I have casted my own bullets for about 25 years. I have seen some of the bullets come from factory that are shinny.
The only way I can get mine to come out that bright is, I have to hand rub them down.
Does anyone know how to cast them so they will come out bright and not affect the hardness?
Bob. :rolleyes:

I have seen some of the bullets come from factory that are shinny. Does anyone know how to cast them so they will come out bright and not affect the hardness?
Bob. :rolleyes:Aren't they bright enough when you add tin to your bullet alloy? Might want a shiney bullet or two for display purposes but all my cast bullets end up going downrange so their appearance is secondary to accuracy. Might try putting some of them in a vibratory tumbler with walnut media and a polish additive before lube and sizing.

I have casted my own bullets for about 25 years. I have seen some of the bullets come from factory that are shinny.
The only way I can get mine to come out that bright is, I have to hand rub them down.
Does anyone know how to cast them so they will come out bright and not affect the hardness?
Bob. :rolleyes:

I have been casting for about as long and most of my bullets are shiny when they come out of the mould. They are made of a mixture of wheelweights and linotype. Over time, they tend to change color and get a bit darker. All the best...
Gil

If one adds tin to the alloy, it makes the lead fill out onto the surface of the mould better. To get fine detail, add tin. That's the main reason for tin, though it also adds a bit of hardness, and allows a lower moulding temperature.

I have RCBS bullet moulds. They have some tool marks in the cavities. I must have enuf tin, because the tool marks cast onto the bullet surfaces in fine dtail. I don't care - tool marks don't bother me.

I once borrowed a friend's Saeco mold. Those cavities had been polished, and the bullets that came out of them looked polished, too. I suspect bullets from polished cavities is what you had in mind.

I've used spray-on mould release, which is mostly carbon, and dries in the cavities to a matte finish. I find bullets will be moulded to a matte finish when I use that kind of mould release. I've also found it's easy to overspray the cavities, and then cast undersize bullets. If I smoke the cavities with a butane lighter, the carbon layer goes on so thin that the bullets aren't undersize, and the mould cavities' texture comes out on the bullets.

So, to get shiny bullets polish the mould cavities, and use a thin smoke on them.

Also, if the mould blocks or the lead are not hot enuf, the bullets will come out shiny because the lead cools too fast. Unfortunately, the lead also will not flow entirely into the sharp corners and fill out properly. So, keeping the mould blocks cool is not practical.

If one adds tin to the alloy, it makes the lead fill out onto the surface of the mould better. To get fine detail, add tin. That's the main reason for tin, though it also adds a bit of hardness, and allows a lower moulding temperature.

I have RCBS bullet moulds. They have some tool marks in the cavities. I must have enuf tin, because the tool marks cast onto the bullet surfaces in fine dtail. I don't care - tool marks don't bother me.

I once borrowed a friend's Saeco mold. Those cavities had been polished, and the bullets that came out of them looked polished, too. I suspect bullets from polished cavities is what you had in mind.

I've used spray-on mould release, which is mostly carbon, and dries in the cavities to a matte finish. I find bullets will be moulded to a matte finish when I use that kind of mould release. I've also found it's easy to overspray the cavities, and then cast undersize bullets. If I smoke the cavities with a butane lighter, the carbon layer goes on so thin that the bullets aren't undersize, and the mould cavities' texture comes out on the bullets.

So, to get shiny bullets polish the mould cavities, and use a thin smoke on them.

Also, if the mould blocks or the lead are not hot enuf, the bullets will come out shiny because the lead cools too fast. Unfortunately, the lead also will not flow entirely into the sharp corners and fill out properly. So, keeping the mould blocks cool is not practical.


IT's just a lot easier to keep casting as you are (even though the bullets don't shine)...shine don't shoot.

But if you just "gotta", then an old gym sock will do the trick. Just dump all your cast bullets in the guy sock and rub them between your hands through the sock. Beats polishing them one at a time.

But if you just "gotta", then an old gym sock will do the trick. Just dump all your cast bullets in the guy sock and rub them between your hands through the sock. Beats polishing them one at a time.

Be careful here. This is a variation of the old "bait and switch" tactic. First he gets you sold on the idea. Then he will offer to sell you old gym socks. Don't fall for it! :D

I use a Redding profile crimp die on my revolver rounds and as per instructions use a little sizing lube in the die. As I wipe this lube off of the loaded rounds with a paper towel, it tends to make the bullets look pretty. As stated, it does not make them shoot better. It is like the final inspection of my quality control progam.
Cheezywan

Be careful here. This is a variation of the old "bait and switch" tactic. First he gets you sold on the idea. Then he will offer to sell you old gym socks. Don't fall for it! :D

I use a Redding profile crimp die on my revolver rounds and as per instructions use a little sizing lube in the die. As I wipe this lube off of the loaded rounds with a paper towel, it tends to make the bullets look pretty. As stated, it does not make them shoot better. It is like the final inspection of my quality control progam.
Cheezywan

Just a side note:
Everyne has a lone sock or two...no idea where it's mate got off to. Can either put them to parctical use (like the below post) or psycological use.

Psycological use:
Take one of the lone socks to the laundateria...when some poor smuck isn't looking, toss it in to his wash. Let him look for the mate for the next year.

Just a side note:
Everyne has a lone sock or two...no idea where it's mate got off to. Can either put them to parctical use (like the below post) or psycological use.

Psycological use:
Take one of the lone socks to the laundateria...when some poor smuck isn't looking, toss it in to his wash. Let him look for the mate for the next year.

Ribbonstone
Laundaaumat Mini-Terrist,indeed!
I never suspected that you had such a mean streak.
Frank
an odd sock gives my Wife fits.

The only thing worse than an odd sock is a pair of odd socks.
You hang onto them for months waiting for their mates to turn up then throw them out, only to find an identical pair behind the washing machine a week later. :mad:

Bob

You folks are great! I am thinking of what I can do with old underwear that is worn too thin to use as cleaning patch material?

My "as cast" bullets look like silver. I am using wheelweights and range lead for the melt. Lee pot set at 7 is working well here. I just cast as needed and store them in butter tubbs. Oxydation will turn them grey over time. I see this with the commercial cast stuff that is in boxes.

I have two Lee moulds at this time. Both six cavity. 44 and .357. I don't own a .44 so it is as new. The .357 has casted about a thousand bullets to date. I am pleased with the bullets.
This is my very limited experiance with bullet casting.
Cheezywan

Are you talking about a "frosty" appearance? I try to cast at a temperature high enough to leave a nice even coating of frost on the surface of the boolit.

The only ones I cast that are bright and shiney are those that I cast of linotype. The rest of them get a polish once seated in the case using one of those red shop towels.

[QUOTE=454PB]Are you talking about a "frosty" appearance? I try to cast at a temperature high enough to leave a nice even coating of frost on the surface of the boolit.

Me? Yea, I get some frosty ones too. Is when the mould gets hot.

As soon as the mould gets up to temp, I get pretty shiney bullets. After a time, they start to get frosty.

They all get the paper towel treatment after crimped as I posted above.
Cheezywan