Buletts cast out 6 grains over mould size

[shamanlcs]

I just (tonight) started casting with a Lee production pot 10#.My first casts weight in at 231 (452.dia) but as I got warmed up the majarioty 90% of the rest of my practice session came out ar 234 gr.
What am I not doing right and will they still work out of my standard .52cc.45 .230 load?

[shamanlcs]

appearantly it was a dumb question!

[RobS]

No your question is not a dumb one.............give us a bit to look at your post. Anyway, the bullets that you first started with were probably not as filled out due to the mold no being at proper casting temp. As you continued on the mold came up to a warmer temp and probably had better fill out.

These bullets are ok to use as a standard 230 grain bullet just back off the charge weight a bit at first to make sure that you are under max pressures. You can then work up while looking for pressure signs or chronographing the loads.

Welcome to the forum!!!

[35remington]

4 grains is a negligible increase, and most moulds don't throw a slug exactly to weight because the alloy used will vary.

Use the same data....you're good.

0.52CC doesn't mean anything unless you tell us which powder it is. I presume you're using the Lee Disk measure or Perfect.

[That'll Do]

No, not a dumb question at all, sometimes it just takes a bit for people to answer.

A mold's weight is for a particular alloy. For example, a H&G #68 (200gr SWC) will cast a 200gr boolit with Lyman #2, but let's say you cast with wheelweights, so your boolits will be slightly heavier.

No big deal–6 grains isn't much to worry about.

[mooman76]

They should be fine. 6 grains is not that much and there are allot of variables that effect the weight of the final product including the mould could be off a tiny hair. As long as they come out the right size, you're fine.

[shamanlcs]

thank you guys ,as you can tell I am a bit anxy about my new hobby....I am goning to try Longshot " powder..The data chart shows 6.3 grains for the 230 .45..The VMD comes in at .52 cc on the lee pefrect powder measure...I am really cranked up about re-loading..I am a Vietnam combat vet 1st cav.and still bleed red white and blue....My weapon of choise over there was my M-60.And I have my C&R license..Thanks again for answering the question and again i apologize for my exhuberance..Same way when I got my first Garand....!

[gray wolf]

At ease troop, and let the old vets carry you through this one and --------
thanks for your service.
Don't worry about the little grain Wt. difference it will be fine. just do as been suggested and they will shoot fine.
I have had good results with long shot powder, it gives good Vel. with lower pressure and accuracy is very good. I did find it quite dirty and since have gone to tite group.
I still use the Long shot in my Beretta 96, 40 Cal.

[theperfessor]

I'll second Gray Wolf's "thanks for your service". Welcome, glad to have you as a member.

I've found the people here are very helpful, and I've found the best way to get their help is share as much information as possible. Lets say you have a feeding problem with a .45. If you start a "help me out guys" thread tell everybody what gun you're using, the load specs (bullet, powder, primer, etc.), magazine type/brand, and anything else that would help narrow down the problem. With all the people here at least one or two, maybe more, will have experience with the problem you're dealing with and can help you out.

It's nice to see a new member's first post be a concern about safety.

There are lots of threads here about loading .45 ACP, its a real popular cartridge among bullet casters. If you have time you might want to check some of them out. There are lots of good powders and bullets around for it, and trying different loads to find what works best in YOUR gun is part of the fun of reloading and bullet casting.

[RobS]

There are lots of good powders and bullets around for it, and trying different loads to find what works best in YOUR gun is part of the fun of reloading and bullet casting.

+1 on this one

[MtGun44]

As has already been said, 4 gr different than spec if extremely minor. Many molds will cast
a lot more than that from the nominal wt. As far as loads, remember that the scoops are
not super accurate, so make sure you leave yourself a good safety margin. I use Lee
scoops all the time (and have since about 1974) and am very aware of their advantages and
disadvantages. Used in an extremely consistent fashion they are pretty darned consistent,
but not accurate in an absolute sense.

What I mean is that while a chart may say that a scoop will measure 5.4 gr of something, you
may find that it is actually 5.7 gr, but if you are extremely careful how you use them, you may
get the variation down to about .1 to .2 gr.

Give your self some good margin for error if you don't have a powder scale.

Bill

[AZ-Stew]

My calculator says that 234 gr minus 231 gr is a difference of 3 gr. In a nominal 230 gr boolit, that's less than 1.5 percent. Absolutely nothing to worry about.

Be sure your boolits are completely filled out with no base voids (holes) and that the base edge corner is sharp (or filled out for a bevel-base design) for best accuracy. also, be sure the boolits are a good fit for your gun. Read around the site and you'll find more info on proper sizing. There are lots of ways to do it and several ways to make the measurements, so I'm not going to write a book on it in this post. Study and decide on a method that works best for your circumstances.

Regards,

Stew