manureman Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 Haven’t ever cast a single bullet yet but after Doc’s advice a while back I’m fixin to start. I’d sure appreciate some advice on .44 cal. molds , I’d like something I can load down to 44 special or up to .44mag and use in both revolvers and lever guns, and I kind of worry about them feeding in the lever guns so I’m thinking a round nosed style might be best and in the neighborhood of 240 or so grain . I understand I’ll probably need to powder coat em for the magnums. Kind of a tall order for a single bullet but seems some of you all are well educated in this business so thought I’d ask before ordering. Thanks Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 Hey Jim, unless you’re a die hard perfectionist. Lee brand molds are not only economical but easy to use. Best of all I’ve never had a problem with under sized slugs even when using a hodge-podge of scrap lead. In my experience modern Lyman molds are as the ol’grey mare, ain’t what they used to be. I ve had problems with under sized castings with Lyman unless I want to spend the bucks for the Lyman #2 alloy. I love SAECO and RCBS molds which I’m told are manufactured by SAECO but they are expensive. LEE makes a good 44 cal round nose that flows perfectly in my 44 mag Rossi lever loaded down using 44 Special data. I also have a long discontinued Lyman round nose that uses a gas check if I want to heat’em up in my Rossi. I waited months before finding it on EBay. I’ll pass the mold number later if I can locate it. For 44 Mag loads the 240gr semi wad cutters are wonderfully accurate but might be sticky in a lever action rifle. If you want to heat them up I highly recommend using gas checks. The gas checks are not absolutely necessary for hot loads but there is always the one that leads up a bore to destroy accuracy and ruin the remaining range time. Gas check mold castings can be used without a gas check but can be a PIA lubing. Keep in mind that bullet lube is not really a lubricant but a sealant. The sealant puts a barrier between the hot burning gas and the lead slug. Without lube or a gas check there is enough heat to actually cause lead particles to evaporate then swiftly solidify against the cooler barrel causing a lead build or leading up in the bore. I’ve had no experience with the baked on lube. Dr Hess can probably offer you some good advice. Possibly with Doc’s method it may be suitable for hot loads without a gas check. A few years ago Doc did a detailed thread on the method. Do a search and you can likely find it. The biggest benefit I’m aware of with the coated slugs is a considerable savings in time as opposed to lubeing the castings one at a time. The Lee roll-on goo is often under rated. It does do the job, easy but can be messy to use. Just don’t count on it for hot loads. I use Lee goo almost exclusively for my plinking loads in 38 and 44 Special. I do take the extra step of dusting the Lee lubed slugs with motor mica. Graphite also works well BUT don’t pick your nose, rub your eyes or scratch an itch. The black sticks to everything your fingers touch. As a side note, motor mica is great lube for inside the case neck without worrying about contaminating the powder charge. Proper neck crimp is important with cast bullets. Without a good crimp it can cause the slugs to back out binding up a revolver, jamming up a mag or collapsing the bullet into the case in a lever action mag tube. Be leery of Lee’s Factory Crimp Die. The die does a wonderful job of crimping but the carbide ring can reduce the size of a seated lead bullet. I had a bad one years ago in 45 cal. It worked fine using FMJ’s in 45 ACP but not so well using lead bullets sized .452. I sent it to Lee and they sent one back that works fine. My 38 and 44 crimp dies worked perfect out of the box. In summary I can say welcome to bullet casting, a hobby in its self. Just like guns or reloading tools when you think you have all the molds you need. You wind up buying or wanting more. One of the best things about bullet molds. You can always recover a good portion of your investment putting them up for sale on eBay. I lost count of all the molds I bought and sold on eBay. A few years ago I had new in the box of long discontinued Lee single cavity 41 mag full button nosed wad cutters. I got them off Lee’s surplus page for a few bucks each. I put them away and forgot about them. After clearing out a closet, finding them I put them on eBay and got over a hundred for both, think it was 65 and 50. I still have 38, 41 and 44 full button nosed wad cutter molds. The light weight slugs make wonderful plinking loads. The 38 is remarkably accurate, enough that I bought it in a 6-cavity mold and have probably cast and shot over 2,000. I believe the 38 is the only full wad cutter mold Lee still makes. Unless you have the patience of a monk avoid the Lyman hollow based wad cutter molds. Wonderfully accurate but make sure there are no women or children around while casting. You will be cussing like a fall down drunk sailor with the high rate of rejects. I just lucked out getting started with bullet casting in the mid 80’s. Previously my casting was limited to just mini-balls. Melting lead in an old cast iron frying pan on top of a Coleman stove using an ancient soup ladle for a dipper. My X and I were hitting yard sales and came across a guy with a nearly new set of RCBS casting tools. I got a lead pot, bullet sizer with several dies, some 9MM and 38 RCBS and Lyman molds, a few handles and I can’t recall it all dirt cheap. I think it was $65. The seller was desperately trying to raise cash to bail his wife out of jail. Today just the RCBS pot alone will set you back more than 250. My X was then but now a former cop tried putting me on a guilt trip for my low offer. Telling me he really loves his wife saying after we left I should have helped him out and paid him more. My X after looking her up a few days later found out the seller’s wife was passing bad checks apparently to support a drug habit. She was also suspected but not charged for prescription fraud and had a previous hit for shoplifting. WHOA, sorry again guys for rambling, reminiscing, and thinking out loud on the key board again. At least now I spent or probably better said wasted away enough time typing this post that I now have now excused myself putting the dishes and cleaning the kitchen off to tomorrow. Pardon any grammar or spelling errors. If I proof read this post I’ll start typing again. Just blame the mistakes on my govt school education!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted November 23, 2019 Report Share Posted November 23, 2019 I've actually been casting a decade longer than Az. Who'd-a-thunk it? 'Course, I started at 13 so I could afford to shoot 45. I agree, the Lee molds are a good way to go. In my powder coating thread, I show a tray of the Lee 240GR 44 mag ready to go. I'd have to look, but I think I have a few laying around. I was working up a load for the 429 DE (for those times when a 44MAG just isn't enough gun.) No gas checks, just lead (straight from your wheel weights) and powder coating, and pushed them to 1500 FPS. Life got in the way of that project, and it's on the back burner now. There are some caveats with the Lee molds. You need to stake the pins, and you can't beat on them like you can with a SAECO mold. But for the money, you can't go wrong. My offer of walking you through the whole process stands, if you can get the time to swing by. And if you want some powder coated 240GR's to play with, let me know and I'll bring some up to Springdale when you are on a run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted November 24, 2019 Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 I might add, clip-on lead wheel weights are becoming a rare commodity. Today one has to weed out zinc and steel clip-ons. Zinc will ruin a batch of molten lead and steel just get in the way. The older clip-ons contain tin and antimony and we’re a near perfect blend for bullet casting. The stick-on wheel weights are near pure lead but one has to weed out the Zinc weights. I scrape wheel weights on a cement driveway. Lead will feel like writing with a chalk stick. Zinc and steel feel like rubbing a stone. Look up the temperature lead melts and keep it below the melting point of Zinc. Once you destroy a pot full of molten lead with Zinc and discover it is nearly impossible to properly fill a mold. You learn quickly to cull the Zinc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manureman Posted November 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2019 You guys are great! That’s the mold I was eye balling .Az having just dipped my toe Into this I’d forgotten about the lube till you mentioned it and my leverguns are Rossi too, they’re actions felt like they were full of gravel till I ordered a dvd off line on how to slick em up, really helped things a lot but I still have concerns but you’ve helped ease my mind on that some. Doc I’d love to come have you walk me through it and just have a chance to visit with you but the reality of things is it just ain’t gonna happen because of my butt being in a road tractor seat at night and a farm tractor seat in the daylight and seems I just can’t get caught up. Had a wiring fire on my combine and have been waiting on a harness to get it up and running so I’ve still got corn and beans to get in and for that matter I ain’t even got all my hay home yet ! Seems I’m getting a lot slower a lot faster than I ever expected but I really do appreciate your offer a bunch. I would like to try a few of those bullets but I don’t want to drag you out that time of night over something like that. How about if it wouldn’t be to much trouble you PM me your address and I’ll Mail you a $20.00 or two and you mail me about a dozen or so at your convenience? Guys thanks again you really are a big help . Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted November 25, 2019 Report Share Posted November 25, 2019 You don't need to send me any money, Jim. Just PM or email me your address and I'll send some up your way. Or if I left them with the guard at the gate for you, would that work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manureman Posted November 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2019 Doc I just came through the plant and asked the guards and they got all squirrelly acting about it even after explaining it wasn’t live ammo just the projectiles (simple bastards) so we better do it another way. I sent you my address and I’ll gladly pay you for the bullets ,postage and your aggravation just let me know. And please don’t get in any hurry or make a special trip just whenever you think about it and it’s convenient for you . Thanks Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted November 27, 2019 Report Share Posted November 27, 2019 OK, Jim. I'll get them out next week when I'm back at work. Mondays are bad and next Monday will be particularly bad for various reasons. So, Tuesday. When I was a kid going to gas stations to buy lead, they would say "what do you want it for?" If I said bullets, it was "no." So, I would say "fishing weights." No problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manureman Posted November 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2019 Yea I didn’t offer any info at first but was told one of the guys is real serious about his job and would probably open it to see what was in it and supposedly lives to make mountains out of mole hills and it would probably be better just to avoid any possible problems.... probably good advice. Sorry for the inconvenience but I do appreciate it , thanks again. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manureman Posted December 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 Got em Doc thank you very much! They look great. Do they need run through a sizer yet before I load them? Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted December 8, 2019 Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 No, I already sized them. They are ready to load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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