bullet casting

[BudthePrez]

If you get a chance ceck out LEE molds for your .45 casting 6 cavity alum. on the cheap and if you go for the "Micro grove" style sizing almost becomes a non issue with liquid Alox.
These have always shot well for me when I did my part and the 6 cavity mold really does crank out product.
Muffin tin ingots are good I started using the mini tins because the smaller ingots worked better in my Lee pot.
Have fun

 

[P95Carry]

One other small suggestion I forgot to mention .....

I use the Lee pot but ... invariably use a propane torch to assist with initial ingot melt-down ..... speeds things up a lot and also, if I perch mold on edge of pot, get some quicker pre-heat and so get into casting good ones faster.

 

[JPM70535]

I dont have much to add other than to suggest the best way I have found to reduce WW or other scrap lead into ingots is to use a propane burner such as is found with deep fry turkey kits. They are low to the ground and when used in conjunction with a cast iron pot, makes for a stable platform when the pot is full of lead (75-80 lbs. is a lot of weight for a BBQ pit.

Thanks for the bit about dropping freshly cast bullets onto a cloth covered bucket of water. All these years I just dropped them onto a towel. Learn something every day.

One tip on casting, use 2 or 3 molds, even if they are of different calibers. It reduces the dead time waiting for the lead to set up, and you all you will have to do is sort them out after they cool.

BTW, I may have missed it in the replies, but I find that wheel weights by themselves are hard enough to not need tin added.

JMHI

 

[Fatelvis]

I am always tempted to drop my freshly cast bullets into water, but Ive heard that "quenching" them in this manner hardens them. Now is this type of hardening similar to "heat treating" them in an oven? The reason I ask, is that I know the hardness from heat treating varies over time. (I believe it gets harder over a period of days/months, and then gets softer again?) I dont understand how, but I dont like the "varying hardness" of heat treatment, I would rather obtain my desired hardness through alloys in the lead. I know its hardness is relatively stable. To me, consistancy= accuracy. Can anyone tell me if these two practices are related? Thanx-

 

[Edward429451]

I'm gonna try quenching them as described and see if theres a difference thats noticable.

I've shot thousands of straight WW's in 44 spec and 45. the only time I really worry bout the hardness is when they gonna be for 44 mag so add 2 rolls of 50/50 solder per pot (20 lb pot). I dont have any leading issues to speak of when done that way.

 

[Steve Smith]

Edward, how fast are you pushing your .44's? I'm pushing .45's at 1350 with WW and a gas check. No need to spend more on solder. BTW, why didn't you grab my lead that I gave away a few months ago. Wish I could have gotten it to you.

 

[Edward429451]

My quickest ones are at 1400 fps, the 300's with 18.0 gr 2400. But I plan to trin those down B/C 1400 is more than anything on this continent needs.

Wish I could've got the lead but having totally weird scedules lately with the new biz and wife outta town etc. There'll be more. Thanks anyway. I still need to get with you on that ream the charge bar thing so the measure will feed the 4064 better.

The wifes supposed to be back today. I've been doing quite a bit of reloading so lemmee know bout match scheduling so maybe I can finally make it to one!.

Thx.

 

[Steve Smith]

There are two this weekend. Pueblo West at about 8ish and the same for Frontier on Sunday.

We're having a BBQ on Sunday at Frontier for lunch!


You really don't need my guidance for the reaming. I'm sure you have a 1/8" to 5/8" taper reamer. Stick it i (from the top) and turn like a fool 'till you take the lump down. Just don't go so far you take the bottom lip down where the case mouth hits. That would take a LOT of reaming.

 

[Edward429451]

AH, no can do this weekend. If I ran out to go shooting her first weekend back I'd be in the doghouse for sure. Plans already made. Got a biggish job starting tuesday that'll go through next weekend too. Being a 1-1/2 man shop has its drawbacks (until payday).

The only reamer I have will do 1/8 to 7/8 but its 'walled' to go over copper pipes. I can probably borrow one though.

BBQ?! Aagh! Maybe she wants to go to a match with me...! Doubt it.

 

[Steve Smith]

There will be another woman there shooting the match.

 

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

Bulletcasting is addictive

I have ran my 2 bulletmaster machines at 4,800 bullets per hour. Out of the millions of bullets I cast the ONLY FLUX IS CANDLEWAX.

Makers of the other fluxes laugh all the way to the bank.

For serious competitors a lead hardness tester will give you identical weight and hardness of bullets. Lead dropped into water does read harder in my LHT. A drop of sweat caused me an explosion that gave me scars for years. Don't melt batteries as the fumes will make you ill.

I have a supply of california Saeco Meehanite cast Iron molds. and old original H&G molds I no longer need as I will be 68 Saturday. Steel and aluminum molds warp and wear out. Cast Iron will last lifetimes and cost the least in the long run.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

I agree with the old casting master FITZ you can flux with just about anything store boughten flux is a waste of money. I experiment with it a little but I havent found anythig that works any better then plain wax. Lead and tin dont seperate once mixed together so what i do is flux the pot when i start to remove the dirt and crap then flux no more and Ive never had a problem with my bullets.

 

[Fatelvis]

I use all Lyman moulds, (except for my Lee "Old Army" conical). Are these steel, or Iron? Flitz`s comment made me wonder. Thanx-

 

[Edward429451]

She don't want to go.

So I was wrong about the tin / lead seperating? Just impurities rising to the top? Yeah, flux some more. Lets get them impurities back down in there!!! Oh well.

<I have ran my 2 bulletmaster machines at 4,800 bullets per hour>

Are you talking bout that big free standing machine that takes 8 moulds at once on a big (belt driven?) wheel? I looked at those before. A 90 lb pot, IIRC.

< No need to spend more on solder.>

Last time I bought 50/50 it was a dollar fifty five per roll! At the contractors supply of course. I also get quite a bit of pure lead from ripping out old lead drainlines, it gets the treatment. Bout time to reduce that pile thats grown over the winter. Poor neighbors, I feel for em when I melt that stuff down. (pinched nose smilie)

 

[Steve Smith]

You know what they say, you can take a woman to a match but you can't make her shoot.


FWIW, I have a girlfriend type that wants to start shooting matches!

 

[Frohickey]

We need to start a singles forum in THR... only problem would be that it would be mostly men looking for women who shoot.

 

[HSMITH]

Paul, sent you a PM on those molds.......