Midsouth Shooters Supply has Bator & Soup Can Molds in stock

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Anyone happen to know the BC of the .22 Bator?

I'm not sure if Lee actually machines their Bator to these specs, but this is all I've ever seen.

[waco]

Thanks for the info Jon

[.429]

i would be interested to know what OAL you guys will be using with the Bator. it's gonna need to be quite short with the nose profile to work in my boltgun. i know that 2.090" works, but i left the boolit a little longer on the next round (2.160) to see if it would touch the rifling and seat itself deeper. well, it did but the bullet stuck in the rifling so much that when i extracted the round, the boolit was stuck in the gun. now i have to pick up a dowel rod to knock it out. anyhow, i was surprised at this because my lyman book shows that the 225464 (i think) is a very similar design as the Bator but an OAL of 2.260"

[waco]

Just tap it out with your cleaning rod.

[.429]

yep, that'll work. thanks

Just tap it out with your cleaning rod.

[AlaskanGuy]

I am gunna cast mine tomorrow....

Wish me luck.... Gunna make them pretty hard....

Ag

[waco]

I was thinking pure Lino.

[frkelly74]

To the ones who have begun casting with their new molds: i am curious what the diameter of the nose section of the boolits are running. Are they coming out of the molds at .220 like the drawing indicates?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

i would be interested to know what OAL you guys will be using with the Bator. it's gonna need to be quite short with the nose profile to work in my boltgun. i know that 2.090" works, but i left the boolit a little longer on the next round (2.160) to see if it would touch the rifling and seat itself deeper. well, it did but the bullet stuck in the rifling so much that when i extracted the round, the boolit was stuck in the gun. now i have to pick up a dowel rod to knock it out. anyhow, i was surprised at this because my lyman book shows that the 225464 (i think) is a very similar design as the Bator but an OAL of 2.260"

To the ones who have begun casting with their new molds: i am curious what the diameter of the nose section of the boolits are running. Are they coming out of the molds at .220 like the drawing indicates?

.429,
The older Lee bator molds are notorious for a Fat Nose...like around .226
So it's a challenge for sure to get a OAL where the nose makes contact with the rifling...it doesn't "bore ride"
BTW, What's the nose diameter of your boolits ?


frkelly,
great question, from .429's comments and question, I suspect they haven't changed, but am waiting anxiously for the same answer. I still haven't received my 2 cav. mold...I'm sitting on the mistakenly shipped 6cav, waiting to return it, so I dare not cast with it.

[.429]

thanks guys for the help! Here's my nose diameter

[.429]

Also, my driving bands drop at .226-.227 and they weigh 50.0gr with an alum gc and a coat of 45/45/10

[waco]

Can't wait! Mine should be at the house when I get off work tonight! I'll cast with it this weekend.

[Nrut]

Also, my driving bands drop at .226-.227 and they weigh 50.0gr with an alum gc and a coat of 45/45/10

That's perfect for my needs .429 in both nose and body diameter..
What alloy are you using?
Thanks

[.429]

That's perfect for my needs .429 in both nose and body diameter..
What alloy are you using?
Thanks

lyman #2

[frkelly74]

The mold I have is an older one and it has a nose diameter of .225 and is also .225 at the bands. Of the few I have put through my AR, two have failed to chamber but that might have been because of a slightly collapsed case shoulder. The next ones I load will have a crimp applied in a separate operation.

That .220 nose should chamber in about anything.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

This is great News !!!

thanks guys for the help! Here's my nose diameter

[.429]

seating the boolit on the top driving band seems to be the right depth for me. it sure is a short OAL, but the top driving band is in the same location as the cantalure on some 55gr fmjs that i've got which puts the bases at the same depth. i'd have to think the pressures would be similar

[waco]

I got my mold today. Cast some up out of 80/20 COWW/LINO air cooled.
I sorted by sight for defects, still need to weigh them.
I'll GC and PC then sort by weight.
Attachment 90459

[frkelly74]

Well, I have ordered one of the 6 cavities molds because of the nose diameter reported above just because they are available now. I want to seat them long enough to keep the gas check in the neck of the case and this one looks like it will do that. Probably I will put the fat nose one for sale on ebay at some point.

What gas checks are being used on these? ( next question) I have put some aluminum ones on the boolits from the mold that I currently have and they start out fitting loose but tighten up somewhat when I crimp them and stay on but can be pulled off pretty easily. I don't really care if they stay on or fall off after they leave the bore as long as they all either all stay on or all fall off.

The adventure continues.

[waco]

I bought Hornady gas check. Haven't tried seating any yet. I'll let you know how they work.