Cast Some Hollowpoints Today

[Bigslug]

The latest chapter in my Dad's various joint deteriorations has been a surgery fusing his right wrist. Leading us to some experimentation as to what guns he can (a.) shoot, and (b.) shoot comfortably. Among other things, we've cooked up a SWEET .44 Special load and have started playing with heavy .45-70 projectiles at subsonic speeds. Today, however, we decided to play with .38's. After cranking out a bunch of 175 grain solids from a mold I recently commissioned, we thought it might be good to tinker with some HP's.

358 Ranch Dog HP's.jpeg (80.3 KiB) Viewed 4378 times

If you've ever been curious about the tech for casting a hollowpoint, this is how NOE Molds does it. Their system has a bracket that bolts to the bottom of the mold into which you insert your hollowpoint nose pin. The bracket is angled so that when the halves of the mold are opened, the pin can tilt outward and the bullet is allowed to drop off - - if all goes well. Sometimes they can stick to the pins a little, or a lot. There's a little more voodoo and chipmunk juggling involved when it comes to casting hollowpoints.

Some of the end product:

358 Ranch Dog Boolits.jpeg (104.78 KiB) Viewed 4378 times

These were cast out of the cores melted out of jacketed bullets scrounged from various range berms with a little tin added to help the mold fill out properly. There's some trace antimony on board, but functionally, it's 25-1 lead/tin with a Brinnell hardness of 9.5.

That particular mold was a initially minor disappointment because, when seated to the crimp groove in .357 brass, the front driving band was too long to chamber in the Rugers. It worked OK in the Smiths, and could probably have been made to work in the Rugers with a trip through a sizing die, but that would have defeated the purpose of buying a tumble-lube mold. Thus, it's pretty much a .38 Special brass only proposition if I want a round I can shoot in anything. Since Dad's looking for comfort cartridges, this isn't a problem here.

Goal is to see what the velocity range is for expansion with this thing. Hopefully, this occurs without needing to get into +P pressure levels, but I ain't holding my breath. The Science will tell...

[Chiro1989]

Have you ever attempted to add a tip, plastic or otherwise, to a cast hollowpoint bullet?

[Zee]

Thems look nice.

[Bigslug]

Have you ever attempted to add a tip, plastic or otherwise, to a cast hollowpoint bullet?

Not as of yet. This batch went well, probably owing to gaining a lot more knowledge since the last efforts, but hollowpoints - at least with this system have been a trying PITA compared to solids.

A wax or silicone "initiator" is an interesting concept, but whatever tissue it runs into should fill the cavity on impact and serve the same function, so really not sure to what degree it would help. But, given that we're probably looking at British Webley speeds to keep the recoil manageable, it may be worth investigating.

Going closer to pure lead would help from that angle, but would make the casting more difficult. Even with roughly 4% tin, we had to run the pot at 825F to get those nice, crisp bands.

Game plan is to milk jug test starting with a .38 Heavy Duty/ baby .357 charge of 6 grains Unique, which should get a bit over 1000 fps in a 4" gun and work backwards from there until it stops expanding when fired from a 2" snubby. Unofrtunately, deer season begins to loom, and the milk jug stash is a bit depleted. Might be a spell before I get back to this, but will post what I find.

[bullsi1911]

Interesting. I am thinking of making some mild 38 snubbie loads using the Matt’s 148 grain HP:
https://www.mattsbullets.com/148-Grain- ... _p_40.html

I’ll probably use Trailboss just because it is so easy to load

[GrapeApe]

Slug, I know the original "Man Stopper Product Company" Hydrashoks I have (HBWC with a post) expand down to ~700fps into wet newsprint.

[Zee]

Interesting. I am thinking of making some mild 38 snubbie loads using the Matt’s 148 grain HP:
https://www.mattsbullets.com/148-Grain- ... _p_40.html

I’ll probably use Trailboss just because it is so easy to load

Trail Boss is the easiest powder I’ve ever used. Granted, not for rip roaring speed. But, to get cast handgun loads from .38-45cal from target to defense. It’s an easy button.

[mitdr774]

Trailboss is one of my favorite powders for very mild paper punching. I was shooting some 148gr DEWC from my 686 that would surprise me if they were even hitting 600 fps. Comical at the 50yd indoor range where you could watch them all the way to the paper and after a slight delay hear them hit the deflector plates at the end of the range.

Those are some really nice looking bullets. I plan on diving into casting some day and I suspect it will take me some time to get even close to something coming out looking like those.

[CPJ 2.0]

Damn nice looking projectiles!
Not needing hollow points, I’ve never even bothered looking at a mold. That’s pretty nifty.

If I need hollow points, I’ve half a mind to CNC machine them. Because CNC machine.

[JunkCollector]

Like your casting threads.

Curious what for you is a heavy 45-70 bullet ?

[mitdr774]

Curious what for you is a heavy 45-70 bullet ?

I have shot some ACME 576gr in my little .458 at about 1100 fps. I do have some Matt's bullets 730gr to try at some point if I can get them far enough in the case to actually chamber.

[fisheadgib]

Good looking bullets. When I'm casting hollowpoints, I wipe the pins and molds with a q tip wet with Kroil and I never have a problem with anything sticking. In fact, I lube all of my molds with Kroil.

[Bigslug]

Like your casting threads.

Curious what for you is a heavy 45-70 bullet ?

Roller & Postells.jpeg (195.96 KiB) Viewed 4285 times

535 grain Postell. Operates on the concept of being a .22LR match load upscaled. . .by A LOT. Boot them out the muzzle at subsonic speeds using something close to the trapdoor carbine's reduced powder charge (about 55 grains AAIC). Since they start subsonic, they stay subsonic, without any transsonic wobblies. There's a few others out there of similar design, generally resembling the Space Shuttle's main fuel tank.

[Bigslug]

Good looking bullets. When I'm casting hollowpoints, I wipe the pins and molds with a q tip wet with Kroil and I never have a problem with anything sticking. In fact, I lube all of my molds with Kroil.

Interesting. . .how many dud casts do you get with wrinkly bullets before the solvent vapors burn out of the mold? I'll wipe the bottom of the sprue plate from time to time with Veral Smith's moly/beeswax, hit the sprue plate hinge pin, and alignment pins from time to time with the same stuff, but that's about the extent of it. Can usually count on a few wasted pours until the wax burns out.

[fisheadgib]

Actually as long as I only put a light film on the mold, I don't get any wrinkles and it doesn't burn. I had read about using Kroil on a forum and was skeptical at first but after trying it, I started using it regularly. I just put a drop on a q tip and wipe a film on the mold, I don't wet the mold.

[breamfisher]

How often do you have to lube the mold with Kroil? Every session? Is it a oneish and done thing?

[fisheadgib]

How often do you have to lube the mold with Kroil? Every session? Is it a oneish and done thing?

It varies, when the bullets start sticking a little in the mold, I give it a wipe. I have mostly cheap aluminum molds and some stick alot and some don't.

[breamfisher]

Okay, thanks. I plan on buying some cheap aluminum molds for some casting, and while I use one mold that was smoked and works well, I'm always game to trying new stuff.

[fisheadgib]

Okay, thanks. I plan on buying some cheap aluminum molds for some casting, and while I use one mold that was smoked and works well, I'm always game to trying new stuff.

By cheap aluminum, I mean Lee as I have quite a few Lee molds. Don't get me wrong as they are decent molds. I did the smoking thing for a while but dabbing them with Kroil is faster and easier, and I think it works better.

[breamfisher]

I knew what you were talking about.

I have a .45 ACP mold, I just need some for .38/.357 and 9mm. Might get 2 for the .38/.357....

[fisheadgib]

I knew what you were talking about.

I have a .45 ACP mold, I just need some for .38/.357 and 9mm. Might get 2 for the .38/.357....

For .38 plinking, you can't go wrong with a Lee 158gr rn tumble lube bullet. I have a preference for 2 cavity molds as it's easier for me to keep a constant mold temp. Bigslugs bullets are the other end of the spectrum, those are some really cool exotic bullets.

[Bigslug]

Okay, thanks. I plan on buying some cheap aluminum molds for some casting, and while I use one mold that was smoked and works well, I'm always game to trying new stuff.

The Lees have a large following. The six cavity molds (which I've never tried) have a better reputation for longevity than the two, which I wouldn't really count on for long.

NOE makes a GREAT you get what you get, pre-set spec mold. Own a lot of them, and have had mostly great success with them. Sometimes you get a gun combo a certain mold doesn't fit well in, but for the most part, Al Nelson makes a fantastic mold for the money. Aluminum or brass.

MP Molds (Miha Prevec) out of Slovenia is very high quality stuff at a very reasonable price. I only own two - MKII and MKIV .455 Webley hollow-base molds, made out of brass. I consider Miha's Cramer-style system a superior way to cast hollow points or bases to NOE's tilting pins, but as you can see from Post #1, the NOE's can work quite well. Here's his MKIV (hollow base wadcutter):

.455 MKIV Mold.jpeg (1.08 MiB) Viewed 4214 times

Webley MKIV Fresh Cast.jpeg (941.08 KiB) Viewed 4214 times

Accurate Molds is FANTASTIC in that they are cut to order and quickly delivered. You want the bullets to drop at a specific diameter with a specific alloy? Tom can do that. Want the driving bands or crimp grooves relocated? Tom can do that do. Completely new design? Yep. Tom's your boy. He uses a little thicker sprue plate than NOE and they cut a NICE base. The insides are well polished and I've almost never had to fight to get the slugs to drop. He does aluminum, brass, or iron.

I'm partial to brass because it's dense and holds heat well, though it is heavier to work with. I'm fine with aluminum for solids, but for hollow points or bases, I like the denser, heat-retaining metals better for keeping the pins hot.

[GrapeApe]

I was about to suggest LBT molds, but just found out their shop was destroyed 12/24/22 and they're out of business

[GrapeApe]

Glad I got my 0.358" 164gr GC mold a few years ago. It's the easiest casting mold I've ever used
The top 2 are one shot into wet newsprint. It measure 0.375" now. It was cast from wheel weights

[breamfisher]

Okay, thanks. I plan on buying some cheap aluminum molds for some casting, and while I use one mold that was smoked and works well, I'm always game to trying new stuff.

The Lees have a large following. The six cavity molds (which I've never tried) have a better reputation for longevity than the two, which I wouldn't really count on for long.

NOE makes a GREAT you get what you get, pre-set spec mold. Own a lot of them, and have had mostly great success with them. Sometimes you get a gun combo a certain mold doesn't fit well in, but for the most part, Al Nelson makes a fantastic mold for the money. Aluminum or brass.

MP Molds (Miha Prevec) out of Slovenia is very high quality stuff at a very reasonable price. I only own two - MKII and MKIV .455 Webley hollow-base molds, made out of brass. I consider Miha's Cramer-style system a superior way to cast hollow points or bases to NOE's tilting pins, but as you can see from Post #1, the NOE's can work quite well. Here's his MKIV (hollow base wadcutter):




Accurate Molds is FANTASTIC in that they are cut to order and quickly delivered. You want the bullets to drop at a specific diameter with a specific alloy? Tom can do that. Want the driving bands or crimp grooves relocated? Tom can do that do. Completely new design? Yep. Tom's your boy. He uses a little thicker sprue plate than NOE and they cut a NICE base. The insides are well polished and I've almost never had to fight to get the slugs to drop. He does aluminum, brass, or iron.

I'm partial to brass because it's dense and holds heat well, though it is heavier to work with. I'm fine with aluminum for solids, but for hollow points or bases, I like the denser, heat-retaining metals better for keeping the pins hot.

Yeah, about that.... My casting needs are way more pedestrian. Think plinking and maybe shooting to 50 yds. Or fooling around at 100, maybe. For me, plain jane molds are just fine. With the numbers of bullets I'm currently casting, when I wear out a Lee mold, I'll just buy another. I'm not sure I'm casting enough to justify the higher cost of a steel mold when aluminum does what I need.

As far as the other mold types, I find them interesting, but my uses center around 125 and 158 gr. .38/.357, 120ish gr. 9mm, and a 200 gr. LSWC in .45 ACP. My uses are the most vanilla type you can get.