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lead casting/ loading info need.

K

kickinneon

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 26, 2008
176
0
37
Eastern kentucky
I'm getting ready to start casting and reloading for my 9mm and a buddy's .45acp.
Were is a good place to read and study up on thing's i might need to know about doing it.

Thanks
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

The Lyman book is probably the best book out there for this and there is a TON of data in it for the various bullets and powders.

There's also a cast boolit forum around here but without googling it I can't remember the address. The Lyman book is a necessity IMO for the new lead casting aficionado.
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

Here ya go...

castboolits.com

Stop by!
wink.gif






 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

Google "The Cast Bullet Association" They put out quite a bit of information. Their magazine, "The Fouling Shot" is quite good for insight. I cast for many years using a ladle and a pot over a propane stove. The bottom pour pots are a lot more convenient. Lee makes some quite decent gang moulds that will serve you well for those two applications. Start laying in a supply of wheel weights...a good source of metal. You want the type with the steel hanger, not the stick on type. You'll probably need some tin...about 1% to help with the casting ease. Get the Lee handbook also. JMHO
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

I changed the link, but it does not highlight.

Just try a Google search, it should be the first result.
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

thanks for all the help. I will check out the lyman book and some of the other book. I have casted sinkers before so it cant be much different then that i would think.

My buddy bought some bullets already casted for his .45acp they had a ring of wax/grease around them is that necessary to have on them.


Thinks for all the help
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kickinneon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">thanks for all the help. I will check out the lyman book and some of the other book. I have casted sinkers before so it cant be much different then that i would think.

My buddy bought some bullets already casted for his .45acp they had a ring of wax/grease around them is that necessary to have on them.


Thinks for all the help </div></div>

Casting bullets is much like casting sinkers, except that the quality control is higher. Sinkers work no matter how bad they look, bullets don't.

Bullet lube is extremely important and you will need to lube the bullets you make as well so you're going to need a bullet lube/size press (I have a Lyman 4500 Lubrisizer) or use the Lee tumble lube moulds and their tumble type lubricant.

If you use the tumble lube you should lube before and after sizing. It makes sizing easier and you don't have "cleaned" driving bands on the bullets when you shoot them.

I like the tumble lube method for stuff that is high volume like 38's, 40's, 44's but I use the NRA formula lube in my Lubrisizer for 6.5, 7, 30c, 8mm rifle bullets.
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

i cast a lot of big bore pistol stuff 9mm 38, 44,45 colt, 308, 223, 7mm. just to name a few of my most popular. Castboolits is GRAEAT! They have group buys all the time for all kind of cool 5-6 cavity cool moulds join for sure. After that the Lyman book that was mentioned i think mine is the 47 or 48 edition and it will tell you from start to finish about casting. If you are look for pigs or any kind of lead rotometals.com is the place to go for lead,anitomy, ladels,etc. PM me if you have any questions i have tons of moulds, handles, lead, wheelweights and pots probably even a few lubersizers i might be able to part with if you are looking for some items to get you started. I have some real old good hard to find boreriding moulds that a lot of people would love to get there hands on too if anyone or you aree interested. i can help you with questions too.
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

Im about three hours up the road, in southeastern Ohio. If you want to sit in on a casting session, let me know. I would be glad to have you sit in one day.
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

Make sure you have a source for free/cheap lead before you start buying moulds and smelting equipment.
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

Unless you scrounge your own lead the cheapest place you are going to find alloys is on E-Bay or on the Cast Boolit forum.

IMO the most important piece of casting equipment is a good sizer-luber, like the Lyman. Alloy is important, but I think the most important part is to properly size and lube your bullets. If you do this then you will avoid most of the learning curve that new casters go through.

Proper sizing eliminates most leading and accuracy issus with most handguns. Yes you can use a pan lube and not size your bullets. And hope you get it lucky on how your mold drops your bullet. But I just like to do things right the first time. And the sizer is just not that expensive. Especially when you consider all the money you will save by casting your own bullets.

I can cast, load and shoot over 1,000 rounds of 45 Colt for about $100. Tom.
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

Thanks for all the help. I will check out the website's and the books. I have a guy local to me that cast his own stuff but have not had a chance to get up with him.

Thanks
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

Castbullets.com is a great place to learn..and even buy used stuff. I cast for 30+ years, but sold all my supplies off last year, due to not having time to cast. I now shoot jacketed in all my pistols, and prefer to use my spare time shooting.

Like someone said, you need to find a good supply of wheel weights or hard lead. With the new EPA rules, lead is going for $1 per pound on ebay. I just sold 3000# that I had to some locals for .30 per pound: they were happy to get it and can shoot for years!
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

In my neck of the woods finding used lead alloyed wheelweights is the challenge. Many areas no longer use lead based wheelweights.
When i first started casting bullets in the mid-70s used lead based wheelweights were readily available.

Recently i purchased some linotype locally and via the internet. I will alloy this with soft lead(close to pure lead) I have on hand to make hard cast bullets.
 
Re: lead casting/ loading info need.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: IAretat20</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yep, I can see this is my next hobby that is going to cost me. Been hesitating about getting into this due to ignorance. </div></div>


There are alot of habits you can get into that will cost you alot of money. However casting is not one of them. Heck you can pay for most of your tools with the savings from 10 or 15 boxes of expensive jacketed bullets. Heck you could easily pay for your tools with just 6 months or so of shooting. It realy depends(obviously) on how much you shoot. But you will be suprised how much more you can shoot when you can load 1,000 or more revolver shells for less than $100.

I also shoot a good bit of cast bullets in almost all my rifles. Shooting to 300 yards is not a problem what so ever. And guys shoot much farther than that with cast lead bullets. However shooting farther than 300 yards with my 45-70's is above my skill level. Tom.
 
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