My first bullets! (with pictures!)

[maillemaker]

http://www.forth-armoury.com/temp/bullets/bullets.htm

Click on my thumbnails for larger versions in the above link.

I went out and purchased some Hornady 230g FMJ ball ammo to use as a guide for setting up my dies. The Hornady ammo had an overall length (OAL) of 1.25". However, when I drove my Oregon Trail cast bullet to that depth, the shoulder of the bullet was still visible above the case mouth. When I inserted the bullet into the (removed) barrel of my Ruger P90 pistol, I could feel a very slight stick as it went home - I suspect the shoulder of the bullet was biting into the ledge in the chamber that is meant to bear against the case mouth (the .45 ACP registers on the case mouth, not the rim).

So, I dialed down the bullet seating stem until the shoulder of the bullet was just flush with the case mouth. This resulted in an OAL of 1.232". The rounds sit in the barrel chamber as easily and well as a factory round. My case mouths measure .470" in diameter.

My Lee Reloading Die manual suggested 4.0 grains of Bullseye powder with a 230 grain bullet, as a starting load. Other sources corroborated this. However, the .43cc powder measure, which is supposed to drop 4.0 grains, only dropped 3.8 grains on my machine. So I tried the .46cc chamber. This dropped 4.2 grains of Bullseye powder. Since it was suggested to me that 4.0 grains may not reliably cycle my action, and 4.4 grains would be better, and 5.0 grains is the maximum, I think I will be safe starting with 4.2 grains of powder.

I made 10 rounds, and I will try them this weekend. Hopefully my gun does not blow apart.

What do you think?

Steve

 

[snuffy]

Are you making bullets, or loaded ammo, cartridges, rounds, shells?

Some pics would be nice, everybody likes to show off their first born!

 

[DiscoRacing]

there was pics.... if ya look hard...LoL... J/K

... think he reloaded with boughten casts.

 

[maillemaker]

Are you making bullets, or loaded ammo, cartridges, rounds, shells?

Some pics would be nice, everybody likes to show off their first born!

I'm reloading .45 ACP cartridges. Click on the link I provided above to see the pictures.

Steve

 

[grubbylabs]

I think it is to late for you. Its kinda like a one hit addiction, it only takes shooting your own loads once to be hooked. Wait till you discover casting, I just shot my first cast bullets to day. This hole shooting thing is very fun.

 

[maillemaker]

I bought myself a bullet mold for Christmas. I'm going to go hit up the tire shops tomorrow and see if I can scrounge some lead. If so, I'm going to buy a production pot and cast my own bullets.

I'm looking to get the cost per bullet as low as possible so I can shoot more.

It's so hard to justify $50-$100 for an afternoon of shooting.

Steve

 

[m&p45acp10+1]

Steve make sure you have a seperate pot to smelt the wheel weights with outside of the house. (They will smell like burning tires.) I just use a stainless stew pot I bought at a thrift store, and an old camp stove. For casting I use a stove, and an old iron skillet I bought at a garage sale for fifty cents. Works just fine for me.

 

[Rangefinder]

Oh yes---casting is such sweet satisfaction... You'll soon see. I'll tease ya with the cost effectiveness just for fun---I shoot my .40S&W for about 3.5 cents a pop. Beat that with a wal-mart roll-back!

 

[Myke_Hart]

Congratulations, This is a good first try. They look pretty good.

There are some things I am noticing from the pictures that will cause issues.

First .45 auto headspaces on the case mouth (just as you say in your page) but yours have a build up of lube or lead all around that area including the case. I would suggest using a cloth to wipe away the excess.

If the build up is lead, you may want to bell your cases a little further to prevent this. If it is lube just wipe it off.

The build up of anything on that case mouth is going to give you sticky feed issues in a semi auto like the p90. Now for revolver it is a little different, but you still do not want lube or lead on the outside of your cases.

Again congratulations!

Take note of lead in your barrel before shooting, and after.

 

[PA-Joe]

As you found out, you cannot used another manufacturer's COL to set up your dies. COLs are projectile specific based upon a bullet's ogive design and shape.

You can use the barrel-ammo spin test to confirm your ammo is not hitting the lands. That is basically what you did. Tried a round in the barrel and determined that the COL was too long. The reloaded round should spin freely in the chamber.

 

[maillemaker]

Steve make sure you have a seperate pot to smelt the wheel weights with outside of the house. (They will smell like burning tires.) I just use a stainless stew pot I bought at a thrift store, and an old camp stove. For casting I use a stove, and an old iron skillet I bought at a garage sale for fifty cents. Works just fine for me.

I have a cast iron dutch oven that I was going to use for the melting, along with one of those Harbor Freight single-burner propane stoves. I have some beeswax I was going to use as a flux, and I'll use mini muffin pans to make my ingots.

After I find a source for lead, I'm going to buy a Lee Production Pot with a bottom spout for melting and pouring into my mold.

If the build up is lead, you may want to bell your cases a little further to prevent this. If it is lube just wipe it off.

I have noticed some lube after seating the bullets - sometimes a very tiny sliver of lube comes out and is stuck on the bullet. But I also think the bullets may need to be seated just a tiny bit more - some of the shoulder of the bullet is still visible at the case mouth.

The reloaded round should spin freely in the chamber.

Ah, I had not thought of spinning them, good idea!

Steve

 

[maillemaker]

Take note of lead in your barrel before shooting, and after.

What does lead look like in a barrel? What sort of solvent should I use to clean it out? I have just used Hoppes 9 in the past. Does that work on lead?

Steve

 

[Domino]

If you get lead in your barrel it will look like gray/silver streaks running down along the grooves. I don't shoot cast bullets all that often and haven't really had much problem with leading but a good way to get any out is to get copper Chore Boys (scouring pads for dishes) and pull off some of the threads from one and wrap that around your bore brush, a few swipes makes a huge difference.

 

[wncchester]

Nice looking bullets. You made some nice looking cartridges with them too.

 

[gregjc9]

What does lead look like in a barrel? .....

Compliments of Google images.

 

[Myke_Hart]

What does lead look like in a barrel? What sort of solvent should I use to clean it out? I have just used Hoppes 9 in the past. Does that work on lead?

Yes lead will appear as gray streaks or if severe will look like the above picture.

A chore boy copper scrub pad makes short work of lead deposits. They can be found at any grocery store. Cut them up into small barrel size peices and push them thru.