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Casting Your Own Bullets |
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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Posted: March/30/2009 at 17:29 |
Well I have held off for years with the idea of casting my own bullets but I've been having trouble finding even simple .38 semi wadcutters so I broke down and ordered a Lee mold and the Lee sizing dye with liquid alox lube. I'm probably going to regret not buying the almost $200 RCBS sizer lube machine but I'm hoping I can get by without it. I have the stuff to cast my own fishing sinkers so I have a head start on this but if any of you have any advise I'm interested in hearing what works for you.
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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RONK
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: April/05/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3199 |
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My brother and I did a fair amount of casting MANY years ago. I'm afraid I've forgotten most of the finer points of it.
I do remember that we used Lee aluminum molds with very good results. You have to smoke them first, though. Temerature control is pretty important to get good casts.
I think we used ALOX as a flux, wheelweights was our lead source, with some lead plumbing pipe as well. We used a bottom-pour electric pot, worked fine. We were careful to cast with the wind behind us in an open shed.
Mostly .44 Magnum, quite a bit of 170 grain .30-06 bullets used with a gas-check. These were astonishingly accurate at moderate velocities, though we never hunted big game with them. Took the heads off a fair number of squirrels though. (We were very careful never to shoot any that weren't backstopped safely.)
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Dale Clifford
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: July/04/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 5087 |
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I cast for 10mm/40, 9mm two types, 357, 45 apc two types, and 45 LC one swc, 7mm, 308, 12ga slugs. Saeco and NEI aluminum are the best moulds which I use in 4 bullet mould sets. If you want to shoot practice loads use lee moulds that throw bullets for their liquid wax, which is poured into a round tupper ware container and swirled, then allowed to dry on a towel and do not need lubrisizing. I use this and liquid moly, or spray moly for lube. Try to get a Star lubrizer works much better than the rest, as the bullets are put in the top and come out the bottom which does away with one additonal handling step. I think Magnacast owns them know which is the best casting equip if you want to get into volume. Both types of sizer will allow the addition of gas checks which are necessary if you go the rifle option. The bottom pour RCBS bottom pour is the best way to go as the large heat sink of 20 lbs of lead allow a continual input and cuts down on wait time. If you use several moulds at one time in gang series it will allow the moulds to cool long enough for good bullet formation. Wax can be used as flux but smokes more than the commercial fluxes.
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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Thanks guys.
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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anweis
Optics Master Joined: January/29/2006 Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
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Would cast lead bullets work in a 243? i am guessing they would have to fly much slower than the usual 3000 ft/s?
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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yes but you have to put the copper gas checks on and you dont shoot them as fast as your jacketed bullets but they would be a lot cheaper in the long run. There are some caliber specific books for reloading they will have info on cast bullets and load info.
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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Dale Clifford
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: July/04/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 5087 |
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gas checks are usually used simply because most rifle moulds have the gas checks, and if you don't put one on its like shooting a rebated boat tail. wheel weights work good as they usually have more antimony in the mix than using regular lead and the harder bullet engraves better. most rifle casts are kept around 2000 fps.
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Crosswire
Optics Apprentice Joined: November/04/2008 Location: West NC Status: Offline Points: 67 |
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Strongly suggest you get a copy of Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook. There is much more to castting quality bullets than simply meltling some low temp metal and pouring it into a mold.
The Lee tumble lube bullets are quite good and don't need a lubrasizer. Lee's press mounted bullet sizing kit is quite functional and inexpensive too.
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Sam Colt did more to make men equal than any politician ever did.
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RONK
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: April/05/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3199 |
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So true!
The new Lee reloading Manual has a bunch of good info, as well.
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Tip69
Optics Master Extraordinaire Tip Stick Joined: September/27/2005 Location: Nebraska Status: Offline Points: 4155 |
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I guy at my club cast's his own for comboy shooting.... well, I think it's cowboy shooting. He shoots a 32-40 or something like that in a leveraction rifle. Anyway, he mentioned something about adding something to the tire weight lead, otherwise they get too heavy.
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take em!
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outlook
Optics GrassHopper Joined: January/26/2009 Status: Offline Points: 40 |
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Cast bullets can be pushed to 2000 fps or so and will kill as well as a jacketed bullets in cartridges that operate in that velocity area (30-30, 32-40, 38-55, 45-70 and so on).
In a heavy handgun, they are superior to most jacketed bullets for penetration if you are confronting a large animal. Lee equipment is a good way to get started without a huge expenditure. If you can scrounge some wheelweight metal, it will make good bullets but not as good as a custom blended metal that costs a lot more. Small caliber bullets are much harder to do well and require a lot more sorting than big ones. As well as "cheap" your barrel will last forever and there is a great degree of satisfaction with taking an animal with a bullet you made from raw materials. tks.
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Dale Clifford
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: July/04/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 5087 |
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Lee equipment is a good way to get started without a huge expenditure
without huge expectations is closer. wheel wts are actually lighter, cause of the higher antimony and tin content. sometimes pure lead is added back to increase the wt. this really becomes a problem in IPSC when one is trying to cut the major power factor right at the break pt--- if the wheel wts come in to light then you'll be under the power factor and put in minor. It's been my experience that bigger and heavier are harder to cast , especially around 45 cal in 400 gr as the moulds will heat differently and the hot metal will either fill the mould fast enough, or its too hot and causes "frosting"
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