2019 NES Cast Bullet Seminar Sign Up Thread

I haven't done any casting lately with about 200lbs of different calibers of bullets cast I really don't need to. With all this Virus Crap going on I have been around the house a lot it has been giving me time to build and fix a Three rifles so far First is an Arisaka Type 38 that was chopped up. I found a cheap stock and most of the other parts around and put it back to Military. The next two I was able to make from the pile of parts on the table a Enfield #4 Mk1 and the cut barreled Receiver I was able to build a clone #5/Jungle Carbine.

I hope everyone is doing well and I hope you all stay safe.




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Nice work man! I do like the Enfields!
Have you watched this channel on YouTube?


View: https://youtu.be/ING7IwC_Rq4
 
These seem harder than pure lead. Definitely lead due to the white dusty lead oxide. Could hardness be due to age or could they be an alloy like linotype? I have the pencils to test hardness and will check it out when I get home. Probably will cast into ingots by themselves and not mix with my other lead scraps and test hardness after casting
 
These seem harder than pure lead. Definitely lead due to the white dusty lead oxide. Could hardness be due to age or could they be an alloy like linotype? I have the pencils to test hardness and will check it out when I get home. Probably will cast into ingots by themselves and not mix with my other lead scraps and test hardness after casting
the handful of lead window weights I have come across have ranged from dead soft to super hard like foundry type. The really hard one broke in half when I dropped it. I ended up selling the last few window weights I had to a friend who wanted them for some ballast and decoy weights. Its nice scoring road side. My last good hall was 60lbs flashing , full box of coiled roofing nails , 100 8" long timber locks, 2 estwing hammers 24oz framing hammer and a sheet rock hammer. Lady said it has had been there for weeks!
 
These seem harder than pure lead. Definitely lead due to the white dusty lead oxide. Could hardness be due to age or could they be an alloy like linotype? I have the pencils to test hardness and will check it out when I get home. Probably will cast into ingots by themselves and not mix with my other lead scraps and test hardness after casting
I’m not certain but I would imagine they could be made of anything. Kind of like keels. Anything they had on hand.
 
Baked another 20 pounds or so. Plus made several trays to bake them in.
Damn you’re making me want to make bullets now! I might have to fire up the pot today.
I need some extra fodder to get ready for the 350 Legend upper I’m going to build.
 
Looking good! Does it seem hard or soft alloy?
Soft. Probably pure. I have another bucket of scrap flashing coming from my father too. Will have more than i need for awhile, just need to get pewter now. Planning on casting for range plinking loads for my Savage 99 in .308 and looking at molds now. Trying to figure if coating will work or I need to go with gas checks? Have only cast for 45lc
 
Soft. Probably pure. I have another bucket of scrap flashing coming from my father too. Will have more than i need for awhile, just need to get pewter now. Planning on casting for range plinking loads for my Savage 99 in .308 and looking at molds now. Trying to figure if coating will work or I need to go with gas checks? Have only cast for 45lc
Coating should be fine by itself. I push stuff 1800 or so without gas checks and it’s good enough for my plinking needs. It would be a little slow for 308. Having a lever negates the need for speed and pressure to move an action.
If you need more energy just bump up the bullet weight.
I have an NOE 311365 if you want to try some bullets from it. Cool mould
 
I have an NOE 311365 if you want to try some bullets from it. Cool mould
That is a nice looking bullet, big. Thanks for the offer. When I get off of midshift, will have to hit you up. +1
Just slugged my Savage 99 in .308 and it came out to .3085. Cast a couple 9mm slugs and rammed them through, both slugged out the same. So I need to buy a mold and a sizer for .309-310. Still looking for something in a Lee (cheap) that will do well at range plinking and not pissing through powder and lead (cheap)
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That is a nice looking bullet, big. Thanks for the offer. When I get off of midshift, will have to hit you up. +1
Just slugged my Savage 99 in .308 and it came out to .3085. Cast a couple 9mm slugs and rammed them through, both slugged out the same. So I need to buy a mold and a sizer for .309-310. Still looking for something in a Lee (cheap) that will do well at range plinking and not pissing through powder and lead (cheap)
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Nice!
Really in a lever gun anything will work. From the 32 cal pistol bullets up to whatever will feed.
I’ve run 00 buck sized down to .310 with a pinch of fast pistol powder as well as the 93 grain Lee 32 SWC or standard weight full house loads in my 30/30

Any of them will work fine.

Snag whatever you can get your hands on.
 
I found the magic time for my oven which is about 11 minutes. These are the candy apple red with 3 coats.... the real test is how they shoot. Hopefully that comes in the very near future. Thanks to all for the tips.

I just bought 1lb of Eastwood Powder Coat in dark green. I saw a $20 toaster oven at Walmart I need to pick up and use. I am excited to try powder coating for the first time with my cast bullets. The first thing I want to try is .38 Spls that I run through my S&W 686. With lead I always get some leading in my forcing cones after shooting 200 - 300 rounds. Hopefully this will help.
 
I just bought 1lb of Eastwood Powder Coat in dark green. I saw a $20 toaster oven at Walmart I need to pick up and use. I am excited to try powder coating for the first time with my cast bullets. The first thing I want to try is .38 Spls that I run through my S&W 686. With lead I always get some leading in my forcing cones after shooting 200 - 300 rounds. Hopefully this will help.
Nice!

Have you tried different lubes or sizing to get rid of the leading? Have you slugged your bore and tour throats?
 
Nice!

Have you tried different lubes or sizing to get rid of the leading? Have you slugged your bore and tour throats?
I have tried. The barrel seems fine in all cases. Also, I can shoot .357 and do not encounter much issue with leading. When it comes to using .38 Spl for plinking is where I see an issue in the forcing cones with lead. Powder coating is where I will try and see if there is a difference.

Until recently I did not understand how straightforward it is. Also how inexpensive. You can buy a $15 lb of powder coating and a small toaster oven and you are good to go. Also I am sure 1 lb of powder coat will last a very long time.
 
I have tried. The barrel seems fine in all cases. Also, I can shoot .357 and do not encounter much issue with leading. When it comes to using .38 Spl for plinking is where I see an issue in the forcing cones with lead. Powder coating is where I will try and see if there is a difference.

Until recently I did not understand how straightforward it is. Also how inexpensive. You can buy a $15 lb of powder coating and a small toaster oven and you are good to go. Also I am sure 1 lb of powder coat will last a very long time.
Interesting. Bevel base bullets?
PC works ok. When you’re sick of the mess look into Hi-Tek. It’s amazing stuff. I’ve done both and wouldn’t bother with PC. I recently want to get some bullet samples to see if I was going to invest in a new mould. One of the gentlemen on castboolits sent me a handful to try out. The mould was exactly what I wanted. I loaded a few dummies to test for feeding. Perfect.

They were all PCed though. So I never shot them. Something about a paint that is heat activated going through a barrel propelled by hot gas doesn’t sit well with me.
Where are you located? I could give you a small bag of Hi-Tek to try out if you want.
 
I will give PC a spin and see how it goes. I've seen guys recover the bullets after and it is amazing how well it holds up. Based on the PC experience I will look into HiTek.

I'm in MetroWest MA. I appreciate the offer but I will no need on a small bag. I will give that a shot a well someday.

Jason
 
Theres a few “firing line masters “ whould say “whoah, wtf is that YOU cant use THAT in THAT gun!”
When I was running cast x39 in my sks and aks one of the range big heads said my gun would jam and my barrel would lead up with in 10 rounds.
I even did a few mag dumps for him. I lmow he always has a cleaning kit in his car so I asked him to “show me the lead build up” I got a defeated “Fu” from him.
 
Theres a few “firing line masters “ whould say “whoah, wtf is that YOU cant use THAT in THAT gun!”
When I was running cast x39 in my sks and aks one of the range big heads said my gun would jam and my barrel would lead up with in 10 rounds.
I even did a few mag dumps for him. I lmow he always has a cleaning kit in his car so I asked him to “show me the lead build up” I got a defeated “Fu” from him.
That’s one of my favorite things to do at the range.
It’s like myth busters without being so damn left wing
 
That is a nice looking bullet, big. Thanks for the offer. When I get off of midshift, will have to hit you up. +1
Just slugged my Savage 99 in .308 and it came out to .3085. Cast a couple 9mm slugs and rammed them through, both slugged out the same. So I need to buy a mold and a sizer for .309-310. Still looking for something in a Lee (cheap) that will do well at range plinking and not pissing through powder and lead (cheap)
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Theres a ton of ways to save on lead and powder.
The 32cal lee @ 100 grains is a fun 50 yard plinker with trailboss, red dot, unigue, 2400
I have a few different 30cal molds. I can cast and size a few for you to try.
My go to bullet is Ranchdog (IIRC NOE nought them out) 160 grain GC FN TL design . I use it for my bolt guns at CMP
Also have a plain base 120 grain plinker bullet.
Depending on what your doing and how much pressure your putting behind them will be deciding factor for alloy BHN gas checks, type of lube.
For 30 cal I have been sizing everything to .310 with 10-13 bhn alloy and gas checking if the bullet takes one.

If you have not read/found this yet give some of the loads a try. My goto so far is 16-18 grains of 2400 behind 150-200 grain bullets. Anything I run with a gascheck bullet I gas check it. If im running below 1200 fps I use the small plain base bullet I have.


Oh that RangeDog mold was designed for 30/30. I dont have a 30/30 so cant tell you if it feeds well
Pm adress and I will mail you some assorted 30 cal I have
 
Theres a ton of ways to save on lead and powder.
The 32cal lee @ 100 grains is a fun 50 yard plinker with trailboss, red dot, unigue, 2400
I have a few different 30cal molds. I can cast and size a few for you to try.
My go to bullet is Ranchdog (IIRC NOE nought them out) 160 grain GC FN TL design . I use it for my bolt guns at CMP
Also have a plain base 120 grain plinker bullet.
Depending on what your doing and how much pressure your putting behind them will be deciding factor for alloy BHN gas checks, type of lube.
For 30 cal I have been sizing everything to .310 with 10-13 bhn alloy and gas checking if the bullet takes one.

If you have not read/found this yet give some of the loads a try. My goto so far is 16-18 grains of 2400 behind 150-200 grain bullets. Anything I run with a gascheck bullet I gas check it. If im running below 1200 fps I use the small plain base bullet I have.


Oh that RangeDog mold was designed for 30/30. I dont have a 30/30 so cant tell you if it feeds well
Pm adress and I will mail you some assorted 30 cal I have
I appreciate the offer, +1. Will read the article.
I don't want to get into gas checks yet and was going to coat whatever I cast in hitek. Not planning on pushing anything over 1500. Started looking at the Lyman load data for 160-173 gr using Unique as I have that already for 45Colt. Deciding now on either the Lee C309-170-F or 160-R. Unsure which will run better, FP or RN, in the Savage lever. Castboolits has a bunch of talk about the C309-113F "soup can" which seems a fun plinker but would probably have to GC. Will probably grab it anyway as the Lee molds are affordable
 
I appreciate the offer, +1. Will read the article.
I don't want to get into gas checks yet and was going to coat whatever I cast in hitek. Not planning on pushing anything over 1500. Started looking at the Lyman load data for 160-173 gr using Unique as I have that already for 45Colt. Deciding now on either the Lee C309-170-F or 160-R. Unsure which will run better, FP or RN, in the Savage lever. Castboolits has a bunch of talk about the C309-113F "soup can" which seems a fun plinker but would probably have to GC. Will probably grab it anyway as the Lee molds are affordable
Might want to look into plain base bullets and the mold companies are really coming out with some nice stuff just for coated bullet use.
 
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