Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Going To Try Bullet Casting

I have a Lee Mag Melter Furnace with ladle, I have been using it regularly for many years.

I cast thousands of bullets a year, thousands and it has never failed me.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010213626?pid=709235

I also have well over a dozen bullets molds many of them Lee in both 2 cavity and 6. Never had a problem with them . They work just fine if you know how to use them.

And what would you know about bullet casting, novice?

I dunno Jack Chittsengruber about it, but read a lot on the innanet.

You might find this useful.

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

Yes, that's why I posted, i.e., because I knew I'd be benefiting from many years of experience on the subject.

I also have a small electric hot plate next to my furnace to temper the mold before casting.

I can also use the hotplate to melt the lead, in the Summer time. On cold days it will not keep the temp up...

Good thing is you don't need to worry about getting the melt too hot with the hotplate.....

I don’t use the hot plate for lead, just to temper the mold itself.

When I cast ingots I use a big old cast iron Dutch over over a gas burner, careful to not let the melt get to hot so as to melt zinc

Tempering the mold.

Probably not as big a deal making round balls. When pouring bullets, the mold must be preheated. I lay my five cavity molds across the top of the lead furnace while preparing the work station. Then the first thirty to forty bullets are dumped straight back into the melt. It takes a few cycles for the mold to reach appropriate temperature.

Molds

Mine come from "Accurate Molds". My 41 cal mold throws 175 gr, 210 gr, and 250 gr bullets with each pour. It is made of Aluminum and works fine.

I also have an Accurate .312 cal mold for the 327s. It throws 90 gr and 120 gr bullets. This mold is made of Iron. It takes a lot more time to preheat and a lot more time to cool. It is also VERY heavy out there on the end of the handles. Several hours of casting is fatiguing of the dominant arm.

Any future purchases will be constructed of Aluminum. Further purchases will consist of molds for 9mm and 10mm.

Hand protection

I like heavy elk hide gloves and long sleeves. The elk, it seems, is more resistant to heat damage and hardening than cow hide.

Flux,

Is a source of Carbon which consumes the Oxygen from the lead air interface and reduces formation of Lead Oxides. Paraffin is commonly used.

Smelting

The reduction of common lead waste to bullet alloys. Waste may include wheel weights, roof flashing, plumber's lead, old pipe, anything made of pewter.. Fluxing is critical in this process, as air is continuously being introduced and mixed through the pot. I use cedar sawdust. Cedar planks are pushed through the table saw specifically to make the sawdust.

With the purchase of prepared lead alloy, you will have no need for smelting.

Eye protection

ABSOLUTELY

The silver fairy

Oh yes. Steam explosions inside your melting pot which sprinkle the entire room with molten lead confetti.

Never been there. Seen pics.

Not likely with purchased lead ingots. But it happens sometimes when smelting scrap which may contain some hidden reservoir with a bit of water or ice therein.


Homogenous lots of lead

Again, not a problem when using commercial ingots.

Definitely a problem when using varying lots of scrap. Each pot is different from the last. One can either get a pot and heat sauce big enough to melt and blend his entire alloy inventory at one time.

Or one can do it in a production pot 20 lbs at a time. I did the latter, and poured twenty one pound ingots from each pot. The ingots from each pot are kept segregated.

Then an equal number of ingots from each pile is melted back into the pot, and repoured as final alloy. When done, all ingots will be of similar content.


castboolits.gunloads.com is a great resource with lots of helpful people.