Casting: the new drug

[Josh66]

I've been wanting to get into casting for a while, but never have. I think I'll start ordering everything I need this week.

 

[novalty]

Well I tried out my Mihec HG#68 copy mold last night, as well as the penta pins for the 9mm mold. Still have to do some more practicing with the mold and melt temperatures. Gave water quenching a try with a large coffee can rig up with some towels to keep boolits from splashing, but think I will stick with air cooling until I get a better handle on casting. Pretty much a Wendy's night, lots of "frosties." Think I got some keepers though--glad I purchased another 100lbs of wheel weights.

 

[forestswin]

Have you started shooting any of these yet or are you just gonna take pictures of them???? When I catch blue crabs and they're keepers I eat them!!! No I haven't stayed away from this thread
Yours and Forrest R's pics aren't helping me at all

 

[novalty]

Have you started shooting any of these yet or are you just gonna take pictures of them???? When I catch blue crabs and they're keepers I eat them!!! No I haven't stayed away from this thread
Yours and Forrest R's pics aren't helping me at all

Shoot them I just cast so I'll have something to take pictures of

To be honest, right now I feel I have bit off more than I can chew with reloading and casting. At test load stage for 3 different calibers and not much for loaded ammo on hand. At the moment I have a test load for 38 Special with the 162gr. SWC's. Have a test load of commercially cast 200gr. SWC's for 45acp (have about 1400 commercially cast, so I didn't need to cast any from the HG#68 clone, but couldn't resist). For 9mm, I just starting fooling around with the OAL to make sure they passed the "plunk" test in my 5906.

Hoping I got the sizing good so that my 9mm doesn't lead up (.358). Hope I got the roll crimp okay on my 38 Specials, and hope the 200gr. SWC's feed well in my S&W 1911.

Next week is going to be a busy week. Have to get a test batch of the 9mm loaded up, get down to the range and try out all three calibers. Then need to get a batch of ammo loaded up, as I am heading up to my in-laws for the 4th, and bringing up my Action Target Plate rack. Would be nice to have some lead to throw at it.

 

[Forrest r]

Those are some great looking bullets!!!!

I hope your testing goes ok, 3 different loads/bullets/calibers @ 1 time can be trying.

Something I've been trying lately are the pb gas check. These things are the cat's meow!!! They allow me to use softer alloys for the hp's but yet allow the bullets there on to be driven at magnum velocities without any leading.

A lot of 9mm shooter/reloaders have been using them with excellent results. They allow the reloader to be able to size their bullets to .356 for consistent feeding (no case bulge) & stop any leading from over sized bores, wrong alloys, swaging bullets smaller from bad reloading practices, etc.

A simple 35cal plain base (pb) gas check maker that I made. It uses beverage cans (.004" thick material/pop,beer,ice tea, etc) to make the pb gas checks. Some pb checks installed on bullets with a lee push thru sizer & a lyman 450.



I ended up giving it to my brother & making this one that can be used in either an arbor press or a standard reloading press. A cheap lee challanger press can crank the pb gas checks out with no problem.



Some 357 & 356 9mm bullets with the pb gas checks installed.



Some pb gas checks would add a lot of bling to your already great looking bullets!!! You could have a coke & make some red shoes for the bullets to take them out & make your steel plates dance.

 

[novalty]

Well thought I'd should update you, and show you the results of the test batch of 9mm bullets I cast up. Loaded up four 135gr. FN and four 125gr. HP's. Shot them from about 7 yards through my S&W 5906.
135gr. FN

125gr. HP (Pulled the last one, and it barely notched the paper by ruler)

Afterwards I loaded up 100 rounds and used them on my plate rack this past weekend, very miniscule signs of leading if any.

Loaded up some commercially cast 200gr SWC's I got in a batch of equipment I purchased over the winter. They shot pretty good through my S&W 1911.
All 8 rounds shot from about 7 yards as well. (What target wouldn't be complete without 1 or 2 pulled shots?)

The results made me very optimistic about the Mihec HG #68 copies I have cast.

 

[Moonman]

Wear Good Safety Equipment.

Wear COTTON as it doesn't melt, NO POLYESTER!

Wear Safety Glasses & Face Shield.

Wear Welders Leather Gloves and Apron.

Wear a Hat that covers over your ears.

Wear boots without MELTING LACES.

SAFETY FIRST WHEN CASTING OR SMELTING.

ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN AND BURNS ARE NO LAUGHING MATTER.

 

[Maximumbob54]

Addiction? I don't know what you are talking about...

 

[Maximumbob54]

Oh, and Forrest...


Any time you want to make a batch of those plain base punches you can sign me up for one.

 

[novalty]

Well started up the Pro-Melt for another session this afternoon to get some more 9mm's cast, and try out my new 452-200 HP mold from Mihec. This session I put my Lyman thermometer in the melt to see what the temp was staying at. With it running right around 760 degrees, I had what I thought were pretty good results. The boolits drop a lot easier out of the 452-300 than they do from my Mihec 359-125--and the pins seem to move a little easier.


Mihec 359-125 HP with round and penta pins.

Mihec 452-200 HP with round pins. Will try penta and FN in next session.

 

[forestswin]

I was starting to wonder if your lead supply dried up or something and were having withdrawals.

 

[novalty]

I was starting to wonder if your lead supply dried up or something and were having withdrawals.

Just got in another 100lbs of lead wheel weights a week ago. Now I have 100 smelted and 200 to smelt down this winter. Hoping to be able to purchase another 100-150 before the winter. Should give me ample supply to last a couple years.

 

[fredj338]

It has been my experience that the bullet base is most important to accuracy in my handguns.
I prefer flat base bullets and the molds I have purchased all make flat base SWC bullets.
I am confused as to why molds have the bullet nose down ?
I would think that a better bullet would be produced with the nose up, pouring thru the nose and cutting the sprue at the nose.
Has anyone tried this, or it is just generally known not to work well ?

Hoch rifle molds are mae this way as it makes 100% sense to pour nose up under the spru plate.

 

[fredj338]

Just got in another 100lbs of lead wheel weights a week ago. Now I have 100 smelted and 200 to smelt down this winter. Hoping to be able to purchase another 100-150 before the winter. Should give me ample supply to last a couple years.

200# is a good start. Consider @ 200gr, that is less than 7K bullets. Keep looking. Unfortunately, with the lead ww going bye, bye nationwide, cheap/free lead is getting really scarce. I have over 1200# & I don't feel it's enough, always looking for more.