cast my first bullet ever, critiques?

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powder_of_black

powder_of_black

32 Cal
Joined
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cast my first bullets today with the lee conical for the .44. i heated the mold with my grill lighter and lubed it with the smoke/char from the flame and seems to have come out decent enough with one flaw in particular i took a pic of and the top may be a little flat? just looking for general input on how it came out and maybe some tips on how to improve and try and not have the blemish like i got on this one. thanx in advance

ps im not very active online so it will probably be a few days before im back to check
 

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powder_of_black said:
cast my first bullets today with the lee conical for the .44. i heated the mold with my grill lighter and lubed it with the smoke/char from the flame and seems to have come out decent enough with one flaw in particular i took a pic of and the top may be a little flat? just looking for general input on how it came out and maybe some tips on how to improve and try and not have the blemish like i got on this one. thanx in advance

ps im not very active online so it will probably be a few days before im back to check
Click to expand...
Looks pretty good to me. I've probably cast thousands that didn't look that good but shot just fine.

As far as defects, unless they are huge the only ones that really matter are the ones on the edges of the base, as far as accuracy.

As the mold heats up from pouring bullets, the lead will flow better and fill out the mold better. While the heat is in the "sweet spot" you will be pouring your best bullets, as it heats up and starts to be higher temp than optimal you will notice bullets becoming "frosted" looking. Doesn't really hurt much, but they are not the best looking.

From the looks of yours there, it wouldn't hurt to have it a little hotter, which helps fill it out. Also, if you continue to have problems adding just a smidge of tin to your lead will also help it fill out the mold and a small amount will not significantly affect the hardness.

Sounds like you have the idea of "smoking" the inside of the mold with carbon down, just make sure before you smoke the inside that it is perfectly clean with not a smidge of grease or oil. Acetone is a good final cleaning after a hot soap and water scrubbing.

Welcome to the fun world of "running ball".
 
Last edited:
powder_of_black said:
cast my first bullets today with the lee conical for the .44. i heated the mold with my grill lighter and lubed it with the smoke/char from the flame and seems to have come out decent enough with one flaw in particular i took a pic of and the top may be a little flat? just looking for general input on how it came out and maybe some tips on how to improve and try and not have the blemish like i got on this one. thanx in advance

ps im not very active online so it will probably be a few days before im back to check
Click to expand...
Looks pretty good, but keep in mind many people chuck the first couple dozen until the mold achieves full temperature. I have that same style Lee mold for the .375 130 grain bullet. It is slightly more difficult for me to get proper flow into the sharper edges of the bands than some of my old cast iron Lyman molds. Like above, cleanliness is important as well as preheating the mold. Other than that, after your first 10-20 bullets cast you should have an idea if there's any problems. Getting the feel for the pace and keeping the mold temperature just right just take practice.
 
More heat will allow better fill out in the mold preheat the mold on top of the pot or a hot plate on a lower setting. Sometimes I will heat the inside of the mold with a small propane torch. Rather than smoking the mold, I prefer to use Frankfort Arsenal Drop out Spray. The graphite coating allows the bullet to easily drop from the mold. Lead temp should be around 700 degrees. Sometimes I bump it up to 750. I recommend bottom pour pots with an adjustable thermostat. Personally I prefer the Lyman Mag 25 furnace for this reason. They are a little pricey but you get what you pay for. Once your up to temp, keep producing bullets. Don’t allow the mold to cool.

Sincerely,
PNWMLB
 
In time you will gather your own way in doing little things when it come to casting and you will know what’s a good one or bad and it will become old hat in know time. That’s the way it was for me you will get into a rhythm and the rest is history, have fun and keep um hot.
 
Rather then smoking molds, use some 0000 steel wool to polish the edges of the cavities to eliminate manufacturing imperfections.

Aside from running your lead a bit hotter, stir your melted lead with a piece of dry stick. I use ramrod cut offs. This will act as a flux to clean the lead, and allows you to scrape the sides of the pot to float any contamination to the top. Anything you try to put on top of the lead to mix in, will not go completely through the mix, due to specific gravity. If you get any strange colors float to the top, this is generally tin, leave it in the pot, it's beneficial.

If using a bottom pour pot, put a handful of clay kitty litter on top of the melt to help maintain even temperature. You can add more lead to the pot right through the kitty litter layer.

I personally LIKE frosted bullets. That shows your lead is hot enough to completely fill the mold, and gives more consistent as-cast weight.
 
I agree with polishing the edges of the molds I do the same thing with the Lee’s and the Lyman’s and it works.
 
Looks like you might need a little more heat.

Myself, I've gone from a bottom pour pot and big Lee rb mold (I had a .75 cal Brown Bess) to a dip pot and custom barrel mold (think of a bag mold crossed with a Lee or Lyman mold). Took a little bit to find the right temp and technique (and if you're casting your own, don't feel bad about tossing any suspicious ones into the recast pile), but once you get it, you can get some really nice and consistent castings.

For my .58 cal, I wasn't going to settle for the high price per (usually due to everything coming in a 50 count instead of 100 like other calibers) of commercial round balls when I can still find lead locally. Now that I've figured out what works best for my setup, I'm getting 275+/-1 grain roundballs into my shooting bag consistently. No, you don't need to weigh your roundballs....I do because I'm still leery of my dipping technique (and I'm a bit of a perfectionist and like the consistency). :)

Have fun and welcome to the casting adventure.
 
I use an inexpensive single burner electric hot plate to set the mold on while the lead is heating up. A lead thermometer is nice but not necessary. As mentioned, it looks like things need to be hotter. If it gets so hot you start getting fins on the bullet back off the temp a little. You're off to a good start from the looks of things.

I should add that for every caster there is an opinion and we don't always agree so you'll have to figure out what works best for you.
 
My advice is to cast in a peaceful way and make sure that your spouse and or kids understand that this is not the time to interrupt and be sure any pets can't suddenly show up to break your rhythm.

Casting molten metal is a dangerous project and you do not want any mistakes.

Wear a full face shield and other proper protection. Molten metal has zero forgiveness for accidents or mistakes.

Once you get your mold hot and the lead pouring you will get into a focused production haze. Work with that, but do not become checked out. Stay resolute and present in the task at hand.

Your bullet is fine for a first try. You can do better.
 
Remember that pure led will not frost. I cast pure at the 800 setting on the Lee pot, mold needs to be 500 degrees to start.
 
More heat to both mold and lead. Too many Pitts, especially at the base.
 

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