S&W M620 Lee cast bullet loads (pics)

[Cloudpeak]

I loaded up some light cast bullet loads for steel plate practice (don't have to make power factor) and also for my wife to shoot. The bullets are Lee's 105gr SWC and their 125gr RN (non tumble lube design) loaded with W231. The targets were shot at 7 yards (the distance we shoot plates) from a bench, five shots. I'm pretty tickled.

[NHlever]

Sure looks like your gun likes those loads! That is good news for me since I just cast up a bunch of the Lee 105 swc, and 125 rnfp boolits. My first batch didn't shoot as well as yours out of 38 Special cases, but I'll load them in .357 brass this time.

[Cloudpeak]

Sure looks like your gun likes those loads! That is good news for me since I just cast up a bunch of the Lee 105 swc, and 125 rnfp boolits. My first batch didn't shoot as well as yours out of 38 Special cases, but I'll load them in .357 brass this time.

I've had really good luck with both of these bullets in several 9mm semi-autos. My STI Trojan load is 3.6 gr or 4.0gr of W231 with the 124/125 gr Lee RN bullets and 3.9 gr of W231 with the 105's.

Now to load up a bunch of 105's and start practicing for our steel plate shoots. The double action S&W revolver is my first one in almost 40 years. I've been shooting plates with 1911's and this double action revolver shooting thing is hard! Hopefully, with enough practice, I'll not embarrass myself at the shoots

I hope you get "dialed in" with the bullets you've been casting, especially the 105's. My lead supply will last forever if I shoot 105's!

[NHlever]

My 105 mold died. The retaining screw for the sprue plate was seized in the aluminum when I got it. I needed to flatten the sprue plate, so I soaked the screw with penetrating oil, and removed it. Of course the aluminum threads came out with the screw. Now I have to either fix the hole, or get another mold. Good news is that I have quite a pile of boolits to shoot in the meantime.

[Echo]

NHLever, Heli-Coil it. I assume you don't have the capability to do it yourself (or you would have already done it!), so go to a Auto Shop that does machine work. You might have to check a couple, but any good auto machine shop will be able to do Heli-Coils.
Or drill & tap for a larger screw. Maybe better, since then you can drill & tap for a grub Allen screw to lock the sprue plate screw.

[MtGun44]

Oversized screw should be fine. Drill and tap the next size, should be cheap and easy.

That 105 is a great boolit in 9mm or .38 Spl., basically a mini-H&G 68. I have loaded a
few for .380 ACP, not yet tested.

Excellent loads, great accy and should be nearly zero recoil.

Congratulations!

Bill

[jr545]

How come that tiny lil boolit left such a big hole in those two targets....

[RobS]

Oversized screw should be fine. Drill and tap the next size, should be cheap and easy.

Bill

I did the same thing Bill said with one of my Lees once. I didn't bother with the spacer and simply used whatever the hole diameter was in the sprue plate (can't remember though). It worked well and I continued to cast with that mold for a long time before I gave it too a friend. The mold is still in use and continues to throw bullets as I seen my friend casting with it just the other day.

[NHlever]

I got out the tools, and got that mold running fine again. I used a heli-coil as was suggested here. I still have a little stash from the old days, but do miss having a Bridgeport mill to do such things on. Work wasn't all bad. Now I need to get some Kroil, and tackle the other two.

[NHlever]

How come that tiny lil boolit left such a big hole in those two targets....

Hey, it's a tiny little target, and it makes the holes look big!