Not casting, but loading cast boolits...
For me today it was W.A.S.P. Widowmaker
For me today it was W.A.S.P. Widowmaker
Casting Keith-style SWCs
- Thread starter Ad Astra
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- #62
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- #63
I'm just getting to the bottom of these, trying to load 300 rounds of .38 Special by Friday.
Lyman's #358477 is a sweet all-around projectile for sure.
There may be a shortage of .38 Special in stores ... but not here.
AA
Lyman's #358477 is a sweet all-around projectile for sure.
There may be a shortage of .38 Special in stores ... but not here.
AA
I'm still shooting up .44 Special Keith cast loads my dad loaded in the 70's & 80's. They shoot fine, no ka-booms, although a bit smoky because he preferred Unique. My all time favorite .44 load.
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- #65
That WILL work.
I'm just about to finish a pound of Unique; can't even imagine how many shots I got! Really hoping to make it through the next 50.
I need to re-read Elmer Keith's book about his SWC design. The old 150-grain Lyman 358477 is amazing, perfect for me. Some swear by 358156 (Skeeter's fave) but I don't push gascheck velocities in .38 pistols.
I'm going to have to cast again soon, not going to make it to cooler weather! Ugh.
AA
That's all I've ever used, that and Bullseye, for handguns. And since my fun is plinking I've always gone light. I have some Keith type mould for .38 Special that my dad used, but I don't recall it's number designation. These days I pretty much stick with wadcutters.
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- #67
Curse the luck; just ran out of Unique ... 8 rounds short. Now I've got to figure something close, probably Red Dot.
I should get a wadcutter mold, too. Though these make neat holes!
AA
Good luck.
Blackie won't perform my favorite W.A.S.P. song anymore. But I have been "Blind in Texas" a few times.
Lol...
"Had highballs in Houston 3 for a dime"
"Had highballs in Houston 3 for a dime"
As a 45 year caster, One thing that I learned decades ago. After cutting the sprue, I drop the bullets from the mould, into water. It sort of quenches the bullet quickly. Does it "really" do anything? Unsure, but it doesn't hurt anything. I use a metal pan for the water.
After I size and lube, I sprinkle a bit of Motor Mica on them, so they don't stick together while stored in a can.
After I size and lube, I sprinkle a bit of Motor Mica on them, so they don't stick together while stored in a can.
I had read that dropping bullets from the mold tended to harden them. I tried it and found it to be a little on the messy side, water splashing either on me or on my mold, which I did not care for, so I quickly went back to a folded towel to drop my bullets onto. Never had a problem with the bullets sticking together, even when stored in a hot shed.
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- #73
My old Lyman book suggested hardening them in the oven and dropping into water. New book doesn't, so. Might have gone out of style.
AA
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- #74
Yeah, I don't want water anywhere near my process! The Tinsel Fairy burns!
Drop onto towel and shovel when cooler.
AA
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- #75
Pretty funny. Needed a new powder recipe for these 150 grainers after I ran out of Unique.
Now I use Lee scoops, but the die set came with one, .05, I think.
Was using one scoop of Unique. After much thought, made a few with Green Dot, since the cannister was open.
After more reading, realized I should just open the Red Dot, and made another 50 yesterday.
All three powders threw different weights ... I carefully weighed, and practiced scooping each for several minutes.
But used one full scoop of each! Ultimately the powder choice didn't matter! All that study for nothing!
Red Dot - 3.75-4.0.
Green Dot was lighter, but same bulk, apparently. I did make a bunch of .45 ACP in Green Dot, for some reason, according to my notes. They worked fine. GD isn't ideal for .38 Special, though. RD is a little better.
500 Starline nickle plated arrive thus week, and we're going to try some Acme Hi-Tek coated 158 grain SWCs.
Going to crank out .38s til the primers give out!
Did I mention the DA pull on that new Model 10 is as smooth as silk?
AA
Now I use Lee scoops, but the die set came with one, .05, I think.
Was using one scoop of Unique. After much thought, made a few with Green Dot, since the cannister was open.
After more reading, realized I should just open the Red Dot, and made another 50 yesterday.
All three powders threw different weights ... I carefully weighed, and practiced scooping each for several minutes.
But used one full scoop of each! Ultimately the powder choice didn't matter! All that study for nothing!
Red Dot - 3.75-4.0.
Green Dot was lighter, but same bulk, apparently. I did make a bunch of .45 ACP in Green Dot, for some reason, according to my notes. They worked fine. GD isn't ideal for .38 Special, though. RD is a little better.
500 Starline nickle plated arrive thus week, and we're going to try some Acme Hi-Tek coated 158 grain SWCs.
Going to crank out .38s til the primers give out!
Did I mention the DA pull on that new Model 10 is as smooth as silk?
AA
You don't happen to know if Lee handles fit that mold do you?
Was very happy a few weekends ago when I picked up a scuba weight belt, coffee can of deep-sea fishing weights, and a roll of lead roof flashing 4" in diameter. The molds had been sold but clearly the guy was fisherman and stockpiled lead.
Was very happy a few weekends ago when I picked up a scuba weight belt, coffee can of deep-sea fishing weights, and a roll of lead roof flashing 4" in diameter. The molds had been sold but clearly the guy was fisherman and stockpiled lead.
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- #77
Handles are a pain. There's Lyman large and small, as I found out the hard way ... But at least now I've got both. You're asking if Lee handles fit Lyman molds? As I recall, my Lee's have built-in handles ... Lyman must be put on each time.
AA
Did some digging last night (cast boolits) and Lee handles are supposedly a direct swap onto Lyman molds. The Lee blocks apparently pop off their blocks with some persuasion and are 1/2 price of Lyman handles. Will eventually track down the EK mold you have and will update this point.
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- #79
Interesting. I just buy everything used off the bay.
There are some famous / legendary EK molds. Enjoying Lyman 358477 right now, but mostly I was casting .45 Colt LSWCs -forget which mold.
Gun great Skeeter Skelton liked Lyman 358156, but I don't need gaschecks, I'm not driving that fast! 358477 is ideal for me. There's more than one "style," which drove Elmer nuts when the mold makers messed with his designs. I don't like the slightly rounded nose version. He felt very strongly about that first driving band being wide as it takes the load of the jump to rifling.
Recommend "Sixguns and their loads," by EK. I just re-read it last night!
AA
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- #80
And after saying that, I admit I just got a box/500 Acme Hi-Tek coated 158gr SWCs. And some Starline nickle brass. Going to make plus-ps.
AA
AA
