Getting started into casting... any and all advice welcome!

mikeystew

mikeystew

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i picked up a couple hundred lbs of wheel weights today. my big questions are how do you select the right mould? when i look on WSS website they are all numbered and dont say what caliber they are for. i'll be loading an oversized .44 mag in probably .432 for my .444 marlin with microgroove barrel.

also how do most of you procure things like lube? what lube is best for higher velocity in the 2000-2200fps range... i think i have sourced gas checks already, but where do i buy a gascheck crimping tool? so many questions...

assume i know nothing beyond the ingot stage, any and all advice no mater how minute a detail would be greatly appreciated for my "files":D
Thanks guys.
 
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Your best bet for a mold would be to talk to V. Smith of LBT, you'll need a mold with a very short nose, .432", and yet a fairly heavy weight bullet. Very few factory molds drop bullets of .432" and you may have to go to a custom mold maker such as LBT. Another option is to design your own mold on The "Mountain Molds" website, also check out the CBE website. I have a few .432" molds and all were custom made makers such as these, and they are a delight to use compared to cheaper soft aluminum molds.
 
Thanks Ben, i'll check that out. i was thinking of making them about 300-330 grains.

on a side note, i inspected the lead tonight and it is in long pieces and most of it appears to be flexible by hand. assuming my pails weigh a conservative estimate of 180 lbs combined and even 120 lbs is pure hard lead, i figure that should make about 2500 - 3000 bullets at 300 grains is that correct?

If so... WOW! im hooked! I'll give up a weekend or two out of my winter to make myself a stash like that and not have to depend on the bullet makers that can't seem to keep up with demand.
 
Gas checks are best installed while lubing and sizing on a Lyman or Rcbs lube sizer, it can be done using the Lee system or on a star sizer, however on the last 2 sizers it may not crimp on as well unless there is alot of resistance in your sizing. The gas checks can usually be put on by hand but you will want to crimp them on. The above mentioned Lyman or Rcbs give them the most positive crimp. They must be put on and crimped completely square or a flyer will result. I have and use the Lee sizers(not recommended), 2 RCBS sizers, 2 Lyman sizers, and 2 Star sizers which are air driven and have heaters, yet I like to rely on the Lyman/Rcbs for seating and crimping on gas check.
 
Alright, im getting there... i have duplicated a proven design from mountain moulds for my bullet design, and im going with a lyman 4500 luber sizer, but what i need to know now is where can i get a .432 sizer die for the lyman? also is the die specific to the bullet being casted in regard to the number of grease grooves or can it size and lube any number of different bullet designs in it's given caliber.
 
As for sizing Die. It has lines of holes in it which you can choose to plug in order to align the holes with the lube grooves.
So depending on your bullet design some holes will be left o open to let lube pass and others can be plugged , i use lead shot to plug the hole, what you plug it with is up to you.
If you’re looking for layman sizer dies send me a pm.
 
I hate to disagree with Phish but, the dies used in the Lyman and RCBS do not require any blocking of holes, the tight fitting ejecting rod (the I in H & I dies) prevents lube from passing, you just have to adjust the depth for proper lube and sizing. Both "Lathesmith" and "Buckshot" on Castboolets make custom sizers for a good price, I have dealt with both and they are good. .432" is not a std. size so you can go with them or Buffalo Arms also sell custom sizes, I don't know which is cheaper or faster. You are headed in the right direction for making quality bullets for your .444...Ben...as an aside, the Star sizer requires blocking of holes on your sizing dies, as it is a "straight through sizer".
You can do any bullet you want(as long as it is the right dia.) with the 1 die, it doesn't matter how long it is or how many grooves, just have to adjust setting for depth bullet has to go into die.
 
Mikey, getting the lube in the grooves of the bullet, any bullet, can easily be a lesson in frustration. This is not to discourage you, but more of a heads up.
The critical part is adjusting the sizing die, as to the depth the bullet goes in, before you squeeze in the lube. It should be that the lube fills all the grooves it is supposed to fill, without extra lube leaking around the bullet. It just takes trial and error. The problem is, if lube leaks, you may not know whether to set the bullet deepr, or not so deep. Trial and error.
When you end a sessin of sizing and lubing, you leave a bullet in the die, to keep the lube from going into an open die. Here is a little trick. For the last bullet you lube, don't squeeze the lube handle, as there is likely enough pressure there to force lube into the grooves. Just wait a while, remove the bullet and it is likely lubed. After that the bullet you leave in the die will not leak out lube, over time, as it would if you just quit lubing and left the last bullet in the die. Not a serious matter, but if lube leaks into the die, it is a bit pesky to get it nicely cleaned out.
With only one bullet style for the calibre, you have the advantage of only having to adjust it once, then leaving it. When you are lubing about three different style bullets, all the same calibre and same die, you likely have to adjust the die everytime you change bullets. Take my word for it, that is a pain. I rig up some kind of jig, or depth gage, once I get it set for a bullet.
There have been a lot of recipes on these threads for bullet lube. For me, a 50/50 mixture of bees wax and beef tallow has worked fine. If I have some liquid alox around, I put some of that in the mixture.
Instead of trying to make a fancy bar, with a hole throught the centre to fit the lube chamber, I just pour the hot mixture directly into the lube chamber on the sizing and lube press.
I have shot lots of 44 mags in Marlin Micro Grooved rifles, lubed as described, without them picking up lead.
 
mikeystew said:
i picked up a couple hundred lbs of wheel weights today. my big questions are how do you select the right mould? when i look on WSS website they are all numbered and dont say what caliber they are for. i'll be loading an oversized .44 mag in probably .432 for my .444 marlin with microgroove barrel.
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you can go to the manufacturers websites and look-up the molds.
Lee http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1280705940.2838=/html/catalog/bullmol2.html
Lyman http://www.three-peaks.net/bullet_molds.htm
(or just google them)

also how do most of you procure things like lube? what lube is best for higher velocity in the 2000-2200fps range...
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you can make your own lube. I use 65% candle wax (big fat candles from the dollar store), 33% vaseline (dollar store as well) and some colored cheese wax. Then I pan-lube (google it).
There's a wax store in Burnaby, BC that accepts online orders. wicksandwax.com

i think i have sourced gas checks already, but where do i buy a gascheck crimping tool? so many questions...
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Just use your sizing die. Any sizing die would do if you don't want to lube at the same time.

assume i know nothing beyond the ingot stage, any and all advice no mater how minute a detail would be greatly appreciated for my "files":D
Thanks guys.
Click to expand...

preheat your molds before the casting session.

Let me know if you have more questions. You'll certainly have some after you shoot your first cast bullets. You have to match the bullet hardness to the powder charge. A Lee hardness tester comes in handy here.

For example I shot 14BHN bullets in .357mag and they were leading and some were even striping (getting shaven by the rifling instead of imparting spin). I upped the hardness to 18BHN, double lubed with Lee Liquid Alox and no more leading, no more shaving.
 
The bullet mold chart shows alot if not all of the old lyman and Ideal designs, very few are still avail. and are in the hands of collectors. I don't believe Lyman, Lee, or RCBS make any .432" molds, which work best in the microgroove barrels.
 
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