It's Saturday.... who's casting what?

B

Beagle333

New member
It's the weekend again! It looks like the rain has passed and I see some sun. Let's melt something! This is a casting forum, right?:)

I'm not sure what all I need yet, but I do know I have a new Lee 8mm mold that I want to test out. And Mom always needs .45 bullets for her Peacemaker.....
Off to the castin' pot we go!! :D
 
Beagle, are ya casting the 175's or the 205's?

I've been doing the 175, but I think I could make this rifle really shoot if I jump up to the 205 and size at .325. My bore slugs out at .324.

Oh, by the way, I'mma doing some loading today, but no casting. jd
 
jd, I bought the 205. I have been casting the NOE 326407, which drops at .327 since my VZ24 slugs at .3265, so I figgered the Lee 329-205-1R would be an easy one to just sized down. We shall see. :)

Cool, Airman Basic...... knock out a pile of em! It's a beautiful day here. :D
 
Still to cold to case but not to smelt !!!

It's still a little too cold for this Texas born Yankee to cast outdoors. However, not too cold to do some smelting in preparation for future casts. My next cast, is going to be an .45 Mini-ball 250grn projectile, using a no longer made Lyman #454613. ..... :)

Be Safe !!!
 
Well, I started out using two single cav molds, the 429421 and the 454424, because the pot was already full of six-gun lead and I ran out of day before I hit the bottom. But I smelted some lino pool weights that I found, and so I got some rifle lead loaded up in the pot now and so I'm ready for a morning session with the 8mm molds. :)
It was a fun day!
 
I've adopted the regimen of doing the shake and bake method of PC and then setting them up for a brief spray with the PC gun. This way I get the bases coated and then a final touch up with the gun. Been working great doing it this way.

I also get less over spray at the bases so I get a lot less flashing.
 
No casting.

I did wash some range scrap (~12 lbs) and brass, though.
I picked it all up during a rain storm, after 3+ weeks of exceptionally dry weather. So, there was quite a bit of slime from the bone-dry desert silt that soaked up the rain.

I just pick up the easy lead that's sitting on top of the dirt. -No digging or "mining" like some guys prefer.

Everything from .17 caliber pellets to 12 ga slugs, and .32 cal round balls to .50 BMG AP bullets. Even though that was from the 100 yard berm, it's primarily .25 cal, .35 cal, and .45 cal handgun bullets. :rolleyes:

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Well I poured up another couple of pounds of the MP 452-200HP, followed up with a couple or three dozen NEI 264-160's, then some 150 or so Lyman 311291's for testing in the .308.

Then I did some from a 6C Lee that looks like the 311-100-2R but drops at 115grs, there isn't a number stamped into it anywhere. Might have been a special group buy or something. Anyway, then I went on to pour out the rest of the pot with a 200 or so count batch of the MP 311-640 HP. These were buttered and toasted in the oven using "Smoke's" Traffic Orange powder, and will be tested out shortly in my Contender for 30-30 AI as well as some through my M1 Carbine. Some might even make it into the cylinder of my Blackhawk as well.

Now all I gotta do is find enough time to load it all up......but then again, I will be working on those 454-200's today. I must have around 3K of brass ready to go, not to mention the several hundred 148gr DEWC's I have sitting there in a tray within arms reach. At least I have the powder loaded up in the measure ready to go. :D
 
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No casting for Saturday, had to get the mowing done before the rain comes on Sunday.

After the mowing was done, time for a little shooting session with some 280gr and 267gr WFN bullets that were from previous casting sessions, used the gun in the picture to launch them.

Planning on casting today (Sunday) I need more 267gr WFN bullets.
 
That gun don't look too wore out yet. I'd still give you fifty dollars for it, if'n the bore is good. :p


Nice shootin' iron!:)
 
Thanks for the kind words about the gun and the offer Beagle, however I better pass on the offer it may be considered that I was taking advantage of you.:D

I did get some 267gr WFN bullets cast today, about 750 of them.
It's time to be thinking about a mold with more then two cavities.

I had to take a break to let my little buddy (Spike) come outside for a while, turn the mare out on the grass and go eat supper.

My dear sweet wife made a pot of hamhocks and beans along with a pan of sweet cornbread.
My plan was to eat supper then go back to casting, but like an old hound dog I got my belly full, now I'm looking for a place to lay down.

I guess the bullet casting will now have to wait until tomorrow.
 
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My plan was to eat supper then go back to casting, but like an old hound dog I got my belly full, now I'm looking for a place to lay down.
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I hear ya on that my friend. Mine asked me around noonish if I was gettin snacky and I told her YES i was, but I ain't stopping what I am doin just to eat. I managed to get 300 rounds of 41 loaded up in 25rd batches of different loads. Now all I gotta do is find the time to shoot them all. She made me a sammich sometime around 2'ish and that was that for the loading. I was setting up to start a big run of 45ACP but it will have to wait.
 
I just done a small reloading session and loaded 295 of the Lyman #452374 RN.

This also prompted heading out to the garage and casting 600 more of them. Now to find some time to PC them. All in all some time well spent on my day off.
 
No bullet casting Saturday, my youngest boy and I were at KY lake on a 4 day camping trip. We were "casting" for big ol slab paper mouth (crappie) but to no avail, I did pick up my bass rod and catch a 6 lb 12 oz large mouth though.:D

Anyway, this coming Saturday is our opening day of turkey season, so I'll definitely be in the woods this weekend. I do have around 2500 44 mag bullets left so I'm good for now. For the next month or so I'm focusing on replenishing my lead supply.
 
Making a load of 454424's for Mama, in Smoke's pink. She doesn't live near me, so I have to load about 6 month's worth at a time for her.
I lined a few of em up for a pic. You can clearly see the outline of the 6-32 nut on the base. (I elevate my bullets to spray them. It eliminates flashing and gives a good coat on the base band.)
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Almost forgot.... Skizzums wanted to see the copper colored bullets next to brass.....
Here's some next to some 8mm brass.

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And the bullets on the top left are Smoke's orange-brown. Top right is Smoke's SD Copper.
Bottom left is a mix of those two colors, and bottom right is a mix of those two with a good bit of Smoke's yellow/green in there.
 
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Got two brand new Lee double cavity moulds :
356-120-TC for 9mm Luger. This is my first truncated cone for 9mm and I have wanted one for a while. Just not a big fan of round nose, even though they feed well. TC bullets just look so cool.
The other is C358-158-SWC, for 38 special and 357 magnum. I have always wanted a 357 magnum rifle. Getting a mould is the first step.
You know the reasoning...I got this mould so I just have to get a gun to go with it..right ...that is logical thinking???
Nothing like a new bullet mould, the expectations of greatness and wonder it holds !

Gary
 
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