Show what kind of Bullets you cast
- Thread starter dannyd
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CWLONGSHOT
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Jwatts8815
Active Member
CWLONGSHOT
Well-Known Member
Cheerios!!
Jwatts8815
Active Member
Yes SIRRRR, man, I’ll be honest, I think I’d die happy if I only used Unique and Trail Boss from this point forward. Such excellent powders!!! I ended up loading 63 bc I still have 37 of the NOE 454-255-SWC. OOOOH also, stopped in my LGS a couple days ago and this freaking 8lb jug of Unique was sitting on the shelf!!! I snatched it up immediately, never thought I’d see one again after these last 2 years @CWLONGSHOT
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Jwatts8815
Active Member
Oooooh, never showed ya my new gp100 either, thanks to bureaucratic Maryland BS it took two weeks to get, he’s happy with his lil bro now
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CWLONGSHOT
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Found these last week.
Im stocked on Unique. I have a few bottles a trail boss
Have you tried tin star yet?
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Jwatts8815
Active Member
Woah!!!! Haha, definitely a hell of a score, I was down to 1.5 lbs of Unique before I found that jug so I was starting to sweat haha, seeing it just sitting on the shelf caught me off guard, I wanted to start dancing in my LGS haha. Next boolit I need to cast will either be the Accurate 230 Gr for 45 acp or one of my 10mm boolits. I can not wait to get out shooting with this gp100!!!! I loaded up 100 of the H&G50s ( wad cutter)
Jwatts8815
Active Member
Now that I’m casting a ton, Unique has become an absolute staple at the bench, my LGS just got a delivery of a bunch of Alliant, I’m planning on grabbing more powder on Monday, gonna do inventory over the holiday and figure out what I need @Winelover
Jwatts8815
Active Member
@Winelover i guess that Trail Boss is my next one I need to find, I’ve got a 9oz jar and it does go a long ways but I need to track down more
Jwatts8815
Active Member
Completely understandable, TB in particular is just a ton of fun bc there is no other powder on earth like it. Just a crazy powder that is made for light “ cowboy “ loads
CWLONGSHOT
Well-Known Member
Trail boss is low velocity but near full pressure. Thats its forte dont underestimate its pressure capabilities. DO NOT compress it. BUT 95-98% fill is usually "best".
Tin star is a lil different but accomplishes the same results. Designed for "Cowboy" loads without hazards of splashes of super fast powder in volumes cases.
CW
Tin star is a lil different but accomplishes the same results. Designed for "Cowboy" loads without hazards of splashes of super fast powder in volumes cases.
CW
Jwatts8815
Active Member
Appreciate that, I have absolutely heard NOT to ever compress it. I’ll have to try to search out Tin Star
Wasalmonslayer
Well-Known Member
Jwatts8815
Active Member
My contribution is late.
This isn't all I have cast up or even close to the moulds I have, but this is what I intend to cast with from here out, unless I add a different caliber, which is not likely, but not an impossibility. I've been simplifying and decluttering for some time and have pared it down to these moulds. Since I was PC'ing, I decided to cast up some of each and dress them up for a photo. Otherwise, I'm still a TL fan. SOMETIMES, I put gobs of 50/50 in that ravine encircling my obligatory "Keith bullet," the 429-421 and I like the dirty, greazzey feel of the gun after several cylinders-full.
LEFT to RIGHT...
1) Ideal, 429-421, single-cavity. Casts .433" and has been used in a LOT of 44s (mostly 'Specials) over the years. I dearly need to replace this with a 4C aluminum mould;
2) Arsenal, 432-210, 4C, aluminum, casts .433", per my request. A lovely mould and lovely bullet - again, for the 44 Special;
3A, 3B) NOE, 360-180 WFN, 4C, aluminum, casts .360", I removed the gas-check rebate in the first three cavities and left one alone for my 357 Max. The plain-based ones are for my 357 Mags;
4) Arsenal, 360-158, 4C, aluminum, "Ranch Dog Clone," casts .360", per my request, for my 357 Mags;
5) LEE (actually), 311-165, 6C, aluminum, RanchDog Outdoors (Michael Reamy) third/final rendition of his 30/30 bullet." The lighting (blame the shiny PC) hides a detail in the portion of the nose ahead of the crimp groove, there is a full-diameter band, which then steps down to the nose. Great bullet for my 30/30.;
6) LEE, C309-113RF, 2C*, aluminum, casts .313" by an odd stroke of luck. I removed the gas check rebate on this one and now have a plain-based, 118 grain RF. Great small-game/goofing-off bullet for my 30/30.;
7) LEE, 225-55, 6C, aluminum, Nothing special, box-stock, shoots great in my 222;
8) LEE, C225-50-RF, 6C, aluminum, box-stock, another Ranch Dog design and shoots great in my 222.
3B, the plain-based 180 grain, 35 caliber bullet is the only one I intend to PC going forward. I only did these for a cool photo and to have a few to try for giggles if I decided to later.
All the above get cast from straight wheel-weights or wheel-weights/PB (50/50), tumble-lubed in 45-45-10 or BLL. All gas checks are made on FreeChex tooling and they've been working very well for several years now. Oh, and very cheap. All GC'd bullets shown shoot to just under 2kfps with no leading and very accurately. Plain based bullets, above, are usually kept right about sub-sonic. Six to seven grains of Unique is quite enough for any of the above bullets in their respective cases, for a range of uses. I do use other powders too though.
I MAY add a 30 cal HP some day, of HP one of the cavities in the 165 grain mould.
I really, really need to replace that old Ideal 429-421, 1C with an aluminum 4C some day. It's grueling to cast with any more.
This isn't all I have cast up or even close to the moulds I have, but this is what I intend to cast with from here out, unless I add a different caliber, which is not likely, but not an impossibility. I've been simplifying and decluttering for some time and have pared it down to these moulds. Since I was PC'ing, I decided to cast up some of each and dress them up for a photo. Otherwise, I'm still a TL fan. SOMETIMES, I put gobs of 50/50 in that ravine encircling my obligatory "Keith bullet," the 429-421 and I like the dirty, greazzey feel of the gun after several cylinders-full.
LEFT to RIGHT...
1) Ideal, 429-421, single-cavity. Casts .433" and has been used in a LOT of 44s (mostly 'Specials) over the years. I dearly need to replace this with a 4C aluminum mould;
2) Arsenal, 432-210, 4C, aluminum, casts .433", per my request. A lovely mould and lovely bullet - again, for the 44 Special;
3A, 3B) NOE, 360-180 WFN, 4C, aluminum, casts .360", I removed the gas-check rebate in the first three cavities and left one alone for my 357 Max. The plain-based ones are for my 357 Mags;
4) Arsenal, 360-158, 4C, aluminum, "Ranch Dog Clone," casts .360", per my request, for my 357 Mags;
5) LEE (actually), 311-165, 6C, aluminum, RanchDog Outdoors (Michael Reamy) third/final rendition of his 30/30 bullet." The lighting (blame the shiny PC) hides a detail in the portion of the nose ahead of the crimp groove, there is a full-diameter band, which then steps down to the nose. Great bullet for my 30/30.;
6) LEE, C309-113RF, 2C*, aluminum, casts .313" by an odd stroke of luck. I removed the gas check rebate on this one and now have a plain-based, 118 grain RF. Great small-game/goofing-off bullet for my 30/30.;
7) LEE, 225-55, 6C, aluminum, Nothing special, box-stock, shoots great in my 222;
8) LEE, C225-50-RF, 6C, aluminum, box-stock, another Ranch Dog design and shoots great in my 222.
3B, the plain-based 180 grain, 35 caliber bullet is the only one I intend to PC going forward. I only did these for a cool photo and to have a few to try for giggles if I decided to later.
All the above get cast from straight wheel-weights or wheel-weights/PB (50/50), tumble-lubed in 45-45-10 or BLL. All gas checks are made on FreeChex tooling and they've been working very well for several years now. Oh, and very cheap. All GC'd bullets shown shoot to just under 2kfps with no leading and very accurately. Plain based bullets, above, are usually kept right about sub-sonic. Six to seven grains of Unique is quite enough for any of the above bullets in their respective cases, for a range of uses. I do use other powders too though.
I MAY add a 30 cal HP some day, of HP one of the cavities in the 165 grain mould.
I really, really need to replace that old Ideal 429-421, 1C with an aluminum 4C some day. It's grueling to cast with any more.