where to start

[kywilber]

Well i have been thinking about starting to cast and handload for a couple years now. Have been saving my brass for 4 years now. I really don’t think that is the cost of bullets making me want to do this rather than taking it to the next level with being in control of everything by casting boolits. Don’t get me wrong saving money is always a good thing. I have been watching this board for a while now and now is the time for me to stop being a lurker and step up and join in.

I plan on reloading my 270, 9mm, 44mag, 45acp and 45acp.

Started collecting wheel weight about 4 months ago.

My first question of many that i will have to come in the process of learning. I was planning on slugging my barrels before i even think of buying a mold. Where is a place i can buy the slugs i would need for this process. Do they sell a handful or do you have to buy a bunch of them and how much do you think they will cost.

The order i am planning on buying my equipment is
melting pot
molds
lube/sizer
tumbler
grain scale
press

Anything else i should add to the list that is just off the top of my head

Already have the setup for melting the ww's, flux and lots of reading material.

Thank you for all the stuff that I have learned from this site already and the help to come.

Kywilber

Just wondering anyone from Logan county KY?

[bowenrd]

buy Lyman's "Cast Bullet Handbook" and read it, read it and read it.

[fryboy]

hola amigo !
hmmm i mite be tempted to say buy the press and scale first as one can also use them to load umm jacketed bullets , but if you find anything reasonably priced on your list grab it . as for slugging the barrel soft fishing sinkers often work ,split shot or egg type sinkers , just find some a lil bigger than needed , also using a mold with pure lead and perhaps swaging/squishing it a little fatter can be used , one thing i didnt notice on your list was a ingot mold , many things will work for both ingot molds and smelting pots and with a dipper the smelting pot can also be used to cast boolits with , you can also get buy with the lee size dies before you get a lubrisizer and either tumble/pan lube , happy reading amigo there's lots of good information here and quite a few happy to help people

[kywilber]

Lymans book should be here within a week. Ordered it last friday.
Forgot ingot molds i got ideas from here and made some out of 1 1/2 angle iron. I want to go bigger but that is what i had in the storage building. I will check the building to see if i have any fishign weights i can use. Very true the lee sizer and pan lubing would be alot cheaper to get started.

Thank you for the idea's

[SkookumJeff]

I've been reloading a long time, 30 years. Mostly with jacketed bullets. I know my business when it comes to reloading. I've done some benchrest shooting and built a few accurate rifles/loads. It's not easy to load ammunition that shoots better than premium factory ammo. You really have to know what you're doing.

I've just started boolit casting and my head is swimming with all the details that need to be understood to be effective. I have some big bore rifles and handguns that are really crying out for lead cast boolits. I plan to hunt with my cast boolits, so they need to be accurate and they need to perform properly.

I'm helping a buddy get up to speed on reloading. He's one of the sharpest people I know, and he's overwhelmed with all the minutia and detail involved with reloading for jacketed bullets. Once he gets up to speed, I'm gonna pressure him to try some cast boolits, but that's for another day.

The point is..knowing all that I've learned over thirty years of reloading...and all I've been learning about boolit casting, lead alloys, casting technique, tooling, etc. etc., I would find it really, really hard, to learn how to reload, and learn how to cast boolits, all at the same time. There's so many details with both areas to learn, doing all of it at once would be daunting to say the least, if not counterproductive. I would not be inclined to recommend to any of my buddies to try to do this.

Am I off base here? I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from casting boolits...I'm just sayin, larnin both at the same time is going to really be hard.

I'd recommend focusing on reloading first, dare I say it, with jacketed bullets. If shooting cast is that important then buy some cast boolits to reload if you really want to work with cast boolits. But focus on reloading until you get comfortable with the reloading process.

SkookumJeff

[Buckshot]

The point is..knowing all that I've learned over thirty years of reloading...and all I've been learning about boolit casting, lead alloys, casting technique, tooling, etc. etc., I would find it really, really hard, to learn how to reload, and learn how to cast boolits, all at the same time. There's so many details with both areas to learn, doing all of it at once would be daunting to say the least, if not counterproductive. I would not be inclined to recommend to any of my buddies to try to do this.

Am I off base here? I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from casting boolits...I'm just sayin, larnin both at the same time is going to really be hard.



...........It might be a bit dissappointing to kywilber, but I do not believe you're off base in your thinking. Plus the fact that jacketed bullets are becoming increasingly dear almost day to day, would be an added impetus to eventually start founding and shooting cast lead. To begin reloading with jacketed first contains all the knowledge needed for eventually substituting cast for jacketed (with a few caveats).

That is to say, the singular fact of casting lead boolits has nothing to do with the science of reloading ammo. That is to say, fully understanding how to cast an excellent boolit will aid you not in the least, and has bothing to do with reloading. However if a person wanting to learn about reloading started with handgun ammo first, and bought commercial cast boolits, I'd think THAT would be a means to not only get a good handle on reloading, but also at the same time some valuable info with cast boolits.

.................Buckshot

[chris in va]

Do yourself a favor, cast and reload for the 45acp FIRST before you run out and buy all this equipment. It's extremely forgiving and easy to load for, and a good teacher for the other calibers. If you get all the dies, molds and other doodads for all calibers you'll have quite a mess on your hands.

[waksupi]

I'd suggest getting very comfortable with reloading jacketed bullets first. Cast boollits are an advanced art, and you really need a good grasp on the basics.

[Mk42gunner]

There is no doubt that reloading with jacketed bullets is an easier process than with cast. It takes away several variables right from the start.

I would be inclined to start with your .270. Get a loading manual, a box of 130 grain spire points and can of 4350. Load and fire a few boxes, then start with the handguns.

Keep it simple starting out, Winchester 231 will do for plinking loads for all the handgun calibers you listed. You won't be able to get top end loads with your .44 Magnum, but you will be learning the correct loading procedures.

Good Luck,

Robert

[kywilber]

Well for the 45acp i was thinking of starting off with

Lyman 4-Cavity Bullet Mold #452374 45 Caliber (452 Diameter) 225 Grain Round Nose (just becouse the of the design and that is what i shoot currently in my glock 21. Have always found it to be a great ammo for plinking) For the powder was going to start with a good all around w231 using 4.3 grains to start and work my way from there.

The reason I was planning on waiting on buying the press last is it cost the most. The nice thing about lead is if it is a bad cast or you just don't like it for any reason at all or just want the practice you can remelt it and try again.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

When I started this journey, I got the press first. Then the dies. I loaded for about a year and then decided to cast. I'm glad I went that route. I would recommend buying some lead boolits on line and load them up. Once you get 500 rounds loaded up, you can see if you want to take the next step. IMO
Have fun! Reloading and casting are great hobbies.

[kywilber]

i was thinking about going with the blue for presses. But as i am going to go with a lee sizer and pan lube to start i will need a single stadge press for that. What is every one thoughts of the Lee Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press Anniversary Kit. I do see the point that everyone is making about see if i am going to like reloading before i take the full dive in.

Kywilber

[Charlie Two Tracks]

That would be a good place to start. I have the Lee Classic Turret press. I also bought the Lee .38-.357 dies for it and was pretty disappointed with them. They worked ok for jacketed but did not work well with my cast. I have a digital scale, Lee press, Lee sizing die, Lyman "M" die, RCBS seating die, and a modified Lee crimping die. I wish I would have gone with either Lyman or RCBS from the get go. There is no problem with going"blue" with all of your stuff if you can afford that route. By getting the Lee single stage press, you will find out that down the line you may want more than one press and the Lee will work whatever route you go.

[NSP64]

There is some good advice here. Baby steps. I would say get a single stage press first. You can always add a progressive press later. You need to get the basics of reloading down first, before trying to crank out 300 rounds an hour.
Once you feel comfortable loading add the progressive and move the single stage over for sizing duty.

[jmsj]

kywilber,
Welcome to the site.
I think many here were reloaders first then got into casting, I did. I think that going from a reloader first to being a caster second is a natural progression. I do not think that this is neccesarily mandatory. It would take a lot of study on your part but it is certainly possible.
If you are going to do both from the start and have no equipment, the Lee kits are attractively priced and do work. I would look at a single stage or turret press and use as the turret press as a single stage to start. The turret head makes swapping calibers nice as they stay together and adjusted as a set. Also I see that you have started to collect scrap lead, you are going to need a smelter set up also.
Do you have a friend that reloads? If you can, see if someone can walk you through it. That will let you see if this is something you want to try. I am teaching a young man to reload and cast at the present time. Hey I just thought about this, you can check out some youtube videos regarding casting and reloading.

Regardless which you decide to do, read and study lots and ask questions. This site is great about helping new guys out. For information about casting and lead check out the "stickies" here and check out www.lasc.us There are lot of great articles on both sites.
Welcome and good luck, jmsj

[Wayne Smith]

You are starting to climb two very different learning curves. The second, casting, is dependent on and a subset of the first, reloading. Both have significant safety issues and both are very detailed and require significant background knowledge. You won't even know what you don't know until you start. I'm a psychologist, I had to learn basic chemistry and metalurgy to be as successful as I am.

You can pick up a Lee single stage press for less than $30, I believe. That's where to start. Even when you go to the Dillon, if you ever do, you will have multiple uses for that basic single stage. Just to reload you need the press, the scale, something to hold cases, a powder measure, a powder funnel, case lube, primers, powder, and bullets. I assume you have cases. You will soon need something to pull bullets to fix mistakes.

I strongly recommend that you climb one learning curve at a time. Reloading wrong can kill you, can destroy guns, and can maim you or others. I don't want to scare you but I do want you to slow down and think through what you want to accomplish and take your time.

You will make mistakes, God willing you will catch them before they get into your gun. Learn reloading one step at a time, focusing on quality rather than quantity. Once you have mastered this you can think about moving to casting or progressive reloading. You really only need the Dillon (progressive) if you are shooting competitively. You will be suprised at how quickly you can reload with a single stage. When you make a mistake it does not affect the whole batch - just the ones you made before you caught yourself.

[wingnut49b]

+1 on going slow and learning reloading first.

It's not so hard you can't figure it all out, but it is so important you don't want to mess it up! Kind of like aviation...

I built up first rate equipment, all at a pretty good deal. I've learned to load on a 550 for .45, and cast for it too. learning rifle now on 223. I'm learning and playing as I have time, but still faster than my wife thinks is needed...

Buy once, cry once is something you'll hear a lot of on this board. Watch craigslist, ebay, forum classifieds, etc and buy the better tools as you have the money. You'll have plenty to keep you busy in the shop.

Most of all, don't forget to go shooting!


Andy

[Cherokee]

Welcome to the forun. When I got started over 50 years ago, I bought used equipment. I startred slow with jacketed bullets in 30/06 & 30 Carbine, then 38/357, 45 ACP. Then I started buying cast bullets for the pistol rounds. A couple years later I started casting some bullets myself, again buying a used sizer but new molds. CB's quickly replaced jacketed in the handguns. Over the years I have upgraded equipment as needed and any replaced equipment went to another reloader for his use. Just my experience.

[462]

I agree that learning the basic princilpes and mechanics of reloading, prior to learning casting, is the best approach. Learning the quirks of both at the same time offers too many opportunities to get frustrated or fail.

Keep it simple, too, by buying basic, used equipment or a Lee kit...it can always be used to augment your final setup.

[Echo]

...........It might be a bit dissappointing to kywilber, but I do not believe you're off base in your thinking. Plus the fact that jacketed bullets are becoming increasingly dear almost day to day, would be an added impetus to eventually start founding and shooting cast lead. To begin reloading with jacketed first contains all the knowledge needed for eventually substituting cast for jacketed (with a few caveats).

That is to say, the singular fact of casting lead boolits has nothing to do with the science of reloading ammo. That is to say, fully understanding how to cast an excellent boolit will aid you not in the least, and has nothing to do with reloading. However if a person wanting to learn about reloading started with handgun ammo first, and bought commercial cast boolits, I'd think THAT would be a means to not only get a good handle on reloading, but also at the same time some valuable info with cast boolits.

.................Buckshot

Plus one. Once you are comfortable with the process of reloading (using purchased cast boolets, for your .45's), and condom bullets for your long guns, then you could engage the new process of casting boolets for both - and find new areas of confusion and exasperation!

[SkookumJeff]

The problem with trying to learn reloading at the same time you are learning bullet casting is...when things don't work right....you won't know whether it's a problem with the reloading process, or if it's a problem with the bullet casting.

And I guarantee that there will be a stiff learning curve where the end result is not what you expected and you'll have to analyze things to figure out what didn't work out. That will be true with reloading, and with bullet casting. There is a LOT of experimentation with reloading and with bullet casting. In fact, IMHO, it's all experimentation to learn what works in your firearms.

Happy trails. SkookumJeff

[kywilber]

Thank-you everyone for you ideas and feedback. I think what I am going to do is just put all the wws in ingots and focus on reloading. Also think I will get that lee press kit. It cost $99.00 I think it was and a scale. What are your thoughts on buying a die kit or individual dies for each process?

[kywilber]

Quick question..when using boolits with condoms should I get the size I currently shoot or away the barrel and go with that?

[Mk42gunner]

Thank-you everyone for you ideas and feedback. I think what I am going to do is just put all the wws in ingots and focus on reloading. Also think I will get that lee press kit. It cost $99.00 I think it was and a scale. What are your thoughts on buying a die kit or individual dies for each process?

A two piece set for your rifle, and a three or four die set for the pistols will be much cheaper than buying individual dies.


Quick question..when using boolits with condoms should I get the size I currently shoot or away the barrel and go with that?

The more that is familiar, the easier it will be. I would buy the same weight bullets, at least for the first time. Make changes later.

Robert

[SkookumJeff]

When I started reloading back in the seventies, I started loading for my 30-30 with a Lee Classic Loader. This kit contained everything needed to reload a metallic cartridge except you needed a mallet or hammer. LOL, those were the days. I think the kit cost $7.00 new. I loaded a lot of ammo with that kit and I still have it. If the world ever goes to pot, it'll be my mobile reloading station.

My first press was a Lee single station press, and I have a couple of RCBS Rock Chucker presses. All are great presses, the current Lee single stage press looks like a real good one. That said, last year I bought a Lee 4 position turret press. I didn't want to spend the money on a progressive. I was a bit skeptical at first, but having used it quite a bit now I have to say, I love it, I wish I'd bought a turret press way back when I started reloading. You can pull the center indexing rod and use it as a single station press, which I do all the time. When I want to go into production mode, I put the center rod back in (takes about 5 seconds an no tools involved) and away I go. Tool heads are cheap and I have about 10 of them now. I have no plans to buy a progressive now. I highly recommend it, even for someone starting out.

For my handguns I use Lee carbide die sets, for rifles I use Hornady die sets. I really prefer the Hornady die sets for my rifles. For the handguns, I don't see any advantage between various die set manufacturers, Lee provides a lot of value for MY money and I've never had any trouble with my Lee carbide dies. The powder thru expander die is unique and I love using it with my turret press.

Last year I also bought a full set of Lee powder dippers. You'd laugh at that if you knew how many powder measures/throwers I have. Once again I really wish I'd bought these long ago, I love them, they are cheap and work great when I don't want to go to the trouble to set up a powder thrower. I use them with a powder scale to measure out powder charges and they really simplify and speed up this part of the reloading process.

Add to that a priming tool, a case trimming tool, at least TWO reloading manuals (or info sources) and you're set with a basic tool set. IMO it's important to cross reference loads between sources. I'm a bit old fashioned, I like books & have about a dozen reloading manuals I've collected over the years. Course you can use the internet too, Hodgdon has a great tool for load information for Hodgdon, IMR and Winchester powder loads.

My .02 cents worth.

SkookumJeff

[kywilber]

I like the sound of the turret feature of being able to pull the rod and turn it into a single press. Also when i get more comfortable with reloading i can just buy another turrent for the different shells. At only $46 more it looks like it would be worth it.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

i have most of these same questions swimming in my head , i just picked up 100# of wheel weights , i already muzzle load so i am going to start with that , a coworker is loaning me his Lee 2 cavity R.E.A.L 50 cal mold so i can get started

so i need to pick up a smelting pot , he said he just used a little cast iron pot with a dipper on a stove when he was casting for his ML.

i have been reading a lot here , lots of great info

i am on the tite budget so i will start with collecting lead and casting for the ML , then i would like to get the challenger kit and start loading for the 44 i don't get to shoot it enough with the price of ammo for it

[Jim]

Wilber,
You can pick parts and pieces, a lot of times much cheaper than new, by posting what you're looking for HERE (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?f=47). You might be surprised how many guys have stuff they don't need and will let go for a very reasonable price.

I think I have something that will help you out a little bit. Check your private message inbox.

[Moonie]

I like the sound of the turret feature of being able to pull the rod and turn it into a single press. Also when i get more comfortable with reloading i can just buy another turrent for the different shells. At only $46 more it looks like it would be worth it.

My first press was the lee turret, I have never used the rod to progress the dies but I have done it by hand on the rare occasion I felt the need.

I've owned a couple of these turret presses and can't imagine not having one, it will do everything a single stage will do and more.

I also have a progressive but it is very important to know the basics before moving to a progressive.

[fredj338]

IMO, learning to reload & using cast bullets to start is just going to slow the learning curve. There are quite a few little things to get right w/ cast bullets & trying to balance that w/ learning reloading is just tougher. Start w/ plated or jacketed bullets, lots of load data, something missing quite a bit w/ lead bullets, & less or no issues w/ bullet fit. After say 4K-5K rounds, you'll have gotten the hang of reloading & what makes an accurate/safe round. Now if you want to switch to lead, you can concetrate on the issue that come up loading lead bullets.
So first purchase is a The ABCs of Reloading & a good manual like the LYman #49. Read them, then again before you buy any gear. You'll have a better understanding of what you want vs need. Then decide what kind of volumn you need, time you have to load & how much to spend. That will decide what press you need. It makes no sennse buying a prgressive for 50rds of 44mag a week & no sense getting a single stage for 500rds of 9mm per week. The Lee CT press is a good middle ground between progressive & single stage.