New poster, new caster.

[websterz]

Todd from Oklahoma here but you all can call me websterz or webby. I'm a 45 year old retired machinist and a new caster. Currently I am making 125 grain RN 9mm, 175 grain. TC .40, and 230 grain RN .45acp all with Lee 6 cavity molds. I use a Lee 20 pound bottom pour pot. I have learned a lot lurking here and figured it was time to sign up. Nice place!

[JeffG]

Enjoy, great place to learn.

[kungfustyle]

If you have a question post it and there are some great people here very ready and willing to help. With the rounds your loading are you using ww or lino/ww mix???

[500MAG]

Welcome to the addiction.

[wrench]

Welcome, webby![smilie=s:

[35 shooter]

websterz this is the place to learn with lots of good folks full of cast boolit knowledge.
Welcome to the site.

[websterz]

If you have a question post it and there are some great people here very ready and willing to help. With the rounds your loading are you using ww or lino/ww mix???

Right now I am casting with range scrap. A very high percentage of the stuff I am collecting is cast bullets, not a lot of soft lead core jacketed stuff. Water quenching is helping me to keep my casts hard enough without leading my barrels. I'm tumble lubing with 45/45/10 and getting very good results so far. Today I cast about 700 9mm's and smelted about a hundred pounds of range scrap. My ingot pile is looking better all the time. :-) I did have my first visit from the tinsel fairy while pouring ingots today. A couple drops of sweat in the molds woke me up quick!

[coalgeo]

I do not post that much because mostly I learn from these folks. Welcome.
Greg

[GhostHawk]

Welcome aboard!

[Calamity Jake]

What part of Okla. you from? Maybe we can get together.
I too am a retired machinist/QC Mng.

[Pb2au]

Welcome to the board!

[Hardcast416taylor]

Hello and welcome to the site. There is a lot of people on this site with many years of experience with lead in all of its forms. If you are in doubt about something involving molten lead or the after cooled state, post a question on here. About the only advice I can give at this time is to flux your range lead enough times to get the grit out of it before making boolets. MYSELF, I flux my smelt 2 or even 3 times before pouring into an ingot mold. When heating a pot with ingots for the fill I will flux 1 or even 2 times during the before casting time and during the casting. It only takes a little grit being fired in a gun barrel to cause damage.Robert

[TXGunNut]

Welcome to the affliction. So much to learn here, just pace yourself and be safe.

[jlchucker]

Right now I am casting with range scrap. A very high percentage of the stuff I am collecting is cast bullets, not a lot of soft lead core jacketed stuff. Water quenching is helping me to keep my casts hard enough without leading my barrels. I'm tumble lubing with 45/45/10 and getting very good results so far. Today I cast about 700 9mm's and smelted about a hundred pounds of range scrap. My ingot pile is looking better all the time. :-) I did have my first visit from the tinsel fairy while pouring ingots today. A couple drops of sweat in the molds woke me up quick!

I miss the days, not long ago, when my club range was open to all, and we had a lot of "blasters" (non-members) that would come and shoot up lots of 9mm and 38 cal ammo--mostly with hard-cast projectiles. It made for great lead-mining, and it was no trick at all to go to the 25 yard range and see all sorts of those projectiles laying around on the backstop berm. Even better in the early spring, when lots of that lead was laying around on top of the ground after the snow melted. It was no trick at all to go there and pick up a big coffee can or two of that hard lead. I used to smelt it down, then cut it about 30 percent or so with pure lead ingots for my own casting purposes. That range scrap you've been finding a very lucky find indeed. As you go along with your casting, you'll find that good shooting loads don't have to be hard-lead, necessarily. Some of the softer boolits you make will be very accurate, easy on the lead pile, and plenty good for game. If you're getting your 45-45-10 lube from LS Stuff, they make great products at a great price--and have lube for just about anything you want to do. Good luck and welcome.

[jlchucker]

By the way, Websterz, I forgot to mention--stay on the good side of those guys who do roofing and chimney work for a living. That lead flashing that they use is pretty much a soft lead alloy--maybe even pure--and makes for good boolits. If they have scrap, maybe they'll let you take it off their hands. It can be a decent ingredient for good boolits.

[mdi]

You be in da right place! I don't think there is any place where more knowledge about lead bullets can be found! Half a million stickies to read. Welcome...

[MT Chambers]

Welcome......now you'll just spend more on molds, sizers, alloys, etc........it's a good way to save money.

[Wayne Smith]

Humm, I predict, as a retired machinist, you will soon move on from those Lee molds. We have a couple (four or five, actually) very good mold makers on the board. Everything from group buys that may take a year or two to one guy who will get your mold to you within a week. Absolutely amazing what is available to casters these days.

Welcome to the madness. It does help to have been crazy before you started, but you will be soon if not already!

[62chevy]

Welcome, webby![smilie=s:

:goodpost:What that guy said !!!

[websterz]

Actually I made my own 45/45/10. I am working toward having to buy only the very bare necessities for reloading. I really enjoy making as much of my own stuff as possible. If I could build my own primers and make powder I'd do that too. My next project is a 125 grain HP mold in 9mm. That's going to be fun! I'm located in Ponca City by the way.

[skeet1]

websterz (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?37226-websterz),
I know you will find a lot of friends here many of whom are from Oklahoma. Welcome!

Ken