casting alloy related

grumpyvette

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
more than several weeks of good reading

a great deal of bore leading results from UNDERSIZE bullets and IMPROPER lubes
while I seldom exceed 2000fps with cast loads, most are under 1600fps) I can use wheel weight scrap alloyed with 5% pure tin by weight and decent lube and shoot hundreds of cartridges with zero leading in my 44 mag or 45/70 or 357 mags
just a bit of info, take it or ignore it, but everything Ive ever read and my experience say that adding tin helps a great deal in having a mold fill out easily and adds strength and malleability, but the benefits DON,T increase if the percentage increases past 6% , in the mix and since tins much more expensive than lead theres no benefit in use of higher than 4% -5% in TIN in the mix.
the first thing Id point out is that theres NO PROBLEM with using "FROSTY" cast bullets they tend to be very accurate and fill out the mold fine, they may not look as shiny, but they work great!
and adding 2%-5% TIN to the alloy greatly helps the mold fill out, and reduces wrinkles and tends to make weights more uniform, if your not getting sharp clean edges on the lube groves and base, add some tin, pour the mold full, but don,t try to open the sprue plate until the slag hardens then pop it open, if you rush that the base tends to smear and the sprue plate tends to get a thin coat of solder like contamination

I would strongly suggest selecting a 6"-10" barrel pistol or revolver for any serious hunting application to maximize velocity and to provide a good sight radias.
keep in mind only precisely placed hits and a good knowledge, of the games anatomy, will work well, and hard cast bullets of close too ideal weight range , and ideally pushed to about 1300 fps-1700 fps work the best as velocity's much higher tend to reduce penetration, by inducing too rapid expansion.

http://www.ballistics101.com/357_magnum.php
(while certainly not a power house choice, Or something Id recommend),
in the hands of a skilled hunter I has taken about everything in north America at one time or another)
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=357 Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=


http://www.ballistics101.com/10mm.php
(not bad for a compact auto pistol used for hunting and with proper hand loads certainly useful)
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=10 mm&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=


http://www.ballistics101.com/41_magnum.php
(great choice if recoil bothers you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=41 Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=


http://www.ballistics101.com/44_magnum.php
(without doubt the least expensive and most effective choice for most people)
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=44 Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=


http://www.ballistics101.com/454_casull.php
(great choice if recoil does not bother you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=454 Casull&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=

http://www.ballistics101.com/460_sw.php
(great choice if recoil does not bother you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=460 SqqqW Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=


http://www.ballistics101.com/480_ruger.php
(great choice if recoil does not bother you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=480 Ruger&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=

http://www.ballistics101.com/500_sw.php
(great choice if recoil does not bother you, provided you hand load )
http://handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=500 SqqqW Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=


LOTS OF RELATED INFO IN THE LINKS BELOW
http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

http://www.sixguns.com/crew/castbullet.htm

http://www.tacticoolproducts.com/bulletcasting/

http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/tinhighgradebar.htm

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

http://www.lasc.us/FelixBabbitbulletAlloy.htm

castboolits.com

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

http://www.recguns.com/Sources/VIIB5.html

http://www.tackle-craft.com/product/42/ ... Pour-Lead/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hf2jkc8 ... re=related


http://www.montanabulletworks.com/wst_page9.html

http://www.huntingtons.com/castingequipment.html

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/44-mag-reload-info.3409/

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/d ... %26%20KITS

if your on a budget use of these to make ingots helps

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=44705

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/ ... _200186224

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

http://www.lasc.us/IndexBrennan.htm

http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell44OverWeight.htm
 
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Casting Instructions



Clean and de-grease your bullet mould with a good solvent. An aerosol cleaner/degreaser such as Gun Scrubber from Birchwood Casey or an automotive brake and parts cleaner will work well. Completely remove all traces of oil or grease.


Bullet moulds require adequate lubrication. Use a good mould prep or mould release containing graphite completely covering the mould inside and out, especially the cavity, and the top and bottom spree plates. Lubricate the hinge of the sprue plates using a small amount of paraffin wax as you cast. Just a light touch of wax is all it takes. The use of mould prep (release agent) and wax lube in the single greatest asset in keeping your mould working correctly, without galling, and completely free of of any build-up of lead deposits. An aerosol Moly lube also works well.


The bullet mould must be hot enough to prevent immediate solidification of the molten alloy. The bullet mould must keep the sprue molten for 1 to 2 seconds. This allows the alloy to completely fill the bullet cavity, consistently from bullet to bullet.


The alloy must be hot enough to flow well. A hot alloy will flow better than a cold alloy. This usually requires 700 to 800 degrees Fahrenheit for most alloys used for casting bullets.


The alloy must be fluxed often and regularly to keep oxidized alloy to a minimum. The use of paraffin wax as a flux every 20 to 40 bullets will keep the alloy clean and flowing well.

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_4_Fluxing.htm

All bullet moulds are designed as gravity - fill moulds. For best results, fill the mould using a large capacity dipper such as made by RCBS.

In summary, the factors that contribute to casting high quality bullets consistently over a period of time are as follows:

THE ALLOY MUST BE HOT ENOUGH AND CLEAN AND FREE OF IMPURITIES

THE MOULD MUST BE HOT ENOUGH, AND UNIFORMLY HEATED

THE MOULD MUST BE PROPERLY LUBRICATED
 
 
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