Casting two types of lead.....

[bigfathairybiker]

Ok, so I currently cast pure lead for muzzle loading.
I am thinking for starting to cast for 7.62x54R loads and will have to add a bit of alloy to harden it up.

So, what's the situation with using one melting pot?
The only ways I can see forward is either buy another melting pot or empty/clean out the pot between the different loads.

Any other suggestions?

Mark

[dromia]

Just use the same pot emptying the lead tween alloys.

The pure lead won't need emptying as it will just need some wheel weight or range scrap to sweeten it a little.

Unless you are going for high velocity then the last thing you will want is a hard alloy.

Good boolit fit is the key.

[bigfathairybiker]

Thanks dromia.

I take it that by boolit fit , you mean I will need to slug the bore.
It's not something I have done on any bore and I'm a bit apprehensive about getting a bit of lead stuck half way down the barrel!

Once I have the measurements do I then just get a mould with the nearest size?

Mark

[dromia]

Slugging is a piece of pish.

Even Alpha1 can manage it.

Why would it stick in the bore?

Ideally an impact slug of the freebore should be done as well as it is better to fit the boolit to the throat especially if there is any wear, rather than the standard 2thou over groove but that is better than nothing.

[bigfathairybiker]

I need to read up more on this!

As for the "getting stuck" bit, I'm not sure why I thought that. Although I have had a scarey situation once when a .50cal bullet was stuck halfway down my rifle when loading and took quite a bit of wacking to get it to start moving again.

So this slug... Do I buy a "ready to slug" slug? or make a 8mm hole in a bit of wood and cast?

Mark

[Alpha1]

You just need a soft lead round ball. Slugging a bore is not as difficult as you may think. I must admit to being converted to the chamber impact cast method my self having given it a go.

[dromia]

M/L ball .375" upwards is all you need.

Clean barrel and oil lightly, oil to ball, sit on the muzzle, cover with cloth, drive into barrel with soft faced hammer, a ring of lead should come off the ball at the muzzle, the slug will then just push through barrel easily with a calibre rod, you can feel for any tight/rough spots as you push the slug through.

Do some searches this has been covered extensively on here.

[FredB]

Slugging the bore is easy. Measuring the slug diameter is not,unless your rifle has an even number of grooves and lands---most do not. You will see references to rotating the slug carefully in the jaw of a micrometer ---I have checked results for shooters who have done this and they have been miles out. If you have access to a lathe, chuck up a piece of scrap metal and drill a hole is it to a slightly smaller diameter than your slug appears to be. The, using a boring bar, gradually and carefully open up the hole until the slug will just enter it and is a tight / sliding fit. Then measure the diameter of the hole.
Fred

[dromia]

I use V blocks for measuring odd numbered rifling.

[FredB]

I'm impressed. Vee blocks are the correct tools to carry out this measurement, but they need to be very accurately machined and must be used on a surface table.
Fred