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Anyone cast their own bullets?

firstharmonicfirstharmonic Member Posts: 1,069 ✭✭✭
edited January 2005 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
I've got a Lyman mold, #311413, that I use as cast in .303 British and 7.62X54R.

Noli Illegitimi Carborundum
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Comments

  • tapwatertapwater Member Posts: 10,335 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I used to have a four cavity mould for 158 gr. .358.....a two holer for 55 gr. gas checked .224......and a single hole for hollow base 12 ga. slugs. The slugs were for plinking, and I ran out thousands of them. I never did get my .223's to like cast bullets, and then about 15 yrs. ago, I looked at the price of hard cast bullets versus the time I was spending breathing lead fumes, and just up and quit. Plus, my supply of free linotype was running out. We would take a few hundred of those slugs to a lake and shoot at floating chunks of 4x4 lumber. Great fun! Of course I loaded them down to a light trap load level.

    The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
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  • tomh.tomh. Member Posts: 3,843 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Back in the day, I used to help my Dad cast bullets. When there was still lead paint on the window frames, I suppose! Did it with a ladel and a single cavity mold. Seemed like fun at the time, but looking back....Laser Cast takes credit cards!
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    tapwater--COOL! I don't handload but I've been thinking about getting a shotshell reloading press. Can you do slugs on the same press? How the heck do you reload slugs? I've never hand-loaded shotshells so I don't know what the difference would be in the process besides what you put inside the shell.

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  • tapwatertapwater Member Posts: 10,335 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ids, I was pretty crude. They were one oz. slugs, so I used a published load for 1 oz. of shot, usually using Red Dot powder. At first I cut the "wings" off of regular wads, using the plastic base over the powder. Later I found a source of fiber and card wads, eliminating the cutting. I didn't use a wad over the slug, just went ahead and star crimped them. Some would fold in, some would not stay crimped, but for our purpose, pretty didn't matter. A roll crimp die would have been neater, but I was doing this on a Lee LoadAll. That little press cost about $25 at the time, and it's still in service. It works great, and is still a bargain at around $45-50..... I don't know of a source for slugs for reloading, and believe me, turning them out one at a time got tedious. The mould was two piece, with a "plug" of sorts that went up from the bottom to create the hollow base. Fun rarely comes cheap and easy !

    The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
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  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I cast everything from 121 T-Cone 9MM up to 260gr .45 flat noses for pistol plus .243 and .30cal for rifle.

    Most are kept slow so hard is not very important but I use a 158gr gas check, a 245gr gas check .44 and a .30cal gas checked for over 1,000fps. I too am down to my last 500 lbs of linotype...so sad.
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  • IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a Magma furnace packed away along with some of the better lead alloy I saved when I moved. Pull the handle, and drop two bullets. As far as I'm concerned, one doesn't really need jacketed slugs for a wheel gun and you can make some damn effective pills for the auto loaders as well. Lead bullets for the lower velocity rifle cartridges are excellent as well - I've yet to see a Krag, for example, which shoots as well with jacketed slugs as it does with a good lead bullet.

    "There is nothing lower than the human race - except the french." (Mark Twain)
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  • gmcon5gmcon5 Member Posts: 1 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have been casting 25 yrs. I do it in the garage during winter. Most of my pistol pills are of wheel weights that I get from a tire shop. The wheel weights you get today seem to be much harder than they were back then. I have 2 pots, 40+ molds, and 2 sizers(1 Lyman,1 Star). I got so involved in it, I make my own lube. I know you can buy factory cast, but there is something about shooting your own.
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  • CrittergitterCrittergitter Member Posts: 2,554 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I cast all my pistol pills. Except the ones I use for self-defense.
    Amd .22 rimfores, of course. .44, .45, .357, and roundball .36. I gave the 1851 Navy model BP cap and ball to my Godchild, but I kept the mold, It makes for great slingshot ammo.[}:)]

    Linotype is getting hard to find, with the advent of digital printing...I have about 180# left.[V]
    If your beliefs aren't based in fact, TRUTH is the first casualty...
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  • buddybbuddyb Member Posts: 5,368 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I make 250 grain,gas checked linotype for 44 mags,several types and weight for 45 ACP and 50 and 54 cal Maxi-Balls for muzzel loaders.
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