217-24 NOE

[Bob Pratl]

Has anyone used the shortest pins, not the flat ones, supplied with this mold
and casted some pallets? I just casted about 170 of them to try and they all dropped at 27.6 grains
and looked nice. Right now, it's too cold outside to test.

[Insanity]

I have but havent tested them yet.

[Flatpicker]

I think maybe Wayne has cast some with the short pins-hopefully he’ll chime in.  I have used the longer pins and they seem to drop at 23 (+/-) .6 grains.  Some times the slug doesn’t want to release from the pin so I have been thinking of using the shorter pin to see if they release easier.  Should help reduce the number of culls I have as well.   Weight will probably increase by 1-1.5 grains. 

[Bob Pratl]

I think maybe Wayne has cast some with the short pins-hopefully he’ll chime in.  I have used the longer pins and they seem to drop at 23 (+/-) .6 grains.  Some times the slug doesn’t want to release from the pin so I have been thinking of using the shorter pin to see if they release easier.  Should help reduce the number of culls I have as well.   Weight will probably increase by 1-1.5 grains. 

Polishing the pins to a mirror finish help in dropping the pellets. I use a Dremel with Fritz.

[Wayne52]

Flitz is great for polishing mold cavities and pins as well, last time I cast wad cutters I used Flitz and it really made a difference, that's what Knifemaker uses too, Semichrome also works really good too.  I've always used the long pins with that mold and never really had a problem with them dropping at all.

[Bob Pratl]

My 218-30 mold would not drop pellets, without excessive tapping, until I super polished the hollow point pins.
A couple of times I had to pull them off with pliers. 

[Back_Roads]

 Sometimes while breaking in a mold I either smoke the pins every few cast or so, or take a #2 pencil and get some graphite on the pin , to ease drop, until I can address the mold for final polish.

[Flatpicker]

I think maybe Wayne has cast some with the short pins-hopefully he’ll chime in.  I have used the longer pins and they seem to drop at 23 (+/-) .6 grains.  Some times the slug doesn’t want to release from the pin so I have been thinking of using the shorter pin to see if they release easier.  Should help reduce the number of culls I have as well.   Weight will probably increase by 1-1.5 grains.

My apologies,  I was thinking of the 218 25 "slug" mold, not the 24 grain pellet mold.  No, I have not used the shorter pins.  I need to pay better attention when posting.... still "brain fogging" from a bad case of the rona back in November I guess.   

[Back_Roads]

 I have cast with all the pins in various molds, I find the longest and 2nd longest to shoot the best in my guns, the longest being the most accurate. Your mileage may vary.

[Spacebus]

I use a wood fired burner for my casting pot, so the  mold is always getting smoked. I don't usually need to do anything to get the pellets or slugs out of my molds. Occasionally I'll have to tap the mold with my wooden mallet after knocking the sprue plate, but that's when I know the mold is too hot so I wait a bit before the next pour.

[Back_Roads]

 Yeah maybe the time it takes for me to do the graphite is just right to cool the mold too.