Getting Started with Bullet Casting

[chasep255]

I want to start casting bullets. The caliber I wanted to start with is .45 Auto. What do I need to get started? Also what sort of material should I use?

[snuffy]

Well, first you should have posted this on the sub-forum for bullet casting. No matter a moderator will move it. In the meantime, got to the link below, read that link. If you wstill have questions,(and you will), come back on this thread , ask. We'll get you started.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=346199

[Adamantium]

The big question is how many do you plan on casting at a time? I cast 45 acp and this is exactly what I use...

Lyman 10 lbs lead pot
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=816131

Lee Laddle
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=161177

Flux
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=593033

Lee 6 cavity 230 gr LRN mold
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=148534

Handles for said mold
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...tnumber=117892

Lube for bullets
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...tnumber=466811

Sizer die (you will need to slug your barrel to find the correct one for you)
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=116429

Hit up your local tire shops and ask them about buying a bucket of used wheel weights. That is the best and cheapest source of lead alloy for them. I recommend sorting through them and getting rid of all that say Zn or Fe. The Zinc ones are the real threat while the Iron ones you just might as well weed out while you are at it.

If I could do it all again I would have gotten a larger pot that 10 lbs though. Filled the the top it will make about 200-220 bullets for me after a 3-4 batches getting my mold heated up.

If you search the web there is a plethora of excellent articles written to help out beginners. Remember to follow all safety precautions! Good luck.

[zxcvbob]

The most important thing is a source of lead. 5 or 10 years ago it was easy to find -- usually free. Now people look at you funny, like your a terrrst or something, if you even ask about it.

If you can find lead (wheel weights are good if you can still find lead ones and you don't get a zinc weight melted in with it, also lead pipe, and scrap flashing), get a Lee 20# bottom-pour pot, and a six-cavity TL452-230-TC bullet mold and a set of handles, and a small-to-meduim stainless steel saucepan from the Salvation Army Store to melt your scrap in. (you don't want dirty scrap getting in your good pot and clogging up the spout)

You can save a little money by starting with a 2-cavity mold if money is really tight. But the 6-cavity molds cast about 4 times faster.

[Edward429451]

When they look at you funny and say no is when you say ok thanks, how about enriched uranium?

[Cary]

Here is a good site with a wealth of information that should help answer a lot of your questions if you will take the time and do some reading there.

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

I've been casting for around ten years now myself and cast bullets for three different calibers. Casting alloys are going to get harder to acquire as time goes on. In time it may be very difficult to save a buck doing it because of the cost of casting alloy. Lead wheel weights are being phased out. I like to cast and shoot my own so I plan to cast as long as the cost remains reasonable to me but there may come a point where that is no longer true. Lead prices are on the rise again. Here is a link to a company who sells casting alloy. After the well runs dry on wheel weights I plan to buy from them. They have a good selection of casting alloys.

http://www.rotometals.com/

Cary

[jmortimer]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/ This is where you want to go for information as it is a dedicated site with advanced knowledge and
+ 1 for Roto Metals

[dahermit]

A six cavity .45 mould and a Lee 10 lb. pot??? I do not think so. No matter how many bullets that you think that you are going to cast at one time, a 10 lb. pot is just too small.

[Nomadicone]

I find the best way to eliminate zinc is to try cutting each weight with a pair of side cutters. Zinc will be extemely hard. If you can find the clip on type wheel weights they make the best mix. Better yet you may want to start out with a commecial provider who sells a great formula like Hardball or Lyman #2. It will cost a bit more but it's one less thing to worry about when you are starting out.

[zxcvbob]

A six cavity .45 mould and a Lee 10 lb. pot??? I do not think so.

+1.

[DiscoRacing]

No kiddn ZX... talk about starting off at the top...

... IF you plan to start your first casting with a six cavity... You had better read read read,, practice , pratice,,,and be ready to make quite a few mistakes...

....Crawl before you try to Walk.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Lee 20 ponder is a great pot for the money. It will drip, but there are remedies to help. The 20 # pot and a 6 cav mold will crank out some slugs!

[Adamantium]

I hate to break it to you guys but filling a 6 cavity mold is just like filling a 2 cavity mold, but three times...

I've yet to see the disadvantage of being able to cast the same amount of bullets if significantly less time. Considering that it is a higher quality product and only costs $25 more than a Lee 2 cavity it is a no brainer in my book.

[DiscoRacing]

If thats the case...

... then a progressive press is the same as a single stage.

Its not that its impossible to operate... just easier to start out smaller...(I think)...

.. until you learn all the ins and outs..

in this case,, mold temp, lead temp, not overheating mold,,etc.

[grubbylabs]

+ 1 on the cast boolits site. and you can get started on the cheap if you want or you can take the plunge and and go full deep.

I just started this last x-mass so I am still new to it.

What I started with

Turkey fryer from Walmart
Cheap pot (pressure cooker from Good will works great.)

Some cheap metal spoons, a large slotted one, and a ladle.

Some muffin tins that are not soldered together. (hot lead will melt the solder and make a heck of a mess)

Cheap candles to flux with

Some 3/4 wood dowel rod.

Lee 20 lb pot

Lyman casting book

Lee sizing dies ( they work in your regular single stage press)

Molds of your choice. I like Accurate molds, Tom is supper to work with and will make any profile you want and ship it for less than 100.00.
If you have any other questions let me know. Shoot me a PM and I will get back to you. Again I am new to this but I will help out the best I can.

[Adamantium]

I don't think anyone has blown up their gun by accidentally double charging a 6 cavity mold.

Lets face it we are describing a block of aluminum. One block of aluminum has 2 holes drilled in it, the other has 6. One block you hit the sprue plate with a wooden dowel, the other you cam and pull. Both blocks of aluminum come with an instruction sheet.

[zxcvbob]

After thinking about it some more, *maybe* starting with a 2-cavity mold would be better since you're talking about a .45, just because they are a little easier to use. Maybe. If you were starting out casting for a .38 or 9mm, I'd say get a 6-holer for sure. But with .44 or .45, the advantages and disadvantages just about cancel out (and either one is an OK choice.) I still buy 2-hole molds sometimes for large calibers.

Definitely get a 20# pot rather than a 10#. With a 10#, you'll be adding lead to it all the time and waiting for it to heat back up. With a 20#, you can add lead as you go (and less often) and keep casting.

[CrustyFN]

Compromise and buy a Lyman four banger mold. That's what I started with casting for 45. I have never used aluminum molds so I can't comment on them but I can tell you my Lyman steel mold makes great bullets.

[DiscoRacing]

I don't think anyone has blown up their gun by accidentally double charging a 6 cavity mold.

Lets face it we are describing a block of aluminum. One block of aluminum has 2 holes drilled in it, the other has 6. One block you hit the sprue plate with a wooden dowel, the other you cam and pull. Both blocks of aluminum come with an instruction sheet.

Adam Have you ever cast a boolit???

... Easy as fallin off a log huh??

...WTH....get a ten cavity then....its just as easy and much faster.

[snuffy]

A six cavity .45 mould and a Lee 10 lb. pot??? I do not think so. No matter how many bullets that you think that you are going to cast at one time, a 10 lb. pot is just too small.

The point dahermit was making is the 10 pound pot will run out of lead too fast. Filling a 6 cavity mold, especially a 200 grainer, will drain the pot in a few minutes, then you have to add lead and wait for at LEAST 15 minutes for it to reach casting temp again. By then the mold has cooled, so it has to be re-heated.

If all you wanted was 100 bullets, then you could stop casting, turn the pot off after filling it. The lee 10 pounder has been dubbed the drip-o-matic. The valve rod is at an angle so it doesn't seat/seal very well. It also makes it real hard to use a ladle, the valve rod gets in the way. The pro 20 is a much better design, mine doesn't drip much at all.

[Adamantium]

Adam Have you ever cast a boolit???

... Easy as fallin off a log huh??

...WTH....get a ten cavity then....its just as easy and much faster.

I go through about 600-700 cast bullets a month. I make a few more than that so I can always have them on hand.

The point dahermit was making is the 10 pound pot will run out of lead too fast. Filling a 6 cavity mold, especially a 200 grainer, will drain the pot in a few minutes, then you have to add lead and wait for at LEAST 15 minutes for it to reach casting temp again. By then the mold has cooled, so it has to be re-heated.

I guess we look at this in a different way. In my mind there is a finite amount of bullets that can be made from 10 lbs of molten lead. Whether I use a 2 cavity or a 6 cavity mold I'm still getting the same amount of bullets. The difference is time saved. I use a burner on my gas stove to preheat my mold so after 2 or 3 batches of rejects I'm ready to roll. The choice is between spending more time casting the exact same number of bullets or filling my pot back up with WW's and going off and doing something else reloading related with my time saved.

[DiscoRacing]

600-700 cast bullets a month

Calibers??

[snuffy]

I guess we look at this in a different way.

Yes we DO! It's not possible to get a full ten pounds in a lee 10 pounder. Working capacity is really only 8 pounds. THEN, you can't use all 8 pounds of it, if it gets past ½ full, it won't make good bullets. reason is flow rate, it slows down when there's less lead in it. Simple physics.

Also. a lee pot tends to increase temp with less than full pots, it always climbs in heat towards the bottom. The temp control is just under the knob on top, it really only senses the air inside the tower behind the actual melting pot. This means the heating element that is below the mid-line of the pot has less lead to heat, hence the higher temp. Temp fluctuations are one reason for poor bullet consistency.

This all means you can really only cast maybe 200 45 200 grain bullets before you have to stop to refill the pot. Keeping the mold hot while waiting for the lead to reach casting temp, is a good idea. It should be ready to go when the lead reaches casting temp. I use a cheap walgreens hot plate for that.

So whether you do those 200 bullets with 32 casts with a 6 banger, or just under a hundred casts with a 2 cav, you'll still have to wait for the lead to melt.

A 20 pound pot really only holds 18 pounds, but you can see it will cast a lot more before you have to re-fill. Or you can pre-heat ingots on the hot plate, and on top the pot, so the recovery time is much less.

[GP100man]

first off $$ issues just a few more bucks ya got twice the capacity !!

Then with the 10#er `bout the time ya get warmed up & going you`ll be out of alloy & have to start all over.

I know I own both !

[Adamantium]

Calibers??

Mostly 45acp, followed by 38/357 followed by 155 gr .312 for 303 British.