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Going to spend some quality time with the lead pot


Iron Pony

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All I need to do before getting started is grab some tin to alloy big bore bullets and move the radio out to the porch. Time to cast up a bunch of stuff for my pards and me too. Hopefully the 2F will arrive sometime soon so I can get the SDB cranked up for cowboy season.

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Gave some serious thought to casting today meself but it was so dank and foggy and misting.... even though it has warmed up some, it wasn't nice. Went down to the reloading room and made a bunch of shotgun ammo instead. Hopefully a lucky day that is good for casting will come along between now and spring. I have plenty loaded to go to WR and into spring, but I sure would like to get ahead of the game on bullets.

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Casting is magnificent karma juju therapy. Until the pour spout gets clogged again and I just go to the ladle. But then after ladling a while I get my rhytmn back. 'Tis a mood thang. A beautiful thing. Have been casting since the early 70's. Just go with the most standard boolit molds! A 38 is 158RNFP, 9MM is 124 RN, 45 ACP IS 230 RN, 45 LC is 255 RNFP, these are truths not to be tampered with. It is the year of the 100th anniverary of the 1911 and John MOSES Browning has spoken these things.

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Aw, come on folks. What's this weather dependent before one lights up the pot and starts dipping with the ladle? :blink: :blink:

Casting weather should be any day the mood strikes ... could be 52 weeks in a row!

Just open a couple of windows in the basement, point the floor fan from the gas stove to the windows and have a go at it.

 

I was even talking with my gun crank friend today, asking if he had any of the Rapine Gallery bullets left? Nope, we both shot them all up. Bill has the mold, it is one that he refuses to lend, for good reason. Anyway, his comment ... 'Weather's getting about right to do some casting' ... geeeez!

 

Reason the Mold is Not Loanable - Rapine Closed the Doors - Ellsworth Retired!

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Ah, casting on the stove? No wifey to criticize this? I use either an electric pot or a dedicated old BBQ grill with a flue tube full of "Cowboy charcoal" that really heats it up. All outdoors even in the snow. It is a mood thing. But I always cast too hot and get those too soft (scrape off al lthat "flux"), frosty boolits that do work sooo well at CAS velocities perfectly coated with Lee Tumblelube Alox (smokeless only, of course). No leading for moi!

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Well it was a good day, got a whole bunch of 38 Snakebites cast up for Wylie Harp so as soon as Sixgun gets em run through the star lubesizer we are going to piss off USPS and put a real heavy flat rate box in mail to him.

 

Alloyed the pot and did up enough 500 grain big bore bullets to do some more loading for the Sharps and have enough left over to see if Chelsea Kid wants to try them in his new 45-120. Going to put those through the Lyman and apply a ton of bees wax/olive oil then go back out on the porch and make 405s and 520s. If the big bullets ever get commercial Sixgun and I are really going to look close at a master caster from magma. Hand casting them is very labor intensive.

 

Once done with the big bullets Iron Horse Pete gets his 45 superlights. Then just maybe I'll have the chance to cast up some Mav Dutchmans for me. Bucket load of brass ready to go and the order from Maine Powder House should show up today. Gotta love getting a box in the mail that has EXPLOSIVE stickers on it.

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I guess I shouldn't tell you folks that I live on the central coast of California (average temp. 65-75 degrees) and have an 18 year old son that has set up my casting table and loves to cast bullets. Last casting session he came back with the most beautifully casted 200 grain 45 LC bullets that almost filled a 50 cal ammo can. I couldn't believe my eyes! Those bullets have lasted me for months. It is the only bullet I use since I only load one load for rifle and pistol. Not bragging, just glad I'm no longer in snow country to have to worry about moisture and the like. Best of luck to you all and to the onset of spring. Smithy.

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OK another several hours at the pot and I've got a enough heavy weight bullets to turn Chelsea's shoulder into hamburger. That 520 runs a pot down quick and especially with trading off between it and the 405.

 

Pete, the pots full again with dead soft and your order is next on the agenda.

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I'm 1000 44-40 big lubes ahead and 1200 454 round balls. I have all of my brass loaded for 44-40 and 800 shotgun loaded. I've got more wads coming in so I can load all of my shotgun hulls. I'm good until May or June anyway.

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