newly starting out

[Scibaer]

ok, now that i got a good grasp on hand/reloading i want to start casting my own bullets. and like always i got questions, but i learned from my handloading experiences that i need some good reading materials. are there any good manuals out there for casting like there is for handloading ?
 so far, i have a few hundred pounds of lead wheel weights, a lee production pot, a rcbs 4 ingot mold and a few other items.
for before i get a bullet mold, i need to read and read. i have been reading alot on here but i think i need a manual
glenn

[stimpylu32]

Heres a good read to start with , it also lists a couple books on the subject .

http://www.n-ssa.org/NORTHWEST/Casting%20Bullets.htm

This one has some Vid too

http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/500_bullet-casting.htm

stimpy

[Scibaer]

thanks, richard. here is one i found http://www.lasc.us/IndexBrennan.htm
 i did send you a pm also. me focus is the 45-70 cast for hunting and im interested in drilling my own hollowpoints. i have this idea rolling around in my head of using large meplat 405 gr. bullets drilled HP back to 400 grs , gas checked for hunting bigfoots of course ..
glenn

[Old Syko]

In case you haven't been there yet look at the link for a wealth of info.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php

[Scibaer]

thanks Syko, that will give me alot to read thru..
glenn

[Badnews Bob]

You got a place to hunt them bigfeets? Do you gotta have a tag for them?
I have plenty of 405s to load up for my Handie and I think one of them bigfooted critters would be good huntin.

But seriously casting is fun,  The Lyman manual is good reading and Verals book can show you alot about cast bullets themselves.

[Lloyd Smale]

veral smith on this forum produces a very comprehensive book on casting. Its more into the technical aspects then it is basic casting but most guys dont need a step by step instruction as to how to cast. its pretty self explanitory once you get going.

[Scibaer]

i guess i will take a look at the lyman manual then, i may end up having interest in the smith book, but for now, i need just the basics as i figure it out. i figured out how to turn wheel weights into ingots without any trouble, so turning ingots into bullets should come just as easily. but it is nice to have a book handy, for notes and marking important specifics in.
as for bigfoot, when i showed my son the new 45-70.. his comment was " is that for bigfoot huntin' ?" lol ( he is 10 and special needs ) so its kind of a running joke now..
  glenn

[Scibaer]

ok, can anyone recommend a good bullet mold, for hunting in the 400 grain range for the 45-70 ?
 and what is better pan or tumble lube, and i think i want gas checks, so i can run the fps up a bit if i need too..
any suggestions?
glenn

[Old Syko]

There are plenty of good molds and styles to choose from but you'll find what I like at this link.  Don't care for the sizers he uses as I much prefer a lubesizer.

http://www.ranchdogmolds.com/

[Lloyd Smale]

best 405 mold in my opinion is the rcbs but it uses gas checks which are something else for a beginner to learn but it sure aint rocket science and in a rifle a gas checked bullet is the way to go anyway.

[Scibaer]

The Ranchdog stuff looks real good, but they are tumble lube type. i watched a video on lubing cast bullets and i think pan lubed is what i'm after.
I agree, i want to use gas checks, but can i use pad lubed bullets with gas checks ?
glenn

[Old Syko]

The Ranchdog slugs can be tumble lubed, pan lubed, dipped as shown at the link provided or run through a conventional lubesizer as I always do. 

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,27078.0.html

I have to agree with the rcbs being the best 405 mold going.

Scibaer you've not mentioned how you intend to size.  Do you just intend to load your slugs as cast without sizing?

[Scibaer]

I looked at that rcbs mold, and thats about what i want, but i think i will try to hollow point it.  it should lower the weight to 400grs. and help it mushroom, offsetting any hardness variation ( finding the correct hardness for hunting is something to focus on also ).
sizing is another issue, i was going to get a Lee sizer for my press, but on thier website they only show sizer dies to .457 not .458 so i may have to look into that more.

[Chris Potts]

You can open up the lee sizing dies by running bullets with lapping compound throught them.  You prep the boolits like you would if your were firelapping and run them thought the die until you get the size you want.  If memory serves me right it took me about 50 bullets to open the die up a couple of thousandths.  You can also order custome sizes.  I think that ranch dog sells them.  Or you can order them from lee directly.  It seems like they are about $10 more than what midway or midsouth see the standard sizes for. 


Chris

[Scibaer]

i think that ordering a custom size will be the way to go ..
thanks for the reminder that i could make a special order from lee..
 i could be losing focus 

[Old Syko]

Have you slugged your barrel and determined you need to size to .458 or are you just convinced that is what you want?  I prefer to slug and then size .001 to .002 over bore size.  Right now I size everything to .460 in a Lyman 450.

[BBF]

Why would you worry about expansion on a 45 cal Cast bullet??

[Scibaer]

syko,
honestly no, i have not slugged my barrel and i do need to. i have shot 457, 458 and 459 bullets and the 458's have shot best. but before i actually buy or have anything made i will slug my barrel.  so to keep focus i will slug my bore before i do anything else.

i'm not so worried about bullet expansion, but i want to explore every aspect of handloading and bullet casting i can manage to understand and work with.
 if it turns out that my rifle shoots better with hp, 400gr or whatever then thats where i want to go.
there are many more guys here that have been down these roads then i have, so i ask questions and see if my ideas have merit or not. and i really appreciate any and all info i've given.
glenn

[Scibaer]

ok, i got my ducks in a row.. i slugged my bore. cleaned and slugged, cleaned again and slugged again. then i cleaned the barrel and will call that good.
 i used this method, pushed a 50 cal muzzle loader ball thru my barrel by lubing it a bit and chasing it with a .44 cal ball. i pushed it thru with a wood dowel.
the dowel deformed the .44 cal ball and not the 50 cal. here's what i got: 1 there is a tight spot about 12 inches from the chamber. 2 the grooves are very shallow in my bore. 3 my bore is a nominal .457 .. one slug read .4570 and the other read .4575 with my digital calipers. the second reading was .4575, and this being the first time, maybe i did a bit better with the second slugging. anyhow, this backs up the .458 bullets shooting better.
to further, instead of worrying about hp's i'm going to get a hardness tester and focus on bullet hardness and the mix of my lead. i can get control of leading, expansion and bullet quality, more important then hp expansion.
glenn

[Lloyd Smale]

hollow pointing a 4570 is not only a waste of time but will hurt the performance of the bullet. We went hunting last year and killed buffalo pigs and 4 horned sheep with hollow pointed 500 linebaughs and 4570s and for the most part it was a miserable failure. The bullets are so big to start with that when they expand its like a big parachute and they dont penetrate. The ranch dog 350 mold is a definate must try. I just got one this spring and havent fooled much with it but it turned a tc carbine in 4570 that was a 4 inch 100 yard gun at best with any load into a 2 inch at a 100 gun. I dont care for tumble lube but wanted to try them unsized so i stuck on a gas check and tumble lubed them and contrary to all my beliefs it was by far the best that gun ever did so the bullet is surely worth trying.

I looked at that rcbs mold, and thats about what i want, but i think i will try to hollow point it.  it should lower the weight to 400grs. and help it mushroom, offsetting any hardness variation ( finding the correct hardness for hunting is something to focus on also ).
sizing is another issue, i was going to get a Lee sizer for my press, but on thier website they only show sizer dies to .457 not .458 so i may have to look into that more.

[Iowa Fox]

Lloyd,
Can you describe the process you used to attach the GC and not size the R D bullet?
Thanks