Who Shoots Lead

[The_Shadow]

Barry in IN, I have a Saeco two cavity mould for 44Mag which is a TC design at it doesn't cast very well.  Hard to get clean sharp  edges... it could be the mix & temp but I try it from time to time. 

What are the length of the bullets from the H&G 315 mold?  The Speer SWC 200's are 0.7135" and so far I don't get case bulges with those I have tried.

I have a Saeco 428 (.44 240 TC) and it has to be kept hot to make decent looking bullets.   I like the shape though, because it loads slick and smooth into chambers and magazine tubes.
Edit- I was thinking about it, and realized that of the dozen or more Saeco moulds I have, only that #428 and the #301 (.30 cal 196 grain) are this picky.  The others are noteworthy in that they cast fine at most temps, so I can jump right in when I'm casting something else.  The 428 needs hot alloy, and the 301 needs hot alloy, a pressure fill, and maybe the right moon stage.  The rest don't care as long as the alloy is liquid. 


I'll measure some 315s tomorrow.  We just got back from an emergency run to the vet with the new pup.   I doubt it's that long, though.  But then, I have to keep OAL on the short side to get them in my Delta mags, which is part of the bulging.

Mine is a OLDER  Saeco 44 Gas Check TC 245 grain, I think the number is 449 but very close to the 424, even pouring hot they are tough to fill out to the sharpest edges, I might need to add some extra linotype...

[DM1906]

Barry in IN, I have a Saeco two cavity mould for 44Mag which is a TC design at it doesn't cast very well.  Hard to get clean sharp  edges... it could be the mix & temp but I try it from time to time. 

What are the length of the bullets from the H&G 315 mold?  The Speer SWC 200's are 0.7135" and so far I don't get case bulges with those I have tried.

I have a Saeco 428 (.44 240 TC) and it has to be kept hot to make decent looking bullets.   I like the shape though, because it loads slick and smooth into chambers and magazine tubes.
Edit- I was thinking about it, and realized that of the dozen or more Saeco moulds I have, only that #428 and the #301 (.30 cal 196 grain) are this picky.  The others are noteworthy in that they cast fine at most temps, so I can jump right in when I'm casting something else.  The 428 needs hot alloy, and the 301 needs hot alloy, a pressure fill, and maybe the right moon stage.  The rest don't care as long as the alloy is liquid. 


I'll measure some 315s tomorrow.  We just got back from an emergency run to the vet with the new pup.   I doubt it's that long, though.  But then, I have to keep OAL on the short side to get them in my Delta mags, which is part of the bulging.

Mine is a OLDER  Saeco 44 Gas Check TC 245 grain, I think the number is 449 but very close to the 424, even pouring hot they are tough to fill out to the sharpest edges, I might need to add some extra linotype...

Add pure tin (about 1% volume - not weight -  at a time) at about 690*, and flux generously with pure paraffin (let it burn off first), then stir/dros well.  More antimony (linotype) makes it more difficult with temp control and can make it over-hard.  If you don't have any tin, PM me and I can send you some.

[sqlbullet]

+1 on pure tin, or near pure tin.  I have about 50 lbs of 95/5 tin/silver that I sweeten with.  I add 4 ounces to a 20 lb pot of isotope lead, which should put me at 2% tin, 2.5% antimony and the rest lead.  Casts great bullets from a 700 degree pot.

[Yondering]

and flux generously with pure paraffin (let it burn off first), then stir/dros well.

Try sawdust or fine wood shavings instead of paraffin. Either way, you're trying to add carbon to the pot (burned residue from sawdust, paraffin, bullet lube, whatever), which binds with the oxidized metals. Sawdust is just more efficient at producing enough carbon. Once the sawdust is burned and mixed with the dross, use the back side of a spoon to smash/smear that against the sides of the pot, untill all the dross is gone, mixed back into the melt. Then scrape the sides of the pot to get all the black dust to the top, and discard that.

[sqlbullet]

I use lots of sawdust when refining my lead.  Used motor oil too.

As Yondering says, about any carbon source works well.

[DM1906]

+1 on pure tin, or near pure tin.  I have about 50 lbs of 95/5 tin/silver that I sweeten with.  I add 4 ounces to a 20 lb pot of isotope lead, which should put me at 2% tin, 2.5% antimony and the rest lead.  Casts great bullets from a 700 degree pot.

Silver is good, but I don't toss it in the pot (on purpose).  Laser-Cast brags of their use of it in their cast bullets.  Good lead-free solder will usually have 3-5% silver.

I use wood chips and paper when refining raw bullet trap material.  Not on purpose, but that's what they're shooting at, and the bullets drag some to the trap.  I don't use wood or other non-pure organics in the pot, as they are "dirty" with by-products than can foul the alloy.  Clear paraffin is about as pure as you can get.  Pine pitch (dry dust or drops) also works really well.

[Yondering]

That's the first I've ever heard of something in wood fouling a lead alloy. 

[DM1906]

That's the first I've ever heard of something in wood fouling a lead alloy. 

Wood contains minerals/metals.  Some undesirable.

Only offering what works for me.  Your metallurgy may vary.....

[475/480]

The 200 grain mold offerings seem to me to be too long for enough WC 820. Very intersted in 480/475's mold from Accurate. We need pictures when you get some cast please.

Here are the bullets from the moulds I have.
Lee 175gr TCBB,Accurate moulds 190gr LFNGC , Accurate moulds 200gr LFNPB, MM 215gr WFNGC
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x150/475480/10MMboolits003.jpg

[The_Shadow]

Man, I like that 190gr LFNGC, I'd like to be able to make that up with a  wide cavity Hollow Point (sort of the flying ashtray), although some guns might not feed that thing reliably! 

[Yondering]

Cool picture. I really like that 2-groove 200gr. I wonder how well that would work with the top groove unlubed, and seated at 1.250" in 40 S&W brass? It looks like the mouth of the brass should line up in the middle driving band somewhere around max 10mm OAL.

[475/480]

I shot the 200gr LFNPB bullet this weekend in the STI ,offhand at 15 yards . Load was AA9-11.0gr and 12.0gr. I did not check the velocity but I would say 1000-1100 fps. Accuarcy was a little less than 2" at 15 yards offhand which is not bad, good enough for practice. I had no FTF with a OAL of 1.260" . I could not go any shorter because of the noselength on the bullet. I do like the nose profile on the 200gr Accurate mould bullet, it seems to help with feeding.

Sean