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Old November 21, 2018, 08:05 PM   #1
Sonofagun1911
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Lee 124gr mold turns out to 127gr

Hello Everyone,
I'm casting bullets for the first time today with wheel weights. I melt them, flux them with candles and then transfer the clean lead to the lee pro 4-20 pot. I casted about 100 bullets filtered out the bad ones. It came out to be 127gr instead of 124gr.
Am i doing something wrong?
Can i use the 127gr bullets and treat them as if they are 124gr?
thanks for your feedbacks! happy thanksgiving!
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Old November 21, 2018, 08:29 PM   #2
Bimus
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Nothing wrong
Wheel weight have other metals in them like tin pure lead should be closer to 124 gr bullets . enjoy
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Old November 21, 2018, 11:38 PM   #3
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Size up up to whatever size you want. All good.
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Old November 22, 2018, 01:26 AM   #4
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The "as cast" weight of a mold varies with the alloy used. A 1-10 tin to lead alloy will weigh differently than a 1-12 alloy from the same mold.

A 3 grain difference from the stated weight is nothing to be concerned about.
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Old November 22, 2018, 04:15 AM   #5
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Many factors in play. Everything from alloy, to temperature, to mold variation, to pour method, and more... Three grains is not a big deal (you'll see more deviation if you weight Winchester bullets...).
Run it like a 124, but employ standard practice: Start low and work up.

I do not suggest such as standard practice, but I treat everything from 120-130 grains the same (so long as the profile is similar).
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Old November 22, 2018, 08:39 AM   #6
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Bullet mold specifications such as weight / dia. are usually derived by the use of a particular alloy which is often times stated by the mold mfg.

I'm not sure what Lee uses but Lyman uses a #2 alloy while NOE molds uses wheel weights and Accurate molds ask you when you order your molds what alloy you plan on casting with, so he can modify the mold to get the requested dia. as close a possible.

If you scroll down about 2/3 rds. of the way you can see how a bullets cast from different allow vary in weight. You will also notice that as the original bullet weight increases so does the spread in weight variance between alloys also increases.

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm
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Old November 22, 2018, 08:51 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 44 AMP View Post
The "as cast" weight of a mold varies with the alloy used. A 1-10 tin to lead alloy will weigh differently than a 1-12 alloy from the same mold.

A 3 grain difference from the stated weight is nothing to be concerned about.


^^^This^^^
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Old November 22, 2018, 10:20 AM   #8
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Normal alloy/mold dimension variances.
Shoot it.
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Old November 22, 2018, 01:58 PM   #9
T. O'Heir
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"...Can I use the 127gr bullets..." Yep. 3 grains won't matter. 125 grain data will be even closer.
I'd be measuring the lengths. The only way to increase the weight of a specific diameter cylindrical shape is by making the thing longer. There's a math formula and calculator about it on-line.
As mentioned, the actual amount of lead, if there is much at all, in a wheel weight will vary. Lotta wheel weights are not lead anymore.
Candles vary too. Most are not wax.
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Old November 22, 2018, 03:55 PM   #10
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Sonofagun1911,

Welcome to the forum. I have moved your thread to the Bullet Casting sub-forum for you.

Lyman's Third Edition of their Cast Bullet Handbook has a table on page 58 of predicted weights and sizes for several alloys using the same Lyman #358242 mold. Unfortunately, I don't spot it in the newer version of the book. For a 9 mm from that mold it gives:

Lead: 96 grains and 0.3558"
Wheelweights: 95 grains and 0.3564"
Lyman #2 Alloy: 92 grains and 0.3570"
Linotype: 89 grains and 0.3574"

That's a 6-grain variation just from alloy difference for a nominally 95-grain bullet. That same percent variation would be close to an 8-grain spread for your bullets. So, no, you 3-grain difference isn't unusual. Note that neither the average weights nor the as-cast diameters will match as you change alloys. This is just normal. It also isn't of much consequence. 3 grains of weight variation in a bullet of the 9 mm and 38 caliber size range is usually considered good enough for match shooting at handgun bull's-eye target ranges (to 50 yards). Wider variation may mean inclusions that can unbalance a bullet and open groups up. Shoot the bullets as-cast doesn't raise pressure but can affect accuracy, sometimes positively and sometimes negatively.

Most guns seem to like bullets either 0.001" or 0.002" over their barrel groove diameter. You will have to test to see what your gun likes. With revolvers I find as-cast bullets tend to leave less metal fouling behind because sizing softens the bullet surface a little. The guns sizes them just fine. For pistols, it depends on the gun. If the chamber tends to shave lead at the throat, then the minimum oversize can work best.
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Old November 23, 2018, 02:28 AM   #11
Sonofagun1911
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Thank you sirs very much! Well respect you all.

You guys are the best teachers out there. You are also the reason why young people like myself is getting smarter; all thanks to you teachers out there teaching for free, pass the wisdom and knowledge to us.

Thank you, Thank you all.....
Happy thanksiving,
SonOfaGun
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Old November 23, 2018, 02:30 AM   #12
Sonofagun1911
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Thanks Uncle-Nick! Thanks for taking the time to educate me, well respected! Appreciating all those typing.
Happy thanksgiving to you and your family!

sincerely,
SonOfaGun!
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Old November 23, 2018, 08:46 AM   #13
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Quote:
...the actual amount of lead, if there is much at all, in a wheel weight will vary. Lotta wheel weights are not lead anymore.
If they contain lead, they are mostly (an alloy of Lead, Tin, Antimony, Arsenic), lead and can be used to cast bullets. Zinc and Steel Wheel weights cannot be used for casting bullets. Zinc based Wheel Weights contain no lead.
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Old November 24, 2018, 03:18 AM   #14
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Clip on, alloy, stick on, pure lead, from what my smelting buddy told me. I buy 92/6/2 from my local Doe Run secondary smelter a few miles from my house.
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