Okay, so it's cast bullets

[pearson1662]

Reloading saves me more money now, than it did when I first started but casting has always saved me lots more money than every other facet of handloading but only because I have a source for (almost) free wheel weights.

But I do it because it's fun.

A good source of known composition alloys for casting, if you don't have a source for WWs: Casting Bullet Alloys from Rotometals

A mix of half of Lyman #2 and half of 1:16 alloy results in a Brinell hardness of about 12.5. It works well in handguns and rifles if well fitted to the groove diameter of the barrel or .001" over. 40# of that alloy is $122 (shipped) at today's prices and will throw about 1200 boolits at 230 grains per, 1400 boolits at 200 grains per or 1772 at 158 grains per. That's a spread of ten cents to seven cents per boolit.

Then you have to cull them, lube and size them and don't discount the time necessary to actually do the casting as well as learn the techniques and what-not to cast decent projectiles. Don't forget the moulds, furnaces, ladles, protective clothing and other equipment. And the better moulds are expensive.

Or, you can just order a thousand carefully crafted and consistent 158gr cast bullets from Oregon Trail for $117 plus shipping. Or check out Missouri Bullet company 158 grain SWCs for $70/1000 not including the cost of shipping. That's almost as cheap as buying the metal!

But like I said, I do it because it's fun (and I get free WWs).

 

[2152hq]

I haven't done any casting in years, but when I started reloading I also started bullet casting as well. That was in the mid 60's.
I got away from it eventually. It all got to be more work and hassle than it seemed worth the time. I really hated the thought of sizing&lube'ing the things.
I still have a couple of moulds around but got into the habit of buying cast bullets when I started Bullseye shooting.
The only thing I ever got to complain about was their ever increasing prices over the years.
But if you keep your eyes open, especially at gunshows, you can pick up some very good values. Odd lots of cast bullets, even if you're not going to use them immedietely (that means you don't have a gun in that caliber right now) can be found quite often for very good prices.

I still scrounge lead (and brass & copper). Old habits die hard. I either sell it at the local scrap yard and buy what I want, or in a couple of instances I've found local casters that would take the scrap lead in exchange at a certain price/lb toward their bullets.
A better price than the scrap yards and the bullets were priced right, w/no shipping costs, ect.

I might get back in to casting to feed my newest (renewed) interest in muzzle loaders. But so far those red boxes of round lead balls have been workin' out just fine.