He who gets these slugs sailing downrange first gets to name his shotgun "HMS Beagle."

Fantastic work by Steve and Gayle Brooks.

Cast from 30:1 lead and tin:

Weight is 1435.5 grains.
diameter .7315"
length is 1.3755"

Macifej calculated pure lead weight at 1471 grains for .730" diameter and 1.375" length.
That man can calculate!

Steve made the mould precisely.

If I survive the maiden voyage of the Beagle, I will surely order some more Brooks' *Tru-Bore* moulds.

Now where do I get a .730" sizing die?

Only 0.5" of the 1.375" length of the bullet is at full diameter. maybe they don't need sizing for a .729" groove diameter?

What do sumbuddy who know say about that sizing?

BTW, Steve Brooks cast both of these slugs and sent them with the mould, one of the slugs was still in the mould, with a model of perfection sprue puddle still attached to the sprue plate.
Nifty hollowpointer attached to the bottom of the mould with the same bolts that hold the handles to the block. I forgot to photograph the bottom of the block.

In 30:1 the slug is 3.28 ounces, about 3.25 ounces, only an ounce heavier than a 2.25 ounce Turkey Tactical load fom Federal.

SD of the Darwin as cast is .383.

FWIW-Very nice looking mold and I like the approach he took with the base. I always tried to get my bullets to go .001 over bore diameter and never sized them. If necessary I can bore a piece of steel to .729 and you can then pound lead! You really should try linotype as you want a extremely hard bullet. The bullets look good and will look even better in some 3" 12GaFH brass. BTW I have the engraving for the rim all worked out and will publish some pics next week when I set up for production. You can order your bases custom engraved.-Rob

Thanks, Rob.
If you can come up with any kind of sizing die, I shall gladly repay you in dollars or slugs.
I will also give Lee a call and see if they can make a custom sizer on one of their 1.25" diameter die bodies. I'll ask them to do .730", if you are doing a .729".

I have also been looking for an excuse to acquire some Linotype. This is it then.

Of course, in Linotype, the slugs will cast a little bigger and a little lighter.

I should try pure lead and 1% to 2% tin in the lead. Those will be heavier and smaller diameter, maybe right at .729" to .730", and no sizing needed.

Rip
I size to throat dia. and don't worry about groove dia. as long as it is smaller than throat dia....After I have a bullet sized to throat dia. I make sure that bullet will slide into a un-sized fired (full power) case neck to make sure there is enough room for the case neck to release the bullet...Alignment is the name of the game just like in BR shooting..
Buckshot over at the www.castboolits.gunloads.com site can make you push thru die better, cheaper,and faster than LEE...I am thinking that you would have to take the threaded bushing out of your Press and use the hole that the threaded bushing goes into for a sizer that big...
have fun!

Low Wall,
Thanks for that info.
My chamber and throat are plenty big, just need the brass to be sure of all else.

The RCBS AmmoMaster with bushing removed handles 1.5" major diameter threads.
The Lee Classic Cast with the bushing removed handles 1.25" threads.

I'll look up Buckshot.

What's a "tactical turkey load"?

That's some big chunks of lead you will be throwing...

Tyler,
Tactical Turkey Series Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mags shoot Turkey Tactical loads.
A joke inspired by page 27 of the "12GaFH Thread From Hell."

For about $140 you can get a fully-rifled, 3.5"-chambered, muzzle-ported 12 gauge slug barrel to go on your Ulti-Mag from Mossberg.

Hey bro,

I had Buffalo Bore (they are north of me a few hundred miles do some similar work in 1998).

I was pleased with the result.

Check the custom shop at Redding as well; a bit spendy, but excellent work.

LD

Hallo RIP.

-With interest I read about your mold!

Do you know WHERE I can find reload data for that big bullet?!

Chr.

looks like you are lobbing beer kegs downrange.

LOL! dont give RIP any ideas

I have an 835 Ulti-Mag...givin' me ideas!

RIP- My experience with cast bullets and smokeless powder is that in a number of rifle cartridges, pure lead and 20:1 lead:Tin would strip the rifling. Not so with black powder, but as you know the pressure curves are very differeent. I found Linotype bullets .001 over the bore diameter and unsized worked perfectly. On occasion I had to size and wow those hard bullets were tough. Even Linotype will continue to harden and after a few days post casting good luck! I've shot linotype bullets in the .600RLG( 1000 gr from a mold I made myself) and they shot accurately at over 2500fps. There used to be a guy in LA that sold Linotype. I dont know if hes still in buisness or not. I bought 200lbs and will probably never use it all in my lifetime.-Rob

quote:

Originally posted by lawndart:
Hey bro,

I had Buffalo Bore (they are north of me a few hundred miles do some similar work in 1998).

I was pleased with the result.

Check the custom shop at Redding as well; a bit spendy, but excellent work.

LD

Bro'dart,
Thanks for the "Leade."
Redding still owes me two custom die sets.
Seems you need to allow a half-year "leade" time with them.

I'll check them out: Buffalo Bore, Lee, Redding, Buckshot, and Buckwheat too, if I have too.

Hope you are well.

quote:

Originally posted by Copidosoma:
looks like you are lobbing beer kegs downrange.

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
LOL! dont give RIP any ideas

Just a matter of time! At the rate the AR arms race is going!!

quote:

Originally posted by chr:
Hallo RIP.

-With interest I read about your mold!

Do you know WHERE I can find reload data for that big bullet?!

Chr.

chr,
I am thinking they will first be loaded in 3.5" plastic "high-brass" hull with a roll crimp, over 50 grains of IMR 4227 and whatever fiber wads and nitro cards it takes to pack it full.

Final top load development will depend on availability of brass, and also may depend on Ed Hubel ... because I may be blind or crippled before I get there.

I might "tap the keg" by drilling out the hollowpoint boattail base
to get it down to 1000 grains and work up to full weight.

1115 grains will get you the .3 SD benchmark.

a superhollowbase or taking the hollow base of completely should do that.

Stick a GI Joe next to one of those bullets for a scale keg shot

Hallo again RIP.

-Have you chronografed your huge slug yet??!

Are you willing to share some load data for the above?

(You are welcome to send me a personal e-mail if you want.-
I live in Norway. I cannot/WILL NOT sue you..)

Take care. Chr.

RIP, you should get a copy of Veral Smith's "Jacketed Perfomance With Cast Bullets" if you do not allready have it

http://www.lbtmoulds.com/books.shtml

chr,
Check the 12GaFH thread for my latest adventures with Darwin. I destroyed one chronograph on the first outing when the trailing wad hit the chrono: my bad!

I have the NEF ready for shielded chrono next outing.
Will post.

jwp475,
I got it when Veral made my .396/410gr LFN GC mould that is custom fitted to the throat of all the .395 Wildcats.
I know, lube!