Thanks! I really enjoyed watching the casting videos. I have not seen that done before. Are you going to post a video of the sizing/lubing steps??
Good stuff!
Good stuff!
160gr Modern Bond WC Low Velocity Test Results-Casting video added
- Thread starter Skip Sackett
- Start date
acl864
Member
Great vids Skip. I hope to be casting myself by the time cold weather rolls around.
Like OCD1 I'm curious about sizing and lubing the cast bullets.
Thanks again for sharing great info.
Like OCD1 I'm curious about sizing and lubing the cast bullets.
Thanks again for sharing great info.
OP
Skip Sackett
US Veteran
A little more than asked for!
Andy, sorry I didn't include your name in the video but you posted after I made it!
This is for you and for OCD1 too. Both have asked for it, so here goes:
Here is the last video in the series! After this there is only one thing left to do, SHOOT THEM!
I really hope these videos help folks. The goal of them is to show how one fat old man makes his bullets. It is to illustrate just how simple it is and can be done by anyone. Hopefully it will wet someone's appetite to get into casting.
Andy, sorry I didn't include your name in the video but you posted after I made it!
This is for you and for OCD1 too. Both have asked for it, so here goes:
Here is the last video in the series! After this there is only one thing left to do, SHOOT THEM!
I really hope these videos help folks. The goal of them is to show how one fat old man makes his bullets. It is to illustrate just how simple it is and can be done by anyone. Hopefully it will wet someone's appetite to get into casting.
Thanks again for those videos.
I can grasp the "lubing" part but how does what you show size the bullet? Is there a sizing die also in the lube press?
I got new tires today and asked about the old wheel weights. Florida is real strict on "hazardous waste" so they have a licenced recycle company come and pick them up, just like the used oil. No free lead for me.
I can grasp the "lubing" part but how does what you show size the bullet? Is there a sizing die also in the lube press?
I got new tires today and asked about the old wheel weights. Florida is real strict on "hazardous waste" so they have a licenced recycle company come and pick them up, just like the used oil. No free lead for me.
OP
Skip Sackett
US Veteran
There is a removable sizing die.
Look at the second video still. The one that is there without watching the video. There is a "silver circle" in the bottom of the press. That is a removable sizing die. They are specific to the size you want to do and can be purchased in a bunch of different sizes for common calibers. .357" .358" .359" for instance are all for the 38 caliber handguns. You use the one that relates to your barrel/throat size.
Hope this helps.
Look at the second video still. The one that is there without watching the video. There is a "silver circle" in the bottom of the press. That is a removable sizing die. They are specific to the size you want to do and can be purchased in a bunch of different sizes for common calibers. .357" .358" .359" for instance are all for the 38 caliber handguns. You use the one that relates to your barrel/throat size.
Hope this helps.
Roger that. Thanks again.
acl864
Member
More good stuff Skip! I liked the final video as well. I'd never seen a Dillon in action before.
rge1066
Member
Skip,
I just went through and watched your whole series of videos in this thread. Those are an excellent instructional tool! I don't cast my own bullets, but I'm inclined to start one of these days. These kind of details are helpful as I learned to reload about four years ago solely from a pile of manuals and forums such as this.
As acl mentioned, I have never seen a Dillon press in action before, and it's nice to see the pace at which you can load as well as that missed powder charge alert.
Ryan
I just went through and watched your whole series of videos in this thread. Those are an excellent instructional tool! I don't cast my own bullets, but I'm inclined to start one of these days. These kind of details are helpful as I learned to reload about four years ago solely from a pile of manuals and forums such as this.
As acl mentioned, I have never seen a Dillon press in action before, and it's nice to see the pace at which you can load as well as that missed powder charge alert.
Ryan
OP
Skip Sackett
US Veteran
You guys are great!
Well, Andy and Ryan, Thanks for the kind words.
I posted these same videos on another site I frequent and they have been torn to shreds! This technique is wrong and this thing is different than what I do and so on and so on.
That isn't really a problem for me though, I don't know it all and am still able to learn. In fact, learn with me!
I was told that you could break the sprue by hand. I had a serious doubt about that and thought: "Try it stupid!" I said: "OK!" Guess what, it works.
I'll get a video of that and post it. Much "cleaner" (less: "I'll get that later" type of stuff anyway!) process, I must admit.
They do make a mallet for a reason though!
Well, Andy and Ryan, Thanks for the kind words.
I posted these same videos on another site I frequent and they have been torn to shreds! This technique is wrong and this thing is different than what I do and so on and so on.
That isn't really a problem for me though, I don't know it all and am still able to learn. In fact, learn with me!
I was told that you could break the sprue by hand. I had a serious doubt about that and thought: "Try it stupid!" I said: "OK!" Guess what, it works.
I'll get a video of that and post it. Much "cleaner" (less: "I'll get that later" type of stuff anyway!) process, I must admit.
They do make a mallet for a reason though!
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Erich
Member
Well, I need to apologize for not having results yet.
I've been doing a lot of head scratching before actually getting off my can to load the lovely bullets that Skip sent. (I suppose better to do that than blow up a gun.) The bullets, as you can see, seat awful darn deep for a bullet of this weight. Naturally, this makes me loath to use any sort of data for most bullets of similar weight. The extrapolation is what's slowing me down: I'll get to where I'm sure that something's a good idea, and then sleep on it and re-think the whole thing.
The fact that the range is 35 miles by road from my house doesn't help - I want to be sure to load up a decent variety of loadings to take over there. Since I've been going through the same "I'll do this! Wait - maybe that's crazy . . . maybe I should do that? Wait! What about this?" process with each powder I've been considering, I've not been real efficient on this project.
Powders I'm considering, FWIW, are:
Unique (of course)
SR 7625 (Jessie turned me on to this stuff, and I've been amazed at how versatile it is)
SR 4756 (of course)
Power Pistol (it's done well by me)
2400
(and, last but not least)
Trail Boss.
You'll note that I don't have Bullseye listed. I just worry that it's too fast to safely get me the velocities that I'm after (which I've now modified to 830 fps from a 1 7/8" snub - I think I've decided against running these fast out of the .357s just because I already have good heavy penetrative bullet loads for those - the benefit I see in these sharp-edged little monsters is that, as friend LeVick notes far up-thread, these would make hellacious defensive bullets at low-ish velocities). I know that TB is mighty fast as well, but it's not quite as fast and, well, I have a (possibly incorrect) belief that I'm okay with it as long as I'm not compressing the powder - it really does seem to be a pretty idiot-proof powder, at least with non-magnum primers.
I don't own any Red Dot, or else I'd be thinking strongly of it on the fast end as well. Green Dot . . . well, I've just had some weird results with it thoroughly leading bores at velocities that are a lot less than I'd ever expect, and so I'm leery of experimenting with it. I have found a couple of great Green Dot loadings (a wonderful +P .45 ACP 200-gr load and a fine 148-gr .38 Spl loading that's warm enough for practice but not as fast as what I'd consider a "defensive wadcutter" round), but - though Skip was most generous with the number of bullets he sent me - I don't feel as if I have so many that I want to risk a bunch of them fooling with Green Dot. It might work, but I'm guessing I'll do better with these other powders.
Truth be told, the powders that I've got the biggest hankering to use with these bullets are 7625, Power Pistol, 2400 and Trail Boss. Two in the middle, and one on either end of the .38 Special burn-rate curve.
I have to say a couple of words about the bullets that Skip sent, by the way.
You ever get a pizza that was made perfectly? Just the right amount of toppings, of the best quality, distributed perfectly over just the right amount of flawlessly flavored sauce with precisely the right amount of top-level cheese, cooked just exactly the right amount of time at the right temperature? I've made a lot of pizzas, and I've eaten a whole pile of them. I'm no expert. I can do a pretty good one, but I've for sure never made ones as perfect as a few that I've been fortunate enough to have run across. There aren't a whole lot of steps to making a pizza, but there are a LOT of variables. Variables that only a master really knows how to control. And, really, I've seen that even master pie makers don't make a master pie anywhere near all the time.
Cast bullets are like pizzas - not a lot of steps involved, but a lot of variables. Every single bullet that Skip sent me was a masterwork. The hardness is beautiful. The lube is precisely placed (and I'd expect that it's a concoction that he's developed over the time he's been casting). The edges are so sharp that they look machined. The sprue cuts are nigh on invisible. And they're all the same, every one of them.
I've not gotten any of these out to the range yet, but I can tell you that I've gone into my component stash several times just to pull out one of Skip's bullets and sit it in my hand to contemplate it. Almost seems a shame to shoot them.
Skip, thanks again: you really know what you're doing!
I've been doing a lot of head scratching before actually getting off my can to load the lovely bullets that Skip sent. (I suppose better to do that than blow up a gun.) The bullets, as you can see, seat awful darn deep for a bullet of this weight. Naturally, this makes me loath to use any sort of data for most bullets of similar weight. The extrapolation is what's slowing me down: I'll get to where I'm sure that something's a good idea, and then sleep on it and re-think the whole thing.
The fact that the range is 35 miles by road from my house doesn't help - I want to be sure to load up a decent variety of loadings to take over there. Since I've been going through the same "I'll do this! Wait - maybe that's crazy . . . maybe I should do that? Wait! What about this?" process with each powder I've been considering, I've not been real efficient on this project.
Powders I'm considering, FWIW, are:
Unique (of course)
SR 7625 (Jessie turned me on to this stuff, and I've been amazed at how versatile it is)
SR 4756 (of course)
Power Pistol (it's done well by me)
2400
(and, last but not least)
Trail Boss.
You'll note that I don't have Bullseye listed. I just worry that it's too fast to safely get me the velocities that I'm after (which I've now modified to 830 fps from a 1 7/8" snub - I think I've decided against running these fast out of the .357s just because I already have good heavy penetrative bullet loads for those - the benefit I see in these sharp-edged little monsters is that, as friend LeVick notes far up-thread, these would make hellacious defensive bullets at low-ish velocities). I know that TB is mighty fast as well, but it's not quite as fast and, well, I have a (possibly incorrect) belief that I'm okay with it as long as I'm not compressing the powder - it really does seem to be a pretty idiot-proof powder, at least with non-magnum primers.
I don't own any Red Dot, or else I'd be thinking strongly of it on the fast end as well. Green Dot . . . well, I've just had some weird results with it thoroughly leading bores at velocities that are a lot less than I'd ever expect, and so I'm leery of experimenting with it. I have found a couple of great Green Dot loadings (a wonderful +P .45 ACP 200-gr load and a fine 148-gr .38 Spl loading that's warm enough for practice but not as fast as what I'd consider a "defensive wadcutter" round), but - though Skip was most generous with the number of bullets he sent me - I don't feel as if I have so many that I want to risk a bunch of them fooling with Green Dot. It might work, but I'm guessing I'll do better with these other powders.
Truth be told, the powders that I've got the biggest hankering to use with these bullets are 7625, Power Pistol, 2400 and Trail Boss. Two in the middle, and one on either end of the .38 Special burn-rate curve.
I have to say a couple of words about the bullets that Skip sent, by the way.
You ever get a pizza that was made perfectly? Just the right amount of toppings, of the best quality, distributed perfectly over just the right amount of flawlessly flavored sauce with precisely the right amount of top-level cheese, cooked just exactly the right amount of time at the right temperature? I've made a lot of pizzas, and I've eaten a whole pile of them. I'm no expert. I can do a pretty good one, but I've for sure never made ones as perfect as a few that I've been fortunate enough to have run across. There aren't a whole lot of steps to making a pizza, but there are a LOT of variables. Variables that only a master really knows how to control. And, really, I've seen that even master pie makers don't make a master pie anywhere near all the time.
Cast bullets are like pizzas - not a lot of steps involved, but a lot of variables. Every single bullet that Skip sent me was a masterwork. The hardness is beautiful. The lube is precisely placed (and I'd expect that it's a concoction that he's developed over the time he's been casting). The edges are so sharp that they look machined. The sprue cuts are nigh on invisible. And they're all the same, every one of them.
I've not gotten any of these out to the range yet, but I can tell you that I've gone into my component stash several times just to pull out one of Skip's bullets and sit it in my hand to contemplate it. Almost seems a shame to shoot them.
Skip, thanks again: you really know what you're doing!
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OP
Skip Sackett
US Veteran
Tell me where to send the bill!
Well, what do I say? Thanks just seems to fall so short of the energy put into those comments, Erich, but, thanks it is!
To borrow from your analogy: If someone was to put that amount of time into a wonderful work in the pizza category and we passed up eating it because it was such a work of art; that would probably be the last one that chef made for you, it was made to eat.
Same with bullets, while none are really "perfect", it would be a shame not to send them downrange seeing that was what they were made for!
I want to hear how they do in the carbine!
Well, I need to apologize for not having results yet.
I've not gotten any of these out to the range yet, but I can tell you that I've gone into my component stash several times just to pull out one of Skip's bullets and sit it in my hand to contemplate it. Almost seems a shame to shoot them.
Well, what do I say? Thanks just seems to fall so short of the energy put into those comments, Erich, but, thanks it is!
To borrow from your analogy: If someone was to put that amount of time into a wonderful work in the pizza category and we passed up eating it because it was such a work of art; that would probably be the last one that chef made for you, it was made to eat.
Same with bullets, while none are really "perfect", it would be a shame not to send them downrange seeing that was what they were made for!
I want to hear how they do in the carbine!
Erich
Member
In all honesty, I don't think they'd feed in the carbine. Full WCs just don't, at least not in my gun. Like the 255-gr SWC (intended for the .45 Colt) didn't work in my Ruger P-90 . . . those rascally feed ramps can only accommodate so much.
The 160-gr WCs would be great in a NEF or Encore or something, though. Can you imagine one of those howling downrange at 1900 fps?
Erich
Member
Well, Skip, I appreciate your PMs last night, because it put the whole "seating depth" variable into my head. I looked at the 195-gr RNLs that PaulB sent me a few years back (I got them going 844 fps from a snub using 2400 and old pre-SAAMI data) and noted that they have pretty close to exactly the same amount of bullet inside the case. So . . . I used some of that old data to extrapolate for this one.
And that got me thinking that 4756 and 7625 probably wouldn't do too well with this bullet: because of the seating depth required, I doubt I'd be able to safely use enough powder to get the results I want. This got me wondering about the middle rate powders in general, so I just put that question off for another day.
I wound up loading up some with Trail Boss (where I had a charge weight extrapolated and allowed myself to adjust it downward three tenths of a grain in order to seat the bullets without compressing the powder - I understand TB doesn't like compression) and some with 2400. Neither with super-heavy charges. I'm fixing to head to the range to see what they'll do.
I'll let you know!
And that got me thinking that 4756 and 7625 probably wouldn't do too well with this bullet: because of the seating depth required, I doubt I'd be able to safely use enough powder to get the results I want. This got me wondering about the middle rate powders in general, so I just put that question off for another day.
I wound up loading up some with Trail Boss (where I had a charge weight extrapolated and allowed myself to adjust it downward three tenths of a grain in order to seat the bullets without compressing the powder - I understand TB doesn't like compression) and some with 2400. Neither with super-heavy charges. I'm fixing to head to the range to see what they'll do.
I'll let you know!
Erich
Member
All right!
It looks as if 2400 is the way to go. (Trail Boss was accurate with decent spreads, but it was just way too slow.) I got 981.0 fps average from a 4", 932.8 fps average from a 3", and 840.0 fps average from a 1 7/8" Chiefs. No primer issues and easy brass ejection. Being that it was 2400 at low pressures, no one will be surprised to hear that there was unburnt powder out on my chronograph 15' in front of my bench or that the spreads were in the 75 fps or more range.
(Skip, stand by for a PM with full details on both loadings.)
Skip's bullets
Ready to start
Man! That's a lot of seating depth!
Hey! It's just like the depth on those 195-grainers I loaded last year!
Now we're cooking with gas . . .
Finished product
Trail boss loads in the gun
These were all pretty accurate out of all guns - not one-hole groups, but under 1" at 10 yards. I was happy.
Skip, I think I'm going to load up some of these for carry with the 2400 loading - this is a wonderful improvement on the "combat wadcutter" idea. Hey, 38-44/HD45 . . . you want to get this mold!
It looks as if 2400 is the way to go. (Trail Boss was accurate with decent spreads, but it was just way too slow.) I got 981.0 fps average from a 4", 932.8 fps average from a 3", and 840.0 fps average from a 1 7/8" Chiefs. No primer issues and easy brass ejection. Being that it was 2400 at low pressures, no one will be surprised to hear that there was unburnt powder out on my chronograph 15' in front of my bench or that the spreads were in the 75 fps or more range.
(Skip, stand by for a PM with full details on both loadings.)
Skip's bullets
Ready to start
Man! That's a lot of seating depth!
Hey! It's just like the depth on those 195-grainers I loaded last year!
Now we're cooking with gas . . .
Finished product
Trail boss loads in the gun
These were all pretty accurate out of all guns - not one-hole groups, but under 1" at 10 yards. I was happy.
Skip, I think I'm going to load up some of these for carry with the 2400 loading - this is a wonderful improvement on the "combat wadcutter" idea. Hey, 38-44/HD45 . . . you want to get this mold!
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OP
Skip Sackett
US Veteran
Well, this is good news! If you need more bullets, just let me know.
I have run a softer version at 1400fps with SR4756 from a M586 6" in 357Mag. I got tons of leading because the pressure and hardness weren't right.
This bullet is a real whomper. I think it would do well to shoot bowling pins with. I have a loaded round with a similar bullet but they are 235gr instead! They are loaded with Bullseye and somewhere in the 4.5gr range. I have tried to get this mold but the owner won't let go of it!
Defensive wadcutter load, that's cool. Do me a favor though. Shoot some into water and see what they do from all of your firearms. I would be interested to know!
Thanks for the accolades, amigo.
I have run a softer version at 1400fps with SR4756 from a M586 6" in 357Mag. I got tons of leading because the pressure and hardness weren't right.
This bullet is a real whomper. I think it would do well to shoot bowling pins with. I have a loaded round with a similar bullet but they are 235gr instead! They are loaded with Bullseye and somewhere in the 4.5gr range. I have tried to get this mold but the owner won't let go of it!
Defensive wadcutter load, that's cool. Do me a favor though. Shoot some into water and see what they do from all of your firearms. I would be interested to know!
Thanks for the accolades, amigo.
Erich
Member
May be some time before I can shoot meat or water, but I'll do that. Jim Cirillo is smiling down on you, amigo. 
Jim Cirillo is smiling down on you, amigo. 
