Hollow point Mold

  • 3.4K Views
  • Last Post 04 September 2012
Pigslayer posted this 30 August 2012

I shoot a Lyman #452490, 255gr. GC SWC in my Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt. It's a great shooter! But . . . I play hell getting the bulets to drop from that mold! The same with Lyman 358156 GC mold. It too is a great shooter. I've got to rap like crazy on the hinge pivot or the side of the handes to get the bullets to drop. I've always had that trouble with Lyman molds. My alloy has always been straight wheel weights or Lyman #2.

     Now, since using aluminum molds, whether from LEE or custom molds from either Accurate or Mountain molds, just a light tap & the bullets fall right out, perfectly formed. I was thinking about having a hollow point conversion done to my Lyman .45 colt mold as I would like to have it in a hollow point.  But I would like to have the bullet release issue solved prior to investing the money in the conversion.

     Otherwise, I'll simply have Tom@Accurate molds make a #452490 clone in aluminum & then I'll send it out to have the hollowpoint conversion done.

     Any comments . . . suggestions?

 

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
Dale53 posted this 30 August 2012

The best suggestion I can make is to drill and tap a bullet (from that mould), install a screw (in the bullet base) and lap it using toothpaste as the abrasive. Some have had success with using a power tool to drive the bullet. I MUCH prefer to do it by hand. Remember, you do NOT want to remove metal - just polish away the burrs.

This will not enlarge it but will remove the micro burrs that are holding the bullet in the cavity. I would do it for each cavity.

Dale53

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 30 August 2012

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6171>Pigslayer:

Forster also sells attachments for their case trimmer that can be used with a drill press for hollow pointing. They are available in 2 sizes, one for rifle and a larger one for pistol. I use the larger one on flat nose rifle bullets and for .500 S&W and .458 WM rifle and it works very well.

The tool has a centering collar and a preset drilling depth that is very consistent.

http://www.forsterproducts.com/catalog.asp?prodid=700226>http://www.forsterproducts.com/catalog.asp?prodid=700226 At $22.20 the tool is a steal and there is nothing else like it I know of!

Gary

Attached Files

Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 31 August 2012

it is such a hassle to keep the hollow pointer needle hot enough to get good cavities....that for me, for the limited quantity of hollow points i find useful .....it is better to use a normal mold and get a jig to drill the hollow cavities later.

that said, yep hollow points do have a vaporizing effect on small pests (g)

ken

Attached Files

Pigslayer posted this 31 August 2012

Gary & Ken, I'm looking into a hollow point jig rather than commit a mold to hollow point only.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 31 August 2012

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6171>Pigslayer:

If you find a jig other than the Forster jig I  provided a link to, I'd sure like to see what it is. The larger Forster jig hollow points at 1/8” diameter. That is marginal but OK for large 45 cal. rifle/pistol bullets. I'd like one larger too, if you find one, please let me know.

Gary

Attached Files

linoww posted this 01 September 2012

i cast quite a few with Erik Ohlens inset bar conversions. They are as fast as regular molds and cast perfect bullets.

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

Attached Files

CB posted this 01 September 2012

I cast a few hollowpoint bullets. My only issues arise when I try to cast at low temps. My moulds prefer 750+, and a little extra tin seems to help, even with the higher temps. I also only cast with one hollowpoint mould at a time, since I need to vary my routine a lot to accommodate the ever varying mould temps.

Attached Files

StrawHat posted this 02 September 2012

Dale 53 has offered good advice about lapping the mold. As a matter of course, I lap each of my molds when I get them. It takes a little time but then I know they will work from the first cast. I have used a battery drill at low speed but the hand method is a bit safer.

Toothpaste works as does some of the milder cleansers. A lot will depend on the material from which the mold is made.

Attached Files

CB posted this 02 September 2012

I have a couple of moulds with their own personalities actually, most moulds I own seem to have clear likes & dislikes. My H&G 503 mould is fussy about alloy and mould temps. It won't fill out at too low of a temp, and overheats easily. It also has a “sweet spot” where I can cast bullets like shucking peas, it's that fast. If it's too hot, or too cool, bullets often stick. Strange. I have a Lyman 4 cavity 429244 that only like life at high mould temps. When it's cool, bullets stick. The bullets drop out as soon as you open it when they're frosted.

I agree that it sounds like the OPs mould could use a touch of lapping to smooth it out a bit. I have a couple of moulds needing lapping, which I'll do this winter. I use a fine lapping compound on steel moulds that came with a scope ring lapping kit I purchased ages ago. I seem to use the lapping compounds more on barrels and moulds than on scope rings! I have only lapped 1 aluminum mould, and I used tartar control toothpaste on it out of respect for the softer aluminum.

Attached Files

Pigslayer posted this 03 September 2012

Well, after talking to Gary I decided to purchase a Forster Hollowpoint jig in 1/8". It can be used in a drill press & automaticly centers on the bullet. That way I have the best of both worlds in that I won't have to alter a mold. this was a productive thread in that I got help in beagling my mold a little so my bullets release easier & I found a way to get hollow point bullets without altering a mold.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

Attached Files

Rich22 posted this 04 September 2012

Following the “keep it simple method” I always tried using a lead pencil to coat the inside of the steel mold with graphite. It worked for my Lyman 358156 swc mold in the 70's. Try it!:)

Attached Files

Pigslayer posted this 04 September 2012

Rich22 wrote: Following the “keep it simple method” I always tried using a lead pencil to coat the inside of the steel mold with graphite. It worked for my Lyman 358156 swc mold in the 70's. Try it!:)

I actually have powdered graphite but that wouldn't have helped. The burrs on the mold cavities were actually leaving scratch marks on the bullets. Removing these burrs was imperative.

 

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

Attached Files

Close