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Casting bullets

one2hutnone2hutn Member Posts: 261 ✭✭✭
looking to start casting bullets for 45, 30 caliber, and 38/357.

What molds and furnaces are best?

Comments

  • one2hutnone2hutn Member Posts: 261 ✭✭✭
    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
  • one2hutnone2hutn Member Posts: 261 ✭✭✭
    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
  • one2hutnone2hutn Member Posts: 261 ✭✭✭
    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!
  • one2hutnone2hutn Member Posts: 261 ✭✭✭
    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]
  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I cast as small as 6MM in rifle bullets, but the larger the diameter of the rifle bullet, the more it becomes advantageous to cast for it. My 375 H&H Encore barrel loves cast bullets at about 2,000 FPS. Shooting cast bullets in it makes it cheap to plink with.

    This site http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/ is the Mecca of casting lead projectiles.

    As far as easy to cast; just about any pistol case is a natural for cast bullets; the 357, 38 and 44 are well served by using Keith style bullets. The 9MM and 10 are available as RN and truncated cone designs that feed very well in most guns.

    Welcome to the fun filled world of casting and shooting your own!
  • one2hutnone2hutn Member Posts: 261 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks Bpost. I'll check that sight.
  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Cast pistol bullets are much easier on barrels then jacketed bullets but be sure your pistol barrel is designed for lead bullets DO NOT shoot lead bullets in a GLOCK also any firearm with gas operation as in some cases like a ruger rifle semi auto 44 mag it can clog the gas cylinder.
  • one2hutnone2hutn Member Posts: 261 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
  • chiefrchiefr Member Posts: 14,083 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Casting is fun, but has its hazards. I have been doing it for at least 30 years. Some of my most accurate pistol ammo is made with cast bullets. My recommendation would be to get a copy of Lymans Cast Bullet Handbook and read it before you start. I can't think of a better publication on this subject. This book has been in print for many years and mine is worn out.
    Personally, I do not cast for anything unless it uses a straight case, with the exception of the 8mm Nambu, because I can't find bullets for my Nambu, but you can load just about anything if you so desire. Bpost is spot on.
  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    The standard caster will be able to realize up to 2000 fps with regular alloys and gas checks and lube.

    Some really expert casters have pushed 3000 fps with no leading but it is a very tricky thing- I've been at it 10 years and can probably push the 2000 fps envelope slightly higher but wouldn't try 3000 myself.

    So you may be looking at reduced loads, but I know of no caliber you can't shoot cast from if you want. The smaller bores are a bit trickier but certainly not impossible.

    One other option that would be fine for your 300 but not your 22-250 (well it would but it would be hard to do due to the size of the bullet)- is the old paper patch idea. The lead bullet wrapped in suitable paper can be driven as hard as a jacketed bullet, believe it or not. This however is a fairly advanced procedure (not hard, just involved) for someone already comfortable with casting, but it is worth keeping in mind as your skills develop.
  • one2hutnone2hutn Member Posts: 261 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Jonk! Very interesting-thanks. My first reloading set up was a Lyman and I have read the manual front to back repeatedly. I have studied what it involves to cast bullets but never purchased the equpment and started. I gave all my reloading stuff to a friend when I had to move and just this last year bought a Lyman Set up again(was happy with it the first time!. This time I have a family and own a home so I won't be picking up and jumping around anymore; so next comes the bench, maybe a smelter, some molds, and a sizer. I'm sure it's easier to buy cast bullets, but the thought of taking an animal with a handload and a bullet I made just makes it that much more of an accomplishment to me.>Chris
  • NwcidNwcid Member Posts: 10,674
    edited November -1
    I had been wanting to do some casting for quite some time now. Handload came hunting at my house this year and brought some of his stuff to show me the basics and some tricks.

    Check out http://www.grafs.com as they have a great selection, good prices and $5 shipping. I just picked up a 20# pot, ingot mold, ladle, and a lub/sizer die (already have some bullets that need sized) for $110. I figured I would get my lead into some ingots and then decide what kind of bullets I want to cast.
  • partisanpartisan Member Posts: 6,414
    edited November -1
    I used to cast, but decided the results weren't worth the effort. I can tell you that with "hot" pistol loads, you should always use gaschecks. I learned the hard way years ago with my .44 mag.
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