bullet casters

[buellbrewer]

Anyone in /around Atlanta cast 45/70 lead?
Specifically the hollow base 405 grain that supposed to be the original load for a trapdoor? I have a flat base mold but after reading Wolfs' book I'd like to try the hb and see if groups would tighten up.

 

[Nonliberal]

I've made a few hundred 405 flat bottoms. Tried my hand at powder coating some but haven't gotten that down perfect yet. BHN and FPS have a lot to with casting for 45-70 (and every other caliber). Different alloys will make different diameters. Soft lead comes out .457 in this mold but 18bhn comes out .459 where I want it.
I'd like to try some of those hollow based ones.

 

[Freshly Minted Georgian!]

I cast for 45-70, I'll check my molds and see if I have a hollow base.

 

[buellbrewer]

I've made a few hundred 405 flat bottoms. Tried my hand at powder coating some but haven't gotten that down perfect yet. BHN and FPS have a lot to with casting for 45-70 (and every other caliber). Different alloys will make different diameters. Soft lead comes out .457 in this mold but 18bhn comes out .459 where I want it.
I'd like to try some of those hollow based ones.
View attachment 3075884

Those look good!
I’ve bought and reloaded some powder coated 380. Never tried my hand at it. I’ll put it on my list of u tube things to watch.

 

[C ountry]

I've made a few hundred 405 flat bottoms. Tried my hand at powder coating some but haven't gotten that down perfect yet. BHN and FPS have a lot to with casting for 45-70 (and every other caliber). Different alloys will make different diameters. Soft lead comes out .457 in this mold but 18bhn comes out .459 where I want it.
I'd like to try some of those hollow based ones.
View attachment 3075884

I wondered why you don't just cast any old mix of lead & use a sizing die to make them diameter you want. I cast 45-70 in a Lee mold to make 500 gr. My gas checks recently came and I will get around to squeezing them on. I think that's going to be a good shooter.

 

[C ountry]

 

[buellbrewer]

Nice assortment of molds. I’ve stuck with mostly lead little tin for these trapdoors. Kinda old and I don’t want to abuse them.

 

[Nonliberal]

Those look good!
I’ve bought and reloaded some powder coated 380. Never tried my hand at it. I’ll put it on my list of u tube things to watch.

I think I can safely say I'm 24 hours into Youtube and an equal amount of time into casting/powder coating. Your first attempt will work. Keep tryying. If you're making allows buy the art pencils to test for BHN, they are accurate. Don't buy the 10 lb smelter, buy the 20. Wash your molds with dawn dishwashing soap if aluminum, dry well, start molding, throw them back in the smelter until they're full with no swirlies, good bullets after the mold is hot. This is good advice from personal experience.

^Excuse the excess use of commas

 

[Nonliberal]

I wondered why you don't just cast any old mix of lead & use a sizing die to make them diameter you want. I cast 45-70 in a Lee mold to make 500 gr. My gas checks recently came and I will get around to squeezing them on. I think that's going to be a good shooter.

Because you skip many hours of single work if you just size them right to begin with. You can only shrink in sizers. I used them to size 30 cal bullets down and found all this out. I gas checked to 309 on some. Gas checking is the only thing I have found a sizing die useful for.
In 45-70 I have found a properly sized bullet perform as well as I'd expect a commercial bullet to do. I had been buying lasercast and copied them as best II can on my own castings. I have never grease grooved, I've only shake lubed and ~100 rnds powder cotaed.
I'm am new but this what I got so far. 6 months or so in.

 

[Nonliberal]

I'll swap molds with you for a couple weeks if you want?