Casting with steel vs aluminum moulds

[Catpop]

I've got my first set of steel moulds on way. I have only cast with Lee aluminum moulds in the past and I can do a respectable (to me) job with 357 mag and 44 mag.

Question: Is there any difference casting with steel moulds? Mould prep, heat up, pouring, cutting sproue, dropping, etc.

Many thanks to those with experienced casting hands!

 

[Fatelvis]

Honestly, the maker of the mould matters more than the material it is made from. IMHO, anything is a step up from Lee's moulds.

 

[Walkalong]

Steel heats up a little slower, but then holds heat better.

After that, Fatelvis nailed it, who made the mold is more important. Most important IMHO.

 

[Catpop]

Lyman 358665

 

[Don McDowell]

Steel heats up a bit slower, but won't warp as much as the scrawny aluminum moulds.
Get a good lead thermometer and cast your bullets between 750 and 800 degree's.

 

[243winxb]

Iron Mold Warping -No dipping an iron mould into the pot, this warning is in a few mold makers instructions.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

I would never run my lead temps at 800 degrees in my pot. It's not necessary for any lead alloy or mold. It slows down casting times as one waits on lead in mold to cool enough to cut with the sprue. As any lead alloy with tin passes 750 degrees the usefulness of the tin to better fill bullets is wasted and only it's hardening ability (very limited by itself) is left. Most molds only need to be 400 degrees to cast good bullets and no more than 500-550 from any mold I've ever seen. If you can't get it done between 650-740 max I would double check my process.

 

[noylj]

Aluminum heats and cools faster, so you can start casting bullets quicker and you need to cast rapidly or you have to dip a corner of the mold in the melt to get it hot.
Steel heats slowly, so you may be there for a while getting it up to temperature, but, once hot, it stays that way for a lot longer. In fact, the biggest problem is the mold getting too hot and having to wait for it to cool down, so I usually have two steel molds going at the same time.
Aluminum is softer, so it can be damaged easier. Aluminum doesn't rust like steel.
Most of my casting is done at about 650-700°F.

 

[Catpop]

650 to 750 degrees F. Good thermometer to check. (I use 1980s Lee production pot IV 110 volt electric pot with drop spout. Dial set on 3 1/2 I think. Temp dont know, but it makes good boolits at that setting.)

Heat mould by sacrificing the first pours to get er up to temp.
Do not dip steel mold into lead like you can Lee (although i do not do that anyway) to heat up!

Thanks for all good advice!

I got so excited talking about making boolits, I went out this pm and cast up about 300 357 and 44 mag boolits from straight wheel weights. Boy was that fun! Thanks guys!
Catpop

 

[Don McDowell]

I would never run my lead temps at 800 degrees in my pot. It's not necessary for any lead alloy or mold. It slows down casting times as one waits on lead in mold to cool enough to cut with the sprue. As any lead alloy with tin passes 750 degrees the usefulness of the tin to better fill bullets is wasted and only it's hardening ability (very limited by itself) is left. Most molds only need to be 400 degrees to cast good bullets and no more than 500-550 from any mold I've ever seen. If you can't get it done between 650-740 max I would double check my process.

Brooks moulds recommend their moulds to work the best with the alloy at 775. Buffalo Arms moulds work the best at 775. Most of what I cast is with 16-1 alloy. The medals hanging on the neck ribbons are national championship. The plaques are regional championships. I rather like my casting routine.

 

[Wreck-n-Crew]

Impressive Don! Them don't come easy I recon.

Anyhow I was assuming the molds catpop ordered were not for soft lead at 16-1 or 30-1 mixtures. Guess it depends on what he's ordered and loading for. That and of course I didn't have Black Powder in mind when you suggested it.

Doesn't seem like your temps have not hurt your results. Quite the opposite it would appear. Your temps are above norm for what I'm aware of and that most black powder shooters use and even in those molds. I know that many black powder shooters using those molds you mentioned are on the upper side between 725 and 750.

When it comes to my casting sessions a hot mixture only slows me down and does nothing for the bullets as far as QC is concerned. My mixture is different than your soft mix of course and the tin allows me freedom . Although I do have some soft ones I've been coating and running through the 9mm at 8BHN with great success thanks in part to the coating. But even those with a the tin at 675 run great and I spend less time waiting on them to cool.

I cast well over 20,000 in a year and a half and this past year was a light year. This year I need near 25,000 in four pistol calibers alone to get me back to winter. I cant get there without a fast process either. If my pot was anywhere near 800 I'd be doomed.

I don't need many for rifle. Around a thousand or so is more than plenty. I'm not a fan of all the smoke from bullet lube so if I cant shoot them coated ill load up some jacketed rounds to punch at full power.

 

[Don McDowell]

Those temps at 775 are what most of the bpcr shooters use. Not many folks use anything softer than 20-1 anymore.
My Lyman pots hold those temps real well, and in 30 minutes after plugging the pot in 20-25 lbs of alloy is ready to roll. I had one of the big Lee pots that would hold that temp, but you had to continually keep turning it down as the level went down. Bottom finally fell out of it.
I ladle pour most everything heavier than 300 gr. But do most handgun and small rifle stuff with the bottom pours.

 

[Elkins45]

I have a brass MP hollowpoint mold that makes its best bullets when fed 830° lead-- and that's a true 830° as controlled by my PID. Almost every other mold I own pours just fine at 740°.

Every mold is an individual.

 

[the count]

For me the Lee aluminum molds are a no brainer. You prepare them properly per instructions once. Mine drop free with just a light tap every time if the lead and mold have the right temperature. The end result is just a perfect bullet.

 

[Walkalong]

Lee 208 Gr WC .44 Cal. I shot a lot of these in my old Bulldog. Wheel weights with some 95/5 solder thrown in.