Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Help me get started

Looking for any and all suggestions. I have been reloading for 40yrs and from time to time have wanted to get started bullet casting.Well I figure now is as good a time as any.Looking for suggestions.I have a 20lb bar of Linotype and probably 50lbs or so of wheelweights and "plumbers lead".I am thinking of ladle casting rather than using a bottom pour pot.Should I just get a cheapo Lee melting pot to get my feet wet? I don't want to spend $225 for a RCBS or Lyman pot. But I did see for $200 a electric pot with ladle and I think thermometer from the "Antimony Man" on his website.This looks to be of good quality. Any difference between a Saeco or Lyman lube/sizer.What brand of moulds have you found to work best?What flux/lube do you like?Where do you buy your stuff?Anyone have used equipment for sale?I am mainly going to be using this for handgun bullets and a 45/70 and 25/20 rifles.Do you use a hardness tester if so what kind? Any help will be greatly appreciated.Does anyone belong to the "Cast Bullet Assoc." if so what are the benifits.Thanks for the input.Please feel free to offer any suggestions.Thanks.Nick

Do it right...RCBS Pro Melt you won't be sorry...had mine 10 yrs...love it..

You don't need a hardness tester as long as you are keeping the velocity at a reasonable level. Handgun bullets are usually great with wheel weight cast as is. For the 45-70, I cast wheel weights into a tub of water and they harden pretty good. I keep the velocity under 1500 fps and even closer to 1300. Works great. I just have a cheap LEE bottom pour pot. I believe it holds 10 pounds of alloy. Works fine. I have some Lyman and some Lee and some RCBS moulds. For the light price, the Lees mould in 45-70 works fine. I have the 405 FP and mine casts the wheel weights at .4575" and a weight of 407 grains. They shoot great!

Have fun. Unless you are doing match shooting, you shouldn't have to remortgage the house. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

My list : Lee electric furnace (20# capacity), Lyman dipper, Lyman thermometer, Lyman and Lee molds and a Lyman lubrisizer. I use beeswax for flux and make my own lube. The Lee pot has a bottom pour spout but I prefer to dip pour. I cast primarily for BPCR and muzzleloader use, so, use as pure lead as I can find, add a little pure tin for BPCR use. For bullets to be propelled by smokeless powder, I use wheel weights, sometimes quenching them in water, sometimes not. I use what equipment I do because I am basicly a cheapskate. There are other lead pots that are better, I'm sure, but they cost more, too. You have to do what you want to do and depending on why you are going to do it, establish dollar limits. Yes, occassionally you will find used equipment for sale but you might tip over before finding it if you elect to hold your breath. Have fun.

Thanks for the tips so far.One question I forgot to ask is what is the best way to "slug" a bore to determine what dimension to size to.Do most of you size .001-.002 oversize? I just saw in Cabelas where they have a kit with the Lyman 4500 lue/sizer, a 10 pound electric pot,dipper,and their "Cast Bullet Handbook" ,and some of their lube for 125.00.Don't sound bad since they want $110 for the lube/sizer alone.May have to think about this one

In 38 Spl and 357 Mag handgun, I sized .358, and in several pistols I loaded for, accuracy was as good as I could hold the psitol. In 9 mm, I sized .356 for two different pistols and they both shot well. In 30 calibre rifle, all my bullets were sized to .309 and they worked great. In 45-70, my Lee mould tosses them out at 0.4575, so I shoot 'em as cast with some Alox lube, and they shoot so good it ought to be illegal. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> For my 405 Winchester, I size them 0.412" and they shoot fine. Some store bought ones were 0.413 and they shot fine too. I measure the back of a Barnes X bullet that I recovered from soft sand and IIRC the 405 miked 0.4115.

Heck! Load some and shoot 'em. They're too much fun, and a lot cheaper than copper jackets -- especially Barnes. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

For slugging your bore, check and see if any of you buddies have some swaged lead bullets in the calibers you shoot.
If they just drop thru the cyclinder give them a bash to expand them and run them thru again.
I use .359 for 38, 357 and 9mm, .454 for 45 Colt, 45 Auto rim and 45acp, .430 for 44 Spec and mag., .458 or .459, even .460 for 45-70. .311 for 30-06 and .413 for 405.
All of the handgun bullets are air cooled wheel weights and the rifle bullets are water chilled. All bullets are lubed with LBT Blue.
I was a member ofthe Cast Bullet assoc. The biggest advantage I found was buying copies of all the past news letters.
I'm lazy so I've been shooting the same bullets with the same powder charges for decades, except for new calibers.
A buddy and I get together and cast tubs of 255 grain Saeco 45 Colt bullets each fall and spring. By tubs I mean those rubbermaid storage tubs, 18 inches by 24 inches 12 deep. We put it in place and fill it up because you can't lift it, excepting a fork lift, once it's full.
Have fun and discover all the potential of cast bullets.
Jim

I'd suggest the Lee pot. If you want to increase production, get a second one. When one is dropping lead into your molds, the other can be melting more lead.
I have better luck with steel molds, but my father-in-law was better with the aluminum Lee molds. I still don't know what my problem is.
After you slug your barrel, and measure your cast bullets, you may not need to swage them at all (if you're truly blessed). Then all you need is the Lee lubricator. My Lyman sizer may be older than I am, or nearly so. I'm the third owner of it, and I bought it in 1965.

If you�re trying to keep the cost down, start with a small cast iron casting pot available from Lyman and just sit it on top of a camp stove�Works very well. If you want an electric pot, start with the Lee, they get the trick done. I would recommend starting with a cast iron mold since I think they�re the easiest to work with. Nothing wrong with the Lee aluminum molds, in fact some of my favorites are Lee, but it takes just a touch more finesse to run them. Aluminum heats up and cools down much faster than steel, so you have to learn to manage mold temperature very well.

The Lyman Lubri-Sizer works well and it�s not too expensive. For lube, I like the Lyman Moly-Lube, but that�s just personal preference.

Take a look at the Lyman kits, that�s how I got my start and I�m still using that same equipment (plus a whole lot more).

Nick,

Like all areas of reloading bullet casting can be attained within a variety of budgets. For years I cast thousands of bullets with
a ladle, cast iron pot and a camp stove. Moving onto a bottom pour furnace, lee, lyman or rcbs will certainly speed the process, but is not necessary.

When using wheel weight's (which I have used thousands of lbs) you should melt them prior to casting to remove clips and dirt, cast these in ingot molds (lyman or rcbs) you may use old muffin tins in a pinch, these can be flimsy watch yourself.

Cast only in a very well ventilated area, lead fumes are very
posioness. Wear leather gloves, long sleeves, safety glasses and do not be distracted. Avoid water/snow/ moisture anywhere near your working area. You do not want a steam explosion when moisture contacts molten lead.

Read the instruction that comes with your molds, new cast mold require cleaning prior to use, aluminum molds require smoking and lubrication.

Preheat your molds by dipping a corner in the molten lead,
partially filled molds indicate mold or lead is not hot enough, if your sprue takes a long time to harden your mold is to hot, try alternating with another mold I often had three on the go (especially if using single cavity molds) Wheel weights sometimes require quite a bit of heat to pour properly.

You will also require an old hammer handle or a piece of dowelling to knock the sprue cutter, and a piece of old towelling slightly damp for the bullets to land on.

Sizing may be accomplished with a lees sizer and then lubed seperately, or with a lyman /rcbs lubersizer ( best way to go if it's within your buget)

Gas checks are required it the design of your mold requires.

What calibers will you be casting for ??

Any other questions just ask.

Good Luck..........


Tim,

Thanks for the info guys, I really appreciate it. Flyer01 I will be casting for a few guns. Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt, S&W 38 Special Target, S&W model19 and Ruger Blackhawk 357, Marlin 1895 Cowboy 45/70, and a Winchester 1892 in 25/20. Thats for starters!! Where do you guys but your equipment, especially moulds.?? Midway? Cabelas? others??

Oh yeah, how could I forget I also want to try some cast bullets in my Smith 657 41mag.

Nick,

Most of my molds I purchased used at Gun Shows, Gun Shops . There are some great deals out there, Purchase a Lyman Cast Bullet Book, will help you ID the used molds, has info on the older no longer in production ones.
As well the RCBS, LEE and Lyman sites will have information on the current ones.

I currently cast for
38 Special, 357 Mag, 357 Maximum, 45-70, 38-55, 30-30, 308,30-06, 6.5X55. 41 Mag, .54 Muzzloader.

and have cast for the 45 colt, 45 acp, 44 mag and .223

Tim,

Flyer, just curious what pistol your 357 Maximum is in Contender? I took a 8 point buck with my Contender in 357Max this year(last year). I was using Hornady 180gr SSP bullets.I would like to say it was a spectacular shot but he was broadside at about 15yds so didn't test my skill too much,lucky for me unlucky for him.

nick,

Here's a well-known non-secret among shooters who cast big bullets for BPCRs. The best pots and best value for ladle casting are made by Waage Electric, a manufacturer of industrial grade melting equipment. The most popular model is the K4757 which holds 25 pounds. For some reason it is not in their catalog, but they sell so many that if you say that you want it for bullet casting, they will know exactly what you want. I believe the current cost to your door is about $140. If that is still too much for your budget, the 20 pound Lee pot isn't bad.

Paul

Nick,

Nice deer, cannot handgun hunt here, never did shoot anything with fur with my Contender Carbine in .357 Maximum.


My .357 Maximum is in a Ruger Super BlackHawk 10.5" blued, I use a 180 gr cast gas check bullet from a Saeco Mold, and a max charge of Winchester 680.

I also used the same type of load in a 10" and 21" Contender,
I have since sold all my Contender Frames and Barrells.

Tim,

Paul39, thanks for the advice on "Waage Electric" I'll look for some info. Do you know if the pot has a thermostat or is it like the LEE either on or off with no temp control? I would think it be nice to be able to adjust temp yes??

The Waage has a thermostat, industrial grade. However, my Lee 20 pounder also has a thermostat. I'm talking about a dial with a marker and single digit numbers. Neither gives a direct temperature reading, you still need a lead thermometer. Sending you a PM.

Paul

Nick, good info here. Also go to Cast Boolets website and the Cast Bullet Assoc. has a new site. Not sure on the cast boolets spelling, but it should get you there. They also have a classified section, where you can find some good buys on used equipment.

who makes the best lubrisizer? Saeco,RCBS,Lyman? Do most of you use base warmers?