How hard is it to start casting your own bullets? And I guess more importantly how expensive is it to get all the equipment to start casting and what will I need?

I have been reading some articles online about alloys and its seems a little complicated, with the different combinations of lead, tin, and antimony.

Where would one go to get ingots of wheel weights which seem to be a general base line for a semi-ideal alloy of lead?

Try looking here: Cast Boolits - Dedicated To The World Of Cast Bullets!

I just started 2 weeks ago. I lucked out and found alot of used equipment. So far I have less than 75.00 into it. I found a nice bottom pour Lyman furnace at a local gun/pawn shop for 30.00, a new/used 38/357 Lee mould for 12.00, a nice iron pot at a local thrift store for 1.50 for smelting. A old stainless steel GI mess kit that I use for making ingots and storing spoon, ladle ,etc. for .99. I had a one burner Coleman backpack propane stove that I use for smelting. Make sure you get something nice and stable if you go with something like that...I surround it with cinderblocks and a steel grate to set the stove under for stability. A good pair of welding gloves and eye protection is a must. Don't ever get any water in your furnace...it does not mix well with moulton lead.
I have access to basically all the wheel weights I need which really helps.
This forum and a couple of guys here have helped alot, also check out the above site. There is enormous help coming from them. I also found youtube very helpful. I think I am hooked. I will start casting soon for my .45. I am trying to get alot of bullets cast and stored for the colder weather coming up. Thats when I do most of my reloading for the year.
Most important is safety...always remember that you are dealing with moulton metal. It is not like wax, one careless mistake will stay with you a lifetime.
Like I said I am very green at this but so far I really enjoy this new hobby. Good Luck !

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You'll shoot your eye out kid

At a minimum, you will need a mould, $60.00 from Lyman; ladle, $15.00 from RCBS; pot, $20.00 from Sportsman's Guide (heavy cast Iron cook ware); heat source, heavy work gloves, eye protection and lubricant.

The heat source can be your kitchen stove but better is a dedicated heat source that can be used in an extremly well ventilated area. Obviously, costs can and will vary based upon what you buy and from whom. I can not recommend Lee for the beginner though their products cost less; they can be very hard to use.

A large salvage yard can supply scrap lead and wheel weights but they probably won't be in ingot form. You may scavenge wheel weights from a tire shop but there is a lot of competition for them and some newer wheel weights contain zinc which is not suitable for bullet casting. Reasonably pure lead mixed with Tin found at radiator repair shops makes good bullets, especially for the novice. Mix 1 pound tin to 15 to 20 pounds of lead. I use fairly soft 20:1 aloy for most purposes. Once you gain experience you can expand your endeavors.



Good luck,
Dan Cash

You can start casting on your kitchen stove with a Lee 2 cavity mold, an old spoon and 1 quart steel pot for less than $30. After that, it's how much do you want to spend...

To expand a little...

Heat source, pot, raw material, spoon, flux, mold, lube, good gloves, long sleeve shirt, long pants, safety glasses and leather shoes.

For the heat source you can use anything from a Wal Mart hot plate, through the kitchen stove, to purpose made electric furnaces.

For the pot, a 1 quart steel sauce pan will work. Cast iron is better. A purpose made furnace is best. DO NOT USE AN ALUMINUM POT! Aluminum can fail without warning, leaving you standing in a puddle of molten metal. This is generally regarded as a bad thing.

For raw material, the ubiquitous wheel weight, range scrap, roof flashing, lead pipe and shower pans, radioactive isotope containers and many more...

The spoon is to move melted lead into the mold, stir, flux and skim. There are purpose designed dippers for pouring bullets and there are bottom pour furnaces that eliminate the need for moving lead to the mold, but you will still need a spoon to stir, flux and skim. A long handled kitchen spoon is best.

Flux is anything that can add carbon to the mix to reduce metal oxides back into the melt. Paraffin wax (candle stubs) is easiest to find. There are many, many substances that will work from saw dust to purpose designed commercial preparations.

The mold depends on the bullet you want to cast and how fast you want to cast them. Lee sells very inexpensive aluminum molds that will let you get your feet wet. From there they progress through the commercial iron molds by Lyman, RCBS and SEACO right on up to custom designs. A two hole mold is a good one to cut your teeth on. The more cavities in the mold, the more important supplier quality control and your technique becomes in order to turn out consistent product.

Lube can be applied either by tumbling (Lee Liquid Alox, Rooster Jacket) or by pan lubing or use of a sizer press (Bees wax/Alox, Lyman Orange Magic, White Label Lube Carnauba Red, and many, many more).

The gloves, shirt, pants, glasses and shoes are basic safety gear. Molten lead can splash and it will burn.

That's a pretty basic list of what you NEED. After that, it's how much do you want to spend and a lifetime of learning... Buy a copy of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook and read it. Check this link:
NSSA: Northwest Territory

and this one:
Cast Boolits - Dedicated To The World Of Cast Bullets!

Using the kitchen stove may not be the best idea from a safety perspective.
Pure metallic lead ingots are safe, but the smoke and dross from casting lead are not. From a lifetime of casting, I can testify how hard it is to maintain a clean casting area and adequate ventilation. Trying to do it in a food preparation area, it is nearly impossible to prevent contamination.

A Lee bottom pour pot is a small investment, less than an iron pot and hotplate, and easier to use.

From long personal experience I can tell you that you will eventually have quite an investment in equipment (molds, lead furnace, sizer-lubricator and dies, etc). You will also shoot a lot more than ever before because you have eliminated the most expensive part of the reloading process. You will save an enormous amount of money over the years.

NRA published a manual simply called "Cast Bullets" years ago. May not be in print anymore, but if you can find a copy you will have a great source of information on every aspect of casting, loading, and shooting lead alloy bullets. Comprehensive articles written by many leading experts throughout the years.

Lyman also produced a manual called Cast Bullet Handbook, another excellent resource by the folks who have led the industry for decades.

Wheel weights are becoming difficult to find, as scrap metal prices have gone up considerably. I used to "mine" an indoor range, collecting spent bullets by the hundredweight. This results in a totally unknown lead/tin/antimony content, but can be improved considerably by alloying with new metal from foundries (I buy new linotype metal to mix with wheelweights and scrap lead, then use a simple crush test in a vise to compare to known samples and achieve the hardness levels that I want for various uses in handguns and rifles).

I now have eight 5-gallon buckets (about 1200 pounds) full of ingots ready for casting, so I doubt that I will ever run out.

Good luck, be safe, and have a lot of fun.

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Life of the party until 8:00PM

Lyman has a great book about bullet casting. I would suggest you buy one. You can get it here: MidwayUSA - Lyman "Cast Bullet Handbook: 3rd Edition" Book

I started casting a couple of months ago. I started out with a Lee 20# pot (not bottom pour), a RCBS Dipper, a couple of Lee molds, and the usual safety equipment. I got some lead clip-on wheel weight ingots on ebay for about $1/pound shipped (which is about the most one should pay). I already had the Lyman cast bullet handbook, and I did a lot of research online before I started.

I originally decided to start casting so I could shoot 200 grain bullets in .38 Special and 250 grain bullets in .45 ACP without breaking the bank. Lee doesn't offer a 200 grain .358 mold (expect as special order), so I got the Lee 250 grain RF .452 mold and a 158 grain tumble lube .358 SWC mold. I also got the Lee sizing/lube kits for .358 and .452, which include a push through sizing die, Lee liquid alox for lubing the bullets, and a container to catch the bullets as they are pushed through the die. They run about $16 each at Midway.

After my first casting session (and a lot of trail and error), I got some good bullets and decided I did want to keep doing it. So, I found myself a used Lyman 358430 200 grain RN mold. After all, the 200 grain .358 was the primary reason I got into casting to begin with. After using the Lyman mold for a casting session (and having much better results than with the Lee molds), I decided I might like Lyman molds better. After using a couple more times along with the Lee molds I decided that the Lyman mold really was worth the extra money (which is significant, a 2-cavity Lyman costs about $55 new, plus one has to buy handles for it, $13 for Lee handles that fit it fine, $35 for Lyman brand handles; a Lee 2-cavity mold is about $20 with handles included).

Not being rich, I kept looking around for used Lyman molds. To date I have managed to get the following, all used, all in great shape, and all much cheaper than the $55+ cost each for new. Got to love the internet.

313266
358311 (I size this one to .356 and shoot it in 9x19mm)
358345
358429
358430
358495 (is it obvious that I really like the .38 Special/.357 Magnum?)
429421
452488

I still have my Lee molds, but I am going to sell them off as I can replace the bullets they cast. All I really need to add to my Lyman mold collection is the 225 grain RN (452374), the 250 grain RNFP (452649), and the 500 grain RN for .45-70 (457125).

Obviously its possible to go nuts with equipment and molds. I sure have with the molds. I have tried to stick with the mostly expensive or harder to find bullets, or those that I shoot in low volume, and therefore do not want to purchase in the volume necessary to make shipping costs worthwile. I hate, for instance, to pay $11 shipping on 500 bullets (which often cost less than $30 from Missouri Bullet). So, casting those makes sense.

I bought a used Lyman 4500 lube-sizer from a fellow IDPA shooter. I like it because it results in nice looking bullets with lube in the lube grooves where it belongs. However, when actually shooting the bullets I cannot tell the difference when it comes to accuracy or cleanup. The Lyman is faster than the Lee method, which requires allowing the bullets to dry after tumble lubing.

Its possible to get started, including a pot, mold, and lubing and sizing for less than $100. Its also possible to spend hundreds.

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Hello Cleveland, Rock and Roll

I'm one of them that is like a pendulum. I swing from one extreme to the other in my hobbies.

Case in point: I had no casting equipment just a few years ago and now have over $1000 in molds alone!

I bought expensive molds, mostly Hensley & Gibbs and even used they go for around $200 for the classics. I bought the classics!

I know that there are Lee 2 cavity molds available, I even have one. One fellow says he is too cheap to ever pay so little for a mold that is a piece of junk. They add a level of frustration for the novice that need not be there. 6 cavity? That is a whole different ballgame and I hardily suggest them. A little more money but well worth it. Even to start with.

Bottom pour pots, needed! Again, from the standpoint of frustration being removed.

Can you do it for less? Sure. Do you want to? No, in my opinion anyway.

Casting is about much more than the initial cost. If for no other reason than availability, casting is worth it. When/If bullets get as scarce as primers have recently, you will still have bullets long after others are crying trying to buy them.

You may even be able to sell some to your friends!

I've been casting for years. One thing I learned quick was NOT to do it in the heat of the summer out in my shop behind the house (10 X 20 metal building). When ANY kind of moisture falls into the melted lead, it WILL explode and scatter hot lead everywhere! I was sweating, and dripped into my RCBS melting pot and it happened... only time I was ever really glad I wore glasses. Specks of lead were all over me and my glasses.

Nowadays, I do my casting in the winter and am very cautious not to let anything but lead fall into that pot.

Be careful,

Rod

I am not totally convinced I want to go to all the trouble of casting, I kind of want to try it out before I take the plunge in a sense. if I just get a cheap cast iron pot and a couple of molds from the gun show coming up in a few weeks (assuming they have them there?) am I just going to be setting myself up for frustration? I am not really financially in a place right now with the economy the way it is to shell out more then 50-60(+-) bucks in start up at the current time.

Should I wait until circumstances improve and go all out or start small and build up?

Given your circumstances, and not being sure that this is something you will want to pursue, by all means start small.

Used molds are iffy. You might be buying something worth having, you might be buying someone else's problem. Start with a Lee 2-cavity mold, which you can buy new for under $30.

Pick up a heavy duty steel or cast iron pot for melting your metal. Flea market or Goodwill store will probably turn up something for less than $5.

A ladle for pouring, preferably with a long handle. New ladles designed for casting are available for $15 or so.

Mallet (for cutting the sprue). Old hammer handle works quite well.

Heat source: electric hotplate works.

Flux for cleaning and properly alloying your metal. Marvelux works very well, so does a small piece of parafin wax (have any old candles around?).

Lee lubricating and sizing kit, with Alox bullet lube, $15 to $20 new.

Heavy duty gloves and safety glasses are a must.

Work outdoors or in an area with good ventilation.

Drop freshly cast bullets from the mold onto a folded towel (avoid damage to the soft hot metal).

Cast two or three hundred, lubricate them, load them and shoot them, see how they perform in your weapon. See if you think it is worth the time and effort.

If not, put all your toys on eBay and you'll get most of your money back in a week or so.

If so, add equipment as you can (bottom-pour lead pot, lubricator-sizer, additional molds for other calibers/bullet styles, etc) and you will be able to increase productivity and enjoy it even more.

Be safe.

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Life of the party until 8:00PM

Thanks for all the responses, its definitely on the to do list now. Part of the fun of shooting I get from reloading so it seems a natural extension to start casting.

Another option to see if you think you will like it, ask around your local range or gunshops and ask if they know anyone locally who casts. Make arangements with them to let you see/try casting first hand.

If you are on a budget as limited as yours, bullet casting quickly becomes a venture into which you can sink a lot of money. There are lots of good cast bullet suppliers around, ask for recommendations here on the forum. I try to find a source located as close to home as possible as lead is costly to ship. Most suppliers take advantage of the Post Office quick shipping boxes which have a 70# limit. You can get a reasonable supply of bullets in 70# worth. Here's what I did the last time I needed cast bullets, I found a cast bullet supplier in my state and got together with some of my shooting buddies to place a bulk order. i contacted the supplier and he agreed to give me his absolute lowest price if we placed an order for 100K bullets which could be mixed calibers and weights. I believe the 100K order shipped in four 70# boxes, I am still loading bullets from that order that we placed a couple of years ago before metal prices started to increase. I had no idea at the time that we'd be paying the prices we are today, I'm glad I placed that order when I did. Sometimes you can make similar arrangements for bulk orders with gunshow bullet vendors, they'll tote the note on some of the shipping. If you're willing to be resourceful you can find cast bullets at a price that's affordable. If you are looking for a special bullet that's not readily available, there are some custom casters who frequent this forum. Not too long ago I wanted a hard to find bullet, I located a mold and worked a deal with a custom caster where I sent him the mold to use to cast me an order of bullets. The mold became his to use to fill my future orders as partial payment for my initial bullet order.

The Lee 2 cavity molds can be aggrivating, but if the pins are kept lubed, they work pretty well. I suggest a tube of never-seize. The 6 cavity molds are a lot more expensive, but are really good if you get into casting full speed. If you want to start really cheap, try one of the tumble lube bullet designs that does not require sizing. It may not give as good accuracy in your particular gun, or may do great. You can try shooting regular bullets "as cast". Measure the bullet as it comes from the mold and compare to bore size. If it's close, it may work well enough. You can get into casting for under $50 if you look around.

You probably started reloading ammunition to save money. And where are the dollars you saved? You will save even more money casting bullets.

On April 15, 2010 you will save lots of money with "Tax Deductions". I have been casting bullets since 1978. The net result has been that my equipment was paid for by the bullets I cast. Good luck with your new hobby.

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S&WHF 366

How are the Lee aluminum molds? I found a few of them on Ebay for very reasonable prices. They were saying that they had fewer sticking problems because the lead wouldnt stick to aluminum and that the aluminum comes up to temp much faster then steel molds... but aluminum seems like it would not stand up to all that whacking with the mallet/stick.

I have 10 of the Lee molds and one SAECO mold. All are two cavity molds except one. The SAECO mold is a nice mold but it cost me over $100 with the mold and the handles. For the amount of shooting I do the Lee molds perform well for me. I only purchased the SAECO mold because Lee didn't make a mold like it. I personally have never had a Lee mold go bad on me. I am still using all of them. I did buy all of them new as they are very inexpensive compared to the other brands. If you follow the rules and treat them right they should serve you well. The price they are new I wouldn't buy a used one unless I new the person I was buying it from. As stated you can purchase some else’s problems.
I've had mixed results with the Lee molds as far as bullet release. With some of them the bullet will fall right out and others I have to whack a few times to get the bullets to fall out. You never hit the mold itself just the hinge pin. Hitting the mold will soon damage it. The Lee molds are all aluminum and do come to temp fast. The SAECO mold I have is cast iron and takes a little more time to heat up but I just put my molds I'm going to use on the top lip of my Lee bottom pour furnace to pre-heat as the furnace heats up the alloy.
I started casting knowing very little except what I could glean from forums like this and reading books. I started with the Lee Pro 4-20 pot and one Lee mold. I also started with ingots of new alloy from Midway to remove one more variable from the equation. After I had my feet on the ground casting I then went with WW material. I haven't regretted going the Lee route as we all have a particular budget we have to work within and their equipment gets the job done for me.
There are three books in my library that I have found very helpful regarding casting.
1. "Modern Reloading Second Edition" by Richard Lee. He has some good information on casting as well as reloading.
2. "Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook"
3. "RCBS Cast Bullet Manual" #1. This is out of print but you can find it used.

It is another avenue of shooting that is very enjoyable for me and I'm glad I went for it. Ask all the questions you want. Most of us enjoy sharing about the things we are interested in like casting.
Cary

I understand this has to be done in a well ventilated area, but has anyone had health complications from casting lead?

This sounds like a great additional 'hobby' to go along with shooting and reloading.

Lead does not offgas at casting temperatures. Basic hygiene is all that is required to avoid any lead related health issues. Don't ingest it. Don't smoke, eat or drink while handling lead. Wash well after handling.

In reference to the question about Lee molds: I have used both the aluminum and the steel molds over the years. I currently use only the Lee molds. Price is one factor. When I started up casting again a couple of years ago, I had a pretty tight budget. The Lee 2-cavity molds were only about $20 each including handles. The steel molds were $50+ each and you had to buy the handles separately. The aluminum does fine. Once properly smoked, bullets will fall out pretty easily when the temperature is right. The alignment pins MUST be kept lubricated. I find never seize works well, but you can use bullet lube or paraffin as well. The 6-cavity molds I use now are much more substantial than the 2-cavity molds I started with. They are still pretty reasonably priced, though they are quite a bit more than the 2-cavity molds. The bullets from the Lee molds are apt to be a little rougher than the steel mold bullets. That is they may show tool minor marks from the machining process. Nothing major, and certainly nothing that makes the bullet shoot any less accurately. You can polish out the mold cavitys with a bullet attached to a screw and a bit of valve grinding compound if you are so inclined. I like the aluminum because it heats up faster and is lighter to handle, especially the big molds. BTW, I like cheaper too.

So I think I have narrowed it down.

In your opinions which would you rather cast? 158g swc, or 148g wc?

That is dependent on the intended application.

Pure short range targets in a revolver? Wadcutters.

Anything else, SWC.

This is a must-see tutorial before and after you get the equipment:

Goatlips Blackpowder Tips-Smelting

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wtb 329 / 325 ti cylinder