A Zillion Tiny Boolits

[9.3X62AL]

I got a chance today to do some casting, and finished off a 1# coffee can of Lee 8mm 175 castings that I started last night. That done, I started out with a new-to-me #311252 that was sent by a friend some time ago, but I hadn't used very much to date. It got used A LOT today.

Any idea how many #311252/77 grain 32 caliber boolits it takes to fill a 1# coffee can? Let's just say, A LARGE NUMBER. Many. I may have created a lifetime supply of 32 ACP castings at one sitting. I did this same stunt about a month ago with Lyman #257420, a 72 grain 25 caliber rifle casting. A likely lifetime supply of those now also resides under the reloading bench.

The next moulds in line are both Lee tools, and new ones--30 caliber/200 grain bore rider, and 45 ACP 230 grain TC. Those weights will fill up the coffee cans a bit faster. :) After that, the last new mould will get some Linotype poured through it--RCBS 22 caliber/55 grain spitzer. Yeah, Version 3.0 of 223 cast booliting. Love those dinky gas checks--NOT.

[MT Gianni]

Nice Al, there is something about fat fingers and 223 checks that drive us batty.

[RayinNH]

The 9mm TC give me trouble in the sizer. Those itty bitty boolits will be an exercise in frustration...Ray

[9.3X62AL]

No doubt about it, Ray and John! I'll probably need needle-nose pliers to pick out the #311252s from the sizing die.

The Lee TC designs respond well to the use of a dome-shaped RN top punch in the Lyman sizer. They seem to align themselves better before die entry than with a TC-shaped top punch.

[scrapcan]

Been there with the 311252. I made an cream tub of them. It was alot of effort, refills, and I too thought I had a goodly supply. That was 2 years ago. I sen teh last of them to graywolf about a month ago.

Something funny happened and a bunch of people decided they were fun to shoot in a multitude of guns.

[theperfessor]

I wear blue nitrile gloves when reloading and sizing/lubing boolits. Started doing it to keep contact w/lead to minimum, but found out it really helps to get a grip when handling small boos and cases.

[Harry O]

How many pounds (of lead) is in the can? I have been casting this winter on a modified Rapine 386185 bullet mould so I will be ready for CAS this year. Approx 12 hours of casting total. I have three plastic tubs of bullets at right about 10lbs each. That still adds up to a little less than 1,000 bullets. That should handle this year, though.

[9.3X62AL]

Harry--

The 1# coffee can has about 3/4 of a full RCBS furnace's worth, so I'm guessing about 16#. Weighing 78 grains, there are about 1300-1400 boolits all told. That should last a while. Likewise the #257420s.

Perfesser, I used nitrile gloves extensively during my haz-mutant/drug lab days. It never occurred to me to try those for handling boolits. Talk about ignoring the obvious.......thanks, sir.

[gray wolf]

Yes MANLEYJT And fine bullets they were. All gone now, It was a very nice thing you did in sending them to Julie and I. I may have to lend that mold from you come spring.
Unless I can afford one.

[Mk42gunner]

Al,

I really hope that wasn't a single cavity mold.


Robert