I have several hundred of these that have casting marks on the bottom. What is the best way to clean them up for shooting? I know I can set down with a hand file and do it but surely there’s a better way. I shoot a lot of hard cast, but this is the first I’ve got that wasn’t ready to shoot. 340g SSK .452 if it’s relevant.

Thanks

I am ignorant as far as the casting process. But I am guessing that is why the bullets are run through a sizing die and then lubed. I think there is a tool called a lubrisizer to do these processes.

I just ordered this. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018523537?pid=442811

I think it will get the job done. It will also lube and install gas checks. I can’t find gas checks anywhere yet.

Doesnt look like a gas check bullet to me.

It’s not, but you can add a gas check to anything lead.

I think

There are a few lead bullets I would not try gas checks on. Hollow base Wad cutters, or any of the ones with hollow bases/concave bullets. The hard cast ones though generally speaking I think you are right

Gas check bullets have a recess at the bottom of the bullet. I would be surprised if you can get a gas check on that one.

Agree. I had a similar experience, there is just no way to fit it on before running through the swage die to crimp it in place. I experimented once, on .357 cast bullets by using the Lee collet crimp die to swage the base to allow it to fit. It works but is a pain in the a$$. I even tried using the collet in the Forster trimmer to swage the base too. Again it works but is a pain in the a$$. The moral of the story is to get the right bullet to start with.

Size, tumble lube and load. Skip the gas check.

That's caused by the sprue plate on the mold being loose. If I were casting those, I'd throw them back to be remelted and recast but if I bought them I might try and see what the sizer does. That is not a gas check bullet and I wouldn't try one. Gas checks are very expensive right now if you can find them. Size them, roll them in 50/50 Lee Liquid Alox and Johnson's liquid floor wax, let them dry, and rip them.

Most of what i know from cast ammo is what i have readon on the world wide web.... so it comes with a whole bag of salt.... but it was my understanding if your didnt have a leading issue gas checks weren't really necessary. I'd keep the loading tame and roll with it as is after sizing, especially in todays era of being able to obtain supplies.

Sprue plate is a bit loose. Did you cast them?

After they are sized, the little bit hanging off the bottom wont matter.

Sage Outdoors makes some plain base gas checks. That is what you will need for that bullet. I am not sure if they are in stock. They're a thin piece of aluminum and arent (or werent) very expensive. The bullet will need to be sized base-first.

If you got any more questions I'll be glad to help. I've casted hundreds of thousands of bullets.

That sizer is just going to push that ring down onto the base of the bullet. Just be careful loading them and they should be fine for paper punching. They won't be as accurate as ones with a clean base though. Be sure to lube them before sizing or you can possibly lead the sizing die. As GG said it is caused by the sprue plate being loose on the mold.
There are gas checks for plain base bullets but you have to be sure that is what you have. A normal 44 cal gas check will not work on a full size 44 cal bullet. As mentioned, a bullet designed for a gas check will have a smaller base diameter to allow for the check. Just order plane base checks for your bullet diameter and run them through the sizer.
Sage Outdoors will probably be the best place to start.

Well there you go. Taxtical Cowboy covered it while I was typing

I did not cast them and know little to nothing about casting. I bought them this way. I’m glad you mentioned lubing before sizing or I likely would have done that wrong to. By the time the die gets here I will hopefully had read up enough to save these bullets. The thought of running a gas check on them is only because the die I ordered can install them. These will be coming out a lever action and I have no idea of their hardness. I usually run CPB with a gas check and have had to worry about it. All my other loads are sub 1000 fps and I don’t worry about them either.

Gentlemen I’ll probably have a lot more questions. Thanks

Just thinking here.....I always size and that ought to do it however once the bullet fits the bore- shouldn't that take care of it anyhow?

That bullet will exit the bore and go down range. It just isn't going to be accurate for a few reasons. The base needs to be square, once the sizer pushes that ring down on the base the base isn't going to be square. The other side of the bullet likely has less or more of a ring just by the nature of how the sprue plate cuts the sprue. It will act similar to a damaged barrel crown.
Also the bullet is poorly cast in general. I'm not familiar with that particular mold but the driving bands should be square. The bands on that bullet are rounded showing poor fill out of the mold. Several things could be the cause but poorly filled bullets will cause the weights to vary quiet a bit. I would have put those back in the melt and tried again.
Properly cast bullets are accurate and effective

Well I have no means to melt them down or recast them so I’m going to do the best I can. I knew they needed work when I bought them. I also got 3 boxes CPB muzzle loader bullets and 150 315g SWCs ready to shoot. Plus some random stuff. If I can punt these 340s at a moderate speed I have a 50 yard stand I can hunt. With several hundred of them that may take a while.

Assuming they are round and proper diameter, none of that other crap matters.

That being said, there's a good chance they aren't round and not proper diameter.

Edit: since there arent any wrinkles in the bullet and the two lube grooves look the same, I think the mold filled just fine.

They are round and exactly .452

To my very untrained eye they look no better or worse than the 300g I get from Cast Performance Bullets. Except the base of course.



Actually the nose looks a little rough in comparison. I didn’t see that until I looked at the picture.