First time Casting

[clovishound]

Are you running them through a sizing die, or shooting them as cast? I always ran mine through a sizing die to ensure consistent diameter.

Good looking bullets.

[ruhler]

Are you running them through a sizing die, or shooting them as cast? I always ran mine through a sizing die to ensure consistent diameter.

Good looking bullets.

Running them through a sizing die .431 to lube them, Ive tried the brinell with the penciltest and it says its brinell 14 so they are alot harder than my first cast. Maybe even work in magnumspeed with a gaschecked heavier bullet and give some expansion.

Went to the range and tried the bullets out in 44spl load with 8.3grains of vithavouri N340, it was total success, very very accurate in my revolver and my Henry. So I found my 44spl load for my cast bullets,

next is to cast some 44mag bullets in 265grains RNFP with gaschecks, just wondering what alloy hardness I should use because I want penetration and some expansion of the bullet for hunting. Maybe 14brinell will work.

[Travlin]

You can usually tell if you are close to "number two alloy" by weighing the bullets to see if they are close to the weight that the mould is labeled to cast. I have been casting since the late sixties and just use my thumbnail to test for too soft .

[ruhler]

You can usually tell if you are close to "number two alloy" by weighing the bullets to see if they are close to the weight that the mould is labeled to cast. I have been casting since the late sixties and just use my thumbnail to test for too soft .

Oh good tip with the weight, yeah its right on the grain 200grain so guess its at number 2 alloy, according to my penciltest its around 14brinell

[Travlin]

Sometimes I think some folks get a little too technical with their bullet casting. I have used both electric furnaces and plumber pots to meld lead and other than fluxing with some bullet lube or paraffin and skimming off the dross , I just put the metal in the sprue hole and make bullets.

[ruhler]

Today I had another learning experience, different weather warm and not so much wind. Different mould a Saeco 4cavity 265grain FP GC in steel, had some issues with the pouring from my leepot and get the right temperature, I had a smokegas thermometer and I was running the melt to hot giving to hot mould and frosty bullets. I must say that the lee aluminum mould is easier to manage as a beginner. Anyway took about 100bullets before I learned this mould, really proud of the result measured the diamater with a micrometer and they are between .4314 to .432 So I will calibrate to .431 when I lube them, the weight is around 258grain so the bullets are a little harder than alloy 2, but did do the penciltest and it said 14brinell no surprise there because i mixed the alloy the same.

When I got into reloading I never expected to end up doing this

[clovishound]

I did casting for a couple years when components were difficult to find. I discovered that I did not particularly like the process. Too time consuming and messy. When components became readily available again, I packed up my melting pot and molds and stashed them away. It is good to know that I can make my own, if I need to again.

Having said that, lots of people enjoy the process. It does give a sense of accomplishment. Glad to see you are doing so well right out of the gate.

[ruhler]

about sizing bullets, on my revolver the cast bullet I sized to .431 does not fall through the cylinder throats I can push them through with a pen. As I understand its suppose to be a perfect fit when you push the bullet through with a little effort? Right?

I casted some 265grain LFN with a saeco mold, and didnt pay attention to the lenght of the bullet from the crimpgroove, it was to long for the Henry big boy, but the bullets where beautiful So I will use them in my revolver.

I ordered a Ranchdog mould from NOE, 432 265gr GC FN with tumble lube grooves, I do have some Lee push through sizers but not over .430. But I do have sizers in my lubesizer from .430 to .432 I guess it would work sizing in that one without lube pressure, or maybe even the normal bullet lube will work aswell? The small lubegrooves maybe is hard to fill upp with normal lube, well I do not have any trouble filling crimpgrooves if I push a bullet deep enough in the sizer. Atleast I have to try it.

[ruhler]

Got my NOE "ranchdog" Mold 265gr FN GC, tried some casting and it took a little while to get used to the new mold, it dropped bullets around .433+ Also got into trying some powdercoating, the NOE bullet is to the left on this image and its a Tumblelue bullet but tried lubeing them in my lubrisizer and powdercoated to try it out with both gaschecks and without. Middle bullet is a Lee 200gr RNFP, the one to the right is Lee 240gr swc also made for gaschecks.



Took a little while to get these results with powdercoating, broke one bucket and powder went around me, also tried preheat the bullets before putting them in bucket of powder became a disaster all bullets in one big chunk of purple mass. also tried laying the bullet in the owen got a flat surface on the side of the bullet. so now I just add a spoon of powder in a bucket with a lid, add bullets and rock the bucket around and then standing the bullets up with a plier on a nonstick silicon baking sheet. And then put it in a small owen in the garage at 180degrees celcius for 12minutes.

Tried hammer a bullet and the coating sticks even if I maul the bullet flat. Powdercoating also adds to the dimension, with powdercoat its over .432+ even with a .429 mold. I size to .432

To be honest I like the traditional bullets look more it feels more right, but anyway fun trying different things. Afaik powdercoated bullets is said to work without gaschecks and lube, and its excellent to add to the dimension if needed oversized bullets.

I ordered powder from here: https://www.electrostaticmagic.co.uk/pages/powders
The method I use is like this, however I stand my bullets up and dont just drop em at the plate like this and I dont waterquench them I just let them aircool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRqKGBpqVjc

[CT_Shooter]

Great report, ruhler. Thanks for sharing what you've learned with us.