Sizing bullets ???

[ButlerFord45]

My PRS mould is casting .460 inch bullets with straight wheel weights.  Is this too much to try and size?  I've heard that sizing shouldn't be more than .002".  It is also my understanding that adding hardening materials, ie antimony, increases cast size, so that won't help.  Am I misinformed?  Any other suggestions?

[Cuts Crooked]

Sounds like ya need ta try pure lead, no WW metal, jist the real deal! Bet that'll bring em down ta size. :lol:

[ButlerFord45]

Thanks Cut's, but I guess that would be unacceptable.  That would require me to find a source of pure lead, and probably purchase it.  I'm still getting wheel weights for free, so the cost of a years supply of bullets would more than pay for a new mould, and I have never had any problem with bullets cast from the Lyman 452664 and Midway has the 4 cavity for $71.  I guess I'm gonna go that route.  I was really dissapointed when I tried to load the PRS bullets. They're  even too big to use as express bullets in the 45-70.
Oh, well, I have spent more on less before.

[Charlie Detroit]

Only your rifle can tell you if it's acceptable. Go ahead and try it!

[Cuts Crooked]

Check with old and well established plumbing supply outlets in your area. They may well have some on hand that you could pick up pretty cheap. Lead is no longer used in new building projects, but some of those places will have some in the back of the storeage area that never got sold. The stuff is DEAD SOFT!

[howdy doody]

Butler Ford, a pard of mine just got into casting and started out with balls for his remingtons. I asked where he got the pure lead for such an endevor and he told me that his dentist had plenty of it. I guess the use sheets of it to protect film for xrays and such. So, I guess if you are resourceful there are many places to find pure lead. I have been buying mine from Midway, but I am starting to look around and ask more. I may run into my own source of supply. Hmmmmm maybe a hospital.

[Silver Creek Slim]

ButlerFord45,
See the following link:
http://www.frontierspot.org/viewtopic.php?t=7158

Slim

[Pigeonroost Slim]

Butler; that is just too big!  Here is wut I told some other pards:

In regard to oversized boolits, other than the mold being improperly cut, there are two other mold related things that occur to me that could give fat pills: 1) lead splatter or excess baked on boolit lube on the mold faces and 2) improperly positioned handle pivot pins in the mold. The lead splatter can be gently cleaned away with a dental pick and the baked on excess boolit lube (periodic NRA Allox lube is necessary on the pins if you wnat your mold to last and last) cleans off with mineral spirits. The misaligned pin thing is another concern to bring to Doug Boochman's attention. I have seen that flaw in one PRS mold and one Mav mold so far.

To check for the misaligned pin problem, install your handles with the mold block halves assembled together. The handles should fit easily into the pivit pins without any binding. If you have to seperate the halves in order to install the blocks halves on the handles, then there is a problem. The halves must join together in a relaxed mode while casting; otherwise you will get erratically fat boolits.

I relube my molds every tenth drop during a castiing session (60 boolits) and I use Lee NRA Allox lube on a tooth pick or wood match stem to just touch the alignment pins and also the spru cutter pivots. Avoid excess and when excess does build, use a soft clean cotton rag to wipe it clean like a plumber wipes a solder joint. If it gets on your block half faces, clean with mineral spirits or such. Molds well treated should last a long time.



I hope you get lined out.  The original specs were stated with wheel wieghts in mind because that is what I use.

prs