Handloader Magazine - DAyum!!!

[Zombie Steve]

I picked this up in a grocery store in Montana figuring I still had 12 hours of driving to go...

I liked the mag, but I thought you guys would enjoy a few things from an article on cast bullets in the .44 mag.

First pic - The caption for this photo says "Even after extended shooting with cast bullets, the only sign of leading in this .44 magnum revolver was a thin wash in the forcing cone."



I'm guessing he didn't look too closely at this picture.

Next - the author showcases the cast wonders he tested.




If I cast a turd like this 429421, it would go back in the pot. Apparently, the author thought this one was pic worthy.



Overall, I thought the mag was interesting and may get a subscription, but this article and its photos made me burp up a little stomach acid.

[kidicarus13]

Playing with lead will make you sick.

[Danimal]

Dayum!! DAYUM! DAY UM!

[sellersm]

I picked this up in a grocery store in Montana figuring I still had 12 hours of driving to go...

Err, ok. So it's OK to read a magazine & drive while in Montana?

[Zombie Steve]

Err, ok. So it's OK to read a magazine & drive while in Montana?

Mrs. Zombie gets a few hundred miles in from time to time, and when that happens I can't watch.

[Great-Kazoo]

Err, ok. So it's OK to read a magazine & drive while in Montana?

They are fairly relaxed regarding the speed limit, why not read & drive? At least he's not texting!

[Irving]

Mrs. Zombie gets a few hundred miles in from time to time, and when that happens I can't watch.

I've literally blind folded myself before.

[anomad]

If I cast a turd like this 429421, it would go back in the pot. Apparently, the author thought this one was pic worthy.

So I'm not casting yet, although I have the equipment. Can you point out the flaws in those boolits for us noobs? I see some obvious voids and discoloration, but I only have factory boolits to compare. The first one in the row is obviously lacking a uniform coating of lube.

[Madusa]

Thank God we have the internet to show us the truth so we don't have to read some cheese magazine.

[Zombie Steve]

So I'm not casting yet, although I have the equipment. Can you point out the flaws in those boolits for us noobs? I see some obvious voids and discoloration, but I only have factory boolits to compare. The first one in the row is obviously lacking a uniform coating of lube.

First, the 429421 is Elmer Keith's design... this particular poopblob would make him turn in his grave.

The biggest thing to me is the front driving band is round. You want nice square edges. Either his mold was too cold, his lead was too cold or his alloy didn't have enough tin to facilitate good fill-out.

I'm not so worried about the bullet lube being inconsistent. I've pulled my bullets out of the berm and they still had a bunch of lube on them. In the first pic, however, he has lead streaking all the way down the barrel, which to me indicates a problem with lube. Sizing problems normally only lead up the throat. This guy was using SC Johnson Paste Wax. Why would you go through all the trouble then use something that wasn't made for this purpose? I don't know.

I'm not going to bust on people that tumble lube. I know more than a couple that make it work well. It's just not for me. I'll do a sizer/lubricator every time. Just seems more consistent.

The bullet on the far left in the second pic looks like he either had a cold mold, or he started, stopped and started again. The wrinkle in the nose is just ugly. Might not matter how it flies (to me the base and the driving bands are the only really important factors), but again, if I'm going to bother doing this, I want them to come out nice. If I was going to show the world a few pictures of my bullets, I'd damn sure pick a few that were better looking than that... Just sloppy.