RCBS rain of bullets (357-180-SIL), 285448, 358627 responds, 375296 recalcitrant

Elric

Well-Known Member
Finally stopped being rainy, windy, and cold. It warmed up into the 60s on Thursday... Whipped out my Pro-Melt and fired up a big pot.... Put the 375296 and 358627 on to let them warm up. Casting results were crude. I filled the cavities with the sprue plate swung off to the side, poured lead after the cavities were filled, tried direct connection to the sprue hole... Neglected and rejected...

Whipped out the cool 357-180-SIL and the 285448, and within three pours there was a rain of good bullets falling from the RCBS mold. The 285448 held on to the bullets, but still was turning out nice edges. Churned out about 50 of each. Ran the pot down to about 1/3d full. Stopped, refilled, and while the melt came back up, I sordid the bullets out and returned sprue to pot.

When things were ready, I had the old reprobate come out and try the 375296 again, bad fill, bases rounded. He had to take off a short while later, leaving the mold on the Pro-Melt. A bit later, I went out, poured up more 285448 and 357-180s, then I decided to try more 375296 and 358627. I figured more care with direct connection and starting with the mould horizontal, connecting the ladle to the sprue hole, then tilting both vertical, would help with the wavy fill and rounded bases.

When the moulds came up to temperature, they started to throw good bullets. I would like to point out a possibly subjective feeling, the RCBS ladle seems to have more weight when full compared to a Lyman ladle. Maybe the extra pressure helped... Dunno.

I drained the pot (four ingots worth) after working it down to about 1/4 full. Recharged it with WW and pure lead. Sordid bullets, returned sprue to pot.

The 285448 are for the 7-30 Contender. Even though it shoots pretty good at 50yds, the case fill with Unique is less than 1/3rd. I wish there was a 7mm SPC. Case fill would probably hit 1/2 full.
 
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Ben

Moderator
Staff member
I realize that there are thousands of casters who have excellent results with bottom pour. With that said, I personally am a ladle caster. I've always had great results with my Lyman ladle ( for about 50 years now ) . It just seems to be a system that I can't leave.

Sounds like you had an enjoyable day. That is what it is all about.

Ben
 

Elric

Well-Known Member
I used my RCBS ladle for all casting. Still too windy for bottom casting, it seems the spout freezes more often than not.

The Pro Melt is on a table on the sidewalk, about waist high. Too poor of an angle to see where the spout and sprue hole are for bottom pour. Yes the Pro Melt has that funky angled rod, which does not have a stop that I am aware of. As I said, the RCBS ladle seems to have more lead capacity. I could do a pseudo-scientific experiment and do a complete ladle pour from a Lyman and an RCBS ladle into different ingot moulds, then weigh the resulting pours.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I use a Rowell #2 ladle. It holds enough lead for me to pour all 6 cavities of any Lee 6 cav mould I own, including a 420 gr 45-70 bullet. For the lighter ones or a 2-4 cavity it lets me keep the mould nice and hot.
Think not of pouring lead but rather pouring heat. That ladle is what finally made my 313640 HP mould from NOE work without nose wrinkles. Bottom pour just couldn't keep it hot enough.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
I've heard before it's not pouring lead but rather pouring heat. Wise advice it is. :D