Any Secrets Using the Lee 500-3R Mold?

[John Boy]

I've tried every technique casting with this 459-500gr spitzer bullet mold to get the bullets to consistently drop within 0.5gr (or even 1gr) ... and can't make it happen.

Cast iron pot with Rowell dipper- bottom drop - temperature - small sprue - large sprue - 1/4" melt drop - tilt the mold - straight - etc, etc,etc

Has anyone got the secret for this mold?

[44man]

I have never had a problem with it. I cast around 800 degrees, use a Lyman ladle with the hole enlarged and the sprue hole enlarged a little. I tip up the mould and ladle and hold them together for a count of four or five before tipping off the ladle. If you just fill and tip off right away with any large mould, the boolits will not fill right. Just pouring into the mould is not enough.
You will get all kinds of answers saying I am wrong. I just cast 300 and had 1 reject due to some slag.
Keep the spout of the ladle clear of slag and clean so it doesn't leak.

[OldBob]

I had about the same results as 44Man, mine prefers to be tilted slightly, hot temp., 800 to 850, and I get more consistent weights when I hold the ladle slightly off the sprue plate and pour leaving a good size sprue. This mould does not like my bottom pour pot at all and makes very inconsistent bullets when I use it .

[montana_charlie]

Cast iron pot with Rowell dipper- bottom drop - temperature - small sprue - large sprue - 1/4" melt drop - tilt the mold - straight - etc, etc,etc

That sounds like a pretty complete set of 'adjustments' for finding a technique that works. The only thing missing (that I can see) is trying one of the Lyman or RCBS dippers. I don't know how well you like that Rowell ladel, but I have heard many cuss them.
CM

[DonH]

The mold has not been as consistent for me as others I have tried but it didn't cost as much either. I use the RCBS ladle, unmodified and I get better bullets, better rhythm to my csting if I fill the ladle less than full - say 3/4 full. A full to the brim ladle gets me finning at the base of the bullet. I cast alloys from 1:20 to 1:30 at about 775 degrees and weigh every bullet ( I shoot BPC competition). I strive for consistency in casting/bullet weight but when weighing just segregate bullets by weight and shoot them the same way. I don't claim itty bitty groups but they ring the steel critters to 400 yds when I aim them right.

[joatmon]

1/2 to 1gn with a 500gn slug! WOW!!

[John Boy]

1/2 to 1gn with a 500gn slug! WOW!!
joatmon - Yep! I use the Eight Phase Casting Cycle ... http://www.longrangebpcr.com/8Phases.htm
and using the Lyman 457123 (535gr Postell) and other 500gr molds, can drop bullets in a bell curve range within 0.5 to 1gr

Anyway Gents, I think I found the secret for the Lee 500-3R mold ... decrease the melt temperature!

I enlarged the sprue hole one drill size larger, stoned the sprue plate real smooth, cleaned it well with brake cleaner and a shop swab and kept the temperature of the melt at 580*F in a bottom pour pot. When I heated the melt over 720* - nothing but erratic weights, frosted bullets and smeared melt under the sprue plate.

At 580*F, I dropped 110 bullets in the 473.4 to 474.9gr range with 81 of the bullets weighing 473.8 to 474.7gr range (1:20's)...fully filling the mold, sharp bands and round bases with no excess lead overlap on the top of the mold. Took awhile for me to get the right rhythm going though.

Am of the opinion that because of the long spitzer nose and the long OAL of the bullet taking up substantial room for the mold size... too high a temperature of the mold causes erratic results

Now the next issue to resolve is ... why the mold won't drop 1:20 bullets in the high 490's range. If it can't be resolved ... hello Pat at Lee Precision.

So, one may ask ... why even try to make this $15 mold work correctly? Because at 600yd with a trial BPCR recipe ... the bullet produced a 10 round - 14" group!:-D

[44man]

A few things I don't understand! How do you get frosted boolits without antimony? Smeared lead under the sprue plate means your timing is way off. Finned boolits means too much head pressure from the pot along with too hot a mould or melt. Overlap on top is again head pressure with too loose a sprue plate.
Since the melting point of pure lead is 621.32 degrees and the addition of a small amount of tin only reduces that slightly, You are casting before the lead melts! Did you use a thermometer to arrive at 580*? I suspect something is wrong! At that low a temp, the lead will freeze in the bottom spout. No way to fill a mould or keep it hot. If you are just using the dial on the pot, your thermostat is way off.
I also wish I could find a Lyman mould for $15!
To cast at 580*, you must have almost pure tin.

[John Boy]

44man ... you are absolutley correct on the temperature and I have a typo error.

The pot temperature was 680*F - not 580! Yes, I always use a thermometer

The 500-3R is a Lee mold, not a Lyman. If a find a box of Lyman's at 15 bucks, I promise to share some with you.

Sorry for the key punch error folks.

[44man]

Sorry, I was thinking of the Postell because I just cast a bunch and they are all over my bench.
Thanks for clarifying the temp, I knew something was off.
I have the Lee mold too but it never shot good from my Browning.

[GooseGestapo]

I've found that my 500-3R casts to 487gr with less than +/- 1.0gr variation using w/w and a Lee MkIV production pot.

You may be opening the sprue too soon, and "tearing" out an inconsistent amount of metal, inducing the variation.

Also, if your temperature is too low, you'll get inconsistent filling of the driving bands resulting in inconsistent weights.

My question is, HOW DO YOU GET THESE TO SHOOT ACCURATELY ??

My NEF handirifle shoots the .458-340, .458-405hp, .459-405HB, accurately, especially the latter.

The 487gr (500-3R) string horizontally, with 6" "patterns" at 50yds.

I suspect the twist rate is not quite right.

[John Boy]

Goose, you may be correct on the twist conflict:
The BC is 1:20 in a 32" barrel

I'm shooting the Lee 500-3R out of a Quigley: 34" barrel with a 1:18 twist. Haven't tried it yet in my H&R BC

The nose of the round needs to be in the leade just touching the the starting bore cut. I too found that jumping into the leade spread out the groups.

Here's a reload for the Lee 500 in the BC: 2.768" OAL so it is in the leading bore cut

Your Brass - neck tension sized only
Belling: just enough to allow 1/2 of the base to sit in the brass
CCI BR-2 primer
68gr VOL Swiss 1.5 and FFFg
Unlubed felt wad - 0.0625
Powder compressed and bullet seated to create an OAL of 2.768"
No Crimp