Cast Bullet Opinions

[traub]

There are so many different brands of commercially made cast bullets available, it's hard to decide which ones are the best in terms of accuracy, leading, etc.

I was looking at X-Treme cast bullets which seem to look good, however, I have no experience with them. They make lead and copper plated bullets, and have a brief description of how they are made. The are also S&S, Berry's cast bullets, etc.

I would like to know what brands of commercially cast bullets have been used by members of this forum and what your opinions are.

 

[venomballistics]

get a bit more acquainted in these parts and you might find yourself with no shortage of cast bullet sources

 

[jepp2]

I buy my cast bullets from Missouri Bullets and SNS casting. Who I buy from depends on what my particular needs are.

Missouri Bullets offers different BHN cast bullets for different applications. Using the "correct" code gets you a 5% discount on your order.

SNS bullets are all hard cast and they offer 5% discounts for 5K orders and 10% discounts for 10K orders.

I have been very happy with the order from these 2 casters. When I check out all the other casters I see mentioned, the prices are always considerably higher.

So far I haven't found a handgun that these bullets don't work in. I have had to enlarge the throats on some due to them being undersize. But this isn't a supplier issue. If I encounter an issue where the standard cast sizes will not work, I would probably go with Penn Bullets since they have a wide range of diameters available.

If I had access to lead for a reasonable cost I would certainly cast my own. But since I don't, I buy lead for the majority of my shooting. I can generally buy jacketed bullets for the cost of plated, so I tend to stick jacketed when I am not shooting lead.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Not sure what to tell you so.......

The BEST source (cast your own boolits) for lead bullets (cast your own boolits) that I have found (cast your own boolits) over the last (cast your own boolits) few years (cast your own boolits) is kind of (cast your own boolits) of funny (cast your own boolits) actually.
They are the (cast your own boolits) same ones (cast your own boolits) that are the (cast your own boolits) most accurate (cast your own boolits) and lead the (cast your own boolits) least.
I have found (cast your own boolits) that the ones (cast your own boolits) that fit your (cast your own boolits) firearm best (cast your own boolits) are the (cast your own boolits) ones that have the least (cast your own boolits) amount of leading too!

I spent (cast your own boolits) the extra (cast your own boolits) money that I (cast your own boolits) used to spend on (cast your own boolits) the difference in (cast your own boolits) purchased lead bullets (cast your own boolits) was much better spent (cast your own boolits) on purchasing moulds! (cast your own boolits)

So, I now have a pot, and several moulds that no commercial casters use and they fit my guns and I can make them as hard or soft as I want depending on use. I can have all I want and all I need by just taking a trip to the garage!

Oh, one thing started taking place when I started casting my own bullets (cast your own boolits). Subliminal messages (cast your own boolits) kept cropping up (cast your own boolits) from time to time (cast your own boolits) in my posts! (cast your own boolits)

If that has happened here, please, (cast your own boolits) overlook it!

 

[venomballistics]

The BEST source (cast your own boolits) for lead bullets (cast your own boolits) that I have found (cast your own boolits) over the last (cast your own boolits) few years (cast your own boolits) is kind of (cast your own boolits) of funny (cast your own boolits) actually.
They are the (cast your own boolits) same ones (cast your own boolits) that are the (cast your own boolits) most accurate (cast your own boolits) and lead the (cast your own boolits) least.
I have found (cast your own boolits) that the ones (cast your own boolits) that fit your (cast your own boolits) firearm best (cast your own boolits) are the (cast your own boolits) ones that have the least (cast your own boolits) amount of leading too!

I spent (cast your own boolits) the extra (cast your own boolits) money that I (cast your own boolits) used to spend on (cast your own boolits) the difference in (cast your own boolits) purchased lead bullets (cast your own boolits) was much better spent (cast your own boolits) on purchasing moulds! (cast your own boolits)

So, I now have a pot, and several moulds that no commercial casters use and they fit my guns and I can make them as hard or soft as I want depending on use. I can have all I want and all I need by just taking a trip to the garage!

Oh, one thing started taking place when I started casting my own bullets (cast your own boolits). Subliminal messages (cast your own boolits) kept cropping up (cast your own boolits) from time to time (cast your own boolits) in my posts! (cast your own boolits)

If that has happened here, please, (cast your own boolits) overlook it!

well I must admit I that I like your style.
I do on occasion buy some commercial cast when a particular design catches my eye ... call it a test drive before I drop cash on a mold or ... take the time to bore one similar to it.

 

[Engineer1911]

The two best cast bullets are the cheapest ones delivered to your door or cast your own boolits. See the disease is spreading. Those afflicted with casting disease call cast projectiles boolits, those that are jacketed are bullets.

 

[DJINCO]

That may be true to cast your own, however, you are exposing yourself to high levels of lead.

 

[jtcarm]

That may be true to cast your own, however, you are exposing yourself to high levels of lead.

Just about any activity carries some hazard if you don't learn and practice safety precautions.

I would presume someone who has learned how to shoot and reload safely can figure out casting without shortening their lifespan.

If every adult in America were required to learn how to shoot, reload, and cast their own bullets, Mr. Darwin would have the gene pool cleaned out in no time.

 

[tappedandtagged]

I use Missouri Bullets. The 12 bhn bullets leaded my 44 mag something aweful. The 18 bhn, next to none.

As far as my 357, it likes either bhn.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Spoken like a true "non-caster"

That may be true to cast your own, however, you are exposing yourself to high levels of lead.

Shooting exposes you to high levels of lead, even if you shoot jacketed bullets!

Shoot indoors and that magnifies a gazillion fold and don't ask how I know that!

Casting, in and of itself does NOT expose you to higher levels of lead, unless, you lick the pot, spoon, moulds or suck on boolits, smoke, eat or drink while casting.

The fumes that come off of the lead are from burnable substances, not from the lead. Should it be done in a well ventilated area? Yes, there is smoke, but, mostly from fluxing and junk that is in the lead if you smelt your own from wheel weights or scrap lead.

But, no, as long as you use good hygiene and common sense, there is no added danger from casting your own........Well, other than the disease mentioned above: It is called "Caster's Fever"

One of the symptoms is the need to purchase moulds that cast cool boolits like these:

Or these:

Or these:

Or these:

I guess I have THAT symptom!

If I didn't cast my own, I would be locked into what others did. I guess I just ain't built that way! Kinda independent.......

 

[Maximumbob54]

All I can add to what Skip has already said is that I can't figure why I waited so long to try casting and I can't believe how easy it is to get started. A cheap Lee mold and melting pot and I caught casting fever in a serious way.

 

[Moonman]

FOLLOW THE SAFETY RULES, AND CAST YOUR OWN.

Use COMMON SENSE.

It's a great hobby.

Wash your hands frequently when working with lead.

Don't EAT AND CAST.

You shouldn't SMOKE for reasons besides CASTING.

 

[dswancutt]

For those who are casting your own, where are you getting your lead? It is hard to find where I am.

 

[Engineer1911]

I mined my lead from the range backstop / berm. Mined bullets for 1 hour, recovered enough material that it took three 8 hour days to turn scrap bullets into ingot and than cast ingots into bullets. Seven thousand 44 mag and 45 ACP loaded. Total time was less than five days, a Dillon can really hum when it has sufficient components.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I don't want to shock anyone but...........

Over the last 50 years, rain clouds have been carring LEAD across this country and spreadinging it over our crops,into our water suppy.
You think those trout you catch are lead free?? !!

Fresh air with a breeze or a fan is all one needs to stay safe............unless you are thinking of "Pot Heads" but that is rolling something totally different,bro.............

 

[all357mag]

The idea of reloading is cheap shooting! Shoot whatever you can get the most of cheapest, then get some more when they're done. That being said, when it's time for new cast bullets, Illinois Bullet Co. is #1. Mike Meyers will set you up. Prices are reasonable, bullets are the best you can get! I've tried all brands, these are the BEST!

 

[The Tourist]

I have NEVER bought a cast bullet in my life! I have been casting my own bullets since I was 12 years old (54 now) and my lead levels are fine. I recently bought some linotype at 35 cents a pound and have my one furnace set up just for linotype.

I'm pretty much in the same boat. I will confess to buying a box of 250 bullets for my Marlin Guide Gun. I knew I wanted to shoot the 405 grain flat-point, but I wasn't going to shoot many. Still, I made perfect bullets.

I forgot the name of the company (nice, white flat boxes, about two inches thick, perfectly square--like a little pizza box) and the sales guy opened one up. It looked like I cast them.

I wasn't going to shoot many, and the cost of new blocks was a factor.

As for lead, I never paid for any. I scrounged it from gas stations when they were glad to get rid of the wheel weights. I also new a printer who was going out of business and took his linotype. I was given small blocks of pure tin.

I did pay for some solder. However, when I cleaned a garage to move, I had 1,200 pounds of lead.

We did have to rent one of those big plumbers pots. A good friend of mine spent a few weekends listening to the noise of that pot--it's like being next to a little jet engine. We filled every ingot mold we had to rotate the heat, and still wound up dunking every one.

As for safety, I always wore the usual, and I had a full plastic face mask. If any piece would have splashed up, the plastic would have melted, but it was protective. I never got hit. The biggest problem for that is water in the melt, and I was always careful.

There is a story about a guy who cast so much his friends called him "Shiny Fingers." After all of these years of culling while the new pot melted lead, the tips of all my fingers are indeed devoid of fingerprints.

 

[moxie]

I like Missouri and Friendswood.

 

[mikld]

Bullet casting, just like reloading, is done for way more reasons than "saving money". I've been casting for mebbe 12 years, and I get custom bullets (just like handloading gives you custom ammo tailored for a particular gun), cast from the alloy I want and with the lube I want. But if you are just looking for a lot of ammo that goes bang, casting may not be for you. When I need some bullets that I don't have a mold for or don't want to buy a particular mold, I buy from Beartooth Bullets; great quality, great service (plus on most bullets you have a choice of finished size)...http://www.beartoothbullets.com/

FWIW, I think the "lead poison" scare is way overblown. I believe tree huggers and politicians are responsible for most of it. I know of no one that can attribute high blood lead levels because of bullet casting or shooting (nor have I read about anyone). I've been reloading and shooting for 30+ years (many of those years were shot in indoor ranges), been casting for 12+ years, been a mechanic for 45+ years and my blood lead levels are low.

 

[J-FRAME]

40 yrs -some casting in the beginning and maybe 50.000 cast bullets fired my lead levels were always good 2.9 max until last year now it jumped to 8.9 no reason ?? do yourself a favor and get checked once a year so you know