Casting Lyman Plains for one of my new to me 54cal Renegades

[eekjellander]

I shot some 20-1 the other day sighting in ,excellent to 196 (ranged) but way hard starting (requires small hammer) and deforming bullet without caution ! So these are cast from pure and lubed with Idaholewis modified Nasa lube . However before I finish lubing I thoght I would do a couple of outside in the sun photos to show of the pretty colors of pure lead (hope it shows) ! I thought given the success of the presidents son Hunter I too could be famous and rich by creating colorful art and mine would be accurate too /Ed

 

[deermanok]

Nice looking bullets.

 

[snapbang]

plumberron shot some of those .54 you sent me Ed. He loves them. Very accurate. Did I say very accurate.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

plumberron shot some of those .54 you sent me Ed. He loves them. Very accurate. Did I say very accurate.

What gun did he shoot them in?

 

[snapbang]

He has a TC Renegade in .54. I bought the one in .50. I dont have a .54 so I offered your bullets to him. Didnt want those beuaties to go to waste. He was so impressed with the accuracy.

 

[eekjellander]

He has a TC Renegade in .54. I bought the one in .50. I dont have a .54 so I offered your bullets to him. Didnt want those beuaties to go to waste. He was so impressed with the accuracy.

If he likes them tell him to PM me and perhaps he could get enough to hunt with for a couple of yrs/Ed

 

[snapbang]

If you would I would be happy to buy 50-100 from you to give him as a gift.

 

[eekjellander]

If you would I would be happy to buy 50-100 from you to give him as a gift.

Sent you a PM ,what ever you decide just let me know .they will get the modified Nasa lube and vacuum packed for shipping /storage /shipping priority $8.50/ Thanks Ed

 

[rusticbob]

Great looking bullets!

 

[eekjellander]

Great looking bullets!

Credit is all due to Idaho Lewis ,mold recommendation / casting technique /compression casting/Ed

 

[eekjellander]

This morning spent some time converting more sheet lead into 101 deadly mushrooms for venting targets and short blood trails after lubing

 

[snapbang]

Beautiful Ed.

 

[edmehlig]

The lead sheet is a thing of beauty as well!

 

[UndeadPoet]

Very nice!

‘Poet

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I dont think my bullets have ever dropped with that blue tint to them. Is that from heat? Im assuming those are pure lead and not an alloy

 

[eekjellander]

View attachment 15825
I dont think my bullets have ever dropped with that blue tint to them. Is that from heat? Im assuming those are pure lead and not an alloy

You are correct pure and I run them hot with compression for nice clean fill out/sharp edges , again tip from Idaho lewis ,funny how his name keeps popping up /Ed

 

[idahoron]

When Hornady stopped producing the 410 gr 50 cal bullet the Lyman plains bullet was one of the first ones I tried. That would have been back in 2006 I think. Back then I was just starting to cast and had no Idea about lead hardness and its effects on bullets. All I knew at the time was the Hornady 410 shot really well.

I started shooting the Lyman bullet and I was not impressed with it. 50 yard groups were larger than 5".

I ended up going with the paper patched Lee 500 S&W bullet as my go to bullet and never went back.
That said back then when I tried the plains bullet I don't have a clue what the hardness was. I also didn't know at the time that my barrel likes harder lead. All my bullets were coming out at .504 and the mould was supposed to be a .508. I sent it back and Lyman said it was within spec.
I know that I did try it again after I was developing the S&W bullet. I even tried paper patching it at one point. But I know I didn't adjust hardness, compression cast, or try different paper.
I sold my mould and wrote it off.
Looking back on it, I can see that now I would try a slightly harder lead. I would also try different lube, and paper. When I started to use a ladle to compression cast about 2008 I know that took my bullets to a higher level.
I didn't have good luck with the mould, but I recognize now that my lack of casting knowledge, and load development was more to blame than anything else.

 

[Bigcountry86]

Are you still making those 54 great plains? I just scored a 54 mk85 and been trying to find some if ud like to make some money off ur artwork lol

 

[eekjellander]

Are you still making those 54 great plains? I just scored a 54 mk85 and been trying to find some if ud like to make some money off ur artwork lol

Sure $9.50 shipping priority flat rate 25 minimum @$1.00 per lubed /pure / IdahoLewis secret lube ,you can get I think max 100 vacuum packed/Ed

 

[Bert621]

I used them in the .50 caliber version, sizing with a lee push through die to .501 they shot well.