Have not done this in a few years, forgot how relaxing it is!

Good for you! 👍 I need to cast some this winter as well! memtb

Is that the 35 cal 215gr?

Not only fun, but that is good lookin'.

It is the Lee 35-200 RF. They weigh 202 grains with the gas check. I paid 35 bucks for the mold. I think I can live with it!!

That's right....they come out 205-208 grains for me when checked, using my preferred softer alloys. They shoot really well for me in a 357 Herrett and a standard 357.

The RCBS version is the one that casts at 215 checked for me. It hasn't shot as consistently.

Like minds think alike. That happens to be the same bullet I cast today too. They'll go into a .357 Maximum rifle for comparison testing against some PC'ed bullets Dinny sent me. I kinda want to do some more comparisons, but hunting season looms and it's time to quit messing around.

I'm using the rcbs version and sizing them to .359 with a BH hardness of 11 on my tester. They shoot well in three 35 Remington guns I have.

Oh but yes, it is much fun to cast and shoot your own bullets in the guns you like and for pennies on the dollar compared with the store bought stuff.

Cast kills as well as jacketed in large bores.

It's not necessarily exclusive to "large bores", it just isn't as simple.
It's been the better part of 80 years to get jacketed stuff in the wee calibers to hold together enough, especially when velocity is upped and SD is lessened.

Obviously when the splat factor of the alloy and velocity are understood, lead responds like jacketed, with less speed. Up the speed to jacketed levels, lead will need a bit more gymnastics, but it is there if one goes through the trouble.

Got down to it this weekend and cast 300 of them. With lead, pewter, powder coat, and gas checks these cost me between $.05-$.06 each!
Cast from 3-3-94. Hope to stick a few in deer in a few weeks!

Beautiful!

Well done!

I bought this mold, 6 cavity, for my 350 Legend. I’m casting them out of wheel weight lead and powder coating them. I’m down to about 75 and need to get to work to replenish my supply.

And I agree with the op, casting is very relaxing. Very satisfying too, from casting to shooting them.

Looking great!

I love alloys in the 2-2-96 to 3-3-94 range, and quench them as a rule. I'll powder-coat if the bullets will shoot better that way, at my desired velocity.

With a bullet you don't stick a deer like an arrow. They are dead if hit correctly.

As a rule, I don't use any antimony in my bullet alloy. Instead I use pure lead and tin to a 20-1 or 30-1 ratio. That gives me good mold fill and subsonic bullet expansion. Of course, this can only work (without major barrel leading) by coating the bullets with PC.

I also tailor the bullet to the cartridge and job I need it to do. For example, in my son's 357 Maximum rifle I load 200gr and 220gr MP Molds hollowpoint bullets cast at 30-1 to 1100fps. They shoot great, keep the barrel clear of any leading, and kill deer.

In my 35 Whelen I shoot a 245gr Saeco RNFP bullet cast to 20-1 and 1980fps. The FP handles the velocity very well and expands beautifully.

Thanks, Dinny