Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting why the reluctance to try cast projectiles

If you like to shoot, and who doesn't, the only way to go is to reload your own and that includes casting and sizing/lubing lead bullets. I started that back in 1972 and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I've found my cast bullets properly sized for the chamber in a revolver and to the groove diameter or .001" over in a rifle will give a jacketed bullet a run for their money. A shining example of what cast bullets using the proper alloy for the chamber pressure of a given pistol/revolver/ rifle is capable of...

A 12 shot group from the M29 44 Magnum with 260 gr custom mould and 10 gr of HS-6 at about 15 yards.



This one from a S&W 1911 and a 200 gr SWC...that's 25 shots!



I'd be hard pressed to do better with factory jacketed bullets. I'm not worried about lead exposure. Hell, chemicals in food will kill me before that will.

I bet you'd be hard pressed to take any average kid to a range, give them proper instruction on gun safety and handling and let them shoot a firearm and have them leave with a ho-hum attitude. Most kids will take the real deal over video games given the opportunity. Sadly most kids are never given the opportunity.

People don't cast because it requires effort, thought and time away from pro rasslin, opera and because you cannot shoot them at 4000 FPS

Mornin' Gents,

I've just re established on-line capability, this devil box has been giving me FITS.

Just prior to it's last crash, we were all shooting breeze on thread elsewhere on this great site. There's some kinda' neat casting lore, and tech, and innovation all through it.

Here's a

link: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth..._Kansas_Uncas_and_the_30_40_#Post8395811

O'm hoping to play with the mold blocks pictured / discussed there a bit more later today, and get a few more pics, too. If and when caught up, will post em' on a thread here.

Best Regards, and Happy New Year to all !

GTC

That's how it works around here.

Lot of people is absolutely sure lead kills on touch - same as mercury or asbestos.

If ammo gets more expensive and harder to find, there may be no alternative to casting.

I'm 34 and have been casting for about 7 years now. I thoroughly enjoy the activity and challenge of casting, as well as the final product on target. When I have done my part with sizing properly and have a good load, my cast loads shoot just as well as my jacketed loads out to at least 200 yds. I've hunted with then in .35 and .45 calibers and hope to get a deer with the .30-40 Krag and a 311299HP next fall.

Why don't more cast? Good question, probably the same reason they don't reload.

"Why should I reload? I can buy steel case ammo for my AR-47 and AK-15 cheap!

"I don't have time to reload." he said as he laid on the sofa watching a ballgame and surfing the 'net on his Smartphone.

Like others have said, most folks nowadays want to find what they need through e-shopping, buy it with their credit cards, then resume their inactive activities.

Too, the nonsense about lead poisoning probably scares others away.

35WN

After some consideration I have concluded they don't cast for altruistic reasons. They want us to have all the lead. After Doomsday they can grovel at our feet and criticize the new robber barons

....yes, and call us "hoarders" because we have more lead and ammunition than they.

I know guys who don't cast or reload simply because they haven't a place. I began with a very simple set up so it can be done but storing a casting set up in one or two bedroom rented apartment isn't easy. Even if one has a balcony on which to cast you still have the neighbors to deal with. It's easy for us who own "space" to cast & load but it's not for the city dwellers who most times are lacking in space & privacy, even driving many miles to shoot & even then having to shoot inside. I feel for them & thankful I've been blessed not to suffer any of the above.

Indeed. I'm one of those who lives in a small apartment. Luckily I can have my casting setup at work, so it's just a matter of staying over to do a little casting or driving five minutes on a Saturday or Sunday. (My workplace is a one-man shop serving the needs of the science labs of a small college.) Were it not for that, I would be out front of where I live, casting in the open air- which I did before I got this gig.

Good points. Sometimes I forget how blessed I am to have an almost unlimited amount of space in which ti cast and reload.

35WN

35WN I'm not disagreeing with your former statement that some do lay on the couch & spend too much time on the keyboard so to speak. You are correct in this. I also know people with hoards of lead, molds, powder, primers, brass & enough long & short guns do anything they like but don't fire a 100 rounds a year even though they can shoot on their own property. Go figure.

I am GLAD more people don't cast- more lead and molds for me!

But seriously- I have introduced several people to casting. Sure- they all are interested but only one has shown even a remote desire to cast. They sure don't mind shooting my ammo with cast bullets, either, because it shoots better than anything they can buy.

Same thing for reloading. The one guy has set up his dillon and a Big Max I gave him. He is rocking along reloading. With 5 kids and a professional practice he doesn't have time to cast but does have a few thousand rounds of ingots so far. He does have a Magma 40 lb pot so it won't be long now before he is turning out the bullets.

Casting has to be a desire on the end-user's part. You can't just introduce it to someone. They have to WANT it.

I suspect part of the reason more people don't cast is that too many articles and books make it sound more complicated than it really is, and also mention more equipment than is really necessary to get started.

I think Mule Deer is pretty much on with his post.

There are casters who can quote you what mix they used with different bullets and some are very particular about the ratios used in their bullets.

And then there is me. I started out many years ago using straight wheel weights and pretty much stayed right there. I will, now that I've read on this forum, throw a piece of tin into the mix every once in a while and will admit to feeling pretty smug about it but I don't try to rise above my laziness to a degree that would draw notice from curious bystanders. I melt 'em and mould 'em.

I think you'll find as i have that a 4%-5% tin added to wheel weights makes a very noticeable difference in the appearance and the ability of the bullets to rivet yet remain relatively intact after expanding on impact.
you will also find dropping them into a 7 gallon bucket of water filled about 7/8 full tends to make a better quality bullet , I generally cast about 10lbs-20lbs of bullets at a time then pour out the water and spread the bullets out on a beach towel, separate the few culls and bits of casting scrap that you always get and then dry the bullets and lube size them.

Yep. If a guy has a mold, a pile of wheel weights, and an empty soup can to melt them in with a lip bent into it so as to pour directly into the mold, he's in business. Add a Lee push through sizing die and a stick of bullet lube and he can make as many bullets as his little heart desires. That's exactly how I got started 45 years ago, only I had a home made push through die. Really, a guy could outfit himself like that and not bother with more sophisticated equipment and keep himself shooting cheaply for a long time.