47 years of casting bullets. Several seasons of PPC competition, many years making my own practice ammo, many hunting seasons using cast bullets in several rifles. I find the subject fascinating, and there is always more to learn.

Recommendations:

1. Get the Lyman Handbook. Great basic information, step by step tutorials, and trouble-shooting advice. Also get the excellent NRA publication "Cast Bullets", long out of print but seen occasionally on eBay and other on-line sources.
2. Be thoroughly familiar with all safety precautions before you start, and constantly focus on safety first. Good face and eye protection, good heavy duty apron, good gloves. Any type of moisture (rain, condensation on tools, sweat dripping off your nose) needs to be kept away from your lead pot; a single drop of water in molten lead expands immediately into an incredible volume of steam causing an explosion of molten lead that can travel several feet away!
3. Definitely an outdoor activity. I work either on a covered patio or in my garage with the door open for good ventilation.

I started out on the cheap with a 1-cavity Lee mold, ladel, and salvaged cast iron pot on the camp stove. I have stuck with Lee over the years. I now have a couple of dozen, all 1 or 2-cavity models. I have two bottom-pour pots, allowing me to cast with one while the other is coming up to temp. I usually use 2 or 3 molds at a time, fill one and set it aside, fill the other, then strike the sprue on the first mold and drop the bullets, refill, repeat with the second, and so on. With that method I can usually produce two or three thousand bullets in a few hours.

I have a bench-mount lubricator sizer, which is a great convenience. Lee can provide a more simple and inexpensive tool set for lubing and sizing that works quite well for smaller quantities.

When I started out I was loading .38 Special and 9mm for about 2-1/2 cents per round (powder and primers). 47 years later, I now figure about 5 to 6 cents per round for .38, .357, 9mm, .45ACP, .40 S&W, and other common handgun calibers. Compare that to 25 to 50 cents per round for training ammo, when you can get it.

I also shoot a lot of cast bullets in rifles from .25-20 to .45-90, and a dozen others in between. Very few rifle loads cost me more than 10 or 15 cents per round. That compares to 50 cents to $2 per round (sometimes more) for factory rifle ammo, and many of the old rifles I love have not had available ammo for decades.

To be completely honest, I have to say that I enjoy bullet casting and reloading at least as much as I enjoy shooting.

Learn all you can, stay safe, and have fun for many years!