Gettin started casting, question for Dick

[Two Rivers Marshal]

After getting my heart to slow down after seeing the price of bullets double in cost.  Got my mind wondering about casting my own.  Made a few calls to the local tire shops and found a few that will sell (cant get any for free anymore) wheel weights.  Will be starting to save up for the necessary equipment.

When looking at the moulds, I believe I was looking at the Lee 6 cavity moulds for .45cal.  Will also need a .38 mould.  The question is should I get the big lube mould and use for both smokeless and black powder?  Would save a few bucks with only having to get one mould for each caliber.  Or is the extra lube overkill for smokeless bullets?

Next question, since I know nothing about casting your own, the 250gr says it drops at .456, I am assuming (dangerous) the lube/sizer squeezes them down to .452?  Havent slugged my guns, but .452 has been the only size bullets the stores around here sell, and dont seem to have a problem shooting them.

I also noted on the big lube website the 250 gr mould is 6 months out.  Are ya taking pre-orders for when they area in stock?

TRM

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Two Rivers Marshal,

Big Lube™ designs work well with both Holy Black and heathen fad smokeyless powders.  But, and this is a big but, pressures have to be kept in the black powder range.  For higher pressure loads a different and harder alloy is called for.  Also, smokeyless doesn't require as much lube as the Big Lube™ bullets carry.

I've shot both bp and heathen with the same brass, bullets and lube with no ill effect as long as pressures aren't pushed into the 20k region.  If higher pressures are to be used, you would be better served with jacketed bullets or at least hard cast bullets.

Wheel weight metal makes a great black powder alloy.  If it comes up a mite hard a little straight Pb can be added to soften up the mix.

The Big Lube™ PRS design 45 Cal bullet is usually not sized all the way down to bore size in .452 bore guns.  I size mine to .454 and have great results.  I love this big thumper, especially for stubborn KD targets.

I do accept back orders but will not run the charge card until I can actually ship product.

Thanks for asking.

DD-DLoS

[Two Rivers Marshal]

Thanks Dick, in my smokeless loads, I just use the starting loads, not sure what the pressure is, but I would think it would be less than 20k.  Been using Chey-cast bullets, not sure how hard they are, but have never had a problem with leading in the barrels so far.

Will most likely be getting in touch in the near future

TRM

[Adirondack Jack]

DD is too modest.  A Big lube mold, 200 or 250 grainer, would do ya fine for any "normal" CAS load, smokeless or BP yer gonna encounter.  Straight WW is fine.  If ya intend to push em a tad fast, drop em into water when ya cast em.

[Cyrille]

I see you're asking about a 6 cavity mould--- This is not to scare you off but I use a 2 cavity and sometimes not often, mind you, but sometimes [and I suppose it's something I'm doing wrong] one cavity will fill and the other doesn't. I can't say how this will affect a 6 cavity mould. But then I'm useing a dipper. I assume that multi cavity moulds are best used with a bottom pour pot.

[Two Rivers Marshal]

Yep, had my eye on the 6 cavity mould.  Leaning towards a bottom pour pot, figure there's less chance of me spilling it all over than using a dipper to fill em.

AJ: not much of a metalurgist (sp)  dropping them into water make em harder?

[Adirondack Jack]

It does surface harden em a bit

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I wouldn't even consider using a dipper with a 6 cavity mold. I have the Lee bottom pour pot that holds 20 pounds of lead and has a little adjustable rest underneath. I place my mold on the rest, open the spigot, and slide the mold along, filling every cavity in one swell foop. Works great and makes a big pile of bullets in a hurry.

Using a dipper actually requires more skill to get the pour just right. I think the reason a bottom pour works so well is the lead pours out in a nice consistant stream. We are only using gravity to fill these molds. Commercial casting processes like injection molding and other types of casting use pressure to force the molten material into every nook and cranny of a mold. We only have gravity, which is not as efficient as pressure. With a constant stream out of a bottom pour mold there is a better chance to fill the mold than with a dipper. I always know when it is time to add lead to my pot because as I get down towards the bottom the stream gets weaker, and mold cavities do not always fill properly. But with a mostly full pot, all 6 cavities fill perfectly every time.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

"One swell FOOP"!  Can I use that, Drifter?

[Driftwood Johnson]

You never heard that one before? That's as old as the hills and twice as dusty. Sure, go right ahead, use it.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

                                Driftwood, I think some of us are as old as the hills and twice as dusty  ( LOL ) 



                                                                 tEN wOLVES 

[Dick Dastardly]

With one exception, all the Big Lube™ bullet design molds are made by LEE Precision of Hartford, Wisconsin.  They are all Professional Six cavity size and they all take the same handle sets.

There are several good reasons I went to LEE for these molds.  One is that I sell molds to casters that cast bullets for sale.  They simply must have a high throughput in order to offer bullets at an affordable price.  Springfield Slim will tell you that he wouldn't offer cast bullets at anything like the price he does if he had to make them by the onsies/twosies.

If you choose to fill the big Six cavity molds with a dipper, you can make it work, but you won't get as consistent a results and you will loose a lot of the advantage of the multi cavity Six hole design.  A LEE 20lb. bottom pour pot runs around $65 and freight.  That's a bargain and once you use one, you'll throw rocks at dipper pots, figuratively speaking.

Most shooters I sell molds to want to spend more time shooting and less time casting bullets.  The Big Lube™ molds help 'em do just that.

DD-DLoS

[Two Rivers Marshal]

Looking at the Midway site, found a Lee Pro 4, 20lb furnace for $64.  What is the difference between this and the Lyman and RCBS units for $200-$300.  Is the cheaper unit just as good.  Not to be a cheap-skate, but dont see the need to spend extra if'n I dont need to.

[Four Eyed Floyd]

Just cast my first bollits today. Shiny but with some wrinkles. This was to at least a small step toward doing some real casting. DD I will soon order some Big Lube 38 molds. The Lee mold is a single but I managed to do my first dozen. Where do I look to get some more information on casting?

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Four I;  Shiny, but a bit wrinkled is close, but you need the melt, and the mould, a bit warmer.  Frosty is OK if not overdone

[Four Eyed Floyd]

I kind of thought they were too shiny and wrinkled, thanks I will try it hotter next time an heat up the mold too!

[Dick Dastardly]

Let the mold warm up on top of the pot.  Then, make some "junk pours" that are returned to the pot.  Also, make sure your mold cavities are very clean of oil and stuff and then smoke 'em good with a hardwood splint.  The melt temperature in the pot should be around 750 degrees F.

When you start, plan on casting for a while.  I find that my best, most consistent/uniform and most well filled out bullets start to happen about the time I'm about done casting.  Hot molds run better.  Just not too hot. . .

DD-DLoS

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Usually my casting sessions end when SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED gently advises that supper is ready.

When a mould is new, it often takes awhile to get good bullets dropping. After that, if the mould is warmed like Dick says, there are only a few sinkers before you get good results.  With iron two-cavity moulds, I run two alternately, leaving one to cool slightly, while filling the other.  In any event, you have to wait until the sprue turns frosty before opening the mould, or a smear of lead will be left on top of the blocks.  This just takes a moment, and you can watch the lead on top harden.

With the 6 cavity mould, I find that one mould at a time is quite enough. Same for hollow points or hollow bases.

With pistol bullets, I often separate the "not-quite-perfect" ones for practise.  If for sale, thats different.  And be very fussy about selecting rifle bullets.

[Springfield Slim]

For very good info on casting you should log on to www.castboolits.gunloads.com.  As for the question about pots, LEE versus the others, if you are only casting for yourself the LEE will work perfectly fine. I currently have 3 LEE, one RCBS and one Magma. Had a Lyman for a while, and even an old Hilt's pot intended for casting fishing sinkers. They all work. The more expensive ones tend to hold more and give less problems, and usually have a better thermostat. But you should have a seperate thermometer sticking in the melt anyway, no point inguessing if you want quality bullets. In general hot moulds give more good bullets. I like mine slightly frosty, not shiny. It is all a matter of timing, and keeping the mould at the right temp. The lead temp matters less then the mould temp. You can have your furnace cranked up all the way but if your are casting too slow the mould will be too cold and give wrinkled bullets or poor fillout. New moulds tend to give bad bullets for a while, they need a little breaking in, some more than others. Bullet casting in not rocket science, after all what we are doing is pouring metal into a hole and letting it cool. But like many things, to get better quality takes a little finesse and that only comes with experience. So jump in with both feet and start casting, the quality will come with time as long as you are paying attention. And don't listen to too many old wives tales, if it works for you then it is the right way. And anyone who has any particular questions, don't hesitate to e-mail me at mark@whyteleatherworks.com. I'm no expert but I cast quite a bit and have probably had whatever problem you are having now.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy!

Springy Slim sent ya in the right direction.

Here's another great site to look thru.  Goatlips writes well and has great pictures, too.

http://goatlipstips.cas-town.com/index.html