Questions from a complete NOOB

[Bayou]

Fellas have paitence since I'm sure these questions have asked before. I have been reading alot lately about casting and since I purchased my first 45 yesterday I want to load for it also. I currently load 9mm pistol plated but wanting to move towards lead whether it be from my own casting or purchasing. The question is, when does it make since to cast verses purchase? If I couldn't get free lead or would have to purchase from a recycler is it worth it money wise to purchase the lead and cast or is purchasing made boolits the better route. Kind of a loaded question since I have no casting tools now but buying those tools is acceptable. I imagine someone has broken down the costs in purchasing lead versus buying by lets say 500 or 1k lots. Not even mentioning the different kinds of lead that I would be looking for at the recycler or tire shops. Thanks for looking and I'nm sure I will have more questions as this could be the tip of the iceberg.

[Love Life]

It is cheaper to cast as long as you don't get ridiculous with what you buy. I have one mould per caliber that works very well. I sell off the ones that don't do well in my guns. I keep the equipment to a minimum. Going this route I save a ton casting my own over purchasing plated or cast.

It is up to you how expensive this hobby is/gets.

[ultramag]

Even with buying my lead I can cast about 3 boolits for the price of buying one. I also enjoy the casting and being even more self sufficient. The main thing that won me over to casting however is that all my home cast boolits are consistently more accurate than those that I buy.

[Green Lizzard]

for me it would be worth it even if buying them were cheaper, that said the more you can scrounge the better. making them is fun and they shoot much better than comm.

[10mmShooter]

Bayou,

I cant find lead in my area so I grab deals on fea-bay and order from Roto Metals directly and I still do better cast my own, I enjoy the act of casting and sizing and reloading to me its hobby. If you shop wisely and look around you can keep your cast bullet costs in the five cents to ten cent range max. Assuming you are casting anything from .32 80grainer to heavy 255 gr .44/.45 bullet

The key is cannot add your labor costs, your labor/time has to be free. Then it will usually work out cheaper to cast and reload. Equipment cost are negilable amortized over your casting lifetime at 20 yrs your equipment will pay for its self many times over.

Also I like being able to have the consistency of knowing I can always use exactly the same bullet, since I can cast and load my own "custom" rounds.

[Green Lizzard]

nothing about this sport is cheaper, you just get to shoot more

[dverna]

You need to share more information. How many bullets will you use a year?

The "easy" part is the economics. Use a spread sheet to run the numbers and you can run various scenarios. You can see what the "cheap" route looks like (Lee molds, Lee pots, "free" lead, pan lubed etc) and then more expensive options (PID pots, high end multi cavity molds, Star lubrisizer, purchased alloy etc). You need to determine how much effort you want to put into the hobby for the amount of shooting and savings that are important to you.

It is NOT one size fits all.

I started casting because I could not afford commercial bullets and I shot a lot. That moved me to a Lyman 20 lb pot, 10 cavity mold, and a Star as my "beginner" equipment - high end stuff to "start" with.

If you shoot 100 rounds a week, you needs are different.

[btroj]

I don't buy lead bullets. Not an economic thing. It is an "I just prefer to make my own" thing.
I can use the alloy I want. I get the size I want. I use the lube I want. I get them when I want.

It is about pride, control, and a way of life. Buying just isn't an option.

[runfiverun]

I keep hearing you can't buy anything right now.
I wouldn't know about that.
in 5 or 8 years I will need some more powder for my 45's,but I surely won't need more boolits from no store.

[Bayou]

My usage would be in the ball park of 500 for 9 and 45 each a month. If I did the cast route I would like to get a lubrizer and a multi-cavity mold as I would not have the patience for a 1 or 2 cavity mold. I enjoy my shooting hobbies but do not want to be having to cast every other day and all day long. Another thing is concerning is that I don't know much about lead or which to try and find or buy. I read alot of posts about the hardness or adding an alloy to the mix.

[Love Life]

Call Missouri Bullet Company order you a batch of their sweet alloy. It will be perfect for first casting, and probably spoil you...

[btroj]

With a Lee 6 cav it is doable to cast 2 K in a single day. Run thru a Star and they are lubed and sized.
Casters are not just shooters looking to save a few bucks. It is a way of life. It is a group of people who enjoy the nature of scrounging lead, making things, doing for themself.

Like I said, it isn't a way to save a few bucks. It is a mindset.

[462]

Sometime in the past, you ran the reloading numbers, reckoned that it was worth while to do, bought your equipment and supplies, and have realized the advantages over buying factory ammunition. Run the casting numbers just as you did the reloading numbers.

To me, boolit casting is a hobby and any hobby has its costs, but they become insignificant when amortized.

More importantly, though, boolit casting allows me to be ammo self-sufficient and not subject to the political winds.

[popper]

Look for Bumpo's lead calculator, Roto or MBC as a source of alloy. You need a pot, mold, thermometer, sizer if you can find any to buy. 9mm needs a little harder than 45, but you can add pure to hardball. Look into powder coating or Bayou coating as an alternative to lubrisizer, works and is less$$. You can do your quantity with a 2x but 4x is faster. Ask what CB style works for you guns. You should be able to cast for $7-10/100 loaded.

[dverna]

My usage would be in the ball park of 500 for 9 and 45 each a month. If I did the cast route I would like to get a lubrizer and a multi-cavity mold as I would not have the patience for a 1 or 2 cavity mold. I enjoy my shooting hobbies but do not want to be having to cast every other day and all day long. Another thing is concerning is that I don't know much about lead or which to try and find or buy. I read alot of posts about the hardness or adding an alloy to the mix.

I figured you were in it to save money and this will not start as a "passion". Nothing wrong with that and do not let the "wizards" on here get to you. It does not HAVE to be a calling - it winds up that way for most of us.

My advice. Buy commercial alloy 2/6/92 also known a "hardball alloy". I am pretty sure this is what commercial casters use. You can buy small quantities from Rotometals but I buy in large quantities from Mayco (I saved over $1500 on a ton buying from them). Use a good lube and for 1000 bullets a month the Star is a bit more than you need. You can lube about 800 rounds an hour with a Star. Others will give the production rate on the less expensive sizer/lubricators - just ask. One good thing about the Star, with cheaper ammo you may shoot more than 1000 a month so the higher production rate helps and if you ever want to sell it you will get most of your money back. In addition, the Star is a bit of a PITA to change over to other calibers but you are only loading two calibers - so I would lube 2000 bullets before switching over - but that is me. I am lazy and once things are percolating along I hate to stop.

Stay with at least a 4 cavity mold. Lee molds have been way overpriced and/or hard to get lately so I would look at an NOE mold http://noebulletmolds.com; a Mihec http://mp-molds.com/index.php?pr=Molds; or look at buying used Lyman, Saeco, Hensley and Gibbs. If you can wait, search the Group Buys - these molds are made by good mold makers.

[RobS]

Cast because:
1. You are able to size boolits to best fit your firearms
2. You can have better accuracy (often times due to #1, fit is king)
3. You can change alloy and BHN hardness to suit your needs
4. You can design you own molds to cast the boolit(s) you want for your firearms
5. You can be more frugal
6. You can learn a new hobby and enjoy casting; also there is something about shooting your own home grown boolits

The above reasons are why I cast my own.

[mpmarty]

I'm seventy-four yrs old and have been reloading since I was sixteen. I have quit buying jacketed bullets since I learned (right here on this forum) how to cast better boolits than I can buy. I shoot 10mm and 45acp pistol, 308 Win. and 45/70 rifles as well as some mil surp Swiss K31s and they all do better with cast right up to target shooting at 200 yards. Cost is not a factor for me I'd pay full jackketed price for cast boolits like I make if I couldn't make them myself.

[retread]

Be advised that it is possible to be "bit by the bug". I mentioned to a friend of mine a few years back that I was thinking about getting into casting. I was shooting a lot of 9mm and thirty cals. He gave me a Lyman 450 and about 400 lbs. of mixed lead (WW & PB). I bought a pot, thermometer. Lee 6 cavity mold and a size die. Not a big outlay of cash. Just a couple of years later I am casting 9mm, .308, .277, 44 mag, 45 colt, 36 cal (round and sabot), 38/357, have well over 2200 lbs of lead alloy, bought a Dillon 550
(which I set up for all of the above calibers (except the .36 for BP), a full smelting operation, powder coating set up, etc!!

That gift has cost me thousands of dollars! But I would not go back for any reason. "Bit by the bug"? Yes!! Regretting it? Absolutely Not! I started reloading for rifles in 1961, but the most enjoyment I have had loading and shooting have been since I started casting. Like others have mentioned here, look for deals, let everyone you know that you are looking for casting equipment, lead etc. Have a little patience and shop around. There is a "buy" occasionally on Fleabay but normally you will pay entirely to much.

Good luck and if "bit by the bug" just scratch it. It will feel just fine.

[41 mag fan]

When your hobby delves off into other hobbies within the hobby, it can become expensive but it's usually only a one time fee paid.
It's when your hobby becomes obsession, that if not left in check will really get expensive.
But the money spent will pay you back many times over the years, if you use it regularly.
And when it comes time to sell, you can get back a good chunk of what you spent if kept in good condition.

[khmer6]

Even if you bought lead for over 1$ a pound. You are making 3 boolits for every 1 you can buy. I was there once. Read up a lot on casting, priced things out. Then I thought jee it's kinda dangerous with young kids around and where the hell am I going to find lead. Well lead is pretty easy to find even at 1.25$ a pound clean. Free lead from a buddy's tire shop is even better but not enough. Plus all those cheap surplus ammo for the Tokarev, mauser, mosins, sks? Well it dries up, and good luck finding jacket or lead boolits for them commercially at a reasonable cost

[Texantothecore]

In thge casting and reloading area there is something for everyone. You can be an equipment freak or go the way I have which is reloading set ups that fit in a field bag and simplicity in casting equipment. Since I really like making my own things it is going to get down to the point of making my own propellant.

Keep it simple and I highly recommend that you start out with a known alloy and when you have that under control branch out to scrouinged lead alloy. A much higher chance for early success.

[Bayou]

Thanks, everyone for their suggestions. I believe I will give it a go and start collecting the tools and lead but until then I will purchase some made to see if I like shooting lead. Some of the companies I hear alot about are Missouri, S&S and Falcon. I guess I will read up on these companies this weekend searching around this site. I know I can get Missouri bullets through Grafs at a little cheaper rate but want to research some first. Thanks again

Also if anyone knows any companies around Cincinnati, Ohio that sells wholesale lead like Roto would be appreciated

[mikeym1a]

Thanks, everyone for their suggestions. I believe I will give it a go and start collecting the tools and lead but until then I will purchase some made to see if I like shooting lead. Some of the companies I hear alot about are Missouri, S&S and Falcon. I guess I will read up on these companies this weekend searching around this site. I know I can get Missouri bullets through Grafs at a little cheaper rate but want to research some first. Thanks again

Also if anyone knows any companies around Cincinnati, Ohio that sells wholesale lead like Roto would be appreciated
When I first started reloading, I used jacketed bullets. Once my kids got to shooting with me, that became too expensive, and I got an electric pot, 2 moulds, a bunch of wheel weights, and a Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. I choose what appeared to be the best alloy for me, melted my own, and cast my own. No special knowledge, but obviously got lucky. No leading, no misfires, no hangfires, and good accuracy. It doen't take a lot to get started, just MONEY! But, it's fun. I like being able to say 'I a make my own ammo!'. I'm just starting to try rifle shooting, and am trying to learn as much as I can. Moved up to a very large smelting pot, just today. As one guy here says, 'Melting stuff is fun!'

Anyway, here's a link to a possible source for scrap lead. http://www.aarecyclingcenter.com/scrapmetal

Good Luck.

[spfd1903]

You can't go wrong if you start out small. If you are already a shooter and reloader, boolit casting gives you the independance and flexibility to better enjoy and enhance shooting and reloading. If you are a firearms enthusiast probably not worth your time and money. I started with a Lee 20# pot and a Lee sIx cavity 200 grain for. 45 Colt. Have a Taurus Judge that did not accurately shoot 250 grain plated bullets. Found the right powder, and was sold on casting because of the new found accuracy I got. Now have molds for every pistol and rifle that I own (Twenty molds). Spent three days smelting all the Lead chunks I have accumulated over the last 8 months and have 600# of one pound ingots stacked in a corner. Enjoyed every minute. I got hooked three years ago.

[Gtek]

I hear that is how it starts, Hey man try some of this. That goes right up to - Hi, my name is -------- and I'm a ---------. You will find your own path, search out a boolit buddy/mentor in your area as you found this. Do what you need- just enjoy! Gtek