Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Recent Casting Session

The weather wasn't the best last Saturday. So I decided to finish casting from 45's for a family member that traded me some lead for some cast boolits. Decided to take some pictures of the session--generally I forget about it. The boolits were cast using a M-P 452-200 4 cavity brass mold, which is dropping 215gr. FN with COWW's.

Preheat the mold on a cheap hot-plate.

Here is my water-drop setup. Not really for any additional hardness benefit, just to keep them on one place--plus I don't see how many I've cast until I'm ready to call it quits.

Found the boolits cast nicely from these Mihec molds at around 700-725� (almost there.)

Sorry for the fuzzy picture of the sprue

Better picture of the cut sprue.

Finished product
[img]http://i100.photobucket.com/al...g/Casting/DSCN0759_zpsb58f24df.jpg[/img]
Sorted out any that didn't pass inspection, and lined up the rest next to my RCBS LAMII for sizing and lubing (Total of 636). Not too bad for a couple hours.
[img]http://i100.photobucket.com/al...g/Casting/DSCN0762_zps24f1d830.jpg[/img]

You did good.

Nice setup, nice looking bullets. Something almost magical about it all, huh?!

The thing with water dropping them as a matter of convenience is they will harden, whether hardening is beneficial or not in their final application (and as often as not, hard bullets aren't necessarily beneficial). Also, with such a small water receptacle, the water will warm up rapidly and you'll change the hardness of the bullets (boolits? ) somewhat as the quench itself warms up. Consistency in the water quench is important which is why most folks use a five gallon bucket.

It seems all one hears about anymore is water quenching directly from the mold. Doesn't anyone anymore heat treat them in an oven and quench the whole batch of evenly heated bullets at once so they all get subjected to the same water temperature?

To be honest gnoahhh, I'd prefer to air cool them, but haven't figured out a good receptacle that will keep them from dropping onto one another and dinging themselves up.

I've been casting for 45 years and never used anything but a folded bath towel to catch bullets dropping from a mold, and never encountered a problem with dings or dents. Admittedly they only fall an inch or two, and when I have a dozen or so on the towel I push them to the back to cool and to make room for more.

I do the same excepet I lift the edge of the towel and roll them into a big pile still on the towel.

I use a cardboard box. Trim the sides to only 2-3" high. You can elevate one end if you like. I simply drop the bullets on the box bottom & when I need room for more I raise one end of the box & allow the bullets to pile in one end. Simple & effective.

Yeah, I do that too. Some times I pick them up with my lips to pile them to the side, or roll them with my tongue. We old bullet casters are a tough lot!

Geeze I've got a lot to learn just started casting last year. Can you send me a video of that lip technique?

I don't use my tongue anymore, I find the spit water quenches half of the bullet and then it leads half of the barrel when I shoot it. Usually the right half is leaded and the left is fine.

Sure, but I'll need your address so I can mail it, as the only video camera I own is an 8mm Bell&Howell (if I can find it up on the attic- probably buried underneath my supply of buggy whips).

What...you don't have it on Blu-ray???

I am surprised that a man of your knowledge and experience would not size each half of the bullet separately to fit its respective side of the barrel...

I pour the lead through the barrel into the mold, so I know it will fit.

Heck, I pour the lead into the barrel, let it cool, insert a charged case and shoot it. Perfectly fitted bullets. (It is a royal pain in the d*ck when hunting though! )

Here's one for you. Gas Check this one....

I recognize that! It's for a British .450-410-2 1/2 Smedley Quizzical, the forerunner to the British Paradoxical of the same caliber.

The Smedley Quizzical was popular in the transitory period of 1847-1851 when the British Army was contemplating replacing their smoothbore muskets with rifled muskets. They couldn't agree so in typically British conservative fashion they hedged their bets by producing the Quizzical, which had a half smooth and half rifled bore.

The French Captain Minie' would solve this problem in short order but the British, of course, wouldn't have anything to do with a French design, stating officially that they wouldn't touch a Minie ball with a 10 foot lance, which by the way, said 10 foot lance was still issued in the official TOE of British units up until Operation Market Garden when they finally realized it was unwieldy for paratroops.

Hmmm... Looks like a 200 grain .358Photoshop to me...

Na that is those new wobbler bullets that really tear things up when they hit stuff.
That's what it is ya

I thought they went to the folding model for Operation Market Garden?

As to the photo, that is the famous "Half High Pressure Bullet". The case was loaded while on it's side, Bullseye powder on the bottom, then a layer of Trail Boss, no less than 80% of the available volume, then the bullet seated with the gas check side down to match the Bullseye level. Care must be taken when chambering the round, since chambering it with the Bullseye side up will result in increased velocity causing a change in impact and making it capable of taking even the largest game animals. Chambering it with the Trail Boss side up, it is suitable for use as a Gallery Round, being subsonic and not penetrating more than one layer of ordinary cardboard.

Ed