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Author Topic: Bullets dropping the wrong size NEW QUESTION  (Read 761 times)

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Offline baer19d

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Bullets dropping the wrong size NEW QUESTION
« on: June 28, 2009, 04:31:43 PM »
Aside from possibly giving me poor accuracy are there and other concerns that I should be aware of when shooting an undersized cast bullet? I have a Lee mould in .457 and with straight wheel weights the bullets are .452 or .453. Would a good alloy produce a different size bullet?          Thanks, Mike ???
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Offline Travis Morgan

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Re: Bullets dropping the wrong size
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2009, 04:34:59 PM »
Try casting them hotter. My Keith mold will cast them way bigger than .454.

If you shoot undersize bullets at magnum pressures, they'll lead more and not be as accurate, as a result of flame cutting.
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Offline jbquack1

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Re: Bullets dropping the wrong size
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2009, 06:54:47 PM »
sounds like mold temperature is low.i run hot enough to get frosty bullets,they fill better.are you smoking the mold?i don't smoke aluminum,that is space for bullet metal.
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Offline blackpowderbill

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Re: Bullets dropping the wrong size
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2009, 07:17:45 PM »
Wheel weight should cast pretty close to spec. My Lee 500 gr drops .457 bullets and my oly ideal 180gr .30 drops .309 as cast with WWs. Perhaps you alloy is contaminated. There are zinc wheel weights that can mess up a pot of lead but I do not know what effect they would have upon the cast diametre.
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Offline Travis Morgan

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Re: Bullets dropping the wrong size
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2009, 08:09:20 PM »
Before you run out and buy all new crap, turn your heat up. You'll find a happy medium; you'll have to cast a couple dozen to get it just right. If your mold gets too hot, just switch to a different one for a while.
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Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: Bullets dropping the wrong size
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2009, 12:54:17 AM »
you might get a thousands or maybe two by increasing temp and using more tin but you wont get much more then that. My advice would be to return the mold to lee. If its being used in a 4570 your going to want AT LEAST a .458 bullet and preferably 459 or 460.
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: Bullets dropping the wrong size
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2009, 02:28:28 PM »
SHould work well in .45ACP !   ;D
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Offline baer19d

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Re: Bullets dropping the wrong size
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2009, 04:03:37 PM »
Well, I tried casting some more bullets with the mould very hot and no change. Could something else be the problem or is it just the mould? Also, the weights of the bullets very from bullet to bullet. Sometimes as much as 5-6 grains with some moulds. The average weight is usually a few to several grains over what they should drop i.e. 405gn mould drops 413-415gr bullets. Is this because of the alloy (wheel weights)?
                                               Thanks, Mike
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Offline jhalcott

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Re: Bullets dropping the wrong size NEW QUESTION
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2009, 05:51:44 PM »
Mike, IF the bullets are well filled out then you have a problem with the mold (Lees quality control)! Adding tin to the melt MIGHT give you a bit more diameter, but Lee molds are supposed to work with Wheel weight alloy. I'd give them a chance to make it right. Are the bullets round? Are all the edges sharp? Are you using a ladle? Stopping and starting when filling a mold can leave voids inside the bullet. This and rouded edges can affect the bullets weight. some thing to read here!
http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm
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Offline baer19d

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Re: Bullets dropping the wrong size NEW QUESTION
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2009, 05:34:13 AM »
The bullets all have sharp edges so they are filling out properly. I'll give Lee a call.    Thanks, Mike
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