Why did my bullets shrink(so much)?

[BUGUDY]

OK, I found some wheel weights and cast 10# ww with a smallish peice of tin. I had the ww in ingots before trying this cast. Using a Lee 3565-125-2R molde, I am getting bullets with a .353" diameter. With the setup I was using the temp was a little on the cool side causing small wrinkles in most bullets. Would that also cause undersizing? Also these bullets were water dropped.

 

[rcmodel]

Yes.

If you have wrinkles, it means the mold is not filling properly.

Crank the heat up until the bullets come out frosted, then back off just a frog hair until they get shiny again.

There is no need to water drop wheel weight bullets. They will be about the right hardness for non-magnum loads just like they fall out of the mold on a folded bath towel to cool.

Too hard can be just as bad as too soft when it comes to causing bore leading.

rc

 

[BUGUDY]

Thanks RC. I need to find a different pot. Mine is cast iron, and I think a little too large. Takes up alot of the heat from the lead. I did 10# with the fire on my propane camp stove on high and never frosted.

 

[243winxb]

With the setup I was using the temp was a little on the cool side causing small wrinkles in most bullets. Would that also cause undersizing?

No. Your mould is undersize. An alloy rich in antimony can increase the diameter of the bullet as it drops from the mould. The hotter the alloy when in the mould, the more shrinkage you will get as the bullet cools.

 

[243winxb]

Undersized cast bullets as they drop from the LEE mold.

This is how Mr. Lee would fix it.

Increasing mold diameter

If you need the mold diameter of your cast bullets to be increased just slightly, there is a way to accomplish this with negligible ballistic results.

With the mold open, be sure you liberally lube the mold blocks in front of and behind the bullet cavity. Place a small section of cigarette paper or writing paper to the lubed block . This prevents it from burning.

When casting the bullet, the diameter of the bullet will be increased by the paper width. You can actually go up to about .010 before you begin to see lead flashing appear. While the bullet will be slightly "out of round", this very minimum amount will not effect accuracy or the manner in which the bullet travels through the forcing cone and barrel of your gun.

 

[rcmodel]

Mr. Lee would probably get his lead hot enough to completely fill out the mold before he got out the paper products.

rc

 

[BUGUDY]

I am going to try another setup and at least get the lead hot enough and then see what the mold produces. I am questioning my calipers at the moment. Measuring a Missouri bullet, the type I have shot, it measures .355". More checking to do, at least I have learned not to cast the whole 10# without doing some measuring!

Edit; Later in the day, I figure I might as well lube and size the newly cast bullets and see what happens. 8 shots in a 5" group @ 15yds. 4.0grs w231 with a 1.10" col. I think these beatiful ugly bullets will work just fine. Little hotter, little smoother next time.

 

[freakshow10mm]

Mr Lee would use the paper tweaking crap.

A competent caster would adjust the alloy or temperature.

Another example of Lee's words of wisdom. A nonsmoker should go out and buy cigarette papers in case he needs to get bigger bullets. Sheesh. That's why I don't buy crap from Lee.

 

[Walkalong]

I think these beatiful ugly bullets will work just fine.

Just think how well they will do next time when you get them filled out better.

I used to use a Club Aluminum pot to cast with. I was having trouble getting it hot enough with my home made heater. (220V stove eye) I cut a piece of iron pipe just big enough to sit around the pot. It really helped it hold in heat and made it much easier to get the lead hot enough.

 

[243winxb]

"Another example of Lee's words of wisdom."

you got to take up smoking to use a lee mold