Good morning all, I have a number of firsts for you all today. My first time casting .38 special wadcutters and semi-wadcutters...first time using the new Lyman Mag25 furnace...and first time using 2-2-96 lead.... What I have read so far says 500 degrees is about the best temp for this bullet. any sage advice?? I'm new here, Steve in middle Tennessee, Winchester to be exact.
What temp for .38 sized bullets?
- Thread starter chef50
- Start date
Winelover
North Central Arkansas
Depends on your alloy and method of casting.
I set my Mag 25 at around 710 degrees, but I also drop the sprues back in the pot, after cutting them. Also, I'm ladle casting and letting the excess alloy flow back into the pot, while pouring. Mostly using an approximation of clipon WW alloy.
I set my Mag 25 at around 710 degrees, but I also drop the sprues back in the pot, after cutting them. Also, I'm ladle casting and letting the excess alloy flow back into the pot, while pouring. Mostly using an approximation of clipon WW alloy.
Welcome Steve!!! That alloy should work great for 38s...
Honestly, I don't know what temp I'm really casting at... but we tend to look at two numbers.... alloy temp and then the actual mould temp.
I go more by characteristics of the melt, and how it performs with the mould. If the bullets are wrinkled, frosted, or just right... how well are they filled out... time to solidify... is the melt super runny, or does it want to make a pool on top for the cavity to suck it in as it cools...
Cheers!!
Andy in Oregon
Honestly, I don't know what temp I'm really casting at... but we tend to look at two numbers.... alloy temp and then the actual mould temp.
I go more by characteristics of the melt, and how it performs with the mould. If the bullets are wrinkled, frosted, or just right... how well are they filled out... time to solidify... is the melt super runny, or does it want to make a pool on top for the cavity to suck it in as it cools...
Cheers!!
Andy in Oregon
leadastray
New Member
Hi Steve. Lead melts at about 630 degrees F so I doubt you will have much success at 500 F. I cast almost nothing other than 38 semi and full wadcutters. I initially set my Lyman Mag25 to about 780F and once the molds are hot and casting well (I use two at a time) I drop the temp back progressively to about 720 -730 and cast at a constant speed ignoring all interuptions. The lower the temp you can cast at while still getting good fillout the better your lead mix will stay without the tin excessively oxidising. I stir in and then keep a light sprinkling of pine sawdust (most any sawdust will do) on top of the melt. The carbon content helps de-oxidize any oxidised tin.
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Ian
Notorious member
What no one has mentioned yet is the importance of the difference between MOULD temperature and POT or alloy temperature. Generally, maintaining your melted alloy at about 100 to 200⁰F higher than its melt point.... and staying under 750⁰F is good for all occasions with lead-antomony-tin alloy. 96-2-2 alloy becomes fully liquid at about 580-590⁰F, I'd run it at about 725 to 740.
Cold moulds make wrinkled bullets with shrunken, rounded edges and bases. Most moulds need to be in the 380-450⁰F range to cast well, so don't chase your tail with all the advice you'll get about oil in the mould until gou have made four complete casting cucles per minute for five minutes straight and are having to wait 3-5 seconds for the sprue to flash over before cutting it. A HOT mould is a happy mould.
Cold moulds make wrinkled bullets with shrunken, rounded edges and bases. Most moulds need to be in the 380-450⁰F range to cast well, so don't chase your tail with all the advice you'll get about oil in the mould until gou have made four complete casting cucles per minute for five minutes straight and are having to wait 3-5 seconds for the sprue to flash over before cutting it. A HOT mould is a happy mould.
quicksylver
Well-Known Member
2-2-96 great alloy, Like Popper says to cold 700-725 mold temp around 350,or until they cast clean/ frost
JonB
Halcyon member
500º is about the melt temp of your alloy...that's probably what you read, but you will need it to be hotter for casting bullets.
As others have mentioned, you want to be about 150 to 200 higher than that for your alloy temp.
exactly What temp you want to dial your Lyman Mag25 to, will vary with ambient temp of room/area where you are casting, and if there is a fan or breeze blowing to cool things down. Another consideration is the metal the mold is made from. Iron molds hold temp better than Alum, so you can get by with cooler alloy temp.
What I do is start around 675º and dial it up or down, as needed for whatever the current conditions are. Keep notes of what works best, so next time you'll have a closer place to start.
Good Luck.
As others have mentioned, you want to be about 150 to 200 higher than that for your alloy temp.
exactly What temp you want to dial your Lyman Mag25 to, will vary with ambient temp of room/area where you are casting, and if there is a fan or breeze blowing to cool things down. Another consideration is the metal the mold is made from. Iron molds hold temp better than Alum, so you can get by with cooler alloy temp.
What I do is start around 675º and dial it up or down, as needed for whatever the current conditions are. Keep notes of what works best, so next time you'll have a closer place to start.
Good Luck.
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Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
WELCOME
As others have stated, 500 degrees may be a bit low. And there's a difference between the temp of the alloy and the temp of the mold.
I purchased a thermometer years ago and can’t remember the last time I used it. It’s just not needed. You can set the temperature by the quality of the bullets you are getting and that’s probably a better yardstick than using a thermometer.
As for the bullets – 38 Special is by far my favorite handgun cartridge. I’ve loaded and shot and small mountain of 38 WC’s and SWC’s. Just an awesome cartridge on all levels.
That alloy should be about 11 BHn which is fine for 38 Special. (you can get by with even softer alloy if you want)
fiver
Well-Known Member
i usually start with my dial 'set' [paint marker slash mark according to my thermo] to about 725 for everything, then i back it down as i get into cruise speed.
my cruise speed seems to be about 4 casts per minute give or take a little, but the main thing is everything has basically settled down and is heat soaked,,, including me.
my cruise speed seems to be about 4 casts per minute give or take a little, but the main thing is everything has basically settled down and is heat soaked,,, including me.
burbank.jung
Active Member
I've read that the proper temperature is to turn you pot down slowly until your molten lead begins to solidify, take that temperature and add 100 degrees. I have a bottom pour pot and just turn my pot up so if it's down further, the lead hardens too soon and too high and the lead flows too fast.
CZ93X62
Official forum enigma
Most of my casting has involved tri-metal alloys (Pb/Sb/Sn). I set the furnace to 750* to begin, and flux thoroughly. Like fly fishing, some false casting helps to work the line out/heat the mould up. As the mould warms and casts improve the furnace temp is lowered to 700* with aluminum blocks or 675* with iron/steel blocks.
Unalloyed lead needs more heat--start at 850* and slowly lower to 800* regardless of block metal.
Heat is your ally in this game. Heat level maintenance is a function of intial alloy temp balanced with casting rate and heat loss due to mould metal conductivity. Aluminum mold blocks shed heat faster than iron/steel blocks. I have no experience with brass mould blocks. Once all is humming along, I like opening sprue plates with a gloved hand.
Unalloyed lead needs more heat--start at 850* and slowly lower to 800* regardless of block metal.
Heat is your ally in this game. Heat level maintenance is a function of intial alloy temp balanced with casting rate and heat loss due to mould metal conductivity. Aluminum mold blocks shed heat faster than iron/steel blocks. I have no experience with brass mould blocks. Once all is humming along, I like opening sprue plates with a gloved hand.
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