Casting today

I smoke the muffin tins a bit before the first time used. Never seem to stick.

This is amazing! 20 posts and no one has chimed in with the "Lee molds are no good" blather. Maybe we have actually been allowed to use them!! :p

I have fired off a gazillion Lee Tumble Lube bullets. I tried sizing the 9mm ones once, didn't seem to make any difference. But then, I am mostly a "flock shooter" anyways.:rolleyes:
 
I use 4 LEE ingot mold's, and I love my 6 cavity mold's for my 45 Win Mag.
I don't size any of them, just tumble lube x 2,load and shoot.
 
First time here. About to start casting. Lots of valuable information, thanks guys.
I hope you realize how helpful you are.

BC Mike
 
Awesome job! I shot my first casts just yesterday out of my SR9, and now am learning about removing lead from the barrel! LOL. I think my boolits are too hard, hope yours are just right!
 
I just started casting this year and we've done about 6000 of the Lee tumble lube boolits. 3000 or so 9mm and 3000 10mm. Once you get that 6 cavity mold going, damn does it eat lead fast!

My quick question for you guys is how you cool it off? On a cloth or water? Does water cooling harden? I built a sweet 3 foot column cooling tower out of 6 inch sewer pipe with a removable 5 inch pipe strainer. That way it's a long way to the bottom and I don't get deformed bullets. Opinions on best way to do it?

I'm loving this hobby though. And the 525 grn slugs are tits.
 
CreamySmooth said:
I just started casting this year and we've done about 6000 of the Lee tumble lube boolits. 3000 or so 9mm and 3000 10mm. Once you get that 6 cavity mold going, damn does it eat lead fast!

My quick question for you guys is how you cool it off? On a cloth or water? Does water cooling harden? I built a sweet 3 foot column cooling tower out of 6 inch sewer pipe with a removable 5 inch pipe strainer. That way it's a long way to the bottom and I don't get deformed bullets. Opinions on best way to do it?

I'm loving this hobby though. And the 525 grn slugs are tits.
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Water hardens the bullets. I drop them directlhy from the mold. Your bullets won't deform. I put an old face cloth on the bottom of my container. As the bullets collectI simply pull the cloth up and cover the bullets then start dropping them again on top of the cloth.

Take Care

Bob
 
Red Herring said:
Awesome job! I shot my first casts just yesterday out of my SR9, and now am learning about removing lead from the barrel! LOL. I think my boolits are too hard, hope yours are just right!
Click to expand...

I doubt they are to hard. Leading usually occurs due to undersized bullets causing gas cutting or improper or insufficient lube. You should be shooting sizing them .357 or shoting them as cast. To clean the lead out remove barrrel and wrap 100% copper Chor Boy strands arond an old cleaning brush. The strands will scrape the lead out in a hurray. Finish up with Hoppes and you are good to go.

Take Care

Bob
 
Canuck44 said:
Water hardens the bullets. I drop them directlhy from the mold. Your bullets won't deform. I put an old face cloth on the bottom of my container. As the bullets collectI simply pull the cloth up and cover the bullets then start dropping them again on top of the cloth.

Take Care

Bob
Click to expand...

Thanks. That's what I thought. If I'm using wheel weights is this a good or a bad thing?
 
I water drop my pistol bullets and have no issues.I have heard others at my range say i should air cool my 45.I don't have a definitive answer for that one, except i have no leading issues and haven't heard the paper complain the bullets were to hard.
 
CreamySmooth said:
Sorry I didn't state fully, if I use wheel weights AND cool in water is that alright? Or too hard?
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WW alloy works well in virtually all rifle and handgun applications. For high or higher pressure rounds such as 9MM, 40cal, .357mag, and 44 mag I prefer either to water quench them directly into water from the mold or later using am oven then water. For low pressure rounds like .38spl, 41 Long Colt, and 45 Colt I prefer to just air cool the boolits.

Here is a link I posted earlier to Glenn Flexall's excellent book on casting. Glenn has made the book available to all casters for free and you can download his book on casting for free. The book contains a wealth of informaton for new and experienced boolit casters.

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

Take Care

Bob
 
NShunter1254 said:
I water drop my pistol bullets and have no issues.I have heard others at my range say i should air cool my 45.I don't have a definitive answer for that one, except i have no leading issues and haven't heard the paper complain the bullets were to hard.
Click to expand...

I recall reading several years a go that while water quenching does harden the bullets if you then run them through a sizing die the hardening is diminished. Since I only cast handgun bullets I 've never worried about water quenching. Wheelweights have several alloy minerals in them like tin, antimony & zinc which makes them plenty hard enough for pistol velocities. Just use a good bullet lube and shoot at reasonable velocities and leading should not be problem.
 
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