New lee 22 cal mold

[KHornet]

Got the new Lee (6 Cav ) moldl 225-55. It wants to be cast hot, really hot. It looks like a cross between 225415 and the 55 gr. RCBS. Average weights of 25 weighed with my alloy (Hornady digital) was 55.7 gr. with a high of 57 and a low of 55. Available from Titan Reloading. Good place to buy Lee at decent price.

 

[Ben]

Hope to see some targets soon...........

Best,
Ben

 

[Brad]

I may need to borrow that mould and cast a thousand or so. If it shows promise in my AR I will buy one.

 

[JWFilips]

KHornet
Got any pics?

 

[KHornet]

Not yet JW

 

[frnkeore]

I bought mine about a month ago. The mold has impressed me. The bullets pictured are 4 of the first 10 that were cast with it, after I washed it out with boraxo.
The bands measure .225 and the nose is .2203, cast in 20/1. Two weigh 55.5 and the other two 55.7, w/o the GC. I haven't shot any yet and will ream the GC off before shooting them breech seated.

Frank

 

[KHornet]

Cast 250 of them today, with only about 100 serviceable. Yesterday I cast about 300 of them and only had about 60 serviceable. Today I ladled them, yesterday I bottom poured. The mold is very heat sensitive, and wants the mold very hot, just on the start of frosting. It is obviously female and very sensitive. Will be taking me awhile I fear to figure just the right temps, and technique. Those cast that looked good were very good, but some of the rejects were some of the worst rejects that I have ever cast.

 

[Brad]

I think I will stop by and borrow that mould this weekend. If it is like some Lee moulds it needs a few heat/cool cycles to settle down.

I need to get some tools for the lathe so I can make a .225 push thru sizer.

 

[frnkeore]

If you have any Boraxo around, try scrubing it out with a toothe brush. I didn't use a hot place. My only per-heat was seating on the side of the pot. My temp was 780 deg and I bottom poured. I guess that I should have added that I was using a 2 cav. not a 6.

Frank

 

[KHornet]

Scrubbed the cavities well (twice). Heated & cooled the mold twice. Only thing I haven't tried so far is pressure casting. And that will be next.

 

[KHornet]

If I cant get this 6 banger working to myi satisfaction, it goes back to the factory with a whole bunch of questions. Am tempted to get a two banger, but not quite yet. Pressure casting didn't produce any better results. Been casting for 50 years and never ran into a mold quite as big a pain as this one is.

 

[KHornet]

Wrote letter to Lee, advising of the situation. Will be anxious to

 

[KHornet]

Received a response from Lee, saying:"You are welcome to return the mold, with sample bullets, a note stating the problem, and a copy of your receipt of purchase. Make sure the mold is prepared per provided instructions so that we can test it. I will do just that and have it in the mail in the next day or so minus the receipt of purchase which I didn't keep. Hardly ever keep receipts. Probably a mistake on my part.

 

[K.O.]

Thanks for posting the pics still have to get a pot and have more studying to do before I begin learning to cast... I picked up this and the Bator mold and It seems that at .130 the sprue hole cold be smaller it is 3/4 the size of the base of the bullet and that sounds like a recipe for distorted bases. and honestly I will probably have to mill them off anyways to get them down in weight to use in a Benji Marauder thru a Marlin 883N barrel at about only 60-70 fpe after I carve it down to closer to 40-43gr...I will also be trying the NAA cap and ball ammo I have been watching for a 225107 but singles seem to go for more than the double Noe 225-37 FN

 

[K.O.]

I will be trying out methods of shortening the nose (and experiment with re- swage with a top punch for consistency?) and/or gas check shank maybe even try to carve

more of a boat tail. There is a Boat tail that a guy name Bob designed for subsonic air rifles... I hope to have one made later toward Christmas...we'll see then...

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=83019.0

to make it suitable for my 70fp and the 1:16 microgroove barrel...I will shorten the nose and go for about 1.8 calibers, It will be a while before I get all my ducks in a row... still need a thermometer, lead, flux, pot, and ladle etc... Do you guys like the Lyman ladle... think a neophyte can cast .225 with a ladle? I did work as a core/mold maker on the sand side of an aluminum foundry for about a year...we did some lost foam also... did not get to learn the permanent mold side...

a few guys are using the BBT in various calibers with good results... So hi my name is Kirby and am looking forward to the adventure of learning how to pour these little pills over the next year...

 

[KHornet]

Will post the response from lee wen I get it. I have an early Bator Mold, and the holes were much smaller than the new bullet 6 banger. Actually, the bases were not half as much problem as voids and wrinkles regardless of temp of the melt.

 

[K.O.]

I am hoping that setting the mold on a saw blade on a hot plate and keeping temp up and keeping to 2% tin (keep it soft for an air rifle). I figured get the 2 holer easier to learn than throwing a 6 holer at myself... How warm can you run an aluminum mold...

 

[K.O.]

"voids and wrinkles" voids we would suspect venting...

 

[Brad]

I am hoping that setting the mold on a saw blade on a hot plate and keeping temp up and keeping to 2% tin (keep it soft for an air rifle). I figured get the 2 holer easier to learn than throwing a 6 holer at myself... How warm can you run an aluminum mold...

How warm can you run an Al mould? Way hotter than it needs to be.

 

[KHornet]

Agree with Brad, I like to get them to the point where there is just a touch of frosting on the bullets.