2-cav vs. more than 2-cav molds

[Tazman1602]

Hey All,

Just got a new 2-Cav mold from NOE for my .444 Marlin and threw a few with it yesterday, funny how things go sometimes. I've got a ton of molds and spent the majority of last winter learning how to use a bottom pour pot -- hated it at first but finally did get the hang of it.

Now recently I got a load of Lead and Brass dot com's #2 alloy and had wanted to try ladle pouring again due to the amount of controversy ladle vs. bottom pour etc as I've got another mold for my 45-70 that BRP made for me that is a three cav design and I also have some six cav Lee molds.

It just seemed to me I forgot how EASY it is to pour 2-cav bullets with a ladle, turned out a TON of them for me and never did get the mold to throw frosty (the new NOE 2-Cav mold), but when I tried with my BRP three cav it took forever to get it to temp and I had a lot of rejects -- which I did not when I was bottom pouring it. Don't get me wrong, the HP cav I have still takes some warm up due to the pin but eventually I get it up to temp -- I DO preheat all my molds on a hotplate with a piece of steel on top.

I *think* I'm looking at an absolutely normal condition here due to the extra cavity on my three cav mold but it gets awful "busy" if you know what I mean when I'm trying to get it up to temp. Tried my Lee six cav and no way am I pouring those without a bottom pour.

I still got good bullets out of all but the six cav Lee by hand pouring, just looking for opinions.

When I think about it, ladle pouring with a two cav mold is *almost* faster, easier, and more fun than with the bottom pour pot I've got.

These are big molds, the BRP being a 420 grain mold so they do take some heating up to throw good bullets -- by the way BOTH molds, BRP and NOE throw EXCELLENT bullets although my big 420 grain seems to like a bit more lead than the smaller molds do.

..............and aluminum molds are SO much easier on my hands than steel molds.................

Art

[BABore]

Even though I usually preheat my molds along side my ladle pot, I also dip them. Just the bottom corner of the mold blocks and the sprue plate end for about 20-30 seconds. After I wipe them off well they are still too hot. The sprue will stay liquid for 10-20 seconds. I fan cool the sprue and blocks working backwards, from too hot to just right. the 2nd or third mold full is perfect everytime. I used to have to smoke a fuzzy mold. Since doing it this way I've yet to smoke one.

[Tazman1602]

Thanks Bruce I'll try that.............could be I'm just out of the habit of ladle pouring too. Your 420 grain is STILL my favorite mold man. You made me three cavs, two GC, one of them HP and one plain base. They all shoot phenomenally (read = the bullets are more accurate than my old eyes...).

Gonna get in touch with you for a mold for my .45 acp pretty quick...........and my .357............and .38...............damn job situation still crappy up here but we're surviving. Hope it hasn't been as hot and muggy down your way as it has been up here this summer!

Art

[geargnasher]

I don't know how folks ladle-pour an aluminum six-cavity. I use a 20lb Lee bottom pour for mine, just poke the spout into the well to get slight momentary hydraulic pressure in the cavity, drop it for an instant and cut the flow to make a small sprue puddle, slip the mould forward one hole and do the next one, blip-blip-blip, until all full, then drag a stream back across all the sprues to tie them together and help keep the sprue plate hot, all done in less than ten seconds.

Gear

[Bret4207]

And I don't know how anyone can use a BP with a 4 or more cav mould. Using a ladle is soooooo much easier and manadatory with bigger boolits AFAIC. And yes, you use a larger capacity ladle.

[theperfessor]

Brett -

I bottom pour all my bullets in molds from one to eight cavity w/no problems, iron or aluminum, but the biggest bullet I cast weighs 265 grs, might be necessary to ladle pour heavier bullets. I think it's a Ginger/Mary Ann thing. I get good bullets, you get good bullets, were both happy.

[cajun shooter]

The bottom pour from my RCBS is great until I reach bullets in the 400 gr range. After that I use my Wagge pot with rowel ladle. In fact I tried just to see if my RCBS would pour the Saeco 735 bullet which with my alloy is 535 grains. It was a huge no go. There is something else added when you ladle pour. It's a feeling that puts you back in time. All I need is for Jules Verne to come with his time machine to top it all off.

[101VooDoo]

Mary Ann for sure, but I'd be thinking about Ginger.

[theperfessor]

Twenty years ago I'd want both. Hey, we can all dream!

[Tazman1602]

Bruce --

Heat was it. I jacked up the heat on my hotplate for the three cav of yours I have and almost immediately started pouring great bullets with the ladle.

Rest of you guys I have to agree that I wouldn't try to ladle pour any six cavs I've got, way too busy for me. Like Gear said just get a bit of hydraulic on them and go for the next cav with the bottom pour.

............and perfessor................when I was 11 I had a German Shepard that...........I..........named.............."Ginger"......................and a Rottweiler at 35 I............named........."Ginger"...............although I would much prefer Mary Ann these days. Seen Dawn Wells lately? VERY well preserved nice lady and Tina Louise kinda turned into some kind of fruitcake the last interview I saw with both of them...........<GRIN>

Art

[Tazman1602]

I don't know how folks ladle-pour an aluminum six-cavity. I use a 20lb Lee bottom pour for mine, just poke the spout into the well to get slight momentary hydraulic pressure in the cavity, drop it for an instant and cut the flow to make a small sprue puddle, slip the mould forward one hole and do the next one, blip-blip-blip, until all full, then drag a stream back across all the sprues to tie them together and help keep the sprue plate hot, all done in less than ten seconds.

Gear

+1, gotta agree with you Gear, Bret is tougher than me I guess <GRIN>

Art

[fredj338]

I use a BP for all my molds, single to 6cav. Just seems so much easier than dealing w/ the ladle.

[Bret4207]

Brett -

I bottom pour all my bullets in molds from one to eight cavity w/no problems, iron or aluminum, but the biggest bullet I cast weighs 265 grs, might be necessary to ladle pour heavier bullets. I think it's a Ginger/Mary Ann thing. I get good bullets, you get good bullets, were both happy.

Yup, just saying that once you've been doing something one way for a long time going to another method is a chore. I can hardly BP a 3 cav. A 6 would drive me nuts!

[bearcove]

Never done ladle before. Started with a Lyman bottom pour thirty some years ago.

They pour large stuff great! I have a 12 ounce jig mould that I pour with my RCBS pot.

[Bret4207]

It's a tactile and sight issue for me. I've got my pot up almost at eye level and it's still a bear to use. With a ladle, which I started with 30ish years back, I can see and feel exactly what I'm doing whether it's with an ancient Lyman ladle or a 1lb Rowell.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Smallest mold is a 1 cavity 45 -478gr. Next is a 2 cav. 44-325gr.,a 44-265gr 2 cav., & 5 4cav. molds. I do them all bp now.