New Molds

[Johnw...ski]

I had ordered two new molds in June and yesterday the one from Steve Brooks came in. The sample boolit that came with it is really a thing of beauty and is dead on size wise. It's a 535 gr. Origional Postell for my 45-70. Can't wait to try it but there is a lot happening at once here.

Today another package arrived, my new mold from Paul Jones, and even after seeing the excellent sample from the Brooks mold these samples are something else, the parting line is almost impossible to see and dimentionally they are dead on. All the samples are also perfectly round for both molds. The Paul Jones mold is a 335 gr. Creedmoor for my 38-55.

As soon as I get up and casting I will post how they shoot.

John

[Down South]

Congratulations on your new moulds.

[Johnw...ski]

I'll try to do something with pictures soon.

Both mold makers recomend using a ladle to fill the molds, I usually bottom pour,
can I get away with my usual method?

John

[DLCTEX]

Yes you can pour perfectly good boolits with a bottom pour in anyone's mold. Just have to figure out the temp. the mold wants. DALE

[ktw]

I am primarily a bottom caster and agree with Dale.

However, experience also tells me you will get better results faster with a ladle, particularly with that large of a bullet.

-ktw

[John Boy]

It's a 535 gr. Origional Postell for my 45-70

John - am interested about the dimensions of the Brooks bullet:
Is it the old Ideal 457132 with these dimensions...
1.433 - OAL
0.444 - Diameter at the driving band
0.703 - Length from front of the driving band to the base
0.457 - Base diameter
Four grease grooves

What alloy ratio was the sample bullet?

[copdills]

congrats I hope they work great for ya keep us informed

[Johnw...ski]

Down South,
The pictures are coming.
John Boy,
I will get you some dimensions in the next day or so.

Used both molds today and they both produced beautiful boolits right from the get go. My alloy is producing boolits that are dimesionally correct in both molds.

I will post the results from the range here and in the single shot section.

John

[Johnw...ski]

OK Down South here's a picture.

And John Boy, the mold is a 535 gr. Original Postell by Steve Brooks Tru Bore Moulds. Here are the dimensions.

OAL: 1.377
Dia. just ahead of driving band: .451
Lg. of driving bands: .650
Dia. of driving band: .460
4 grease grooves

The sample is 30:1, my method of mixing alloy is a little convoluted but seems to work. I have a 535 gr. Postell mold from Lyman that isn't much good (that's another story) I mix my tin and whatever else is in it into pure or nearly pure lead( I go by the hardness) until I can cast boolits in the old Lyman mold that weigh 535 gr. My tin alloy seems to have little or no antimony and this concoction is casting nice boolits of the proper weight and size in both molds, so I must be doing something right this time.

John

[IcerUSA]

Ain't them there perdy .

Keith

[John Boy]

John - Thanks for the information and the picture of the mold... plus hope you have great success shooting the bullet
Based on the dimensions of the Brooks mold, he is not cutting it to the original dimensions of the ORIGINAL IDEAL 457132 mold.

My purpose for asking for the information is:
Paul Matthews in his book, How To's for the Black Powder Cartridge Rifle Shoot has on page 46 the diagram of the original Ideal mold. He obtained the mold from Tom Ballard and say's ... "This is probably the most accurate bullet the author has ever used for the black powder cartridge rifle." The dimensions I gave to you are those from the diagram in Paul Matthews book

I'm using the Lyman 457132 bullet, cast at BHN 14 with excellent results. And want the original Ideal 457132 mold to cast with.

Here's my lucky 100yd target using the Lyman 457132 (Bhn 14). There are 14 bullets that went through the jagged hole out of 25 shots. So, maybe, if I get the Ideal 457132 mold ... 25 out of 25 will go through a jagged hole

This Postell bullet also shoots very accurately out to 1000yds. Best shot string was 3 sighters and 7 on target with 2 in a 16" circle that I painted on the steel silhouette of Homer the Buffalo (48 x 82")

[MtGun44]

Mike V. reports better weight consistency with a ladle, but I cast 99% with
a bottom pour furnace. I'm also not trying to win matches against really
serious competitors like Venturino is.

YMMV

Bill

[Johnw...ski]

Got out to the range today with my 38-55. The boolits were sized and lubed in a lyman sizer to .377 although that is what they cast at, the lube, White Label BAC.

Tried two loads both 28.0 gr. IMR 3031 being lit with CCI BR2 primers.
The difference in the loads was one used an .06 vegetable fiber wad under the boolit. The OAL was 2.850.

I shot from a bench using front and rear bags at 200 yds. The load without the wad shot just under 3", the load with the wad shot just under 2", these were 5 shot groups, two for each load. Not bad accuracy especially for a new load, now to get it to an inch at 200 yds.

Interestingly, I had the same problem with two rifles, the bore rider was too big leaving lead shavings in the barrel when I pushed them hard. That was the reason for these two new molds. With the oversize bore rider both rifles shot better without the wads. Now, in this 38-55 the accuracy is better with the wad.
I am looking forward to see what kind of results I get with the 45-70.

John