I kept saying I was going to get into casting bullets and loading them since, probably the late 80s. I wanted to load hard cast bullets for my 44 Mags., but never did. Well not being able to find any bullet for my 458 SOCOM, has gotten me to finally start casting bullets. I am finding it's definitely not as simple, or easy as I thought year ago.
I have gotten the lead too hot, which I don't think was a big problem, but getting the mold too hot, turned out to be a big problem. Getting the lead too hot and then pouring lead in the mold and dumping the bullets as fast as I could, I got the mold way too hot. Being a aluminum mold, the aluminum grows/expands as it gets hotter. So hotter molds make large diameter bullets.
A while back after trying to load some .459" diameter 405 gr. coated, hard cast bullets. I found my barrel is .459" diameter. Then was told I need around .002" larger bullets than the bore diameter. I looked for a mold, did not find one. Then called NOE about making a custom mold. Then they told me, they have a mold, that would cast .4617" diameter bullets, and it was based off of the old Lyman 405 gr. 45-70 mold. So I ordered one, I got one with the optional, pins, that go in the bottom, so you can make either flat nose bullets, concave nose bullets or hollow points. That was exactly what I have been wanting for a long time. So I got the mold in, and some other pieces. Then got some lead and used a propane burner I have, and a pot I bought a while back, and started melting lead. Using the propane to melt the lead and not having a good thermometer, I got the lead way too hot. But did not know it, because the thermometer I just bought, said the lead was only 500 degrees, which I knew was wrong, but I had no idea how far off the thermometer was. Turns out it was at least 300 degrees off.
I got some bullets cast, some looked good, others had various problems, mostly related to the bullets sticking in the mold and getting deformed opening the mold, then the lead being too hot, when I opened the mold. I got some bullets out of the first batch that looked good. I knew that the hotter the mold, the larger the bullets would be and the mold I have, is supposed to make .4617" diameter bullets when the mold is 350 degrees. I had no way of knowing the temperature of the mold. So I don't know what diameter the bullets were. I could have measured them, but was not worried about the diameter, since I was going to size them through a .461" diameter sizing die. So whatever they started off as, they were going to get sized down to .461" diameter.
I also decided to start coating bullets at the same time. I was told about a company that makes some great bullet coatings. So I decided to try some of their powders. The company is Bullet Corp Bullet Coatings, I have to say, I am very impressed with their bullet coatings. My first batch of coated bullets came out looking like crap, but the second batch looked a lot better. Now my third round of coating bullets, the coatings came out even better.
The first two batches of bullets I cast and coated, then sized, I then loaded some of those up. Then tried to feed them through the gun and found, they would not chamber. Seems there were a couple of problems, one the bullet was too big in diameter, then two because the bullet was so big in diameter, I had to stretch the case neck out larger for the larger bullet and then the cases would not go into the chamber without sticking. Yeah, what a bunch of fun. I finally was able to get the rounds to chamber, if I pushed the bullet all the way into the case, where the bullet first gets to full diameter, was inside the case. Then I had to put a crimp on the end of the case, to squeeze it back down, to a size that would allow it to chamber. So with the bullet that far into the case, that was going to reduce the volume of the case quite a bit, then the bullet was going to be a good ways from the throat. Bad and bad.
So I got on some bullet casting groups and asked about the problems, the suggestions were to get a Lee electric pot to melt the lead and not the propane burner. Then a more accurate temperature controller for the pot. So I got those pieces and then got a lot more lead. A buddy of mine found a guy with three tubs of lead for sale. So I had some lead, I have been saving, in case I ever actually started casting bullets, then I bought 40 lbs. of lead, then the three tubs of lead my buddy found. So I have a lot of lead now.
So over the weekend, I melted all of the lead I have, and poured it into some ingot molds I have. I have a LOT of lead. After melting all of that lead down, I decided to pour some bullets while I had the pot hot. Only planned on casting maybe 40, but I cast, more like 250 bullets. I had the mold set up to cast flat nose bullets in two cavities and hollow points in the other two cavities. There is one cavity that the bullets stick in almost every time, that is one of the two, I had the pins for the hollow points, in. So it would pull the bullet out of that side of the mold at an angle and mess up the bullet, almost every time. So I did not get as many hollow points, as I would have liked. I am going to put the hollow point pins, in the other two cavities, next time.
The electric pot and having a infared thermometer for the mold, I was able to cast much better bullets, smaller in diameter bullets. I coated the bullets last night, then sized them. Right off, I noticed a big difference when sizing the bullets. The first time sizing the bullets, it took a lot of force to push the bullets through the sizing die. My loading bench is made up of 2X12s. That's what my Dillon press it bolted to. It was taking so much force to push the bullets through the sizing die last time, that I could hear the 2X12 that the press is bolted to, cracking. I was using some serious force last time to push the bullets through the sizing die. This time, it took a lot less effort, it was about like running a well lubed, soft case through the sizing die, level of effort. I am guessing the bullets are noticeably smaller in diameter this time around. So then I tried seating one in a case, but again, I had to stretch the case neck out to .461", before seating the bullet. I was able to seat the bullet out of the case, as far, as I had the other 405 gr. cast bullets. I was able to get them to feed with ease, once I squeezed the end of the case neck back down. The first two batches of bullets, I had all types of hell, getting them to chamber, I had to seat the bullets very deep in the case, along with squeezing the case neck to get the rounds to chamber properly.
I melted down all of those bullets from the first two rounds of casting and coating. I was very surprised that the Bullet Corp Bullet Coating, would not melt in the pot. I had a bunch of what looked like coated bullets on top of the lead. So tried to push them down in the liquid lead to get them to melt and found they were just hollow shells, with no lead in them. I don't know what that bullet coating is, but I can tell you, it will handle a lot more heat than the lead will, pretty interesting stuff.
So at this point, I have my bullet seating die set up and ready to go. I just need to dump some powder charges, load up some rounds and see what it wants for a powder charge, with each of the two bullet styles. The flat nose bullets generally weigh around 391 gr. and the hollow points, generally weigh around 365 gr., this is after coating them.
Hopefully after all of this work, I will finally have hard cast bullets that will work in my 458 SOCOM, that will shoot accurately and not lead up the barrel, like last time. If they work, the 365 gr. hollow points, should hopefully work very well for deer, hogs and whatever. Then the 391 gr. flat nose bullets, should be good for larger game. I have been trying to think of something I can shoot these things into, to test them out. To see if I get any expansion from either. I have a pretty good idea, how the flat nose should perform, but the hollow point, I really don't know what it will do, with the lead I cast these with. Next thing, I want to get, is a bullet hardness tester. Maybe do some experimenting with bullet hardness, to get just the right amount of expansion from the hollow points. At this point, I am pretty excited and hoping the barrel does not lead up again. I have had more barrel contamination problems in the last year and a half, than I have in 45 years of shooting, don't need anymore problems.
I have gotten the lead too hot, which I don't think was a big problem, but getting the mold too hot, turned out to be a big problem. Getting the lead too hot and then pouring lead in the mold and dumping the bullets as fast as I could, I got the mold way too hot. Being a aluminum mold, the aluminum grows/expands as it gets hotter. So hotter molds make large diameter bullets.
A while back after trying to load some .459" diameter 405 gr. coated, hard cast bullets. I found my barrel is .459" diameter. Then was told I need around .002" larger bullets than the bore diameter. I looked for a mold, did not find one. Then called NOE about making a custom mold. Then they told me, they have a mold, that would cast .4617" diameter bullets, and it was based off of the old Lyman 405 gr. 45-70 mold. So I ordered one, I got one with the optional, pins, that go in the bottom, so you can make either flat nose bullets, concave nose bullets or hollow points. That was exactly what I have been wanting for a long time. So I got the mold in, and some other pieces. Then got some lead and used a propane burner I have, and a pot I bought a while back, and started melting lead. Using the propane to melt the lead and not having a good thermometer, I got the lead way too hot. But did not know it, because the thermometer I just bought, said the lead was only 500 degrees, which I knew was wrong, but I had no idea how far off the thermometer was. Turns out it was at least 300 degrees off.
I got some bullets cast, some looked good, others had various problems, mostly related to the bullets sticking in the mold and getting deformed opening the mold, then the lead being too hot, when I opened the mold. I got some bullets out of the first batch that looked good. I knew that the hotter the mold, the larger the bullets would be and the mold I have, is supposed to make .4617" diameter bullets when the mold is 350 degrees. I had no way of knowing the temperature of the mold. So I don't know what diameter the bullets were. I could have measured them, but was not worried about the diameter, since I was going to size them through a .461" diameter sizing die. So whatever they started off as, they were going to get sized down to .461" diameter.
I also decided to start coating bullets at the same time. I was told about a company that makes some great bullet coatings. So I decided to try some of their powders. The company is Bullet Corp Bullet Coatings, I have to say, I am very impressed with their bullet coatings. My first batch of coated bullets came out looking like crap, but the second batch looked a lot better. Now my third round of coating bullets, the coatings came out even better.
The first two batches of bullets I cast and coated, then sized, I then loaded some of those up. Then tried to feed them through the gun and found, they would not chamber. Seems there were a couple of problems, one the bullet was too big in diameter, then two because the bullet was so big in diameter, I had to stretch the case neck out larger for the larger bullet and then the cases would not go into the chamber without sticking. Yeah, what a bunch of fun. I finally was able to get the rounds to chamber, if I pushed the bullet all the way into the case, where the bullet first gets to full diameter, was inside the case. Then I had to put a crimp on the end of the case, to squeeze it back down, to a size that would allow it to chamber. So with the bullet that far into the case, that was going to reduce the volume of the case quite a bit, then the bullet was going to be a good ways from the throat. Bad and bad.
So I got on some bullet casting groups and asked about the problems, the suggestions were to get a Lee electric pot to melt the lead and not the propane burner. Then a more accurate temperature controller for the pot. So I got those pieces and then got a lot more lead. A buddy of mine found a guy with three tubs of lead for sale. So I had some lead, I have been saving, in case I ever actually started casting bullets, then I bought 40 lbs. of lead, then the three tubs of lead my buddy found. So I have a lot of lead now.
So over the weekend, I melted all of the lead I have, and poured it into some ingot molds I have. I have a LOT of lead. After melting all of that lead down, I decided to pour some bullets while I had the pot hot. Only planned on casting maybe 40, but I cast, more like 250 bullets. I had the mold set up to cast flat nose bullets in two cavities and hollow points in the other two cavities. There is one cavity that the bullets stick in almost every time, that is one of the two, I had the pins for the hollow points, in. So it would pull the bullet out of that side of the mold at an angle and mess up the bullet, almost every time. So I did not get as many hollow points, as I would have liked. I am going to put the hollow point pins, in the other two cavities, next time.
The electric pot and having a infared thermometer for the mold, I was able to cast much better bullets, smaller in diameter bullets. I coated the bullets last night, then sized them. Right off, I noticed a big difference when sizing the bullets. The first time sizing the bullets, it took a lot of force to push the bullets through the sizing die. My loading bench is made up of 2X12s. That's what my Dillon press it bolted to. It was taking so much force to push the bullets through the sizing die last time, that I could hear the 2X12 that the press is bolted to, cracking. I was using some serious force last time to push the bullets through the sizing die. This time, it took a lot less effort, it was about like running a well lubed, soft case through the sizing die, level of effort. I am guessing the bullets are noticeably smaller in diameter this time around. So then I tried seating one in a case, but again, I had to stretch the case neck out to .461", before seating the bullet. I was able to seat the bullet out of the case, as far, as I had the other 405 gr. cast bullets. I was able to get them to feed with ease, once I squeezed the end of the case neck back down. The first two batches of bullets, I had all types of hell, getting them to chamber, I had to seat the bullets very deep in the case, along with squeezing the case neck to get the rounds to chamber properly.
I melted down all of those bullets from the first two rounds of casting and coating. I was very surprised that the Bullet Corp Bullet Coating, would not melt in the pot. I had a bunch of what looked like coated bullets on top of the lead. So tried to push them down in the liquid lead to get them to melt and found they were just hollow shells, with no lead in them. I don't know what that bullet coating is, but I can tell you, it will handle a lot more heat than the lead will, pretty interesting stuff.
So at this point, I have my bullet seating die set up and ready to go. I just need to dump some powder charges, load up some rounds and see what it wants for a powder charge, with each of the two bullet styles. The flat nose bullets generally weigh around 391 gr. and the hollow points, generally weigh around 365 gr., this is after coating them.
Hopefully after all of this work, I will finally have hard cast bullets that will work in my 458 SOCOM, that will shoot accurately and not lead up the barrel, like last time. If they work, the 365 gr. hollow points, should hopefully work very well for deer, hogs and whatever. Then the 391 gr. flat nose bullets, should be good for larger game. I have been trying to think of something I can shoot these things into, to test them out. To see if I get any expansion from either. I have a pretty good idea, how the flat nose should perform, but the hollow point, I really don't know what it will do, with the lead I cast these with. Next thing, I want to get, is a bullet hardness tester. Maybe do some experimenting with bullet hardness, to get just the right amount of expansion from the hollow points. At this point, I am pretty excited and hoping the barrel does not lead up again. I have had more barrel contamination problems in the last year and a half, than I have in 45 years of shooting, don't need anymore problems.
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