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casting bullets

nemesisenforcernemesisenforcer Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
edited March 2012 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
looking to start casting bullets for 45, 30 caliber, and 38/357.

What molds and furnaces are best?
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Comments

  • nemesisenforcernemesisenforcer Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    i have never tried this but i am thinking a head in case SHTF and we have a hard time if the DEMOCRAPS get in the big house
    will tire weights work for casting a .45acp i also have a lot of reclamed lead shot and a few molds i have picked up her and there
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  • nemesisenforcernemesisenforcer Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I am doing research and am going to try to start casting my own bullets. Any advice or suggested reading maybe recommended equitment to start with? Any help would be great!

    NREMT
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  • nemesisenforcernemesisenforcer Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hey all. I've been away from here for awhile-life happens! Anyway, I still manage to make it to the range and shoot often enough but still haven't set up my loading bench yet. I've acquired most all of my reloading eqipment and some compnents, actually I think I've scored some really good buys. Anyway, my question is about casting bullets. I'm interested in casting eventually too and was wondering are there any guns or calibers that are better to cast for than others. I figure 30/30 and 357 are what I'd like to start with. Are there rules to casting. Can you not cast bullets for the bullets of higher velocity such as the 22-250 and 300 WinMag? What about 9mm, 10mm? I know I can look in catalogs and research this stuff, but I'm asking from real experience, any bullet sizes/styles/sizes to avoid? I will probably always buy bullets for my bolt guns to hunt with, but I think casting could fill some downtime and teach me a new skill to boot-and hey-coffee cans full of bullets!
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  • nemesisenforcernemesisenforcer Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    So just started casting for my 45-70,And I got some wheel weights and cast my first 50,and wow after 5 or so they started droping nice,so in the melt I used some tin solider with 95% Sn and 5% Sb,at first it was an 11 Bnh and guess the needed to be harder for say running up to 40,000 cup, so I heated to 460 for an hour and quenched them and tested again and the hardness after that was 14 bnh, so tested today and wow!22.7 bnh so my question is how hard should I be going for if I want to hunt elk and bear with this bullet shooting top loads and also plan on using h4198 any other sugestions on powder will be helpfull,I have read a lot and see some guide lines to use and think I am on the right track. thanks.... messed up the subject line [V]
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hensley & Gibbs is the gold standard of bullet mold blocks 68 or 68 BB "bevel base are great 45 bullets Lyman 45266 is great 45 but long discontinued Get 4 cavity blocks . Never cast any 38 because i USED HOLLOW BASE WADCUTTER I ALSO NEVER CAST ANY 30 cal. make sure you get a Star lubersizer . it is hands down the best sizer.
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  • dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,870 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've got a Lyman 20lb. bottom pour pot that has a heat control on it. It's about 30yrs old and still is working good. Get a bottom pour that will take a four bullet mould. Some of the smaller ones only will take a two bullet one.
    Like Karl said, get a Star lube-sizer. Well worth the envestment.
    PM me as I haven't cast in a few years and am thinking about selling the Lyman.
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  • FWAdditFWAddit Member Posts: 918 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    For just about all 30 caliber cartridges from .30-30 on up, the Lyman 311041 mold works well.

    But it may be wise to start small. If you're not sure you will like bullet casting enough to stick with it, the best thing to do would be to get just one mold and add others later if you're having enough fun to warrant it.

    You can often find used .38/.357 molds at attractive prices, and that caliber is usually easy to cast. Or you could start out with a Lee aluminum mold. Inexpensive, easy to use. Some casters call them "disposables," but I'm still using a Lee .45-70 mold I got more than 20 years ago. I have added an LBT .309 aluminum mold and a number of Lyman and RCBS iron molds from 6mm to .35 calibers.
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  • Rocky RaabRocky Raab Member Posts: 14,436 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Let me ditto the Lee comments. I use nothing but Lee casting gear: their electric bottom-pour pot, moulds, lube, and sizers. Nothing is simpler, few things work any better, and nothing at all is less expensive.

    I cast their .38 158 RNFP, their .44 240 TL SWC, their .45 255 RNFP, and their .30 170 FNGC. Plus one other custom .44 265-gr mould no longer available. All of them shoot superbly.

    Casting bullets has a learning curve, and you are dealing with molten metal. Loading and shooting them also have a learning curve, but in the end it is more than worthwhile.
    I may be a bit crazy - but I didn't drive myself.
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  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I casted TONS of bullets out of a bottom pour Lee pot, I burned two of them up they were used daily casting three pots of lead a day, for the money they can not be beat. The Lee molds are fine for every day use. They produce a good bullet and are a lot less fussy and sensitive than iron molds.

    You can't go wrong with the Lee 30 caliber mold numbers 90368 or 90369 the 38 number 90328 or 90322 and the 45 number 90348 or 90351 would do well and not bust the bank.

    I personally do not like tumble lube bullets that is why I recommend the bullets I did; invest in a lubra-sizer and cry once. If you can slug your bore it will help get the sizer dies narrowed down. I found the 90348 bullet to shoot like a laser beam sized to .452, the 30 cal stuff seems to like .311 and the 38 are all sized to 358.
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  • B17-P51B17-P51 Member Posts: 2,248 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    try this site for great info!
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/
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  • victorj19victorj19 Member Posts: 3,642 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you're going to use scrap lead (wheel weights, range lead, etc. Getting a melting pot and a decent size ladle and something to use as a mold is the way to go to clean up the lead. If you're going to do a huge amount perry shooter recommends a cast iron dutch oven set on a square of 20 building bricks, charcoal and something to pump air in.

    Or, just buy small lead ingots.

    +1 on a bottom pour melter.
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  • nemesisenforcernemesisenforcer Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Got the pot (a Lee 10lb. bottom pour) and tested it out today. Works great.

    Don't have any molds yet.

    Need to find molds for the 38, 44, and 30 calibers that will work with and without gas checks. Not planning on using gas checks on the 45s. Any suggestions?

    Otherwise I'll call Lee and see what they recommend.
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  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,572 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Lyman 452374 is my 45 acp bullet. Reliable feeder 225 gr plain base round nose. I hardly ever use gas checks, just slow up your loads enough to not lead. Remember to stir your bottom drop pot often. Aluminium molds are not a good choice in my book. In 38 and 44 I use the kieth style, big grease groove, plain base semi-wadcutter. For rifle I like the Loverin design short ogive lots of grease grooves. If you shoot lots of 357 gas checks could be good. There are dies to form them, would pay for themselves in about 3M.
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  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    There is nothing wrong with Lee. It's all about value for cost. Yes, I like Lyman better, and I like RCBS better yet, and I like SAECO and H&G better yet, and I like CBE brass molds out of Australia the best, but for the price, I can't praise Lee highly enough.

    Common issues with Lee are sticky molds. The cavities might need a little polishing but that's easy- leave the bullet in the mold, drill into the base, insert a screw. Take the bullet out, coat with comet cleanser with a little water added to make a paste, and spin at low speed with a drill in the cavity. Not enough to take out any metal, but it polishes microscopic inperfections that cause sticky release.

    Then there is the question of bullet lube. I recommend Lee Liquid Alox for starters, though as you progress you can get a lubri-sizer.
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  • nemesisenforcernemesisenforcer Member Posts: 10,513 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by jonk
    There is nothing wrong with Lee. It's all about value for cost. Yes, I like Lyman better, and I like RCBS better yet, and I like SAECO and H&G better yet, and I like CBE brass molds out of Australia the best, but for the price, I can't praise Lee highly enough.

    Common issues with Lee are sticky molds. The cavities might need a little polishing but that's easy- leave the bullet in the mold, drill into the base, insert a screw. Take the bullet out, coat with comet cleanser with a little water added to make a paste, and spin at low speed with a drill in the cavity. Not enough to take out any metal, but it polishes microscopic inperfections that cause sticky release.

    Then there is the question of bullet lube. I recommend Lee Liquid Alox for starters, though as you progress you can get a lubri-sizer.


    Good to know.

    Actually started casting today. Had ZERO problems with the Lee molds. I was casting 45s and the mold probably paid for itself already.[:p]
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