wet behind the ears

[micky_blue]

Hello all. I have never cast a bullet, never seen it done but it looks like fun. Before I start asking questions that have been answered dozens of times before can you guys point me twords your favorite reading material for a beginner? I have heard the Lyman #3 is good and bad, so I just don't know.

thanks
micky

[littlejack]

Hey Micky.
Welcome to the CastBoolits.
Any of the cast bullet books will get you started, and give you some beginnings.
You can ask any questions here, and get a lot of great answers. We like to share. There are hundreds of years of expierience here.
Casting is not as easy as it looks, but on the other hand, it is not nearly as hard as some folks make it out to be. There are some simple
rules that need to be followed, and then there are some little tricks that have been found by some that help a lot. One is never too old to
learn, and noone knows it all. Ask away.
Jack

[targetshootr]

This may be the best place to start:

http://goatlipstips.cas-town.com/smelting.html

[462]

Welcome, Micky.

Not so long ago, I was where you are. I wanted to cast boolits, didn't know diddly, was flying solo, but was willing to do the necessary research.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on Archives and bookmark it. I spent months there -- it's like your own private research library.

Castpics is next on the list , and the LASC site has many very informative articles, especially those by Glen Fryxell.

Buy at least one copy each of Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook and their Reloading Handbook and read each at least twice. For "published" cast bullet loads, Lyman owns the market.

Read, read, and read some more. Make sure your printer has a full ink cartridge and plenty of paper. Create a casting folder, in your computer's documents section.

All that said, you found the Internet's best casting site.

Do your research, start acquiring equipment and wheel weights, and let the casting fun begin.

[geargnasher]

Welcome, Micky!

462 pretty much covered it. You will find that your experiences will, to a certain extent, be unique and not agree with everything you read or are told, so try not to make this a game of rules. There are some rules, like wearing appropriate safety gear not letting your children eat lead scraps off the floor of your casting area, but it's pretty basic.

If I were to try to teach you what I know, I would cover these subjects:

1. Safety. This includes precautions for reloading, casting, and gun handling.
2. Depending on your reloading experience, I'd cover that as a separate subject.
3. Comparing the critical differences in tools and techniques between basic jacketed bullet reloading and cast boolit reloading. Many leading issues are due to lack of knowledge about and use of the incorrect tools for the cast boolit job.
4. Basics of alloys, how lead, tin, antimony and arsenic all work and affect our results. Age-hardening of arsenic and antimonial alloys is rarely covered in publications but is very important to know about. Also, the ideal casting temperature of your pot of molten alloy and why it is different for different alloys is an important topic.
5. Lubes. Lots or little to know, entirely your choice. Lube is a hobby unto itself, or you can just buy the right stuff for your needs commercially. Knowing what the right stuff is is something you need to know.
6. On to casting. How to control pot temperature, how to reduce metal oxides, how to clean your melt, how to preheat your moulds, how to find what temperature each mould likes to be for the best boolits. Casting technique, this just about has to be shown in person, it's like explaining to someone how to fret a chord on a guitar over the phone, but there are some basics to learn.
7........I could go on forever, when you understand most of what I said above, you'll be ready to try it out yourself and start having some questions of your own. That's when the 20K membership jumps in and starts helping you out.

Good luck!

Gear

[Skipper488]

The Lee reloading manual has a pretty good section on casting. It leaves a lot to be discovered but it gives a good starting point.

[micky_blue]

thanks for the tips. Looks like Lyman books it is to start.

[micky_blue]

one more thing, is there a site sponsor to get the books from?

[462]

Not that I'm aware of.

New: MidwayUSA or Midsouth Shooters Supply would be my choices.
Used: Ebay (set your price and don't stray from it).

[Moonie]

I wonder if a local library might have some, you do want some to own as reference but it might be a good resource.

[btroj]

See if someone in your area casts. The hands on approach, from the right person, can be a huge help.
Get a layman cast bullet handbook. Read upon things. Look around this sight.
Most of all, do not even think of trying to cast and shoot lead bullets without the right mind set. This can be a rewarding hobby. It is not, however, without some requirements from you. It takes time and patience. It takes lots of trial and error. It is not cookbook reloading. You have to be willing to give your heart and soul to casting to make it really work well.
Give this hobby what it requires of you and life will never be the same. You will look everywhere for scrap lead. You won't even think about full house loads. But you will have a level of knowledge few share. This is the most rewarding arena in shooting. Live it. Love it. Enjoy it.

Brad

[mold maker]

Most libraries are anti gun and anything related. You will find books on the history of guns and military guns, but that's about all I have found.
If you know the title, they might order them for you, but I'm sure their price can be beat.
Check on Amazon.com, or better yet ask here on the forum.

[cbunt1]

Welcome to the forum!

+1 on everything mentioned above.

And the best advice *I* can offer you is this. Just jump in and do it. Like everything else about this hobby, many of the "rules" are better considered guidelines....mold temps, pot temps, pour speed, casting rate, methodology, etc...what works for me doesn't work for others, and vice-versa.

The best thing about this is that it's a learning process. And it's one you really can't screw up (saftey issues aside--those rules are HARD AND FAST RULES--Don't get burned, don't eat the lead.)

You'll pour some bad boolits. So what. Re-melt 'em and take what you learned and improve on it.

I probably cast a good 500+ boolits before I started regularly getting ones I was willing to keep.

[casterofboolits]

Welcome Micky.

Where in the Buckeye state are you located?

[chris in va]

I actually watched several YouTube videos before starting so I wouldn't do something absurdly stupid.

Agree if you can find someone local to show you the ropes. Keep in mind everyone has different ways of doing it, I prefer using a bottom pour furnace as it's just quicker and easier than using a pot and ladle.

[45nut]

15 posts and nobody mentioned the Classics and Stickies area?

[micky_blue]

I am on the east side of Columbus.

[MtGun44]

+1 on 462. Plus what 45nut said on Classics and Stickies.

Bill

[AZ-Stew]

Welcome aboard, Micky!

You will find that your experiences will, to a certain extent, be unique and not agree with everything you read or are told, so try not to make this a game of rules.

Truer words could not be spoken.

Start with SAFETY. There's plenty of info here about it. Then deal with the mechanics of casting. There's plenty of info here about that, as well. Don't go overboard spending money at first, unless you're independently wealthy. Start modestly, continue to read and post here, then grow your hobby and equipment as YOU need them to improve your casting and shooting. Some here have been at it since at least the 1950s, I came in late, starting in the early 70s, and we're still casting and accumulating tools.

Enjoy!

Regards,

Stew

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Welcome Micky. I haven't been here that long but I can tell you that there are a great group of guys here. The info. is mind boggling as is the size of this site. You can just do the basics and later go in as deep as you want. Amazing

[DIRT Farmer]

Check your local library, some show a weird mindset, most understand the focus on education. The local liberary sent thanks for subscriptions for gun magazines.

Welcome, and remember, moderation and safty makes every thing better.

[jlchucker]

Most libraries are anti gun and anything related. You will find books on the history of guns and military guns, but that's about all I have found.
If you know the title, they might order them for you, but I'm sure their price can be beat.
Check on Amazon.com, or better yet ask here on the forum.

Not the library in my town. Libraries in small rural towns still have some American values--at least around here. That's surprising, too--given the liberal-socialist politics of my State. Maybe it's because in these little towns, most librarians have fathers and husbands who always hunted, and a single-barrel shotgun, or levergun standing in the kitchen corner is still, or always was as much a fixture as the kitchen stove. I feel sorry for my country when I think that antigunners have taken over schools and libraries in more urban areas.