bullet base and lead pot question

[coyotejoe]

Two separate questions here.
Do bevel base bullets promote bore leading more than a flat base?
Are the Lee bottom pour lead pots any good? I'm thinking of the "Pro-melter" but I've heard there are problems with leakage at the spout.

[hornady]

As too your first question, some believe they do others do not, I am of the, they do camp.
As to lead pots, I have the Lee pro 4- 20-pound bottom pour. The main cause for them to drip is dirt and junk in the pot, I weighted the pour stem and the dripping has stopped. But it can be annoying dealing with the Lee bottom pour pots, but the Lyman or RCBS pots cost almost $300.00 more than the Lee.

[coyotejoe]

 "but the Lyman or RCBS pots cost almost $300.00 more than the Lee."  That is naturally why I'm thinking of the Lee. I'm presently using the little Lee melter and dipper with OK results but would like to try a bottom pour but not if it's going to be a PITA.

[jhalcott]

 the Lee pots will work great IF you are not a fussy caster. Those drips can spatter a fairly long way. You can wind up with little tinsel spots on your pants and shoes. I have 2 ten pound Lee p[ots that I use. One is about 20 years old and they other maybe 5. I smelt alloys in a big deep "fry" pan and ladle that into ingot molds., so the alloys are clean. BOTH pots drip some! I try not to let it worry me. I know a few casters who say ALL bottom pour pots drip some.One of my friends who ladle casts has MORE lead on his pot and table than I ever do. I particularly like the 2 pot idea for casting 2 alloy bullets( soft nose/hard base).
  As for the bevel base causing leading, I think the bullet/bore/ lube compatibly will cause more leading if they do NOT work together. Slower TARGET loads don't seem to lead as much as faster ones. HARDER alloys lead when the do not expand to fill the bore. soft lead and bad lubes can lead the most. These are just MY observations. YMMV!

[mdi]

I keep my melt fairly clean so only once in the five years I've owned it, my Lee 4-20 has  leaked.  I don't know about bring fussy, but my pot and molds will produce very good, uniform bullets. I believe bevel base bullets lead more than flat base because the bevel does not seal the bore and  allows hot gas past the base to melt the bullet side/bevel.

[Tom W.]

I have a ten and twenty pound Lee pot, and seldom do they leak. Usually it's due to errant crud in the pot. I put a small Lodge cast iron spoon holder/ ashtray under the spout to catch any drips or overflow from my molds. If the thing does leak, I have a custom hand crafted tool that I'll use to clean out the spout.
As for b/b bullets, I have no answer..

[mrloring]

I use a Lee bottom pour pot and if it starts dripping I turn the shaft with a screw driver to knock the crud out.  I keep a tuna can under mine to catch any drips. 

[coyotejoe]

So I guess if I were to get a Lee pot I should get the +4 version so there is room for a drip catcher.

[Tom W.]

Yup, and once you get it set up and fine tuned you really shouldn't have any major problems, just an annoying one every now and then...

[bilmac]

I have a Lee and a Lyman, and they both drip. On the Lee, I twist the stopper with a screwdriver like MR does.

I would get the tall Lee because you can use big molds with it and some fishing sinker molds.