Wasted most of the weekend painting and doing other menial tasks so when I got done about 4P yesterday it was too late for a range trip...so I decided to settle for some silver stream therapy.
Got the Ranch Dog 359-190 six-banger mould in a week or so ago, finally degreased them and took them for a little run, just to load a few for test loads, right? First several dozen were terrible and all went back in the pot. A few were close but not quite. Next run started out pretty good but got too hot. Wet down my cooling pad (2 old socks ) and gave it one more try. By then I knew this mould likes it fast & hot so I did my best to keep up. It seemed like no time and I had 10 lbs of shiny boolits (368 +/-) and a near- empty pot. WOW! Even after sorting I'll mave more rounds for my .35 Rem's than I'll shoot for a long time, but it sure was a fun end to a trying day.
Yep, dropping six is an awesome sight when things are going right. Dropping one big BPCR or two 45 Colt boolits is pretty cool too. Now I know why some folks like bottom pour and aluminum multi-cav moulds and some folks like ladling lead into a single or double cav steel mould. I'm trying to do both but they are so different. I've bought so many awesome moulds lately I feel like the new kid in school. Each seems to have a personality and something that works with mould A seems to royally tick off mould L. Can't even decide on a sizing method. I like Lyman and Lee both, just size the Lee boolits thru the Lee sizer, Lyman boolits thru the Lyman sizer. LLA on the Lee boolits, SPG on the Lyman. Only have one mould on my wish list, guess that's progress. Gonna need to put wheels under my casting box soon.
And yes, my friend, I'm having a great time. Think I need to quit my job and hire a maintenance man so I can focus on the important things in life.
I want em all , well just to cast with em 1 time would suffice
TGN ,I`m to the point where I keep notes on temp,speed,alloy used,pour into hole or swirl the stream, & anyother info that may be pertinent to a good cast session !
Just QC'd and lubed 110 .35 boolits. These are the first boolits I've cast smaller than .45. Kinda cute.
Yep, think the only mould I want right now is a RD for my 45-70, just not sure which one. I think if I get the 405 gr Lyman 457193 to shoot just a little better I won't get in any hurry to place that order. Oops, forgot about the thutty-thutty mould but that project is way down the list. I have a shooting/reloading/casting project "list" that I don't dare commit to paper.
I've thought about a casting notebook but decided against it when no one on the CB forum seemed to see the value in it. May revisit that.
I have a big old box made of pegboard that I use to tote my casting equipment to my casting table outside. Even with no alloy stored inside it's getting pretty heavy. Only store one furnace inside, will be running out of room for it pretty quickly. Will need a dolly to haul my casting setup soon.
Installed GC's, sized and relubed the 110 boolits. Could only find 25 or so pieces of brass, was worried for a time I didn't have any! Think I'll spend the day shooting while most shooters are out looking for Bambi.
Oops. Think the scope on my 336 let go. If I adjusted it 2" down it went 8" right. T/C Contender didn't do much better but I was toast by then. 20 heavy-boolit BP 45-90's in my Sharps, 30 pretty stiff 45-70's in my Guide Gun followed by 10 pretty stout .35 rem loads. I'll run some control loads thru it tomorrow but it's a pretty cheap scope and it hasn't had an easy life.
Anybody have a shoulder I can borrow until I get mine back?
Been busy loading this morning, think I have figured it out. Used an old (but like new!) RCBS .38-.357 case mouth flaring die instead of the gas check to open the case mouth a bit. Also loaded a powder charge that works under a jacketed bullet of the same weight in this rifle.
Off to the range!
Today was better than a good day at work, as the saying goes. Spent all morning figuring out what went wrong yesterday and made adjustments. Carefully assembled 40 beautiful rifle rounds. Waited out the NASCAR fans and headed for the range (just N of Texas Motor Speedway).
Let's just say that the spotting scope and stapler worked great, then the stapler ran out of staples.
Even after sorting I'll mave more rounds for my .35 Rem's than I'll shoot for a long time, but it sure was a fun end to a trying day.
If I adjusted it 2" down it went 8" right. T/C Contender didn't do much better but I was toast by then. 20 heavy-boolit BP 45-90's in my Sharps, 30 pretty stiff 45-70's in my Guide Gun followed by 10 pretty stout .35 rem loads. I'll run some control loads thru it tomorrow but it's a pretty cheap scope and it hasn't had an easy life.