Started casting my own waddcutters

[oldracer]

Well I have been reloading for about 2 years and decided to try making my own cast DEWC bullets as my supply from Missouri Bullet Co was down to about a thousand or so. I looked around and found Cast Boolits - Dedicated To The World Of Cast Bullets!
and it is most informative website and one thing I noticed was a lack of those that said "do it my way or else" and had many pages with images related on what to do. It has been an eye opening experience and it will probably take a year or so until the cost of the equipment is absorbed but I am now able to make my own ingots from huge lead blocks and then cast the 148gr DEWCs so they just about right on perfect. I did find that even if the castings have "wrinkles" or some other small flaws they can still be pretty accurate at up to 50 yds. Here is the list of what I had to buy to get going or some of this stuff I had. Note that I get 50# blocks of lead for free and give the supplier some hand loads in return.

- Single burner gas grill from Walmart with large iron pot and thermometer: makes ingots from bricks
- 2 ingot molds
- Stainless steel ladle and spoons for dipping from Walmart
- Lee 6 cavity mold and handles: not the easiest to start with but works great.
- Lee sizer die and liquid alox lube
- Lee dipper
- Lee large bottom pour pot
- Face shield, welding gloves, leather welding apron w/sleeves and boots (all these I had)
- Black and Decker Workmate, covered with a steel splash shield w/lip so spills do not run onto me. Had this also thankfully.
- Single burner hot plate from Walmart to preheat the mold as aluminum molds have to be hot and they loose their heat quickly.

This has been a very interesting experience and has dramatically lowered the cost of target shooting to a very reasonable level. I noted that the casts I make have not needed sizing as the Lee mold is spot on and their lube barely smokes which is much nicer than the solid lube on the commercial bullets.

 

[Dale53]

oldracer;
Welcome to a new caster. Glad to have you aboard!

The only argument you'll get from me is I prefer "normal" lube. I shoot several thousand rounds of center fire per year (all my own cast bullets) and since I was already set up for "conventional lubing of bullets" before Lee Liquid Lube was invented, I still prefer to use my Star sizer/luber for my cast bullets.

Many find, as you have, that they prefer lubing the Lee way.

Just a thought.

Dale53

 

[preserving-freedom]

Dale, How much do you have in the cost of reloading materials?

I'm trying to determine if casting is something I want to do, and how long it will take to pay off. Once I cast one of my own, and shoot it, I might not care about payoff.

Thanks,

 

[Hunt200]

Dale, How much do you have in the cost of reloading materials?

I'm trying to determine if casting is something I want to do, and how long it will take to pay off. Once I cast one of my own, and shoot it, I might not care about payoff.

Thanks,

I just started this year, I paid around $160 for a Lee Pro 4 20 Lb Furnace, Lyman mold and handle. After 2 casting sessions with free WWs I made 1500 bullets. I would say that about covers the cost already.

 

[leas327]

I just started casting myself. I can say one thing is that once you start it is as addicting as reloading. Another thing is that just like reloading once you cast your own it just feels funny to shoot commercial bullets. My buddy was complaining to me about having to order more bullets from missouri bullet company and I just smiled and said "yeah, start casting your own and you won't have to worry about it." For me it is just like reloading. The money saved is just a secondary thing behind the satisfaction of doing it myself.

 

[ChuckS1]

I started a couple of years ago and it's a heckuva lot of fun. What I like best is being able to shoot bullets that you can't easily get from vendors, like plain base bullets, for one, or just some of the old molds that aren't offered anymore, like a .44 full wadcutter, for example. I Just adds another dimension to an otherwise fun hobby.

 

[LAH]

Casting WC bullets is a great way to save on the cost of shooting, plus you can make them well as anyone. Here's some button nose WCs I cast from a H&G mould. This mould was once own by a WV State Trooper who has since pass away..............Creeker

It's the bullet on the far right.

 

[Dale53]

The question of cost has been answered quite well. About $200 will put you in decent shape on casting equipment (and you can add to it gradually as you want to load new calibers).

I have nearly a ton of lead bullet material and a good part of it was free for the getting.

My bullets have essentially cost me nothing but sweat. I enjoy the work and my reloads take NO back seat to factory ammo. In some cases my loads are conderably BETTER than factory loads.

I DID do my "Due Diligence" and learned how but it is NOT brain surgery and anyone with reasonable hand skills can learn to cast bullets well.

LAH - those are nice bullets and are representative as to what others can do if they apply themselves.

FWIW
Dale53

 

[LAH]

Thanks Dale & keep that lead flowing..............Creeker

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I run all my cast bullets through the luber/sizer except the .38 WC's. These I tumble lube(lee alox) as cast from the mold. They shoot great and this is quicker too.

 

[kraigwy]

I've been casting bullets since the early 70s and over time I've collected several hundred dollars in casting equipment. But over that same time period I have saved thousands in bullet cost.

I never had to buy lead, I've always managed to scrounged it so thats a benifit.

Lately I've gone stricking to Lee's liquid lube. It seems to me to keep leading down more then other lube I've tried, plus its faster and easier. I also use a Star Luber/Sizer but now I use it with the Lee lube. I also have a RCBS luber/sizer for bullets requiring gas checks, although I've been getting the Lee Luber/sizers for newer bullets I cast for. It seems to be almost as fast as the Star, yet you can buy the whole set up cheaper then you can buy sizer dies for the Star. Plus you can apply gas checks with the Lee sizer.

Gang molds are fine for practice and plinking, but for precision target work I like a single cavity mold, or use only one cavity on multi-cavity molds. You get more consistant bullets. Even on 2 cavity molds, you often find a differance in the finished product.

You can save tons of money casting your own. I even cast rifle bullets, it makes for some cheap good practice, especially off hand. Cant bullets and Trailboss is also a great means to teach kids to shoot without teaching them to flinch.

 

[oldracer]

As several folks noted, I also started out with the Lee liquid lube for a couple of reasons, first was Lee seems to know what they are doing and they said it was a lot easier and they were spot on with that comment. Also they said it was cleaner and that seems to be true also with much less smoke and black goop on my hands after 200 or so rounds fired and finally it worked great with their small grooved wadcutters and that is what I started with. I figure the equipment has about paid for itsself with the ones I have cast so any future ones are just against the electricity costs for the pot.

I found some brass and stainless brushes at the Delmar gun show this past Saturday and they had the bristles straight out the end and work really great for cleaning out the hole in the bottom of the Lee bottom pour pot.

 

[LAH]

How you getting along with the lead these days oldracer?.........Creeker