So I will be the first to tell you I have never cast a bullet greater than 250 grains. Until tonight I would have said that's easy work just get alloy to temp, mold to temp and go to town..... right
Well so far tonight after struggling to cast 300 500 grain bullets I have learned a few life lessons.
1. A custom mold that says ready to go out the box with no need for lubrication, degreaser, or cavity smoking is just that a fantasy. I had the top of the mold gall and scar the mold top, luckily with a mold maker's load stone I lightly resurfaced the mold and lubricated alignment pins , mold top, and spru pivot with anti seize Cosmetic ugly but works.
2. Top plate tension should be tight but not too tight. I have bullet bases which have to fill hole of spru plate elevating above the center. I have no smears or hollow bases just tits in centers.
3. The most aggravating of all is if I had done this in the day or placed a lamp in my dim casting are at 9pm at night I would have seen all of the above and changed my methods.
4. When water cooling bullets of this size you need a 5 gallon bucket with a towel in the bottom and the water level at top.
I used a office trash can around 12 inches in height and have nothing but deformed bullets from the weight of the projectiles landing on one another.
I am left to just melt everything down and start again. Wasted time but I learned something.
Live and learn and be sure to share those hard learned lessons with some one.
Well so far tonight after struggling to cast 300 500 grain bullets I have learned a few life lessons.
1. A custom mold that says ready to go out the box with no need for lubrication, degreaser, or cavity smoking is just that a fantasy. I had the top of the mold gall and scar the mold top, luckily with a mold maker's load stone I lightly resurfaced the mold and lubricated alignment pins , mold top, and spru pivot with anti seize Cosmetic ugly but works.
2. Top plate tension should be tight but not too tight. I have bullet bases which have to fill hole of spru plate elevating above the center. I have no smears or hollow bases just tits in centers.
3. The most aggravating of all is if I had done this in the day or placed a lamp in my dim casting are at 9pm at night I would have seen all of the above and changed my methods.
4. When water cooling bullets of this size you need a 5 gallon bucket with a towel in the bottom and the water level at top.
I used a office trash can around 12 inches in height and have nothing but deformed bullets from the weight of the projectiles landing on one another.
I am left to just melt everything down and start again. Wasted time but I learned something.
Live and learn and be sure to share those hard learned lessons with some one.