[dardascastbullets]

Hi Ak,

I will answer your questions in the order that you have asked them.

1. If you are referring to commercial alloy....the size of the ingots can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. I typically specify 8 pound so that it is easy for me to load into the casting machine. You will need to specify (or purchase) small enough bricks to load into your pot.
2. The number can be calculated by dividing the mass of the brick by the mass of the bullets. For instance, let's assume an 8 lb brick. We have to convert 8 lbs. into grains. There are 7000 grains in 1 pound. Therefore, 8 x 7000 = 56,000 grains. Let's assume that you are going to make 200 grain bullets. 56,000/200 = 280. You will be able to make two hundred and eighty 200 grain bullets with 8 lbs of alloy. Simple calculations that you will need to remember to understand how much alloy you will need.
3. Yes, Lead can be a problem if it is handled in a wrong way. Keep your casting temperature below 850 degrees F. That is the temperature at which Lead fumes. Wear gloves and keep a wash basin nearby. Wash your hands often. Stay with these guidelines and you will be ok.
4. I assume that you are talking about manually casting bullets. The answer to this lies with the mass of the bullet. 'Heavy' bullets will require more interval time between pours. 'Ligher' bullets will be able to be cycled faster. I must suggest that you keep very meticulous temperature records. You will need to track the temperature for each mould that you have. The time interval can be reduced by adding additional moulds to cycle.

I trust that this information will help you.