New at Casting minieballs

[Carbon 6]

Make sure your lead and the area you cast in is 100% free of water. A single drop of water in your lead pot can cause a steam explosion sending molten lead flying everywhere. Make sure your shed roof doesn't leak or condensate from the heat, and never let your lead sit outside where it can get rained on.

 

[Eterry]

I have the same Lee mold. I shimmed it up .002, and it shoots great groups, imho, 3 moa.

My Lee pot only gets so hot, i have it on max, guess it's getting old... like me.

 

[Sven205]

You may get lucky and be able to shoot as cast, but a sizer may be necessary depending on your bore diameter.

 

[Professor flintlock]

Found that having your lead at 850 plus a hot, smoked mold. Like too pre heat my mold with a propane torch. Put spit on your finger and quickly touch the mold it should (sing to you) if you do it properly you won't burn your self. Using this method my first balls are good. Don't hammer on the mold to free a bullet, tap on the pivot bolt on the handles. An old cot off hammer handle works great.

 

[MaterielGeneral]

I was new to casting last winter. These guys helped me out with my questions also. Many thanks go out to them. Take your time and enjoy it. It is therapeutic.

 

[MSW]

Carbon6 is exactly spot on... when i run ball, i wear leather gloves, my glasses (the mill where i work provides prescription safety glasses) .. you also want to wear closed toes footwear, long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and a hat or sweatband of some kind ... i was running ball in August in Maryland, and one drop of sweat hit the surface of the pot.


the result was ... um ... dramatic


wore a hat thereafter.

 

[jlutz]

One last thing, sorry for the lengthy post... Look at Glen Fryxells: From ingot to target. This gave a lot of good insight when I started. It deals with more modern aspects of casting but most of the techniques apply.

For those who are interested in this book, it’s available free here: NRA - IHMSA Handgun, Rifle, Air Pistol Silhouette Shooting. The Excitement Of Reactive Steel Targets At The Los Angeles Silhouette Club

 

[APG]

You may get lucky and be able to shoot as cast, but a sizer may be necessary depending on your bore diameter.

I have several push thru sizing dies. .576 see s to shot the best

 

[Eterry]

One other thing...be sure NOT to wear poly-Anything while casting. I have a 2 piece hunting coat, outer is water proof, inner keeps you very warm. Was wearing the inner and decided to run some ball. It's a poly-blend of stuff. I had a small lead splatter, I think while dropping some rejects into the pot, and it burned holes right down to the stuffing.
I really messed up a good jacket. Think cotton or some such.