brittle and tend to break up in game rather than hold together and penetrate, but that they're still good for punching paper.

I don't know. Just something I heard. I've never killed game with a CB (Hopefully yes after next season!!)

Can any of you guys with experiance at taking game with CB's substantiate or refute this rumor?

[waksupi]

Interesting. I had heard on another board that frosted bullets will be brittle and tend to break up in game rather than hold together and penetrate, but that they're still good for punching paper.

I don't know. Just something I heard. I've never killed game with a CB (Hopefully yes after next season!!)

Can any of you guys with experiance at taking game with CB's substantiate or refute this rumor?

Edward, i have only killed deer, elk, antelope, and buffalo with frosted bullets. Can't say if they are effective or not. Never recovered one. Also, never found any shed bullet particles. My guess is, they work just fine, and the guys on the other board should come here and learn. We take poorly to old wives tales!:drinks:

[DanWalker]

I've killed deer and hogs with frosty cast bullets. Nary a problem. Never recovered a slug from any of them either. I have done penetration tests with wet phone books and my preferred,"It'll Kill anything that walks" bullet. I've run them to 1550fps and recovered them from the media and they expanded a bit but showed NO signs of brittleness.
The above mentioned bullet is a LEE 452 300 rnfpgc. I cast them from wheelweights. I used to water quench them, but now I just air cool them.

[454PB]

You and Paco Kelly too if I'm not mistaken....

I don't "prefer" them but don't reject them either....

( Why the preference BTW? More uniformity? )

Best,

Dennis

Yes. Over the years I learned that once the alloy and mould were at a temperature that produced frosted boolits, the reject rate dropped dramatically and the weigh uniformity increased,

I keep hearing about cast boolits shattering, but the only time I've seen it was shooting steel. I've never found a shattered one in an animal or in a dirt backdrop. I once assassinated a 1600 pound steer for a friend to butcher, and the 250 grain .44 magnum boolit was found in the tongue after being shot in the forehead. That boolit had penetrated 1 1/2" of skull, the full length of the head (probably a good foot), and was found in the tongue, expanded to .70 caliber, and still wearing the gas check[smilie=1:

[Pawpaw]

I've killed deer with cast bullets and they just plow on through.

I like frosty bullets, and get a bunch of them from each batch. I generally set my pot on High and let the mold eat until the lead runs out. Most of what I shoot is frosted. I lube either with Junior lube or LLA (frog snot.... I like that).

[klausg]

All-Thank you very much for all of your input on this thread and my others; it's nice to know that I won't be re-melting all of my 358477's. They all came out with a nice even 'frost'; I loaded some up last night and by next week I should be giving you guys a range report. Also I apologize for my lousy typing skills, I just noticed in the title of this thread I spelled bullets w/two u's and one l; need more coffee.

PawPaw-I'd love to take credit for the "frog snot" term, but in all honesty I read it here, (just can't quite remember where, or I'd acknowledge the author). I found it quite comical too, so it stuck in my head.

Take care everyone

-SSG Klaus

[Edward429451]

Oh yeah, that's just what I wanted to hear.

Eons ago when I first started casting, I got frosted ones a lot and just shot em. Lately I'm becoming more serious and heard that brittleness bit and was rejecting them on the off chance that I might do a bit of hunting with them. Like was stated though, the reject count is way lower while casting to frosty temps. Life is better now.

I have been tossing the frosty ones aside until I got conclusive info about them. Well, I guess I got it now so me boolit stock just grew...:>)

Thanks guys.