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Casting bullets
one2hutn
Member Posts: 261 ✭✭✭
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
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!
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.
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.
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.