Ruined mould ?

[RBHarter]

I guess not .
Almost immediately after getting my 358 Win a quest for a bullet started with a few borrowed from various sources and a bit of research. For a light bullet I have a 358-125 and 158 RNFP Lee so game bullets were the focus of the quest . The XCB 220 while ideally shaped didn't deliver for the suggested loads but it was also too soft at this point for the speeds at hand . An unknown 35-225 RNFP (as cast alloy unknown) also didn't deliver with fast loads . I shifted gears selected an inappropriate load slowed them to 2100 instead of 2500 fps and viola' little groups . This didn't fix me being out of pig in a poke bullets but left enough to load for the pig hunt .
I ordered a Lee c358-200 FP 6C and when I got went through the NOE prep steps of washing and heat cycles. This is of course where I got buggered up . I got distracted on the last cycle and left it unattended. .........for 36 hours . I expect that the mould peaked out about 550-600 degrees. The handle was charred and had flopped down but was still on the sprue lever . All of the hard anodize is gone from the sprue plate and the base half of the cavities and top of the mould were a medium blue .

I guess I got lucky .
The nose at the top band of randomly selected bullets from 6 pours is +- .0005 .353 and the band's are +- .0005 .360 and .361 . I wasn't pouring for perfect bullets by the 100 lot but rather to see if I had totaled the mould. I haven't weighed them but being round and within. 001 for half a dozen random bullets I expect them to scale close also . The 3rd pour got 6 bullets out of mould so I poured 30 or so and kept 22 it looks like . I was worried that the mould would be out of square or so soft that it would deform . Being a Lee on sale for $38 didn't inspire deep misgivings about the possible loss . If anything shows being bad after the mini session it would have been the mounting screws, a little synthetic 2 stroke and they were smooth and free too. I'd have been very sad if it had been a NOE 5C and mucked it up .

I guess you could say I went all out to see if I could ruin a mould and failed .

 

[KHornet]

Very informative~Life is often a learning process regardless of human error!

 

[35 shooter]

Guess that kind of speaks highly of a 38 dollar mould. Wow.
Lee is tougher than i thought they might be according to this.

 

[Ian]

You probably did the temper of the extruded scrap gummy block material a lot of good by giving it a good bake. Too bad about the oxide on the sprue plate, but if you can keep it lubed it's probably going to work fine.

I look forward to more reports on this bullet design in .35 caliber rifles, Glen gives it very high marks. It just got back in stock at Midway a couple days ago, I might have to pick one up just "because".

 

[Rick]

Some times a great deal can be learned from simple mistakes.

 

[fiver]

you may have done the mold some good.

one of the tricks I use with a super finicky aluminum mold that won't line out is to overheat it so the alloy won't solidify for a minute or so.
then I dump the alloy back out of it, wipe the mold down with a dry rag and shock it with some starting fluid.
I let it cool down then give it another go and it generally lines right out.

 

[RBHarter]

You probably did the temper of the extruded scrap gummy block material a lot of good by giving it a good bake. Too bad about the oxide on the sprue plate, but if you can keep it lubed it's probably going to work fine.

I look forward to more reports on this bullet design in .35 caliber rifles, Glen gives it very high marks. It just got back in stock at Midway a couple days ago, I might have to pick one up just "because".

As luck would have it I have a brand new steel plate and lever for it should it be needed .
I expect it will be late summer before I get to shoot any of these .

 

[Brad]

Any oil is certainly burned off!
I bet it works just fine. Keep the plate lubed and it will rain bullets.

 

[RBHarter]

They mostly just fell out . The initial defects were I think from the NOE lube ,I may have been too generous with it.
Also I'm out of practice and ran small batches in 4 moulds at 1 setting from 2 pots .

 

[JonB]

you may have done the mold some good.

one of the tricks I use with a super finicky aluminum mold that won't line out is to overheat it so the alloy won't solidify for a minute or so.
then I dump the alloy back out of it, wipe the mold down with a dry rag and shock it with some starting fluid.
I let it cool down then give it another go and it generally lines right out.

You just do that for the fumes, don't you

 

[JonB]

snip...
I look forward to more reports on this bullet design in .35 caliber rifles, Glen gives it very high marks. It just got back in stock at Midway a couple days ago, I might have to pick one up just "because".

I bought one (6 cav) in November from FSreloading ($22 black friday special), it dropped bullets at a shy .3575 at best, so I sold it. Since Midway was recently out of stock, the signs are good that you'll get one from a new batch ...and as we all know with Lee, "it's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you'll get"

 

[Ian]

True about Lee, but it's been better since they re-tooled with CNC equipment.

 

[fiver]

hey I like starting fluid.
it's also good at cleaning stuff, especially electrical equipment.

no seriously I use it to get the de-greaser off and not leave a film behind.
and it does have a lemony fresh scent everybody enjoys.

 

[RBHarter]

Mmmm ether....... I never cared for electric or brake cleaner . 130 octane AVGAS is nice ,aromatic fuels and all.

 

[JonB]

Fumes !!! I guess we all have are 'thing', for me it is a tie between two (which are very similar):
two cycle exhaust from a small outboard boat motor,
and the 2 cycle oil mixed with gas that is 'misted' out of a old time single cylinder snowmobile carburetor...that is uncomfortably near the "swimsuit area"

Go Scorpion !

 

[Pistolero]

Looks like you still have a good mold, that is good news. Strange to see the sprue plate
look like bare aluminum.

OK, a swerve in the thread..... I was just out looking at this mold (Lee 200) at MidSouth, and they had a little
"you might also like" window, which had the .22 Bator mold in it.

I have heard that Lee has messed up this design, but others seem to have had good results, but I am
not at all sure which versions are being discussed. Seems like the original GB design got done right
for a while and then "messed up"... did it ever get straightened back out?

Anybody have a recent ".22 Bator" from MidSouth that they know has good dimensions and works
well?

Bill

 

[fiver]

I'd be more inclined to look at the rcbs 22 cal copy they are doing.

every time I hear about the bator molds it's a different story.
one run is good one is waay off sometimes it's half and half where a bad one goes back and a good one comes in as a replacement.

 

[Ian]

I have a 2c and 6c mould in 55 grain, I had my doubts at first due to the unimaginative, parallel nose shape, but it fits and shoots well for me so far. Bands cast .226 or so.

 

[Pistolero]

Ha, same can of worms. Two reliable sources......two different answers.

I think I may spring for the $18 for a 2 cav and see what happens. Seems to be no reliable
answer. Ian's work, but who knows what I will actually get? Like fiver says - one run is good,
next is not.

Bill

 

[Ian]

Bill, I wasn't very clear, I have the RCBS copy to which Fiver was referring, NOT the Bator mould. The Lee 22-55-RF is a pretty decent little bullet after all, gas checks fit, casts well, fits and cycles great in my ARs. Not much not to like.