Casting Bullets First Time

[forrest r]

lee makes a push thru in .457" that can easily be opened up to .459"
rcbs has a .458" die that fits rcbs or lyman luber/sizers. Testing will tell if it needs opened up 1/1000th or less
Saeco makes .459" and .460" sizing dies.

 

[edwardware]

For big bullets it's hard to beat ladle casting....however if you're going to head into shooting auto pistol bullets a bottom pour is where it's at.

Can you explain why? I've only bottom poured, and I don't understand what a ladle would add.

My most significant issue seems to mold temperature, or lack of it with aluminum blocks. My brass NOE works fine with a 280gr.

 

[joed]

I started with a Lee 10 lb bottom pour. I prefer Lyman molds and always tried to stay with 2 or 4 cavity as you can get some serious production.

The Lee pot turned out to be junk. It couldn't maintain a decent temp and a lot of the bullets had to be recycled. It was at this point that I went to Magma Engineering and purchased their 40 lb Master Pot. I don't think the melt temp ever varied on this furnace.

For a sizer I again turned to Magma Engineering and went with their Star Lube-sizer. The benefit was it sized, lubed and ejected the bullet out the bottom with one pull of the handle as opposed to 2 pulls for the other lube-sizers.

It was a good thing I went with the Magma equipment because I found myself starting a bullet casting business. I was quite successful and sold a lot of Keith style bullets all over the US.

Can't speak for the dry lubes as they came out after I quit casting.

My best advice to you would be to stay away from the cheap melting pots as they don't hold much alloy and can't keep an accurate temp.

 

[2011redrider]

If you have a lathe there is a guy on Artfull bullet forum that sells blank dies pre drilled at 3/16" and a few videos showing them being bored to final size. Also has blank top punches. Think his name is keith and he has a section in the for sale sub forum..

 

[ms6852]

You have received some great information here. In case I missed reading it on the threads above insure that your molds are hot so that when you pour your lead it fills up the cavity properly. If your mold is not it may cool your lead too fast and you will have partial bullet casts.

 

[Austin Edwards]

Well I just caste some of my first bullets and they turned out great. Only question is that on the bullets there is a hole on the bottom that tapers up. I'm wondering what this is for gas checks I'm assuming?
Question is do I need to gs the bullets or will they be fine to shoot? I am use to seeing flat bottoms like the bullets I have purchased for reloading.
Once again thank you for all the help.

 

[Swampman]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "a hole on the bottom that tapers up", but my guess is that you didn't pour enough extra lead on the sprue plate to allow for shrinkage as the bullets cooled, allowing voids to form at the base.

To help avoid this, make sure that your sprue plate is really hot and then pour a generous sprue when casting. The extra lead on the sprue plate will flow into the base of the bullet as it cools, preventing voids. Extra lead also serves to keep the sprue plate hot.

In general, gas check bullets can be used without checks as long as you're not pushing them too hard, although accuracy may be reduced.

My suggestion would be to re-melt the bullets without flat bases and try again. Irregularities at the bullet base are far more detrimental to accuracy than most flaws.

 

[Austin Edwards]

This is the void I was speaking about. Just now got to were i could upload a picture. I have checked all my cast bullets for voids or deformities. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Austin Edwards]

Another picture of the "hole"

 

[brewer12345]

Which mold is this?

 

[Austin Edwards]

The mold is a Lee 1-Cavity Bullet Mold 459-405-HB 45-70 Government (459 Diameter) 405 Grain Flat Nose Hollow Base. Lee 90268.
I should have checked to see what the hollow base was but I just "winged" it.

 

[brewer12345]

It is a hollow base mold, so that hole is supposed to be there.

Show us a few more pics of your keepers.

 

[Austin Edwards]

I just stepped into the bullet casting world so I'm not to sure on the technical terms of casting items.
I'm assuming that the keepers would be the mold itself? If so i will post some after work when im back at the bench.

 

[brewer12345]

Keepers = bullets you decided were worth keeping

 

[Austin Edwards]

Ah I should have know. They are on the work bench will provide more pictures later.

 

[PapaG]

I have been casting since about 1958 and have accumulated about 80 moulds, five lubricator/sizers, several electric pots and cast iron pots plus other various things.
My big beliefs: if you want uniform, filled out bullets you need cast iron moulds and a pressure pour(dipper spout engaged with sprue hole); clean lead or lead alloy, good lube (I don't like the colored waxy stuff, I use alox/beeswax); size, if needed, to .001 or so over groove diameter for rifles, cylinder throat size for revolver; and, harder isn't always better.
Years ago, experimentation got me sub MOA out of my 1952 M70 30-06 and it took time. LC brass, sized, trimmed, neck reamed. 311291, linotype, heat treated, Hornnady gas check, sized .308, 24 grains 4198, half grain of kapok on powder, seated .125 off lands. BTW, cases weighed and sorted to +/-1 grain, bullets to +/- .1. Have fun. My favorite 45 cal rifle mould was Lyman 457124 dropping at about 385 grains.

 

[cowboy77]

I cast for all my straight wall calibers. I bought a mold from NOE for my 45-70 but my Ruger #1 likes .460 gas checked. Marlin shoots the same but not as fast or loaded as hot. I started with a !yman 10 lb pot. Used a ladle and camp stove. Bought a hot plate to keep my mold warm. I water quench mine in a five gallon bucket with a towel taped around it with a hole for bullets to drop through. I bought most of my lead from sellers on the Cast Bullet forum. Last year a 100 lbs would run me around $130.00 delivered. I’ve ordered some Lyman#2 from online sources but does drive cost up a lot. I now use a Lee 20lb bottom pour on most calibers. For the 4 cavity 45-70 there are some days I just prefer the pot and ladle. I weigh them all out within a grain or so and I’ve got my keepers. The rest go back in the pot and get cast again. I did find a decent deal on some Linotype from the Cast Bullet forum so I could mix a little harder. I lube with a RCBS lubesizer using Carnuba Blue or Bac which require no heat even though I have a heater with mine. I bought a used older Lyman lubesizer which works very good itself. Casting is probably one of the most relaxing activities I do. FWIW you don’t need gas checked bullets if your not going to run Ruger only loads. I’ve got a Lee mold that I use for my wife and use Unique powder that she can shoot all day. My Ruger likes full power loads behind a 475 grain bullet. Knowing your slug size looks like you’ve got the most important aspect to shooting lead down pat. Undersized bullets lead a barrel bad and aren’t accurate. Also a mess to clean.

 

[Austin Edwards]

Thanks for the info. So the lead I'm using, I am assuming is pure lead. I cast 40 bullets last night and all of them weight from 385-388. Also when i put them in my Lyman 4500 with the 459 sizer they are cut down to 458-458.5.
Should I look for a 460 sizer or will these bullets being hollowed expand and grab the rifling like I have read? Will adding a mix tin to the lead increase the weight of the cast bullet?
Sorry for asking so many question but I figured its the best way to learn.

 

[brewer12345]

Hmmm, where did you get the lead? What was it before it was bullets? You are a good 20 grains under what the mold says it should cast. Not out of the range of reasonable possibility, but your lead may not be pure.

What you really need to do is Lube them, load them, and shoot them. Then you will see what the fun is in casting. Even better when you take game with your own cast. What are you planning to shoot them out of?

 

[Austin Edwards]

Back story time, My brother works at a scrap yard. Found 3 boxes filled with pre cast lead bullets. About 100 lbs of them plus about 25 lbs of my own lead bullets I had been given. So I melted down and got out as much dross as I could until the lead was clean. Now I have 118 lbs of pure lead cast into ingots. (so I think) But im wondering if tin would help with the weight problem. I am casting them for my sharps rifle (armi sports 32 inch, 1.25 moa @ 100 with store bought lead bullets under my own handload) also after I figure this gun out start casting for my marlin 1895 cb 24 inch octagon. Sharps is the main thing im working towards.

 

[jmorris]

So the lead I'm using, I am assuming is pure lead. I cast 40 bullets last night and all of them weight from 385-388... Will adding a mix tin to the lead increase the weight of the cast bullet?

I would take some cast bullets from a known good source, melt a couple and cast one with your mold (or Just buy a little “certified” lead of a known mix).

That’s what I did when I started and have that one mold as my “standard”. If I cast pure lead they drop out at 240 grains, wheel weights alone are 232gn, silver solder fall around 211gn.

If your bullets are that light your alloy is either fairly far from pure lead or the mold is never going to drop a 405.

The softer, closer to pure lead I have was plumbers lead or from radiology.

 

[brewer12345]

Ah, in that case you may have fairly hard alloy. As a simple test, can you scratch it with your fingernail?

 

[Austin Edwards]

Well looks like i should pick up some certified lead. Also when i scratch the ingots they are hard as a rock no shavings or any indications of damage to the lead.

 

[brewer12345]

Great for high pressure cartridges.

 

[Austin Edwards]

what would you recommend would be the best lead to use 20:1 or something else?