Boolit casters...all advice, tips, ideas appreciated

[Ridgerunner665]

I'm gonna try my hand at casting some boolits...so far I have a pot (Lee Pro 4 20#...it was priced right), I'm gonna get an RCBS Lube-A-Matic here in a couple of days, I need molds for 45acp (230 LRN), 45-70 (350 and 405 grain...preferably an LBT type mold), and maybe something for 45 Colt (300 grains or so).

I have enough wheel weights to last a lifetime, I got lucky there (appx 2.5 tons)...but I want to start off with clean alloy until I get the hang of things.

That way I won't be worrying about zinc and all that other stuff that causes problems...just lead.

What is a good hardness for 45acp boolits? Alloy mixtures if you have any...

I'm going to do 45acp boolits first...hoping smaller equals easier to learn on

Any advice is much appreciated...because I have almost no experience with this (I have poured a few Babbit bearings)

 

[Sweet]

wealth of info

Howdy. I'm just starting to cast my own and have found this site to be very helpful. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/

 

[Fractal X]

First, let me welcome you to the addiction that we call boolits.

Make your way on over to the Cast Boolits forum (if you haven't already). They have a huge amount of information for all things boolits. Their website is: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/

My favorite "alloy" is to take wheel weight ingots and add just enough tin to them so they fill out nicely. I do this with lead free plumbing solder (it's 98%-99% tin), I add ~10-12" of the solder to a 20 lb pot of wheel weights. After a couple of tries you'll get a feel for how the bullets should look.

For 45 ACP I like the Lee 6 cavity 200gr SWC though they do make a 230gr RN 6 cavity mold too. If you're going to use a lubrisizer make sure you don't buy molds meant for tumble lubing as the lube grooves are setup wrong for going through a mechanical luber.

Good luck,
Robert

 

[evan price]

I find nothing wrong with the tumble lube bullets, so if you don't want a lube sizer you don't have to have one.

Straight wheel weights with a bit of tin added IF the mold needs it is a good alloy for most pistol shooting. If you have the WW to burn, use them. If your mold casts fine at higher temperatures without the tin, don't waste tin on it.

 

[ScratchnDent]

I use the Lee tumble lube molds for .45 and .38, with wheelweights mixed with range scrap, about 75/25. They shoot great, no sizing, and no major leading to complain about.

 

[zxcvbob]

The Lee 230 grain TC tumble-lube bullet is my very favorite for .45 caliber; I load them as-cast in .45 Colt, and they should be even better in .45 ACP. Wheel weights, range scrap, or a mixture thereof. I only add a tiny amount of tin to the casting pot if the bullets aren't filling our right, but I've never had that problem with this mold.

 

[Kernel]

A couple of good links to get you started....

Casting bullets and selecting fire extinguishers by Joseph D'Alessandro Editor RealGuns.Com:

http://www.realguns.com/archives/055.htm

Bullet Casting ABCs Step by Step Fundamentals by Brian Pearce Handloader magazine:

http://riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/hl257partial.pdf

 

[greyling22]

you can get a big metal pot and a torch and melt your wheel weights down into manageable ingot sizes outside and cut down on the smoke and death that comes off them in your little pot inside. (does that sentence make sense?) also helps control the ratio uniformities. (1 WW ingot + X inches of tin + etc) I cast and drop into a bucket of water almost as soon as I fill the last cavity.

be sure you get 6 cavity molds if you shoot much. they are so very worth it. I also like the lee alox tumble lube. lee's got a 200 grn RNFP I really like for 45. even better than their 230 grn TC (they had less recoil), but if you went with a 6 cavity 230 TC you could use it for 45acp and 45lc no problem. just a thought.

also, you'll need handles. they come separate and can move from mold to mold. and some release agent. I use http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=763758

this might be helpful for determining alloy composition and hardness. http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm
http://www.lasc.us/HeatTreat.htm

I also think that at the lee website, under FAQ's, molds melter & casting has some helpful tips.

 

[RustyFN]

My advice would be not to melt the WW's in the Lee pot, they will make a mees of the pot in no time. A propane burner and cast iron pot work great. I put all the weights in and keep the temp at 650 degree to 700 degrees. That way the zinc won't melt and will float to the top with the clips. That will give you clean lead for your casting pot. Here are some pictures of my smelting set up.

 

[Walkalong]

Straight Wheel weights will work fine with .45 ACP, but I used to throw in a little 95/5 solder (Tin/Antimony) to help things out. I used a Rowel bottom pour ladle like in RustyFN's pic and they work great. Any decent soft lube stick will work fine in the RCBS Lube-A-Matic. If you want to use a harder lube, you may need a warmer for the Lub-A-Matic.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Thank you all for the replies...


I'm not gonna smelt in my Lee pot...I'm working on building a contraption from an old grill to use for smelting.

I ordered 60 lbs. of hardball alloy (2-6-92) today, that will hold me until I get the smelting setup going.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Well... So far I have PLENTY of lead, 20 lb. pot, 2 molds on order (RD 350-460 and RD 425-460), and a Lee lube/sizer kit.

I still need mold handles and gas checks...I decided to start with the 45-70 instead.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

SUCCESS!!!

I made boolits...Ranch Dog 350's (TLC-460-350)

The one on the left is the first one out of the mold, the mold wasn't hot enough yet...the others are a couple I picked out of the batch.

 

[Skip_a_roo]

What will you be shooting the 45ACP bullets (boolits) out of? For 99.99999% of all 45ACP loading, straight wheel weights will work fine. The only place I have ever had problems with that alloy was in a stock "GI" Springfield Champion. That soft of an alloy simply dented when entering the chamber and hung there. Adding that little bit of lead free solder made a big difference. Adding a taste of Linotype is ok too.

Your 45Colt revolver and any 45/70 will shoot that alloy just fine.

I have pushed them to 1800fps with no leading in my Marlin 1894 rifles. Not the most accurate at that velocity from those lever guns but, no leading!

Here is the bullet (boolit) I cast now for my 45ACP loads, it is from a Saeco #496BB mould and drops at 225gr (ish).

If I were starting on this trek again, I would get the Lee 6 cavity 230gr TC bullet if it is available with a conventional lube groove.

I like to cast the original H&G #68 bullet too. I have an original mould and the Lee copy. There is a noticeable difference. The one on the far right is the Lee with the next being the H&G. Any of the bullets from center to left can be used in the 45Colt.



Here is my copy of the 45-270-SAA, 265gr as pictured, with the "penta" pins in to form the hollow point. The solid of this mould throws them right at 285gr.



At any rate, casting is fun and economical. It also gives you what you want, when you want.

I too smelt and cast from different pots. A turkey fryer with a cast iron pot is the cat's meow for smelting. You will need a thermometer though. Zinc melts at temperatures much higher than lead. Keeping the pot cool (comparative) will keep you from melting zinc weights. Cool means under 650*F.

 

[Walkalong]

Excellent looking bullets Ridgerunner665! Good job.

 

[grubbylabs]

Wow your good success gives me hope, I am casting bullets for the first time tomorrow. I am going to cast a Lee 230 grain T/C for my Springer XD and a 240 grain SWC for my 44 mag bullets. I can't wait to get going.

 

[cheygriz]

If you do much casting a "lead thermometer" is a good investment. Last time I looked, Midway, USA had them.

 

[918v]

My tip:

Use enough heat. Don't pour the lead into the mold from any distance. Marry the male spout of the laddle with the female hole in the sprue plate. Invert the laddle and the mold together as a unit. The lead flowing into the mold will be hotter and will fill out the mold better. I get razor-sharp bases that way. I mean razor sharp.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Thanks for the tips...

My 45acp's are a Baer 1911 and a Springfield XD 45 Compact...the 1911 has a very smooth bore and will shoot pretty much any cast boolit just fine (so far anyway), its the Springfield that worries me....its a good shooter, but that Springfield barrel in not anywhere near as precise as the Kart barrel on my 1911.

 

[Skip_a_roo]

Some videos that may help. Forgive the results. It can be much neater. We kind of got in a hurry!

(Click on each to watch video.)