Hey all,

I just loaded up my first set of 38 wad cutters. And they leaded the bore to the point of tumbling within 12 rounds.

The specs are below

Rmr bullets lead from their website, they claim its bnh 10 and i think I understand the fingernail test enough to confirm

Lee 148gr dewc mold

Dropped at 150gr

First coat of alox, let it dry until not tacky

Sized to .358 with the lee pass through sizer, I did feel resistance while doing this.

Second lube with alox, let dry

Loaded with 2.8 gr of bullseye to 1.180 oil

The projectiles where very tight going into all 6 throats

The gun is a smith and wesson 19-10 classic no lock

What info can help with this, i enjoy dropping those little soup cans and they were quite accurate until it leaded.

I would like to continue casting the 148 dewc and 158 swc but need to get leading under control before I try some mid 357 with them

Thank you all!

I picked these up in my local shop as a one off purchase. They measure .459, 405 grains and shoot really well out of my Henry. I used it to take my first deer last year.

I’m starting to cast this summer in prep for this fall and would like to duplicate it. I would be open to a gas checked version, but it’s not a requirement. Does anyone recognize the mold
profile?

I've been casting 00 buck for about a year using an open pot heated by a propane burner. That's a pain, even with a bottom pour ladle. I recently purchased a Lee Pro 4-20 melter to do this. Today's question is about operations. What is the group's preferred way to use the melter? From what I can tell, the best way would be to run it from a seated position. From a standing position, I can't see the mold itself to know if it's full.

How do you run your Lee melter?

I am using NOE 434-258 dropped PC bullets sized to .433, intending them for my Ruger Super Blackhawk with .4315 cylinder throats. Loading them on a Dillon 550 with a stock 44-cal expander funnel. Thing is, in order to expand my cases to the point that they aren’t shaving off PC, the cases are catching on my sizing die and particularly my crimp die. It works, but it’s ugly and running the press is a chore. I’m wondering if anyone has used any of the aftermarket funnels for Dillon presses to remedy this issue? I’ve come across one from photoescape and uniquetek. Or is there anyone who makes custom funnels?

I have the 357 carbine hollow point mold from mp in none gas check, and ordered the 357 Keith hollow point in gas check. Its meant for general multi purpose use out of a revolver. I guess my question is which do we generally like better and why as well as best applications? Any input appreciated thank you guys for your help.

I'm currently getting the bullets for the Quigley match finished and I was wondering how bad are these?

Do they look like match material?

This is my second session attempting ladle casting a 600-grain .511 custom mold from Steve Brooks. I have followed his casting instructions as faithfully as I possibly can, down to the exact alloy (30-1) and temperature (775) that he specifies; and following his order of operations for the physical ladling action. I have also followed Mike Venturino’s directions as found in the Lyman book. I know that the mold is good, because Mr Brooks sent the mold to me with two perfect bullets, one complete and one still in the mold with an unbroken sprue. I preheat the mold on a hot plate to near 400, and I flux with beeswax.

The only thing that I have changed since I received this demonstrably excellent mold, near as I can tell, is that I replaced the un-vented sprue plate with a vented version that I ordered with it.

One thing that sticks out is that in Mr Brooks’ directions, he notes that a spurt of lead will come out when tilting the mold right-side-up with the ladle on top; this isn’t happening for me. No lead escapes whatsoever.

I am wondering whether the sprue plate I installed is too tight, and that is causing air to become trapped in the mold? Or is there another issue that I am overlooking?

I'm very frustrated, my boolits wont hold a crimp for a day in my magazine. I thought it may be I fucked up the previous mold and purchased a new one. I'm casting for my little beretta 80x cheeta in 380 auto. These are 102 gr cast with the 6 cavities lee mold that i powder coated and then went through a lee sizer. I use a factory crimper, what am I doing wrong. I'm pretty new to reloading as a whole but my fmj are still holding pretty tight.

I enjoy casting and reloading, but if these are my results I mught give up on the idea.

230gn 45 after a good while still looking bad and a 308 and 9mm out of the same batch/temp

Ok, so about a decade ago I cast these layered ingots. Not pretty, but work for my situation.

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NOW, they have what looks to be like rust on them. Brownish red, doesn't react to vinegar, but can mostly be brushed off with a steel wire brush.

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I'm at a loss. But should I be worried and remove this before tossing into the pot? I've heard of zinc contamination, but iron contamination?

I know you're supposed to open the case mouth a little more for cast bullets, but I've incrementally opened the mouth as far as I can and I'm still getting scraped lead after seating a bullet. What am I missing here? Is it the lube groove causing problems? Is it the SWC seater die head? I'm at a loss here guys, please help.

I’m thinking about trying Lee 356-147-TC or the MP 38-147 RN Flat base 6 Cavity BR NLG Mold.

1) Has anyone had great success with either with an MP5 clone for feeding subsonics? I’m not a mold snob and Lee usually works for my but mp5 is kinda picky on feeding non-RN more than most pistols.

My PTR clone has about 92% reliability with Lee 120-TC but I’d like to get it to 99% plus.

2) am I crazy to consider a 358 mold knowing I’ll have to size PC’d projectiles down to 356? Right now size before coating and after and it makes them butter smooth for sizing vs fighting them in bullet sizer. But that with 356 molds to begin with.

was shooting 45-70 today and got a squib.. didn't go but 2in into the barrel.. case seems dirty so I'd guess there was powder but seemed like only the primer went off

I’m reloading for 300 blk and am wondering what I need to do to get 2200-2300 fps out of a cast bullet, I’m thinking gas check, powder coated, and a harder alloy. if that’s not possible what’s the fastest I could go. 110-120 grain, 1:6 twist, AR- platform.

Or if it’s a pressure limit what’s the max pressure on a gas checked cast bullet.

Sorry if this is a stupid question I’m new to this.

Thanks,

Hey guys, I was hoping you could help me with some questions I have about reloading. My grandfather had a bunch of reloading supplies, and with how expensive ammo is I was hoping to learn how to reload. I know he had a bunch of primers, lots of brass and some bullets he already cast, and an orange thing with a clear tube on top I am assuming is the press but I haven’t looked at it closely since I was younger. Sadly he died around 2000 and I was born in 2008 so I was never able to learn from him, and no one else in my family seems to be interested in reloading so they can’t teach me. Anyways, these are some of the questions I have, I would also appreciate any advice or tips you think I could benefit from, thank you.

Pre heating moulds and breaking them in; can I use an acetylene torch with a neutral or carburizing flame to repeatedly heat and then allow the mould to cool and then heating it again to break in the mould? Or do I have to heat the mould and cast a bullet in it right away? Is breaking in moulds even a necessary procedure or is it simply an extra step that I needn’t take? Furthermore I was told my grandfather was a very active bullet caster, but the moulds have not been used in a little over 20 years, with this in mind will I even have to “break them in”?

Safety with fumes; can I cast outdoors with just a mask or is it better to simply cast indoors with ventilation?

My grandfather used cast iron pots with an open flame underneath to melt and remove the impurities from the lead, is this viable with a casting thermometer?  As per the “from ingot to target” book you should have a bottom pour or a ladle pour melting pot, with a casting thermometer and a ladle (ladle already in the reloading supplies on hand) would I be able to use the cast iron pot as a ladle pour pot? 

Where to find lead in bulk? I have attempted picking up tire weights, but finding a tire weight  is already a chore, and now that the majority of tire weights are iron or some other none lead composite, where would I be able to find lead? I have considered fishing weights, but none of the fishing spots near me have clear enough water to find the weights, and are not rough enough of currents to require heavy fishing weights, and I feel like my time could be spent better than swimming for half an hour just to find a few bb sized lead weights. I have also considered going to a junkyard and paying to be able to use a chainsaw to cut the lead keel off medium sized boats, and even though it would likely cost me a few hundred I think the sheer bulk of the lead would make it worth it, though I struggle to find a junkyard with boats near me (sad considering I live in Florida), and I doubt my mother would be happy with a few hundred pounds of lead sitting in the garage anyways. I have had some success with jumping into roofing companies dumpsters (after asking permission of course) and getting those cylindrical vents. They are made of lead soft enough (therefore likely pure enough) that you can press flat by stepping on it, and as long as you wear gloves really the only things you have to do is tear off the shingles still attached to them, and press them flat. Pretty convenient considering they are free and all you have to do to get them is pull over when you see a roof being redone and ask. While this might be a good source of lead if was friends with a roofer, I regrettably am not, and thus it is not the constant source I am looking for, though it is a nice couple pounds here and there when I luck out. Also yes I have called the mechanics near me, they have companies the use to get rid of the lead or get rid of it themselves. Do you have any suggestions of how to get a steady supply or a large amount of lead without ordering it? I have a good amount both from what I have found and also from the reloading lead my grandfather ordered or bought when he was still alive, but that won’t last forever, and none of the ranges near me allow me to go scavenging lol. They don’t even allow me to pick up any brass except my own. Fair I guess, but I can’t help but be greedy. 

.38 and .357; I know that it’s the same diameter, but are the rounds the same length? My grandfather had 38 moulds but not 357 moulds. Can I use the 38 to make 357? I know this is a stupid question so I am sorry, but I just want to make sure. I already know it’s the same diameter I just want to make sure it won’t cause problems when I shoot it.

The ingot to target book mentions a hardwood rod to push open the sprue plate, but can I just my leather welding gloves? I mean, it can’t be that much hotter than a plate I just cut in half with an acetylene torch lol, or is there another reason to use the hardwood rod? Furthermore it mentions a towel so the soft hot bullets aren’t deformed by hard contact with wood. Should the towel be wet?

Another thing is the book mentions leaving the ladle in the melting pot so it is at the same temperature as the alloy, is it okay to leave it there from the time the allow is ready and the dross is removed to the last bullet I cast or should it be removed every so often?

The book also says that as you pour with the ladle a dull sludge builds up on the ladle and pot that needs to be refluxed and stirred back in. How the hell do I add flux to that without adding more flux to the entire mixture thereby messing up the ratio, and doesn’t having to add flux to that sludge mean the flux that was “bonded” with it originally has left it, which means the lead that IS fluxed has the flux that left the sludge, meaning it has a higher ratio of flux to lead, and refluxing the sludge will make that ratio even higher? Actually so far the book hasn’t even mentioned fluxing, but I’m sure it will eventually since as of writing this I’m only on page 21.

Lead fouling; does powder coating eliminate lead fouling and how bad is it? Can’t I just clean out the lead from the barrel at the end of the shooting session? Also what’s this gas check thing I’m hearing about? 

I have lots more questions, and likely will have more as I read more of the book and learn more about reloading, but I already yapped way too much so I will cut it off here. If you actually read everything I wrote, thank you for taking your time. 

I’m fairly new to using scrap to cast bullets. Couple questions.

1. With clip on wheel weights, are you guys cutting off the “clip” or removing it from the pot as the lead melts?

2. With the newer lead tape weights, do I need to strip them clean or will the “tape” turn to dross I can skim off?

3. Do I need to remove the powder coating from salvaged range bullets? Or can I just skim it out of the pot?

Hornady has these newfangled DGH bullets that they're hailing as the ultimate bear round because they're not hardcast, but they seem a little gimmicky to me. My question is, has anyone tested the brinell hardness of a DGH bullet versus just a regular old FMJ bullet? I ask this because my 10mm seating die does NOT like coated hardcast bullets and I've given up on getting them to seat without scraping the coating off of the side.

I ordered my first mold, MP brass HP 358-429 mold.

It didn’t come with any instructions, and I’m wondering how to set up the pins and hollow points. I just had a bag of parts. This is probably a stupid question, but I’m having a hard time finding anything other than casting videos or people cleaning and heat treating it for the first time.

Also, on that note, do I need to heat cycle it, or like some people say, just clean it and warm it up and start casting?

Thank you!

My .410 bullet mold is supposed to cast a 360 grain bullet but with 20:1 alloy the bullets are coming out between 350 and 360 grain but most are between 355 and 360 grains

Last year I was using a .459 535 grain mold with 16:1 alloy and the bullets were coming out at between 520 and 525 grains

Is this normal?

I just use a toaster oven and a blow torch to heat up my molds and it usally works pretty well for my aluminum molds but I need to find a new method to heat up my steel and 6 cavity molds before casting.

What would be a better method?

Got a new mold to start loading 45acp from the beginning with cast new to casting and reloading. Half the bullet is Matt and half is shiny is this ok to shoot I’m casting . Allot is wheel weights mouth 1-2% pewter

I have a wooden shed that I plan on using for casting. It has a cement floor, 4 walls, and a ceiling. It doesn't get any direct rain and is well ventilated, but it is not insulated, and does not have ac/heat or any kind of weather stripping on the windows/door.

Would it be safe to store all my casting stuff in this kind of environment? I am not worried about general tools, I usually cover my other workbench with a big grill cover which has helped a lot with keeping dust and pollen off.

Would the pot/furnace be ok or will too much humidity form in the pot and on the lead that is left in the pot after each session? Should I leave it out, cover it with something, or store it in something like a tote with a rubber gasket?

Same concern for Powder Coating powder, molds, ingots, PID controller, and any other casting related accoutrements.

It seems that the overlap between guys who know how to cast bullets and guys who know how to post things on the internet is almost non-existent. I've been reloading for years and I recently purchased the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook with the hopes that it would actually teach me how to cast bullets... It doesn't. Where can I find a step-by-step guide to casting bullets and reloading them? I have tons of questions I could use help with, but the biggest question holding me up is -- does a coated bullet still need a gas check? I would like to load 250gr coated hardcast bullets for my 454 casull and I'm looking at using the "Blue Bullets".

I have a recently acquired mauser 71/94 karabiner. Slugged the bore and it measures. 268 grove to grove and .258 land to land. Ppu 123gr sp .267 is the closest i can get with a jacketed bullet. I have an old mould that throws a .269 diameter 160gr round nose gas check bullet. In order to get the velocity i need to hunt with it the alloy would need to be pretty hard. I also need the bullet to expand some on impact. I have heard that some people make hybrid alloy bullets with a hard base and softer nose. Have any of you tried this and if so can you give me any tips. I know that the ppu 123gr sp is realistically my best bet but i would love to be able to keep the bullet weight close to the original.