just cast my first 100 lead 200gr boolits for my 10mm, now i need a powder and a charge... you guys that shoot lead, what is your favorite powder and charge?   can i use Longshot?

I have some longshot and tried it with my 205 grain cast bullets.  I just ran with the FMJ data for 200 grain and all was good.

I have also used Blue Dot and AA#9.

I mostly use Blue Dot for my cast bullets but LongShot should work also, it maybe a hotter flame front that could erode the bullets base if driven too hot...

With Blue Dot I am using 10.0 grains under the RCBS 200gr TC SWC

thanks guys... i am going to load up some LS and Chrony them this weekend... i'll report back with some results 

alright, got a chance to chrony these loads... a little background, i decided i wanted to start casting my own boolits so i bought a mold and pot and casted up some 200gr WFN, sized, tumble lubed, then reloaded...

all powder is with Longshot, WLP primer, COAL 1.255, these were all 3 shots strings, 5.3" after market bbl ported, no observable leading (i inspected the bbl after each string):

charge gr / fps avg / fps std / casehead expansion

7.2  /  1102  /  19  /  0.4260
7.5  /  1124  /   22  /  0.4262
7.8  /  1166  /  20  /  0.4263
8.1  /  1209  /     17  /  0.4267


for comparison, here are some loads using a Nosler 200gr JHP and Longshot:

8.0  /  1172  /  11  /  0.4263
8.3  /  1212  /  2  /  0.4267

lots more variation with the lead, and slightly higher casehead expansion and velocities... overall i am very pleased with the results as i plan to use the lead rounds for practice punching holes in paper...

I know I've used AA#9 for 200's. but they were not as accurate as my 185 grainers I prefer now.

Nice work Caneman!

Seems like you found a real consistent load here:

Nosler 200gr JHP and Longshot:
8.3  /  1212  /  2  /  0.4267

Also I would expect it's a very reasonable velocity for the bullet without being by any means wimpy.

Quote from: Caneman on March 23 2013 06:10:43 PM MDT
alright, got a chance to chrony these loads... a little background, i decided i wanted to start casting my own boolits so i bought a mold and pot and casted up some 200gr WFN, sized, tumble lubed, then reloaded...

What mold did you get?

^^^  I got the NOE RG2 mold that has two sets of pins, one is 200 gr WFN and the other set is 180gr HP:





I was warned by more experienced casters not to get this type of mold as my first, but i thought it would be a good value as i could cast for my 10mm and my G27 EDC... the 200gr WFN was fairly easy to cast with, but the 180gr was a little more challenging as it takes the mold longer to heat up (actually it takes the HP pins quite a while to get to temp) before it started casting good boolits...  overall, casting has been a blast and i highly recommend it, not as hard to do as you might think...

Ohhhh....You had to mention NOE....

And I had to go look at their website again.

And see they have 200 grain four-cavity molds in stock with both HP and FN pins....For $131.00

And since they are only 45 minutes south of me, I could probably go pick it up tonight.

You are a very bad man.

now that would be an addiction living that close to NOE, really like their molds... what i like about them most (besides the great quality) is that they are typically over-sized by 0.002 or 0.003 and allow you to size the boolit to your barrel, the production molds like RCBS and Lyman are sized at the nominal diameters and you can't customize them as needed... they are reasonably priced as well, imo, a really good value

Caneman, that looks like a sweet mold, good choice!

A tip for the mold heat-up issues - if you smoke the mold cavities and pins with a butane lighter, you'll be able to cast good bullets at lower mold temp, and it won't be as picky about heat. To smoke the mold, hold the yellow tip of the flame right on the mold cavities, this will build up a thin layer of soot. No need to overdo it, but it won't hurt anything if you do.
Do not use a candle, match, or any other flame that contains oil/wax, this will contaminate the mold.

Hope that helps!

I have found with Lee aluminum molds wiping the cavity with a cotton swab that is just damp with 2-cycle motor oil and then letting it sit on the top of the furnace until it stops smoking works well too.  And lasts a very long time.

Get to much and you are in for LOTS of wrinkly bullets while you burn the oil out.  So it isn't for everyone.

Quote from: Yondering on March 26 2013 10:12:20 AM MDT
Caneman, that looks like a sweet mold, good choice!

A tip for the mold heat-up issues - if you smoke the mold cavities and pins with a butane lighter, you'll be able to cast good bullets at lower mold temp, and it won't be as picky about heat. To smoke the mold, hold the yellow tip of the flame right on the mold cavities, this will build up a thin layer of soot. No need to overdo it, but it won't hurt anything if you do.
Do not use a candle, match, or any other flame that contains oil/wax, this will contaminate the mold.

Hope that helps!

good idea, i read that some are using a pencil torch to heat up the HP tips

Quote from: Caneman on March 26 2013 06:23:01 PM MDT

Quote from: Yondering on March 26 2013 10:12:20 AM MDT
Caneman, that looks like a sweet mold, good choice!

A tip for the mold heat-up issues - if you smoke the mold cavities and pins with a butane lighter, you'll be able to cast good bullets at lower mold temp, and it won't be as picky about heat. To smoke the mold, hold the yellow tip of the flame right on the mold cavities, this will build up a thin layer of soot. No need to overdo it, but it won't hurt anything if you do.
Do not use a candle, match, or any other flame that contains oil/wax, this will contaminate the mold.

Hope that helps!

good idea, i read that some are using a pencil torch to heat up the HP tips

You shouldn't need to do that, if you smoke them. I cast a lot of hollow points (I use Mihec molds, but similar concept); using the common wheel weight + 2% tin alloy, I expect good bullets from the first cast or two, starting with a mold that's just barely too hot to touch. Pot temp is right about 750 F, for what that's worth.

The only time that it's reasonable to need a really hot mold, IMO, is when casting from pure lead, with no tin added, and a mold with fine detail like a hollow point. Otherwise you shouldn't need to overheat your mold.