Lyman Devastators

[docmagnum357]

I finally got a Lyman Devastator mold, and I am initially very impressed.  I had a little trouble with straight wheel weight alloy, so I "sweetened" it with 4 oz of 90 /10 tin antimony solder. this is ins a ten lbs pot. It flowed somewhat better aftet that.

I used too much powder by at lest a grain, starting off at what I would never exceed.  Be careful with this bullet!  the mold box says 250 grain, mine weighs almost 270 with a check!!!

The first three shots were seated too deep, and they hurt my hand, so I switched back to the usual Houge grip I have on both my 44 mags.  The next six went into one hole, offhand at twenty five yards.  I can't wait to get these bullets, with about two grains less powder , on a piece of paper. Nothing was damaged, and the cases all fell out, but the primers were a little flatter than I like to see.  I really prefer starting, or midway between starting and max loads.  There isn't that much difference, and the gun lasts a lot longer, particularly n frame smiths.Long and the short of it?  For some one like me, who hunts deer and carries for self defense, I may have found IT, The one bullet, one load that will do it all. It is starting to look that way.

[Lloyd Smale]

its a good bullet that is surpisinly accurate in most 44s. I usually push it about 1200 fps and for deer cast it out of 5050 ww/pure with about 2 percent tin added and for larger game i cast it from ww with 2 percent tin added. Ive shot animals as large as a 1000 lbs with it

[30hrrtt]

What alloy does Lyman say will get a 250 grain bullet?

[docmagnum357]

I think they base all their weights on "number 2 alloy" now.  It can be made with 90% wheel weights, and 10 % 50/50 (lead tin) solder.   There is another formula, but it works out the same.  Being a tightwad, I always use the wheel weights.

I know one other thing, as i cast a bunch oif devastators  in the last few days.  It works better the more tin you have. I didn't have much luck with straight wheel weights, and it works better HOT.  A lot hotter than i usually run a mold.  i got the mix hot enough that i had to dab the sprure plate in on a damp ( Not wet!!!) rag to get the bottom to fill out completely.

[docmagnum357]

P.S. I need to weigh one or two of the bullets now, and looking at some published data, if i go down two grains from my starting load, with the addition of enough tin to make #2 alloy, i should be about right for 1200 feet per second as Lloyd says. I tried the first ten bulleyts that filled out O.K., and they were basically straight weights, no tin.  I added 4 oz of 90/10 solder to 10 lbs of weights, and got a lot better fill out. Haven't weighed them yet, but they are lighter, and harder. Can't wait to use them on a coyote or a small piggy!   

[Lloyd Smale]

best alloy ive found with them is 5050 ww/pure with about 3 percent tin added. It expands easily even at lower velocitys and is gummy enough to hold together. The #2 will just about allways blow the nose off. That isnt a real bad thing as the rest of the bullet continues to penetrate and do damage.

[matthewquigley]

i wanted to try them in a 44 rifle on whitetails          and in a 9mm  for small game and defense
ideas on this???

[docmagnum357]

After sometesting i would agree with Lloy(as usual). # 2 alloy is a tad hard.  i am going to try his suggestion about 50/50 ww and pure and added tin as soon as i luck into a little pure lead.  Like a lot of people, I call stick on weights "pure lead", but their really is no telling what's in them.  Shot at a running Coyote the other day, but i missed( FRONT SIGHT,FRONT SIGHT,FRONTSIGHT,FRONT SIGHT!!!) I have been doing a lot of combat shooting lately, and am off a little on my longetr range shooting.  They sure seem to mees up mud, water bottles, and wet news paper, though. Even with the hardwe alloy.