I posted this on the Blackpowder section and it probably belongs here. I've been making .50 Cal 370 grain Maxi Balls for years and it always seems to be more luck than anything when I get perfect bullets. They frequently have wrinkles of various sorts. As a result I just chunk it back into the pot and try again. It seems I save about 1 bullet for every 10 or 15 I cast. What's up with that? I've always figured the lead was too hot or too cool or maybe it's the mold too cool or too hot. Any ideas? Also, I'm looking for a source for lead. I've seen it on www.midwayusa.com. Anyone getting lead any where else? Is pure lead the best for these bullets? I'm getting about 1475 FPS at the muzzle. I'm listening...
308XP
Posts: 32 | Location: GA | Registered: 10 January 2003
308, it sounds like you already have suspicions about the problem. Yep, you need to make both your alloy and your mold hotter. Most of us like a mold hot enough that it takes several seconds for the sprue puddle to solidify, and the melt hot enough that it just begins to frost the boolits. It takes some experimenting to get the temp setting right on your pot (or whatever you use to melt the lead), and to get the right rhythm to keep the mold temp where you want it.
I use the flat stick-on wheelweights for my muzzleboomers. They seem softer than regular WWs. They are also a lot more scarce than regular WWs.
Posts: 300 | Location: W. New Mexico | Registered: 28 December 2002
Pure lead is usually available at plumber's supply houses at about a buck a pound. Beats paying shipping from Midway. Most of us are dedicated scroungers and manage to find sheet lead somewhere. Hospital remodels are a great source for lead sheeting.
Besides the stuff Grumble mentioned, a major source of wrinkles is oil contamination. If you are oiling your blocks between uses, that's much of your problem. That oil has to be cleaned or burned off before you will get good bullets.
Posts: 1570 | Location: Base of the Blue Ridge | Registered: 04 November 2002
308XP: Try adding just a skosh (mebbe a skosh-and-a-half) of tin to your "pure" lead. Tin will help the fill-out a lot, and lower the necessary casting temperature a bit, while adding hadness. A pound of 50/50 solder to 20 lbs lead is about 1:40 and should still engrave OK; or try a pound of wheel-weights to 1 or 2 lbs. lead. floodgate
If you have an AL Maxi-Ball mold make sure that you smoke it well with a lighter or match so that you have a uniform black or sooted cavity. My Lee molds fill much better smoked than plain. My TC Maxi-ball mold [19.95 at Gart Sports] fills out like a dream. Dental x-ray lead is soft as is roof flashing and shower pan lead. Gianni.
Posts: 65 | Location: Western MT | Registered: 27 October 2002
