more information about bullet casting needed

ar15man2009 · February 28, 2009, 01:03 PM

i want some more information about bullet casting.i would like to know some good equipment to use and thiongs to stay away from and the simpolest ways i can get started.

i plan to load for 38 special and 357 magnum. and also i was wondering if i wanted to could i just buy the mold and lube and get a cast iron pot or some other type of container to heat the lead in and do it on like a coleman stove and use a latle to pour the molds.would this work for my basic needs.i am a little short on money right now so i dont want to invest too much at this point.

also is it worth casting my own bullet,will they be as accurate and reliable as factory bullets.they wont be used in life or death or anything but i want them to be able to shoot good and not mess up my gun.thanks

NuJudge · February 28, 2009, 08:42 PM

I started casting bullets as a boy using a Cast Iron pot on a tripod over a Bunsen burner. It worked fine. Lots of people still use Coleman stoves. Use an Iron or a Steel pot, not Aluminium. You will need a dipper of some sort: it has to have enough volume to fill a couple bullet cavities in the mold, and I suggest you buy the RCBS, and NOT buy the (much too small) Lee.
USELESS LEE spoon: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=161177
RCBS dipper: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=283142

Buying a 20-pound Lee furnace will up your output remarkably. Even a 10-pound Lee furnace will up your output by several hundred percent. Lee makes not just the bottom-pour furnaces I use, but also ones which you have to dipper the Lead out into your mold.
Lee 20-pound: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=645810
Lee 10-pound: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=637732

I use a 20-pound to cast from, and a 10pound as a melter, use 6-cavity molds, and can fill and empty the mold 4 times a minute. I run both furnaces on high. My time is a bit dear, so it is important to get every bit of out put I can. I cast long runs of one bullet, then move on to another.

Scrap Lead wheelweights are just about perfect as a casting alloy. Adding a little bit of Tin and casting hot Lead in a hot mold is helpful in achieving bullet fill-out. Look closely at the scrap wheelweights and remove all Zinc and Iron wheelweights. The Zinc will poison your Lead, turning it into the consistency of sand mixed with syrup, and won't cast worth a hoot. See the following re Zinc wheelweights:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=40765

If you want to do this, you need to read a lot before you buy anything. Start to scrounge things such as wheelweights. I hate to encourage you to spend a lot of time on another Board, but you'll find a lot more about cast bullets on the Cast Boolit board. Some links to it and other reference sites:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/
http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm
http://www.lasc.us/IndexBrennan.htm
http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm

I started with a Lyman lubricator/sizer, and I still use lubricator/sizers, although it's usually a Star now. The least capital intesive molds and lubing system are Lee molds and the Lee Tumble Lube (TL) system. Lee says their pistol bullet molds produce bullets that do not need sizing, which is true usually. I have used the Lee system, and it does work. See here:
http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata.../lubesize.html
. . . and read the reviews here:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=466811

In terms of results, a SWC with a gas check with a moderate powder charge will shoot every bit as well for me as a jacketed bullet. Non gas checked bullets are a bit cheaper, and have occasionally failed me. Maximum economy powder puff loads have never shot well for me, for reasons I do not understand. I like powders such as Unique, which allow me to easily see any pistol destroying double powder charge, as well as give me moderate ballistics, and have always given me good accuracy.

Ron · February 28, 2009, 09:32 PM

Nice post NuJudge, Lots of good information.

IllinoisCoyoteHunter · February 28, 2009, 09:47 PM

This should be a sticky!!!!! We need more guys on here to get into bullet casting!!

.45 COLT · February 28, 2009, 10:48 PM

I still use a Stainless Steel pot and a SS serving ladle.

If you use a pot/pan, remove the handle (unless it's a cast iron pot). The handle on a normal pot will fail due to heat & weight. Remove it and that removes the temptation to use it.

I have maybe 20 molds, most of them LEE. Can't beat the price and they work just fine for me. I had a couple of Rapine molds for .41 Long Colt, cost about 7 times the LEEs, bullets were no better. Would have had LEEs for them, but they don't make any.

DC

Prince55 · March 1, 2009, 12:23 AM

GREAT POST---Thanks for your time & information.

February 28, 2009, 01:03 PM	#1
ar15man2009 Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Location: Harlan County,Kentucky Posts: 81	more information about bullet casting needed i want some more information about bullet casting.i would like to know some good equipment to use and thiongs to stay away from and the simpolest ways i can get started. i plan to load for 38 special and 357 magnum. and also i was wondering if i wanted to could i just buy the mold and lube and get a cast iron pot or some other type of container to heat the lead in and do it on like a coleman stove and use a latle to pour the molds.would this work for my basic needs.i am a little short on money right now so i dont want to invest too much at this point. also is it worth casting my own bullet,will they be as accurate and reliable as factory bullets.they wont be used in life or death or anything but i want them to be able to shoot good and not mess up my gun.thanks

February 28, 2009, 08:42 PM	#2
NuJudge Member Join Date: October 17, 2005 Location: SE Michigan Posts: 86	Some attempts at answers I started casting bullets as a boy using a Cast Iron pot on a tripod over a Bunsen burner. It worked fine. Lots of people still use Coleman stoves. Use an Iron or a Steel pot, not Aluminium. You will need a dipper of some sort: it has to have enough volume to fill a couple bullet cavities in the mold, and I suggest you buy the RCBS, and NOT buy the (much too small) Lee. USELESS LEE spoon: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=161177 RCBS dipper: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=283142 Buying a 20-pound Lee furnace will up your output remarkably. Even a 10-pound Lee furnace will up your output by several hundred percent. Lee makes not just the bottom-pour furnaces I use, but also ones which you have to dipper the Lead out into your mold. Lee 20-pound: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=645810 Lee 10-pound: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=637732 I use a 20-pound to cast from, and a 10pound as a melter, use 6-cavity molds, and can fill and empty the mold 4 times a minute. I run both furnaces on high. My time is a bit dear, so it is important to get every bit of out put I can. I cast long runs of one bullet, then move on to another. Scrap Lead wheelweights are just about perfect as a casting alloy. Adding a little bit of Tin and casting hot Lead in a hot mold is helpful in achieving bullet fill-out. Look closely at the scrap wheelweights and remove all Zinc and Iron wheelweights. The Zinc will poison your Lead, turning it into the consistency of sand mixed with syrup, and won't cast worth a hoot. See the following re Zinc wheelweights: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=40765 If you want to do this, you need to read a lot before you buy anything. Start to scrounge things such as wheelweights. I hate to encourage you to spend a lot of time on another Board, but you'll find a lot more about cast bullets on the Cast Boolit board. Some links to it and other reference sites: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/ http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm http://www.lasc.us/IndexBrennan.htm http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm I started with a Lyman lubricator/sizer, and I still use lubricator/sizers, although it's usually a Star now. The least capital intesive molds and lubing system are Lee molds and the Lee Tumble Lube (TL) system. Lee says their pistol bullet molds produce bullets that do not need sizing, which is true usually. I have used the Lee system, and it does work. See here: http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata.../lubesize.html . . . and read the reviews here: http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=466811 In terms of results, a SWC with a gas check with a moderate powder charge will shoot every bit as well for me as a jacketed bullet. Non gas checked bullets are a bit cheaper, and have occasionally failed me. Maximum economy powder puff loads have never shot well for me, for reasons I do not understand. I like powders such as Unique, which allow me to easily see any pistol destroying double powder charge, as well as give me moderate ballistics, and have always given me good accuracy. Last edited by NuJudge; February 28, 2009 at 08:48 PM.

February 28, 2009, 09:32 PM	#3
Ron Member Join Date: February 7, 2009 Location: The SunShine State Posts: 74	Nice post NuJudge, Lots of good information. __________________ NRA Life Member

February 28, 2009, 09:47 PM	#4
IllinoisCoyoteHunter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 1,527	This should be a sticky!!!!! We need more guys on here to get into bullet casting!! __________________ ~~IllinoisCoyoteHunter~~ ~NRA LIFE MEMBER~ ~NRA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR~

February 28, 2009, 10:48 PM	#5
.45 COLT Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Posts: 308	I still use a Stainless Steel pot and a SS serving ladle. If you use a pot/pan, remove the handle (unless it's a cast iron pot). The handle on a normal pot will fail due to heat & weight. Remove it and that removes the temptation to use it. I have maybe 20 molds, most of them LEE. Can't beat the price and they work just fine for me. I had a couple of Rapine molds for .41 Long Colt, cost about 7 times the LEEs, bullets were no better. Would have had LEEs for them, but they don't make any. DC

March 1, 2009, 12:23 AM	#6
Prince55 Senior Member Join Date: June 22, 2007 Posts: 472	GREAT POST---Thanks for your time & information.