Bottom pour ladles and bottom pour stopper rod auto-pour systems are commonly used in the metal casting industry. However, stopper rod bottom-pouring systems have not yet been developed for the smaller pouring ladles typical in use in the investment casting industry. The large thermal mass of these systems has typically limited the use of stopper rod bottom pour systems to ladles larger than 1500 lbs. (700 kg). In this study, bottom pour ladle designs and low thermal mass refractory systems have been developed and evaluated in production foundry trials with 660 lb (300 kg) pouring ladles. The ladles systems and pouring practices used will be described along with the results from the pouring trials. The advantages and limitations of small ladle bottom pour systems will be described along with recommendations supporting the future development of small bottom-pour ladle systems for investment foundries.