Waht did you cast today?

L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
I fully intended in trying to start a stockpile of Lyman 457677's. I need about 450 bullets for myself and two friends for practice and an upcoming buffalo match in September.

Found the blocks, put handles on them, washed the storage oil off and started them preheating. Started a Dutch oven full of 1/25 and discovered the propane burner I was attempting to use simply did not have the BTUs necessary to melt and hold the temperature I needed. I wasted a couple of hours then shut the operation down. Tomorrow I'll revert to the turkey fryer burner. I ladle cast these bullets and it is a single cavity mould so this will take awhile.
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
Turkey fryer burner is hissing away. Mould is on the hot plate, just down loaded another Craig Johnson audio book. Flux, check, saw dust, check, wool pads, check, cigar box, check, raw hide mallet, check, long pants, next, dross can, check. Think I'm ready. Oh, 1902 linotype thermometer, check.
 
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
Okay, one cigar box full done, perhaps 200. Sweated through my shirt and my left hand is a little sore from heat and gripping the mold. These are all ladle pour, single cavity, 490 grain BPCR bullets.
Sue made home made cream of oyster mushroom soup for lunch and we will be off on a MC ride shortly.
 
JonB

JonB

Halcyon member
I figure I better fire up the casting pot and cast some, since the last time I cast anything was 7-16-2022, dang almost a year.
.
I cleaned up and tightened the 245496 2 cav mold I swapped for, with JohnnyJr.
Of course I installed the wrong handles (Lyman 1 cav style that were mod'd for 2 cav) and didn't notice until the mold was fully preheated, so that gave me some issues to workaround while casting...and the sprue plate liked to loosen, so I'll need to rectify that before the next casting session.
Using COWW with PID set to 690º, they dropped at a decently round .2445 and 87.5gr I checked GC fit, they go on hard, but they go on with no shaving.
.
I didn't sort/cull any yet...I usually do that when lube/sizing
unsorted bullets and sprues and glove tapper 2023JUL2 1Kpx.jpg
unsorted bullets 2023JUL2 1Kpx.jpg
 
Winelover

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Too stinking hot to cast.....I cast outdoors. Early Spring/late Winter. It's currently 91* and I'm wearing shorts, no shirt or shoes!
 
Ian

Ian

Notorious member
I cast a little over two pounds of .311" round balls from a 2C Lee mould, brand new mould but old style, given to me new in the box by a member here for my .32 flintlock project. I've almost gone through the 70 or so Hornady .310" balls that I found in my FIL's stuff. I ought to have plenty of squirrel shot for a while now!
 
glassparman

glassparman

"OK, OK, I'm going as fast as I don't want to go!"
Yep, I'm with winelover . . . 108 here today with 5% humidity. Casting is a non-summer activity for me. Can't even work on car models because it is too hot and dry to use the airbrush.
 
M

Mainiac

Well-Known Member
Ian said:
I cast a little over two pounds of .311" round balls from a 2C Lee mould, brand new mould but old style, given to me new in the box by a member here for my .32 flintlock project. I've almost gone through the 70 or so Hornady .310" balls that I found in my FIL's stuff. I ought to have plenty of squirrel shot for a while now!
Click to expand...
This reminds me of when i used to shoot my 32,alot!
Mine is the t/c cherokee,,sweet little rifle,,24 grs of fff,and the lee .311 ball,pocket drill patch,,,extremely accurate,and not very loud,no ear plugs required.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ian
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
Ya ya, I should post some pictures, but Ol' Evan Williams has robbed me of the power of providing content for visual learners. Anyway,I cast the last 13 lbs. of 457677s before it got too hot his morning.Even with that, I sweated right through my leather gloves and sun shirt.
This late afternoon I pan lubed 350+ bullets, and frankly I am thoroughly sick of BPCR bullets, especially since I an giving two thirds of the production. away.

So on to the rest of the tedium of making quality BPCR ammo. Case prep, powder weighing, compression, wads, C.O.L.. Thank goodness LongHunter convinced me to record copious notes years ago.

Then after all that I still have to deal with the serious recoil of a full charge BP .45 2 1/10"buffalo killin' load. Not looking forward to shooting a few hundred rounds of .45-70 full bore BP loads. I shoulda bought a 13 lb, rifle, at least.
 
462

462

California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
L Ross said:
RCBS pot's plugged in. I bought a Lee 6 banger for the 38-158-RNFP or whatever it is called, months ago. I gotta scrub it and install handles and the lead should be ready 'bout then.
Click to expand...
I've tried a lot of .35 caliber handgun moulds and that Lee has beat them all. The Rossi/EMF 92 and Uberti 1866 like it, as well.
 
Michael

Michael

Active Member. Uh/What
Duke,

That is another reason why I shoot my 45-70 sitting off cross-sticks vs prone, I have somewhere to go vs prone, mine weighes in at 11-1/2. If you don't have one yet, a strap on PAST recoil shield helps a lot.
 
Last edited:
L Ross

L Ross

Well-Known Member
Cast up about, oh, 300 of the Lee 38s. Ran them through the Star with Ben's Red, them shook them 50 at a time with ten drops of BLL. They are drying on a screen right now. The weather is 20° cooler than it has been, and casting with a 6 cavity mould from a bottom pour pot feels like cheating. Lee moulds have come such a long way from the old days. These bullets drop right out of the mould with just a tiny bit of encouragement.
I may have to try some as a light plinking load in the .357 Herrett. My intention was to use them in my Rossi 92 clone and a Smith 66.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.