Does anyone have advice on casting bullets for big bores? I am having a 500 Jeffey put together on an RSM action. I luckily got some Jamison brass and a few boxes of 570grn Woodleigh bullets. What I would like to do is cast some bullets for practice loads. Given my current financial situation it will be many years before Africa is even a possibility. I’d like to shoot a couple of different loads while I wait. The first would be a 570grn 2150FPS (500NE) load to duplicate my 500 Jeffery Woodleigh hunting load. The other would be a 500-530 practice load at 2000 FPS. Not sure about gas checks or other issues. In the past I cast lead bullets for BP shooting but I have never done any center fire casting (ie lubes and gas check stuff). LEE has an inexpensive 50cal 500grn load I saw in the midway catalog. I also saw that Mountain Molds can make custom molds. Any advice on how to get started would be great.

Thanks Brad

Budget, yet long-term viable approach:

1. Buy TWO Lee pots, the largest they offer.

2. Buy either the Lyman or RCBS sizer/luber machine. Do not skimp here. I size .001" over groove diameter for s slight mechanical interference fit seal. Buy the Lyman dipper for dipping alloy.

3. Buy a Turkey Cooker at Cabela's or whoever. This is for melting WW's, etc.

4. Buy four of the Lee ingot moulds, they make two 1lb and two 1/2lb ingots in the four-cavity version. Also see about having a friend who is a welder make you a big ingot mould. Cut 2" angle iron 12" long and gang weld them side to side so they look like corrugated roofing sheet metal. Weld a plate across each end, and a 36"L x 1/4" thickx2"wide handle centered from left to right. Put a sturdy 12" long wood handle (2"x16") on it so you can pick it up and dump the ingots on the driveway. If you make a six ingot mould you will need both hands to lift and turn over.

5. Go to the restaurant supply store and buy a 6" stainless steel ladle. That dips enough lead to fill an ingot. Put a wood handle on it too.

Now you can make ingots that will fit two into the Lee pots. Fill both with ingots and go get a cup of coffee. Come back, and start casting bullets. If you are making 500grainers, that is 14 to the pound, and that pot will drain pretty fast. Stop when you have 100 bullets cast. Refill it, visually inspect all the bullets you cast for defects, and then repeat with the other pot after you flux the alloy in it. By rotating, you keep the metal at optimum temperature. I think you will be happier dipping with a ladle than bottom pouring, I am.
I took a 1x4 about 36" long and drilled four rows of 5/8" holes 1/2" deep. 25 holes per row. Make two of them. I put the bullets in base down, as I cast them. When I have a block full, that is time to inspect them; and switch pots. This may not be the best way, but I make a large quantity of pretty good bullets that way. I only make one grade of bullet; as perfect visually as I can. Cull ruthlessly. Mike the bullets, as you probably already know, the sizer die should be bullet diameter or even .001" over "as cast" dimensions. Everything you do to a cast bullet after you drop it onto a used bath towel is bad for it.

This has worked for me in developing bullets for full power practice (as you want to do) to competition-grade for CBA match shooting, to Schuetzen.

Take your time and do it right.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

Rich:

Thanks for responding to my post. Your recommended set-up sounds like fun. I’m leaning towards the Lyman starter kit (punch, pot, ingot molds) and beginning with smaller runs. My hunting buddy has a large LEE pot I can use once things get rolling. I think finding good cheap lead may be the rate limiting step initially. I have a few follow up questions.

1.) Any advice on a good 500 Jeffery bullet mold? (Is the LEE 500-515 grain) any good?
2.) What would be the correct Lyman punch diameter .512?
3.) Do these bullets need Gas Checks for 2150 FPS?
4.) Is there a good lube for Big Bores?
5.) Where can I find any 500 Jeffery Cast Bullet loading data?
6.) Mountain Molds can make a nice custom mold but they don’t really help you set one up any advice on finding mold data.

Thanks Again Brad

That Lee mould is not for a gas check bullet. Plain base.

It weighs about 485 grains when cast from wheel weights with 4% tin. Probably 500-grains in pure lead.

NEI makes a nice 680-grain gaschecked mould. I am still weighting on that one.

Off the shelf sizers:
Lee .510 and it will size down that .515. Looks pretty but I have not shot it yet, with Liquid Alox.

Lyman sizers in .509" and .512" with stick lube. I have yet to try those.

Just getting started myself.

I was wondering if I would have to get a custom sizer at .511"?
Lap out the .509"?

Biggest I've cast is 0.476" 500 gr. I cast for many calibers. In .308, 9,3, .375, .458 and .475 for rifles.

Happy with the RCBS furnace. Can sometimes be found on eBay.

I really like the Ballisti-cast molds. I have their 1421 and 1431 molds. For 500 caliber I'd look at 1430 or 1449 depending on the cast weight I wanted. GC bullets are good in big bores. (These molds remind me very much of the H&G molds I bought in the late 60s and 70s that I still use today.)

Get a Lyman casting ladle and 3 or 4 ingot molds.

Don't try to cheap out the sizer. I like the Saeco but also have a Lyman. Get a heater for whatever you acquire.

Try Lar45's Carnauba Red lube ... is cheap and works very well.

Clean you molds thoroughly before you start casting.

Get a lead or large plastic hammer to use on the molds. NEVER use anything harder on a mold.

Establish a source of wheel weights and stock as much as you can, as soon as you can. They are getting hard to find and expensive. Visit every tire shop you can find and ask ... never hurts and you might get lucky.

Be careful about your exposure to lead. With just a little care, it is easily managed. Work in a well ventilated area. Don't breath the fumes. Keep the area clean. Don't eat or smoke while casting. Wash your hands as soon as you're done. Take a shower and wash your clothes not long after.

Go to the Cast Boolits site and join:

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/

If you're cheap and industrious ... you'll enjoy the pursuit.

Thanks Again for the info. I just got off the phone with a local scrap dealer who will sell me Wheel Weight scrap at 75 cents a pound. Regular lead scrap at $1 a pound. Not sure if thats a good price or not? Not sure how to blend these different types together? I think that there is enough interest if someone in the know would design a mountain mold custom bullet using their software for the 500 Jeffery I'm sure a few of us would buy them. (maybe a 535,570 or 600) http://www.mountainmolds.com/ [Online Bullet Design] At this point making affordable bullets is going to be the only way I'll get to shoot my Big Bores for now. I just wish I knew more about building molds.

Thanks Again for the Help.

Brad

Before the "great crunch" on lead prices I bought 5 gallon buckets of WW for $11 each from a local major tire seller. A 5 gallon bucket will often make more than 100 pounds of ingot.

As I said, ask every tire shop in your area.