Ready to start my own silver stream

[con10der]

Well I guess I am finally ready to start making my own bullets.I have always been interested in casting bullets,but I never really had the space to set up equipment.We will be moving in to our new house in april/may so I am going to start buying the tools of the trade.I want to start off with decent equipment,the last thing I want is crappy tools that make starting the casting any more difficult.I would certainly appreciate any reccomendations from you guys.I think I would like to start with some bullets for my 375 jdj and some heavy,heavy bullets for the 500 smith.I am sure I will become a real PIA ,with all my questions....please bear with me.thanks in advance for your assistance in this endeavor,JIM:cbpour:

[45nut]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?f=35

Hi Jim, Do check out the threads in that link, Selected personally for inclusion to help newbie and experienced hands alike.

Short List to begin:

1. Lead. WW's will work, score as much as you can, Tin, antimony and such can be found later.
2. Smelting post, skimmer, ladle and ingot molds. You Do NOT want to smelt in a bottom pour pot, but you may if you ladle pour. Skimmer is for separating the wheel clips and sundry trash from your melt. Ladle for pouring clean lead into ingot molds.
3. Decide on ladle or bottom pour method. Lee makes a great lead furnace for bottom pour called the Pro 4-20, Lyman and RCBS make the best ladles for pouring from common suppliers.
4. Molds, hundreds of choices in designs, A Dozen mold makers to choose from.
5. Sizing and lubing decision time. A Real lubri-sizer like a Star, Lyman or RCBS or Lee Liquid Alox method. Many variants in either decision and many choices for lube and size dies.

All of the 5 decisions can be answered via the above link and then we/ you can further tune your choices.

Only a start, but you need to decide how far your budget can stretch. A supply of alloy is job one for all of us.

You can also buy custom cast from one of our many vendors on this board, Decide what kind of shooting you expect to do and base your decisions from that. A Cast suitable for paper or tin can hunting can usually be quite different from a hunting choice.

Nuf rambling, the versatility of this chapter in handloading is vast. Your journey begins.

[Wayne Smith]

If you are gonna start with heavy boolits don't even think of bottom pour. Start out with a good ladle pour system, minimum of 20 lb pot, either electric or something on a gas burner. I prefer heating from the bottom and use an old Coleman 2 burner propane camp stove and a Lyman ladle, I'd go with the RCBS ladle if I were buying today.

Think about how you will smelt your alloy. Large batch smelting is an advantage if you want consistent weight. This argues for a turkey fryer and a cast iron dutch oven to smelt in. Now you will have to get the lead out of the dutch oven and into some ingot molds. Gotta have something to do that and the molds. Rowell ladles can be found through several previous posts, do a search. Ingot molds? Lots of options also well discussed here.

You will go through 20 lbs in no time with that boolet. Hope you have an ongoing source of alloy!

Get in on the next 50cal gas check group buy. You will need 'em!

Your budget will determine how you lube and size. I recommend no less than the RCBS/Lyman system if you are doing any quantity.

[rockrat]

I have used nothing but a bottom pour for about 35 years. Tried the ladle thing and ditched it pretty quickly. I cast for my 500 s&w and my 375 H& h without any problem. Also cast for my 50bmg, up to 933grains, but usually a 715gr boolet.

A 20lb pot is a good idea along with finding a source of wheelweights. You can get the lee mould for the 500, and maybe a NEI or RCBS mould for your JDJ. Start Looking for gas checks for the bullets you will use.

Have fun and be safe.

[jleneave]

Rockrat, I also have a 50BMG and was wondering where you get your bullet molds and any other casting equipment needed for the big .50. You can PM me with the info if you want.

Sorry for hijacking the thread for a sec.

[Bass Ackward]

Well I guess I am finally ready to start making my own bullets.I have always been interested in casting bullets,but I never really had the space to set up equipment.We will be moving in to our new house in april/may so I am going to start buying the tools of the trade.I want to start off with decent equipment,the last thing I want is crappy tools that make starting the casting any more difficult.I would certainly appreciate any reccomendations from you guys.I think I would like to start with some bullets for my 375 jdj and some heavy,heavy bullets for the 500 smith.I am sure I will become a real PIA ,with all my questions....please bear with me.thanks in advance for your assistance in this endeavor,JIM:cbpour:


Jim,

I tried to think what I would tell you here and it isn't easy. There is a lot of what I would call adequate quality equipment where beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe a better understanding of what you want to do and how much shooting you want this stuff to handle. Cause there is good quality and then there is higher volume quality.

Spend your time going through the equipment section here and the catalogs. If it's green it's OK or they will make it so. That would be my safe recommendation at this time. Your mold choices depends on how your guns slug out.

As you learn, you will become more focused in your questioning too which will make answers .... easier AND more intelligent.

[rockrat]

jleneave--I got my 933gr from NEI and a 633gr also from them. The 715gr was a custom Hoch mould I had made years ago. It is an expanded version of the RCBS 30-165, but with an additional grease groove. I lube them and tumble in LLA. Forget who made the 50cal gas checks I bought many years ago. Have tried the Hornady, but bought some from Dan at Mountain moulds to try. He might have a few left.

Just use a regular Saeco 10 lb bottom pour pot, but recently bought a 20lb RCBS pot. Casting the 715gr boolits, drains one real quickly.

[jleneave]

jleneave--I got my 933gr from NEI and a 633gr also from them. The 715gr was a custom Hoch mould I had made years ago. It is an expanded version of the RCBS 30-165, but with an additional grease groove. I lube them and tumble in LLA. Forget who made the 50cal gas checks I bought many years ago. Have tried the Hornady, but bought some from Dan at Mountain moulds to try. He might have a few left.

Just use a regular Saeco 10 lb bottom pour pot, but recently bought a 20lb RCBS pot. Casting the 715gr boolits, drains one real quickly.

Thanks for the info. I will check those sources out. Thanks again!