Show us what bullets you cast today

[GRMPS]

C312-155-2R APR 15 BHN






311-247 GC

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[DizzyJ]

Here's a picture of the ones I cast today.

 

[GRMPS]

 

[GRMPS]

429-200

 

[P7M13]

Sweet!
How much time was involved in making all those (311 and 429) ?
I've been working on getting my high temperature smelter going to do alloys of lead/copper/tin to see if I can get BHN above 25. The trial run on Friday was a bust, didn't get the crucible above 1,000°F. What lead remained in the Cu jackets slagged out just fine, some of the copper slumped, that was all.

On the upside, while at Goodwill, found two "English Pewter" serving dishes (~4 lbs at $10).

 

[jordanka16]

Sweet!
How much time was involved in making all those (311 and 429) ?
I've been working on getting my high temperature smelter going to do alloys of lead/copper/tin to see if I can get BHN above 25. The trial run on Friday was a bust, didn't get the crucible above 1,000°F. What lead remained in the Cu jackets slagged out just fine, some of the copper slumped, that was all.

On the upside, while at Goodwill, found two "English Pewter" serving dishes (~4 lbs at $10).

One of my best finds was a bunch of grandfather clock counterweights for a dollar each. Inside a brass shell they were pure lead, probably got 40 pounds out of that

 

[GRMPS]

I advise caution; if you get the lead to hot, the fumes could/will become toxic. If you want to get the lead harder you will need to alloy it with an antimony rich alloy. A little copper is good, too much and you'll play heck cast bullets with it
Common Bullet Alloy Hardness

Alloy BHN

Lead 5

WW (stick on) 6

Tin 7

1 to 40 tin to lead 8

1 to 30 tin to lead 9

1 to 20 tin to lead 10

1 to 10 tin to lead 11

WW (clip on) 12

Lead Shot* 13

Lyman # 2 15

Water quenched WW 18

Linotype 18 - 19

Monotype 25 - 27

Oven heat treated WW 30 - 32

You can buy alloys @ https//www.rotometals.com/bullet-casting-alloys/

To help to get lead out of copper jacketed bullets flux with either beeswax, paraffin, pine sawdust. if the bullets hat a solid copper jacket you'll need to nip a hole in the jacket with side cutters or? so the lead can flow out

"How much time was involved in making all those (311 and 429) ?" - about 1/2 hour on the 311 and 2 hours on the 429. I powder coated them today now they are ready to size and load

 

[P7M13]

@GRMPS , thanks for the above and your sharing of info.
I've been slowly stepping into this: melting pots, bullet sizers, etc. I don't have my ventilation system installed, but all the parts are sitting here and I'll continue plodding to complete my setup. Many different irons in various fires, and if I don't start and keep going, it'll never happen.

I see I've been doing all this investigation into copper when all I need is to get more Sb to achieve the desired hardness -- but that's a bit of my curious stubbornness. What I've read so far is above 6%, the Cu creates all kinds of problems, like Zn in smaller amounts.
I'd also speculate, if you didn't quench it properly, might run into copper nodules in the alloy which would probably affect accuracy due to non-uniform density.
For a fallback, and for starters, I currently have >100# of Linotype, and almost equal amount of Lyman #2.

The high temperature melter I still want to complete because I've always wanted to cast in bronze or other metals.

 

[P7M13]

@GRMPS - more questions

• The 311 and 312's -- how fast do you drive them?
  
• If you powder coat, do you still use the GC's ?

Signed up over at CB.

 

[gmerkt]

.401's with crimping groove for .38-40:



Old Lyman 450 lube/sizer in background, mounted on a heated base. My casting is all done outside in good weather, sizing inside.

 

[ditchtiger]

not all of them, but I cast 2000 124gr tl. bullets this weekend

 

[ditchtiger]

C312-155-2R APR 15 BHN

I have this mold. works quite well squeezed down to .309 also

 

[GRMPS]

TL356-124-TC ? you going to alox , PC or HiTek them?

 

[ditchtiger]

TL356-124-TC ? you going to alox , PC or HiTek them?

It's the same as Lee Alox but half the price per ounce. Will also put gas checks on.

 

[jordanka16]

View attachment 469003
It's the same as Lee Alox but half the price per ounce. Will also put gas checks on.

That's good to know.

 

[ditchtiger]

Car Quest carries it. I've been using the CRC stuff for 15 years. Drill out the nozzle so it shoots a stream rather than spray.

 

[ageingstudent]

I did 300 each of these on Sunday. I spent about 4 hours in the shop. I have a ventilation hood over my pot. On a whim I got my blood lead level checked last month and the lab says I'm doing A-okay at 3.4 μg/dl. I guess the medical types like to see it below 5 μg/dl. I did all these with 2 cav molds--lots of throws haha. 600 throws not counting rejects

 

[gmerkt]

I did the same thing, had my blood lead level tested, came back 3.7.

None of my molds are over 2 cavities, no 4 gang molds. I don't cast massive amounts of bullets. Cast bullets are like firewood; I don't want to get too far ahead so as to waste all that work for my wife's next husband.

My casting philosophy is to cast the exotic, heavy or expensive bullets. For example, I don't cast any .32's nor any 9mm's, too many ready-mades at reasonable prices. I have molds for .38's, don't use them, that's another relatively inexpensive bullet. Just my opinion.

 

[GRMPS]

I hate any type of lube, too messy. I coat all my bullets with either powder coating or HiTek coating.

My last lead test wasn't pretty. I had just got done doing a lot of smelting and my test came back at 40. Some research showed me it was high but not outside the realm of normal for someone working in the industries.
here are some of my cast boolits ready to coat .

 

[ageingstudent]

I did the same thing, had my blood lead level tested, came back 3.7.

None of my molds are over 2 cavities, no 4 gang molds. I don't cast massive amounts of bullets. Cast bullets are like firewood; I don't want to get too far ahead so as to waste all that work for my wife's next husband.

My casting philosophy is to cast the exotic, heavy or expensive bullets. For example, I don't cast any .32's nor any 9mm's, too many ready-mades at reasonable prices. I have molds for .38's, don't use them, that's another relatively inexpensive bullet. Just my opinion.

I like to keep about a thousand on hand. Several can be used in multiple calibers and that helps. I do enjoy it though since I don't get out like I used to. I like the consistency i get out of the 2 cavs.