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casting bullets
shootlow
Member Posts: 5,425
looking to start casting bullets for 45, 30 caliber, and 38/357.
What molds and furnaces are best?
What molds and furnaces are best?
Comments
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
NREMT
Combat Vet VN
D.A.V Life Member
this is something it looks like i am going to have to try
Casting can be fun but read up on Lead warnings first! The Lyman cast bullet handbook covers most everything you need to know and equipment to use. Lots of choices in lubes and diameters besides alloy. I'd look at your molds now as it takes little damage to render them useless. Casting is an art, and the more you do the better you get. A day at the range is a whole lot cheeper. Actually I spend the same amount but get to shoot 10 times as much.
is this the book you are refering to???
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=796528
I have picked up tons of previously casted bullets and want to get into casting bullets.
For the .45 Auto (my opinion others may differ) soft lead is fine. The low velocity of the .45 auto is the key in this. I would recommend soft lube as well.
Anyone can make OK bullets with a little practice but to make great accurate bullets is more effort. Consistent alloy, sorting, weighting, sizing, etc. all can improve your bullets.
Tim
NEVER get fluid near the molten lead.
Use good practices when fluxing.
A poor mans flux is candle wax. Light the vapors to reduce smoke and stir the lead until all dirt has come to the top. Flux often and deeply.
The best casting temp can change from bullet to bullet and needs to be noted for best results. My pot runs a lot of bullets at about 710 degrees.
Lee molds are fine Lyman are better IMNSHO.
Wheel weights, old shot, plumbing parts and other junk lead works well as long as it is clean when casting.
Batteries are not bullet making material!
Candle smoke in a mold helps it fill out, oil in a mold will drive you nuts with wrinkles.
Clean oil from the molds with Acetone or MEK. Heat the mold on the pot to help bullets form best.
Keep a fire extinguisher next to your work.
Drop bullets onto a old folded bath towel pour them from the towel into a coffee can using the towel like a funnel.
Wear long sleeve shirts made from COTTON. Wear leather shoes and long pants too.
Dropping a full coffee can of 45's on the kitchen floor makes the wife unhappy, dents the hell out of the floor and takes an amazingly long time to pick all the bullets up.
The Lyman cast bullet handbook is priceless for information.
Bullet alloy is a science; but you can get up to 850FPS from soft lead if lubed well.
Wheel weights are pretty hard and are good upp to 44MAG full power loads.
I like ALOX/Beeswax for lube, it smells good.
I am sure other, better lubes are available but I still have 10 pounds of ALOX/beeswax to use up.
The Lyman 20 pound production pot is awesome for large volume casting needs.
"Keith" style bullets tend to shoot best in 38 and 44 type cases.
email if you have any other questions.
wheel weights will work great for 45 auto cast bullets. I've used wheel weights for years and my only problem, if you can call it that, is that the alloy of wheel weights is fairly high in a metal called antimony. When bullets are cast the surface will have a "crystaline" look about it. This is generally removed during the sizeing/lubing operation leaving a much smoother bearing surface.
The problem is now wear on the sizing die itself! I have personely worn out two lyman type sizing dies for an old style lyman 450. As I got more into casting I found a local lead dealer who does most of his work with the print industry and was able to buy several hundred pounds of monotype. This is much harder than linotype and by doing a slight blend in a large 90 pound lead pot I was able to get the wear problem to go away. Please bear in mind the time frame was early 80's, I was shooting IPSC with two friends, and we were burning up about 3000 rounds a month in practice. Two years of that wore out both dies. If your not planning that type of shooting plain old wheel weights will provide years of shootng for you with no problems[8D]
The Lee line of casting products work extremely well and are inexpensive. I like using the tumble lube type bullet molds as there is no need for a expensive sizer and luber with seperate top punches for each type bullet cast. The molds come with the handles aready attached where as the more expensive molds require purchasing the handles seperately.
I cast up a bunch, then weigh them and segregate, place the bullets in a plastic ziplock, drizzle a little of the Lee liquid Alox in and tumble. Dump them out on a piece or paper or tin foil to dry overnight. Next day run them through a Lee sizer die which sizes by pushing the bullet through the die from the base. After sizing I lube them again lightly.
I have loaded both .45 and .38 using this method and I'm very happy with the results. No leading at all through my .45 and very little through my .38/.357.
As far as lead goes I've had good luck casting use lead picked up from our range. If you take the time to pick up individual bullets you can cast some very clean and hard bullets. I have just cast some wheel weights but not had a chance to test any at the range.
I do recommend getting some sort of hardness tester. Again Lee makes an inexpensive one that is simple to use.
A casting thermometer is essential. It's the only way to get an accuarate idea of just how hot your melt is.
Please bear in mind all the afore mentioned warnings and safety precautions.
Hope this helps. Enjoy!