Beagle333, this ones for you...

[Mike / Tx]

Well you just had to keep posting up pics of those "turtle busters" and I had to keep looking at them. You know I mentioned if you kept it up I was going to have to pick something like it up.

Well I bit, and this is what I ended up with,




I haven't made time to put anything through it just yet, but I plan to in the near future. I just hope it throws as good as it looks.....

[Beagle333]

Wow, that looks like it should make some beeeaauuutiful button nose wadcutters!
And a passel of em at once too! You should be able to fill a washtub in a couple hour's time at the casting table!

My turtle buster is a one-at-a-time'er.

[LAH]

You will love that boolit.

[Mike / Tx]

Well I just happened upon it being up for sale and figured why not get a piece of history as well as being something I could actually use. Had I waited the fellow also offered up a 10 cavity as well, but this one will do nicely.

I have been wanting something like this to load up for the wife and get her back into shooting her GP. I loaded up a bunch of 38 Spl's with some 140gr Oregon Trail bullets I had sitting around, along with a couple dozen of the MP 358-640 HP's over around 5gr of the Russian surplus Salut. All shot VERY well this past weekend. I got it all sighted in for her and she played with it a little but we didn't get overly into it as we had other things going on.

I will probably be whetting this one up in a week or so and will try to put up a pick of the finished product. I doubt the will be as nice a LAH's though, but we'll see.

[LAH]

If you get that monster hot enough it will give you beautiful boolits. My mold does very good but it sure be heavy.

[Beagle333]

I didn't even think about that.... I know that 4 cav I was using was really a lot more than I'm used to.... I bet that thing will be a workout!

Are we gonna pour some lead in it or just talk about it all Spring?!? Get that puppy smokin'!!!!!

[Mike / Tx]

Are we gonna pour some lead in it or just talk about it all Spring?!? Get that puppy smokin'!!!!!

AWWW quit yur hollerin, I put some lead through a few last night.

If you get that monster hot enough it will give you beautiful boolits. My mold does very good but it sure be heavy.

Absolutely no doubt about having to put the heat to it. I managed to get around 50 last night with it. I had to put the hot plate on high and still had to add some heat to it. LOL

I do have a couple of questions since you seem to be in the know with one similar. When your pouring do you hit each individual hole or simply pour till the groove is full? Also what have you found to be the best alloy to run through one and at around what temp?

The ones I poured are plenty shootable, but lack a bit of fill out. I am sure due to not having the mold hot enough. It was all I could do to cut the sprue without blistering my hand through my worn thin gloves.

I managed to leave my camera in the country last weekend so I am without until I get back up there to get it.

[LAH]

When your pouring do you hit each individual hole or simply pour till the groove is full? Also what have you found to be the best alloy to run through one and at around what temp?

I use my mould under a Magma pot which allows me to pour 2 cavities at once. I do pour directly into the cavities. When I picked this mould up I intended on using 50/50 WW & pure lead but as to date I've only used COWW. I normally cast at 750 degrees cutting the sprue as soon as it hardens. I do however use a wooden handle to open this mould.

And to preheat I have an old electric cook stove on which I place the mould with the eye adjusted to 50%. The large 6-8-10 cavity iron moulds take a while to warn up even on a cooking eye so give it 20 minutes as you melt your ingots & bring them up to temp. Hope this helps.

[LAH]

Found another picture. Mine is a plain base mould.

Right hand bullet.

[Beagle333]

Aw now you done it.... I want one. Mine only has two lube grooves.

[LAH]

The brute & boolit:

[Mike / Tx]

Yep mine is a plain base as well. I will give the straight COWW a try with a touch of tin added and also give it plenty of time to heat up before I fire up the lead pot.

With the added PID on the Lee 4-20, I have it set to around 725'ish, and once I turn it on it starts off with the pot on the highest setting, then backs down the juice as it gets close. Once there it will maintain within about a 10 degree spread unless I add the sprue back in. Even then it only takes about 5 minuted to bring it right backup.

My back is out of whack right now and i ain't gettin round as good as I should be. Might have buldged another disc down around L4 or 5. I did 3 and 5 a couple of years back at the same time and it put me off work for over two months. This is the same feeling just not quite to the extreme as the last was. I have an appointment with a neurologist tomorrow to find out for sure.

Don't worry, it doesn't hamper me actually pouring the bullets, only getting over to, and then bending down, to pick up the ingots I want to use. And of course those are on the back side of the shop slightly up under the edge of the table. I did however find a box of mystery metal ingots that I negated to mark sitting right here inside the door and easily within reach. I checked them yesterday on the Cabine Tree an they hit right in the ball park for WW alloy. So those will be what I start with.

Beagle, I would be more than happy to send you enough of a sample of them if you want to try before you buy. You will have to add in the cute little HP on them individually.

Just let me know if you want to give them a run, and in which caliber, 38 or 357, and I can adjust the alloy a pinch for the higher velocity if you so choose. They were dropping around 359 - 360", so I can also size them or simply send them as cast. Just let me know...

[Beagle333]

I been lubing up some for some shooting this morning. It is getting warmer and I have already been seeing turtles surfacing in the catfish pond. It'll be spawning season soon and I don't need them in there roiling up the beds and taking hunks out of my fish.
Only the 161gr have been lubed, sized and relubed, so that's why they're a little brown. I have lubed some with TAC#1, but it doesn't seem needed since I don't push this one fast. I can't tell any difference in shooting or leading. The Alox does a fine job and is about 100X faster to lube. I can do 200 b̶o̶o̶l̶i̶ bullets at a time in my little butter tub in under 30 seconds.
It's slow casting, but I do like this little bullet. (the 358432)