canoeguy
US Veteran
Having moved to my new home in the mountains of Southwest Va. in May, it has taken me a bit to get all of my reloading and bullet casting benches set up. I did have plenty of ammo stored back, but I had been getting low on 8MM cast lead rounds, so this week I sorted everything out.
First I got my Lyman 4500 bullet sizer and luber up and running on on my reloading bench, sized up the remaining 60 8MM projectiles I had, 175 grain lead round nose gas check bullets from a Lee mold for my M48 Yugo Mauser. It is a great cast lead shooter, putting these cast lead bullets into 2" at 50 yards. I load them with enough Unique or Trail Boss to give me 1600 FPS, a great small game or varmint round. Might be enough for a deer, 175 grains at 1600 FPS is equal to .44 Magnum in power, I'll tell you later this Fall come deer season....
So, having run out of bullets to load, it's time to cast some more. First I have to build a casting bench. At my last home, I had a moveble bench on casters that I kept in the garage, just roll up the garage door, bench was just inside the garage door so all the lead vapors would be exhausted outside. No garage here, so I built a bench on the outside of my shed/workshop, in one of the few level spots here on my property. I used scrap lumber that the previous owner left laying about:
Lee melter and 8MM mold ready to go:
Finished product, 8MM 175 grain cast lead gas check bullets and ammo, with Yugo M48 Mauser:
So, I'm back in the bullet casting business, even if it does mean standing outside. I'll do my casting in pleasant weather, Spring and Fall, cast a bunch of everything I foresee using in the coming months. At some point, I'll have a garage and move inside, but till then this will do.
First I got my Lyman 4500 bullet sizer and luber up and running on on my reloading bench, sized up the remaining 60 8MM projectiles I had, 175 grain lead round nose gas check bullets from a Lee mold for my M48 Yugo Mauser. It is a great cast lead shooter, putting these cast lead bullets into 2" at 50 yards. I load them with enough Unique or Trail Boss to give me 1600 FPS, a great small game or varmint round. Might be enough for a deer, 175 grains at 1600 FPS is equal to .44 Magnum in power, I'll tell you later this Fall come deer season....
So, having run out of bullets to load, it's time to cast some more. First I have to build a casting bench. At my last home, I had a moveble bench on casters that I kept in the garage, just roll up the garage door, bench was just inside the garage door so all the lead vapors would be exhausted outside. No garage here, so I built a bench on the outside of my shed/workshop, in one of the few level spots here on my property. I used scrap lumber that the previous owner left laying about:
Lee melter and 8MM mold ready to go:
Finished product, 8MM 175 grain cast lead gas check bullets and ammo, with Yugo M48 Mauser:
So, I'm back in the bullet casting business, even if it does mean standing outside. I'll do my casting in pleasant weather, Spring and Fall, cast a bunch of everything I foresee using in the coming months. At some point, I'll have a garage and move inside, but till then this will do.
