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2011 Annual Cast Bullet Workshop - May 21st 2011 - Shirley Rod & Gun Club

close, my bucket buddy.............

Gas "jetting" is an issue with some hot loads, mostly caused by surface friction melting rather than hot gas expansion on the end of the bullet. The gas checks take care of 100% of that issue.
And, as a side benefit, I see that the leading edges of the gas checks scrape the lands and grooves clean of excess residue.

Run 1,000 rounds of non-gas checked ammo through your gun (without cleaning), and then clean, and run 1,000 rounds of gas checked through your gun for comparison. The gas checked rounds will be cleaner every time, and give better performance.

Remember, even one hot jet leak through will cause the bullet to fly in that direction.
 
DukeInMaine said:
close, my bucket buddy.............

Gas "jetting" is an issue with some hot loads, mostly caused by surface friction melting rather than hot gas expansion on the end of the bullet. The gas checks take care of 100% of that issue.
And, as a side benefit, I see that the leading edges of the gas checks scrape the lands and grooves clean of excess residue.

Run 1,000 rounds of non-gas checked ammo through your gun (without cleaning), and then clean, and run 1,000 rounds of gas checked through your gun for comparison. The gas checked rounds will be cleaner every time, and give better performance.

Remember, even one hot jet leak through will cause the bullet to fly in that direction.
Click to expand...

A properly sized bullet and a proper powder will take care of all the issues you speak of with the exception of abnormally
hot loads. I run a lot of .44 mag cast with a decent load of #9 and my barrel is as clean as yours without the expense
or bother of a gas check. The only casts I gas check are my rifle casts which are running around 2K FPS.
 
That's fine.

I prefer to gas check all my .500 Magnums and .44 magnums. I have a couple of non-gas checked molds for each that I use, and don't worry about.
I don't worry either about making free gas checks (I have the tools to make them, so that frees me from having to buy them) and installing them. It's as simple as pie, and the checks get installed when I am lub/sizing the bullets anyways.

There are guys who prefer plain base versus bevel base bullets.

What are your opinions on that?
 
DukeInMaine said:
There are guys who prefer plain base versus bevel base bullets.

What are your opinions on that?
Click to expand...

I've never noticed a difference except when seating them. I shoot both types. I flare my brass on my press so not a
biggie. It seems that hollow base casts are really the 'difference maker'. What's your opinion on those? [pot]

Are you bringing any of those to the workshop? (Need to insert relevant topic to stay true to thread!)
 
Last edited:
I have the Mihec .38 Hollow base wad cutter, and the .44 hollow base wad cutter molds on order, and they are prepping for the machine. I doubt that I will have them in time. I'm expecting big things from them. Neither one are gas checked. I don't have any other hollow base molds that I could bring, sorry.
 
would it be a good idea to bring my 1911 barrel to slug while we're there? i know we'll have some hands on for the bullet making process. i didn't know if this would be a good hands on part of the event too?
 
That would be awesome! Thanks! [smile]

R1ch said:
Do you want a fresh new mold to demo how to prep a mold? If so, I have a Lee 6 cavity that I haven't touched yet.

I'll try to see if I can fit my generator into my Matrix, if so I'll bring it along.

Maybe a barrel or two for slugging also if there is time.
Click to expand...
 
Ziptar said:
I've got a Lyman Model #61 Furnace. Should I bring it?
Click to expand...

Thanks but I think we are all set.... Mark and I are two lee #20 bottom pour pots which should do the trick.... Will set one up with Range lead (for pistol) and the other for WW for the higher velocity stuff.... The primary limit on more pots is power consumption.... Last year we really pushed the limits of what the club had available.... Also with Duke's plan to break the group up we should be able to have more time for folks to be "hands on" at each of the stations even with only a couple of pots available....
 
Bob J said:
Thanks but I think we are all set.... Mark and I are two lee #20 bottom pour pots which should do the trick.... Will set one up with Range lead (for pistol) and the other for WW for the higher velocity stuff.... The primary limit on more pots is power consumption.... Last year we really pushed the limits of what the club had available.... Also with Duke's plan to break the group up we should be able to have more time for folks to be "hands on" at each of the stations even with only a couple of pots available....
Click to expand...

OK. If that changes let me know and I'll bring it along.
 
dropped in on a tire shop the other day, he wanted 10-15 bucks for a bucket. i called today and the employee said he probably had a bucket, got there it was a fraction of a bucket, but i gave him the $10 anyway. worked out to be 45# of weights. looks like hardly any zinc in there too

22 cents a lb. enough to cast over 1000 rounds, even after waste. sweet deal! much better than the 110 i was paying for 1k bullets.

this is going to rock! especially when it's 15 bucks for a full bucket.

thanks for putting on this seminar guys i can't wait
 
One of the other NES guys sent me a PM, asking me if sixty cents a pound was a good price for wheel weights. I responded that it wasn't. After some back and forth dialog it became obvious that he was getting that price from the scrap metal yard. I told him a couple of examples of deals that I had gotten.

Re-enthused, he went back out on the street, and hit a few more shops. He's now in the loop at one place, getting buckets full for CHEAP. Persistence pays off.

It's all about saving money, and getting stuff (especially bullets) as cheap as possible. So, cheap lead = cheap bullets.
 
Heads UP

HEADS UP, everyone:
  • The forecast is for some rain on Saturday. Rain and molten lead do NOT go together well.
  • The workshop will still go on as planned, rain or shine, so please plan on attending.
  • We will take measures to make sure we are all dry, and the Tinsel Fairy doesn't visit.
  • The hot parts of this workshop will be under roof!
  • E/C tells me that the club also booked a PARTY for Saturday, and that party will be using the clubhouse from 1-4 PM.
  • Bob and Mark, you'll need to presume that we do not have access to the clubhouse for your presentations. And, I'm told that we can only use some of the porch.
  • We'll most likely need to do the smelting and some of the other portions of this workshop under the shooting range roofs.

Whoever was volunteering to bring a generator, please make sure to bring it, we'll need the power, considering the party.

Food is somewhat uncertain, because of the party. E/C will bring a menu from a local sandwich shop, and offers to make a food run. Bring $$$ for your lunch either way.
 
Thanks, R1ch.

Dancing girls will be up to the whim of E/C who would be in charge of making such arrangements.

Boris said:
does anyone have 9mm ... Mak molds?
Click to expand...

Mak bullets are .363" in diameter. The 9mm mold I am bringing casts at .356" diameter.
Lee Precision has a double cavity mold for the Mak........... Their item 90466.
http://leeprecision.com/xcart/Bullet-Mold-Double-Cavity/

I don't have a Mak, and don't have any molds for it. What you learn on the 9mm Luger mold I'm bringing would apply to what you need to know for the Mak.
 

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