I realize there are other forums devoted to projectile casting .. but the crowd in the one I visit are really unmentionable shooters who have just a toe in the molten lead pot as far as muzzle loaders go
We talk guns here..we talk knives here ..we talk all kinds of stuff but we do not have a place to talk about the flints, percussion caps, powder, projectiles, patches, wads ..all of which are the very things that make just so much wood and iron we all dearly love to come alive ..to do our bidding ..the very thing or collection of things that must be "tuned" ..together ..to be harmonized is such a way to allow our M/L's to please us ..it makes no difference if one member is demanding a ragged hole at 50 yards or to be able to tune a just so so rifle to be a minuet of deer group shooter at 75 yards ..we've got to have a place to exchange our successes and failures
And I am tired of being told "go to or join the NSSA when I ask a tech question in the field of munitions ..I have tried to join NSSA ..Over $100 first year and if you have not joined a troop or whatever you cannot renew ..guess what ..no troop anywhere near me ..I have been bounced around from guy to guy at NSSA and each new guy says sorry I am not the commander for your area but I will find out ..has not happened ..I am not dogging the NSSA ..the guys I have talked to have been very cordial and took their own time to respond (and are volunteers I assume) but no cigar as of this date ..but I still have the $100 earmarked ..in the mean time get us a place to talk turkey on this forum about tuning the load to the rifle
Case in point ..I am casting with a new to me mold Lyman 580213 525gr thin skirted .580 dia .58cal ..the old original with the pull out the bottom plug
first run of about 50 it took about 20 to get plug, mold n all hot enough to begin flowing no wrinkles,fully formed skirt, fully formed lube grooves etc.
However after cooling ..I started weighing and in 30 good external appearance minies the weight range ran from 525gr to 522gr ...
Closer inspection and sorting gave me 3 groups of roughly 10 to a group as follows:
525/524 ---interior inspection of hollow APEX displayed fully filled interior or slight pin hole only at apex
523 ---interior showed deeper pinhole void in the apex
522 ---interior at apex displayed larger and deeper pinhole
You folks that cast know that different molds, bullet designs, calibers etc call for different methods of holding the mold ..how far from the pot nozzle you hold the mold ..whether you pour direct into the sprue plate hole or hit the edge of the bevel leading to the sprue plate hole ..use fast slow or medium flow rate ..hold mold level or cant it a certain number of degrees etc etc .. the minies are coming out smooth as glass picture perfect except the variable sized pin hole that cones and goes
So I am trying to cut the testing through someone who knows the tricks of the trade that will eliminate the come and go pin holes
Lead temp 825 degree lazer measured
Lee bottom delivery pot
Bear
We talk guns here..we talk knives here ..we talk all kinds of stuff but we do not have a place to talk about the flints, percussion caps, powder, projectiles, patches, wads ..all of which are the very things that make just so much wood and iron we all dearly love to come alive ..to do our bidding ..the very thing or collection of things that must be "tuned" ..together ..to be harmonized is such a way to allow our M/L's to please us ..it makes no difference if one member is demanding a ragged hole at 50 yards or to be able to tune a just so so rifle to be a minuet of deer group shooter at 75 yards ..we've got to have a place to exchange our successes and failures
And I am tired of being told "go to or join the NSSA when I ask a tech question in the field of munitions ..I have tried to join NSSA ..Over $100 first year and if you have not joined a troop or whatever you cannot renew ..guess what ..no troop anywhere near me ..I have been bounced around from guy to guy at NSSA and each new guy says sorry I am not the commander for your area but I will find out ..has not happened ..I am not dogging the NSSA ..the guys I have talked to have been very cordial and took their own time to respond (and are volunteers I assume) but no cigar as of this date ..but I still have the $100 earmarked ..in the mean time get us a place to talk turkey on this forum about tuning the load to the rifle
Case in point ..I am casting with a new to me mold Lyman 580213 525gr thin skirted .580 dia .58cal ..the old original with the pull out the bottom plug
first run of about 50 it took about 20 to get plug, mold n all hot enough to begin flowing no wrinkles,fully formed skirt, fully formed lube grooves etc.
However after cooling ..I started weighing and in 30 good external appearance minies the weight range ran from 525gr to 522gr ...
Closer inspection and sorting gave me 3 groups of roughly 10 to a group as follows:
525/524 ---interior inspection of hollow APEX displayed fully filled interior or slight pin hole only at apex
523 ---interior showed deeper pinhole void in the apex
522 ---interior at apex displayed larger and deeper pinhole
You folks that cast know that different molds, bullet designs, calibers etc call for different methods of holding the mold ..how far from the pot nozzle you hold the mold ..whether you pour direct into the sprue plate hole or hit the edge of the bevel leading to the sprue plate hole ..use fast slow or medium flow rate ..hold mold level or cant it a certain number of degrees etc etc .. the minies are coming out smooth as glass picture perfect except the variable sized pin hole that cones and goes
So I am trying to cut the testing through someone who knows the tricks of the trade that will eliminate the come and go pin holes
Lead temp 825 degree lazer measured
Lee bottom delivery pot
Bear