The Lyman manual along with a some of the guys here say that it's wrong to let the bullets get frosted. A couple of you agree with me that you can't get your bullets to fill out if the bullets aren't a little frosted. I reolize that the mold is too hot at the point of frosting BUT, is there anything else wrong with having frosted bullets?

So long as all the edges are still filling out sharply, a little forsted look doesn't seem to hurt a thing. If it bothers you, then rub them with a rag and you can't see the frost (it is about the surface crystal structure). If heavy frosted, then the edges and sharp coners will be rounded and that's not good...but a light frosted just tells you to slow down and let things cool off a bit...no need to junk those bullets.

Depends on which Lyman manual...Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 3rd. edition shows a nice picture of a lightly frosted bullet on page 64 with the caption "...exihibits the typical surface "frosting" of high temperature casting--which is sometimes necessary and usually does not impare accuracy."

Lyman #39 (the oldest I have at hand right now):
"...if the bullets have a frosted appearance it is an indication that the mold and metal are too hot. This frosted appearance in no way affects the usefullness of the bullet."

From the RCBS Cast Bullet Manual #1:
"Uniformly frosted bullets normally weigh and measure identical to non-frosted bullets and shoot just as well. Their appearance is objectionable to many casters, though, and most try to miminalize or elimiate the cause."..Cause being too high a temperature (so let the mold cool or try turning down the thermostat on the pot).

Now I do think big-grain frosting will always make the sharp corners rounded...and that the grain structure may have some effect on expansion (if cast soft enough to expand)..and may even leave small soft spots as the hardening agents are likely to collect in some grains...but if it's just a nice uniform frosting of small grain size, I perty much ignore it and just slow down my casting pace.
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Are some mold types that just refuse to cast good bullets until you have that alloy to the point of frsoting...these are usually the multi banded (loverin style) bullets of small diameter (.22-28cal.) Just too fine a detail to cast well unless the metal is really flowing well...and to get it to flow well, need both tin in the alloy and a high temperature.

Simpler designes, with fewer cuts, grooves, sharp edges seem to cast well at lower temps...just not the fine detail of the small cuts and edges in the complicated designs.

So with some molds, you either frost them a bit or not bother to fire up the pot.

I totally agree with ribbonstone. I have a couple of moulds that simply do not fill out without them being hot enough to frost the bullets. It does not impair the firing of the bullet.

Yup ribbonstone nailed it. If need be look at your bullets with a magnafier. As long as the corners are sharp they will shoot well.

I use Lee molds for everything I cast now and it is easy to get those aluminum molds to hot. Keep a damp rag on the bench and set the empty mold on it once in a while if I get the bullets frosting. Everything I cast shoots better than I can. Ain't getting old wonderful.

Pretty much agree with everyone here...if your getting good sharp corners and a complete fillout but frosted, keep em. I find that they hold on to the lube a little better and i notice no difference in accuracy or barrel fouling.

Frosting depends in part on the alloy. Wheelweights, for example, seem to do it on occasion without having the alloy to hot.

Frosting may also depend on how long you let the mould cool between castings. If you are using several moulds at the same time, frosting is far less likely to appear for the obvious reason that the mould had a better chance to cool down.

Frosting can also alter accuracy. I've seen heavily frosted wheelweight bullets that would almost fall apart. It was as if they had developed internal fault lines.

Though I'm positive that you can make good frosted bullets, since frosting can almost always be avoided (longer cooling times, multiple moulds, etc.) I tend to try to avoid it.

Interestingly enough, Veral Smith of LBT, seen as something of an expert in the field of cast bullets, states that frosted is the only way to have the bullets. He says that if they are shiny they are cooling too fast in the mould.
I have found that provided the bullet is well formed and without voids they shoot just grand regardless.

Veral is also a convicted felon. His opinion about the need to pay federal taxes were, perhaps, not all that well founded.

Sounds like the frosting / no frosting debate boils down to what works for the individual, and there is no absolute proof one way or the other, from what I've read on it.

Veral is also a convicted felon. His opinion about the need to pay federal taxes were, perhaps, not all that well founded.

With respect KLW, I don't believe that Mr Smiths issues with the IRS detract from his knowledge of cast bullets. I feel your comment is a little off colour.

I just think of that as bad luck or a powerful enemy...considering all things, if someone had been there to see evberything I've done, would certainly be a convicted felom myself.

I knew Veral. Even wrote an article in the American Rifleman's reloading bench about his loads. His moulds were ok. Nothing exception I thought but ok. The cut-off plate was certainly interesting.

Veral's claim to fame, however, came with his arrest. Suddenly he was a hero who had been somehow set up. Nonesense. He was very foolish and paid for it dearly.

We shouldn't try to make hero's out of convicted felons. What Veral did was at best very foolish. Giving him sainthood is even dumper. There is absolutely no reason for us to try to glorify fellons.

Verals judgement is obviously flawed and I for one think that his stupidity brought considerable discredit to our world. Friends like him we do not need!

Alright guys, keep it to guns - leave the tax evasion discussion(s) off of the boards, please.