weight of cast boolits not consistent....??????

Boolit Mold Join DateMar 2013LocationW. Central INPosts18

Having some issues with consistent weight of cast boolits.......

Lyman 429421-250K 4 cav.
Alloy is 50/50 Lyman #2 and PB
cast at 700* (thermometer), mold preheated on hotplate.
Most all boolits look good, nicely filled out..no wrinkles....not frosted....round... .4315 dia.
Visually, most all look good, but weight varies from 246 to 253....this from the middle of the pot (Lee 10# bottom pour)

They do seem to shoot well....and I know " if it ain't broke don't fix it........"
BUT, I'd like to see more consistent weights, ..(I'm somewhat anal retentive about such things!)
I'm new to casting boolits, trying to use same technique each time.

Tips for more consistency?????

If pot or mould temperature varies alot, weights will change.

Single cavity mould will be more consistant.

A sharp sprue plate cutter helps cut sprue even with boollit base.

Ladle pouring is very consistant IF you have good technigue.

650 - 675 pot temp should work

Boolit Mold Join DateMar 2013LocationW. Central INPosts18

I left the thermometer in the pot while casting...temp stayed pretty well from 680-710*......
mold temp??? I preheated the mold, poured 10 molds, then kept the next 10 pours to check weight with....
technique?? I'm opening the bottom pour fully, trying to put stream directly into cavity thru sprue hole.....

Sort by cavity to see if they match....???

Boolit Mold Join DateMar 2013LocationW. Central INPosts18

I'll try 650-675* tomorrow......
Maybe make a run of all one cavity to see if I can narrow down the issue, see if all cavities are same size.

It has happened that one or more cavities can be different from its confreres, but a more common cause is inconsistencies on the part of the caster. I find that as time goes by, my grip on the handles relaxes and the mold halves can spring apart slightly, not much, maybe only a thousandth of an inch, but enough to produce the kind of variance that you are describing. Try this. The next time you cast, set aside your first good cast, noting which boolit came from which cavity and do the same with your last cast. I guessing that the boolits from each cast will be pretty close one another, but the average of the first cast will be different than the last cast. And I also think the last one will be heavier than the first.

_________________________________________________It's not that I can't spell: it is that I can't type.

I don't weigh mine right away. I check for flaws and rounded bases first. I cull out all the rejects. AFTER I lube and add gas checks, then I'll select 10 to weigh at random and see what I've got. You're right though, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it."

HV

"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the
government take care of him--- better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford

Boolit Mold Join DateMar 2013LocationW. Central INPosts18

I checked the lightest of the bunch under a magnifying glass, couldn't find the missing lead anywhere!!!
Looked good on the outside, dimensions same as others......
That missing lead must be on the inside, a void somewhere, and probably due to technique I'm guessing.

Boolit Master Join DateJan 2009LocationMOPosts208

On any of mine they do vary slightly. Tonight I weighed some of my .356 124 grain and my samples were running between 124 and 125. The heaviest one I sampled weighed 125.3.

It's not the destination, it's the journey.

Boolit Mold Join DateMar 2013LocationW. Central INPosts18

1 or 2 grains sounds good......I'm getting 6 - 6.5gr when casting .431 250's.

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