Kevin Stenberg
Well-Known Member
Is there somewhere I can go to get the specific measurements bullets are supposed to cast at. So I can look at the differences without having to purchase molds with dimensions wrong for the needs.
Kevin, check out Lyman's cast bullet handbook #3 for all the info on various alloys and how the various constituents affect final cast diameter and toughness. This goes for any mould. What isn't discussed in that book is how mould temperature, alloy temperature, and age also affect bullet diameter. I haven't pegged the exact metal that causes it, but sometimes bullets will grow significantly as they age harden. Pretty sure it's antimony that does most of the growing as it precipitation-hardens it, but sometimes it is dramatic, like nearly a thousandth of an inch in a month, so I think there's a catalyst, perhaps calcium or zinc that sometimes makes bullets grow more than other times as they age.