Too late to start casting?

[PerpetualStudent]

I had the opportunity to talk to a couple of lead casters over the weekend. I've been looking seriously at casting for a few months now but I've come to value the voice of experience over my own conjecture.

The guy who cast boolits mentioned that in his opinion because it's become so difficult to scrounge lead, it's almost not worth casting anymore. In his words "it's too late to start casting". It's worth continuing to cast if you're already there and have alloy available but it's no longer the money saving practice it used to be. He wasn't at all negative just saying basically "times have changed".

I have yet to pull the trigger on a furnace and molds and dipper and all that. I guess my question is: With the knowledge of how things are now and the knowledge from your experience, if you had to start from scratch would you?

[runfiverun]

even if you have to buy lead at say 1-1.50 a pound you'll come out ahead of buying them.
just starting out means a little cash outlay.
there are some tools involved many of them are simple.
many of them make your life a lot easier.
if you look at it as a hobby then it gives you something to do with your free time.
if your looking at it as a way to shoot more for the same money then that will work out too.
if you just want a bunch of free boolits your not really saving money, your just trading time for them.

sourcing a good supply of lead is invaluable to a caster.
whether that's buying from the scrap yard, or the local tire shop.
that is going to be your bottom line.
you can get a good mold for a fixed price from several sources.
lead is where you find it.

[HB0708]

I'm starting new now. I've justified it to my wife and myself by saying I'll save money. We both know that's not really true IF I charge my time against the cost of casting. However, I enjoy reloading and actually find it to be a huge stress outlet; I imagine casting will be the same. So I don't charge my time against the cost. To date I've spent or traded the equivalent value of goods to the tune of about $140 (about half of that was buying lead). And I have enough components to cast just over 2600 bullets if I assume 10% waste. I was buying my bullets for 10-12 cents per which would come to $260-$312. In my mind it was worth it and then some. If I end up not liking it (not likely), or not seeing the value, I can sell the lead and tools I bought for 80-90% of what I paid.

All that to say, to me if you think you'll enjoy it, it's not too late to start casting.

[mdi]

Obtaining lead ain't the walk in the park like it used to be, but far from impossible. I remember collecting wheel weights for casting sinkers back in the '50s and '60s and some tire shops would give them away just so they didn't have to carry them out to the trash. I was just looking at my "stash" the other day and noticed a couple hundred pounds of lead I purchased from a vendor here on Castboolits (The Captain). That was about as easy as it gets; and email to The Captain and a few days later a bunch of lead appears at my front door. Lead is not as easy to get today and not as cheap, but what is? Lately I've been buying premium alloy from Rotomatals, which ain't cheap, but I don't cast bullets to save money. I'm taking a bunch of scrap and alloyed lead, melting and mixing to achieve a specific alloy, then casting up a bunch of bullet (most of the time I'll check the BHN). Then I size and lube them for a specific gun, and load and shoot. I record the results of the load and alloy and keep notes. Waaaay more than getting cheap bullets...

[chumly2071]

One of the ways to look at it is that you can still do it cheaper than buying, with some caveats.... One being you look at the time investment as hobby/entertainment, and educational. Not to mention you can do things not necessarily available in the general market if you figure it out and have the desire (obscure projectile (un)availability, custom alloy, etc). The other is being able to be self supplying when the market is upset (panics, cost, regulation). While wheel weights are not what they were, range lead (and other sources) seems to be a reasonable replacement, if you can find it yourself, or source from those who can.

If I was getting going looking strictly for dollar savings (having to buy lead commercially from say a Rotometals type business), and then put a value on my time, I can buy already coated commercial projectiles for about ~$10 more per thousand than I can buy the ("new") lead for.

I'm not "up and casting" like I'd like to be, but have been acquiring equipment, supplies and knowledge. I hope to be able to start getting more serious about my learning curve soon after finishing a couple more honey do's projects. It can be cheaper, but for every person on here who can prove they do it for less cost, you'll find 5 more who can prove they can't for less cost...
There is a lot more to it than $$. It's never too late to start. Define why you want to do it, and figure out how to make it happen for those reasons. The reasons likely will change as you progress.


ETA:
While I was typing, some of the other posters hit on my main points, so I can just say "+1" to most of it.

[Mica_Hiebert]

Go lead hunting and see what you come up with. Wanted add in Craigslist, recycler, tire shops, roofers, plummers shooting ranges and see if it's really hard to find in your area or if the people who are telling you this just don't want to out in the leg work or don't want competition for their sources. I just came into a supply that was literally buried under a guys trailer house and he made me dig it up traded some engine carburetor work on his motorcycle for it. What ever it is it is hard as nails so now I'm hunting for some roofing or plummers lead to tone it down a bit it's never ending but it's a hobby. I can find lead if I want it, finding cheap or free lead is the challenging part.

[dondiego]

If bullets become unavailable to buy, I can make my own. Start collecting lead now. Every one of my friends know that I want lead, solder, wheel weights, roof flashing, pewter, old lead water pipe, and old sinkers. Some will eventually come home to you.

[Blackwater]

Nope. I disagree wholeheartedly. Is it less easy than it once was? Sure. But lead CAN be found. It might not be free any more, like it was much of the time when I started casting, but it's still far cheaper than anything else you can do, like laying in large supplies of pre-cast bullets sold commercially. Tin is sky high now, too, at least compared to what it was when I started casting in the early to mid 70's, but what else isn't sky high compared to then? Everything costs more, so why shouldn't casting cost more, too?

But it's still the cheapest way to lay in a good supply of materials to keep you shooting into an uncertain future that seems to lie ahead of us. It seems like "a lot of trouble," but actually, it's a very interesting pursuit, and one that can really pay off for you big time, if you are attentive and focused enough to simply pay attention to the process and results.

Lead is still available in my area at $.25/lb. or sometimes less in the form of wheelweights for cars. Sheet lead is also available, though you're best advised available to try to get it from junk yards. And you can tailor your bullets to your particular purposes, to your gun's chamber throats and groove dia., and basically have just about anything you want. You can experiment with lubes to see what works best for you in your guns to give you your own best accuracy, performance, and no leading. This, too, will seriously help your shooting in both accuracy and performance on game if you hunt with your guns.

And it's not just for handguns, either! You can shoot cast in your rifles WAY, WAY, WAY cheaper than factory jacketed ammo, and you're unlikely to find lead bulleted factory loads in anything but pistol calibers, so you can practice MUCH more than with jacketed. This will seriously help your rifle shooting, too. Shooting more will make handling your rifle second nature - something you will benefit from for the rest of your life. Skill with a gun needs to be maintained with practice, but you never fully lose any gains you earn by more shooting, so it's at least partly permanent when you gain these skills and familiarity with your guns.

And it's also just plain interesting learning all the technical stuff and learning to apply it to producing a great finished product that you made yourself. You can buy some pretty darn good lead bullets now from some vendors, but the best are more expensive than the "blasting ammo" producers, so compare your own best cast with the best of the commercial bullets, and not the bargain basement brands. You'll find that casting pays in all sorts of ways well beyond the mere price. The cheaper price and more shooting are really more like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae.

So yeah, I'd start casting now, and furthermore, I'd get into it as quickly as possible now. Time's always a'wastin'! I use mainly a Lee Magnum Melter with a ladle. I just like using the ladle because I can see the result better without having my face down low where any lead splashes that may not be dangerous, really, but annoy me out of proportion to their real merit. You may prefer the bottom pour types. And don't discount the cheaper Lee furnaces at all! I've cast several tons of lead in my Magnum Melter, and I like it. Been thinking about getting another just for posterity and general principles.

All you'll really need is a melter (gas or electric), a ladle to stir the pot or cast with, a thermometer to monitor your alloy temp, and whatever molds you decide on for your guns, and some lube, which is pretty cheap, really. Check with LAR's White Label Lube for the bestest/cheapest stuff around or read the threads in the lube section of the board and learn to make your own. The thing that will likely surprise you most is how many options you really have, and how much difference some of them can make in your guns. Casting is full of revelations as you go along, and you'll likely never quit learning. And that is what KEEPs it so interesting over time. The more you learn, the more you CAN learn, and continually refine and improve your bullets, and thus, your shooting. Few of us will ever shoot like a Jerry Miculek, but I don't think anybody here can't improve substantially (maybe greatly) from the skill level we're at now. And it's all based on becoming more familiar with our guns, our ammo, and our loads and bullets.

So, how can you miss with casting? Answer: you can't. So dive in, my friend. You'll find the water is warm and inviting, and any time you need some water wings, the folks here will be able to provide answers to any question you'll come up with, and there'll likely be many at first, but each one is like a block in a brick wall, and adds to the solidity of your shooting and knowledge and skills. It's never "too late." And as to cost, at least we HAVE the money now to pay for that slight increase in the price of lead now. That ain't no small thing!

[Handloader109]

Been casting for a year and a half or so..... I've always bought my lead from the everyday members here. From as cheap as $1 to $1.30 a pound, and some tin.... As cheap as scrounging around here. And I save a pile of $be buying bullets... (I do, but casting is fun for me)

[reddog81]

I started last year and was able to get about 100 lbs of wheel weights for cheap. That source has since dried up. I have been able to find a couple hundred lbs on armslist and most recently ran into an outfit near me that was doing hospital demolitions and had 1,000's of pounds of different alloys for $.80 to $1.25 per pound. I picked up a couple hundred pounds from them. At this point i'm pretty well stocked except I am keeping an eye out for any real hard alloys, or cheap stuff.

[jcren]

I cast a lot of 95 grain .357 bullets. Lead at 1.50 (more than I have paid, but for example). 7000 grains per pound= 74 bullets @ .02 each.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

put the word out to all your local friends, sooner or later, a extremely great lead score will call out your name. In the mean time, trustworthy vendors here, sell lead alloy for a very reasonable price, already cleaned/smelted, shipped to your door...can't beat that :razz:

[dudel]

Never too late.

You can always buy your alloy from a place like Rotometals (see sponsors above). In fact, that might be a good place to start casting. Don't have to worry about smelting, zinc contamination, and you are working with a known alloy with sufficient tin. Nothing more frustrating that not getting good fillout, and wondering what to change.

Learn casting with a minimum of variables, and add variables (read complexity) as you build skills. Keep you initial investment small. If it turns out you don't like casting, then you have an easier time recovering your investment. See if there is someone local who will mentor you.

Wheel weights might be harder to find; but there is still plenty of lead out there. Friend recently brought me over 50# of scuba weights. He knew I collected lead. Your "friend" just may not want another lead scrounger in the neighborhood!

[garym1a2]

I did same at work, one day several lead roof vents showed up on my desk. Another time a tech gave me 200lbs of 63/37 solder scrap. Last year I brought 1000lbs here at cast boolits trading site for $250.


put the word out to all your local friends, sooner or later, a extremely great lead score will call out your name. In the mean time, trustworthy vendors here, sell lead alloy for a very reasonable price, already cleaned/smelted, shipped to your door...can't beat that :razz:

[Preacher Jim]

been casting 58 years and to me it is the satisfaction of completly loading my ammo. yes my rifle match ammo is jacketed but all my handgun is cast. it beats watching tv or wasting money on other things, my wife, daughter and grandkids all shoot and they know grandpa made these.

[country gent]

I agree with starting out with purchased alloys from a known vender, saves one big step and alot of questions if there are problems. Lyman #2 from roto meatals or another vender and you know what you have An good idea what temp it needs to be, and an idea what to expect. After some good casting sessions then start scavenging lead and smelting alloying your mixes. While casting from a 10 LB or 20 LB pot does great, alloying you may want a bigger pot and burner to produce larger batches of alloy all the same. Mixing 100-150 lbs at a time means 5-6 20lnb pots of bullets all the same. or more done right. If you run 3 120 lb pots smelting and alloying in a day thats 360 lbs 1 ingot from each pot makes for 18 20 lb pots of bullets. Another thing to remeber is you can cast bullet styles wieghts sizes you cant buy easily. You can cast softer or harder as the need arises. The bullets are much more under your control, Also this includes the quality control.

[quilbilly]

Once upon a time I used to haunt city parks at night to collect nightcrawlers for fishing in Oregon (cops thought it was funny but I wouldn't do it today). The effort was about as much fun as the fishing afterward. Boolit casting is much the same with the scrounging of lead at recyclers and casting boolits being as interesting plus rewarding as the shooting itself.

[gwpercle]

Even if you have to buy alloy it's still worth it .
Check around and see what you can find. Ask friends and family if they know someone in the tire business. Take all your tire business to a dealer that will help you out....He wants to sell tires.
Check the scrap metal dealers.
I cast for every gun I own. The main reason is so I do not have to depend on what's on a dealers shelf....no such thing as "out of stock " ! I can make everything I want . For decades every boolit I cast was just wheel weights . Would melt clip on and stick on and add some tin...that was it and it worked just fine, no leading .
If you do get into it, save up and get a lube-sizer....makes life easier. Size matters and it will lube , size and seat a gas check in one operation. I'm using a Lyman 450 and love it. For me casting and making boolits is a fun hobby , I rather enjoy doing it, very satisfying to turn all that scrap into gleaming , perfect boolits.

Gary

[big bore 99]

well worth it to me.

[lightman]

Yes, even knowing what I know now I would start casting. Free or cheap lead is still out there, you just have to work harder to find it. Networking is the way to go. Ask your friends, family and co-workers. Ride around on your day off and check tire stores and scrap yards.

You can spend as much as you want on this hobby. Low end would be a small cast iron pot heated on a camp stove, a Lyman dipper, a Lee mold and lube your bullets in a pan. High end would be a Magma Master pot, a custom mold and a Star/Magma sizer/lubber. Higher end would be a casting machine. Most of us started simple or cheap and grew into what we have now.

If you do have to start out by buying lead, remember that 1 pound will make 35 200 grain bullets or 46 150 grain bullets. Most of us don't count our time when enjoying our hobbies, you will have to be the one to decide that for yourself. For me, its been a fun hobby and I wish you luck.

[LenH]

I had a guy tell me once that you don't save that much money by reloading but you do get to shoot more.

I have been scrounging lead and buying lead, well since forever. If I worried about the money I spent for lead I would probably sell out and buy boolits.
I kinda look at it like therapy as well as shooting, it is cheaper than a shrink. I simply enjoy every aspect of the shooting sports, and that includes casting, reloading
and shooting and repeat as often as I can.

[Ural Driver]

You don't have a location listed, so there's no telling if there is anyone near you that may have some knowledge of lead sources in your area. I am in the very beginning stages of casting and reloading. I did buy a couple hundred pounds of Lyman#2 from RotoMetals with the thought of beginning with a certified "known" composition and learning from there. I am very fortunate to have found this forum and doubly so because I also have a scrap yard nearby. I have been buying steel plate (for hanging targets) from them for some years and when I decided to learn the art of casting I discovered that they will also sell me scrap lead. It is a learning experience as I dig thru and find the various types of metals that are described in these threads. Last week was a good one, I found over 150# of what turned out to be monotype (quite desirable) in the bins. Today, after moving a lot of stuff out of the way, I cleaned out the last of that monotype (another 65 lbs.) leaving behind what I would estimate to be about 2 tons of wheel weights, roof flashing and stand pipes, just waiting to go to the big recycler.....unless I find the money and storage space to bring it to my house. :cbpour:

[fredj338]

I wouldn't say it is too late but the clock is running. Start collecting scrap lead where you can find it. If you belong to a private club, you can scrounge berm lead pretty easily. If you know anyone in your area that works for a tire place, worth talking to them. Same for guys ins construction or plumbing. It isn't over yet, but the window for cheap/free is closing pretty fast for most of us. I only have about 1000# of diff alloys left, always looking, always scrounging. That sounds like a lot to sum, but only about 30K bullets worth.:sad:

[fredj338]

I had a guy tell me once that you don't save that much money by reloading but you do get to shoot more.

.
I always hate that statement, it's just not 100% accurate. Your per round cost is always cheaper. How much you shoot is determined more by time than ammo cost for me.

[mdi]

I like casting and reloading. I have no idea what it costs to produce a lead bullet round/ammo for any of my guns, and I don't care at this point. If I was still making entry level pay, with a wife and two kids, mebbe, just mebbe I'd count pennies. But I like everything about the processes, and I don't put a price on my hobby, "feel food time", or gun education (so, so much is learned about guns by casting and loading for them)...

[dverna]

I buy my alloy. If I did not save money I would not cast bullets.

BTW, using basic math you can decide if it for you. If you shoot a box a week, probably not worth it.

[GunsAndHarley]

Learning to cast prevent old skills disapearing. It is never too late. You could pass this knowledge to your son and so on. And, in a distant futur, who knows? Could be a very valable asset to be able to cast and produce ammunition.

[376Steyr]

One of the nice things about this hobby is you can stay as simple (cheap) as you want or advance to the full-blown rocket science end of the spectrum. I haven't priced things lately, but I think about a hundred dollars will buy you all the Lee equipment (mould, melter, sizer die and a bottle of lube) you need to get started. Add a pair of safety glasses and you can start making your own bullets. After that it is just a matter of how much you want to spend to increase production and/or precision. Try getting started in drag racing with a hundred dollar bill. Heck, if you wanted to take up running marathons, a good pair of shoes will cost more than $100.

[C. Latch]

It's still worth it. Lead isn't free anymore, but it's still cheap enough.

[Big Dangle]

I thought the samething when I started around seven or so years ago, and only recently I've go to know another guy that also casts. I don't think it's too late your just going to have to be alot more creative to get free lead. Even though i don't score big amounts of lead and buy alot of it I still absolutely love casting boolets.

[spfd1903]

It's a good idea to tell every friend, neighbor, relative, co-worker, etc. that you cast boolits and will travel for free Lead. Friday the Electricians at work gave me 10 # of Lead from trimming the ends off copper ground cable. That evening the GC that remodeled our kitchen three years ago dropped off 100# of Lead from an old shower base. Most all my Lead and alloys come from people I have talked to.

[ghh3rd]

I sometimes ask people that I meet "do you have any lead that you don't want, know someone who does, or wants to sell some?" and usually get weird looks, but it gives me an opportunity to explain what I do, and plant a seed that may pay off at some later time. I asked someone at work who I had just met, and he replied that he had a 50lb block of lead in his garage that he wanted to get rid of. His very old neighbor became ill and gave it to him, telling him that he had lived through the depression and had saved anything of value since then.

He gave it to me that next day and that chunk became a part of my 'valuable' stash :-)

[plainsman456]

Not to late i think.
Maybe the lead is not free anymore but some can be found.

The costs of everything has risen over the years but to me reloading/casting is worth it.

Gives one the time to think about anything but what is in front of you.

[WFO2]

Good to see this thread I'm just starting out and I'm in full scrounge mode . I talked to two of my mechanic buddies one said he had a few pounds he would give me the other is keeping his eye out .Just starting to get the word out . For my first casting session I will probably buy from Roto Metals just so I know what I have got and can eliminate the lead as a cause when I make the mistakes that are sure to come . I have been reloading for years and just want to expand my hobby to casting .

[dikman]

With the knowledge of how things are now and the knowledge from your experience, if you had to start from scratch would you?

Yep. I like doing my own thing. As for saving money, it might come sometime, but with what I've spent on powder, primers, brass, reloading gear (multiple presses), molds, couple of bottom-pours, stuff for coating boolits etc etc (mustn't forget the shed to put all this stuff in!!) I figure by the time I break even I'll be too old to make a profit!

That's just me, though, and I'm having a ball learning about the arcane and esoteric art of reloading.

Pure lead may be a bit harder to come by these days, scrounging-wise, but I joined my local pistol club some time ago and reckon I've recovered/processed about 1,000 kg of range scrap so far so figure joining was a good investment.

[kmw1954]

Great topic as I too am just starting to get interested in this aspect of reloading. Even asked this same question.

From what I've discovered so far is that lead in this area is getting harder to obtain. I'm on the Wisconsin Illinois border and just learned that lead wheel weights are banned in Illinois and have been for a number of years. Then recently talking with my son in Minn. he tells me that they are moving in that same direction. Tried calling a couple recyclers/scrappers in Illinois and they flatly refuse to sell scrap lead or supply leads to suppliers.

Yes I'm looking at it as a way to save some money and start a new hobby. I went into forced retirement about 9 months ago due to a disability so the time invested into this isn't as costly as for those who still have to work. This will certainly be more entertaining than watching the day go by. Besides it will give me something to do when the fish aren't biting! So now I'll also be able to spend some of this free time hunting that silvery stuff.

[warf73]

Just an example and you take from it what you want.
380acp 100gr cast boolit vs 380acp 100gr Berry bullet.

Go to swapping and selling there are a few guys selling 60lbs of lead for $70 to your door. 60lbs of lead will produce 4200 100gr cast boolits.
Powder valley has 100gr Berry bullets at $70.24 per 1000 bullets.

It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out that casting is still cheaper than buying bullets.


Warf

[Sasquatch-1]

Just did a little math (and boy does my head hurt). 500 45acp 200 grn lead bullets from Missouri bullets is $42.50 w/o shipping=8.5 cents per bullet.
1 pound of lead (7000 grns) $1.50 to your door normally, you get 35 per pound which comes to 4.3 cent per bullet. That's a savings of almost 50%.

Now, who has some aspirin.

[6622729]

I had the opportunity to talk to a couple of lead casters over the weekend. I've been looking seriously at casting for a few months now but I've come to value the voice of experience over my own conjecture.

The guy who cast boolits mentioned that in his opinion because it's become so difficult to scrounge lead, it's almost not worth casting anymore. In his words "it's too late to start casting". It's worth continuing to cast if you're already there and have alloy available but it's no longer the money saving practice it used to be. He wasn't at all negative just saying basically "times have changed".

I have yet to pull the trigger on a furnace and molds and dipper and all that. I guess my question is: With the knowledge of how things are now and the knowledge from your experience, if you had to start from scratch would you?

It is never too late. I'm 53 and just picked up the hobby a couple years ago. This and R/C airplanes are going to be my retirement hobbies. Casting and reloading doesn't have to cost a lot of money, you can do it with a bad back, failing knees and less than perfect vision.

As for lead, maybe the old ways of finding lead for free at the corner service station are gone but you can buy appropriate lead on eBay all day long for well under $2.00/lb and from here in the Swap and Sell forum for $1.45/lb. There is no issue with getting lead.

If you want to cast and reload to save money, unless you are shooting some very obscure caliber that you can't buy commercially, forget it. Casting and reloading is a hobby in and of itself. If your time means anything, it will never be a cost saver. Casting and reloading is independence and the ability to tailor a load for a particular gun or use.

[Boolseye]

Quick story: my father recently obtained a 1906 Marlin model 94 25-20. Every shot keyholes, therefore, I will beagle the 25 caliber mold I own, get the bullets up to about .261, and fully expect to get at least some accuracy out of this classic rifle, thus making both my father and myself happy. If I didn't cast, this gun would only shoot keyholes and wind up moldering in the closet. Oh, yeah, when I first took an interest about 5 years ago the guy I bought boolits from told me I was too poor to cast. Pretty sure he also said something about no lead anymore. I think he just didn't want to lose my business. I now have 34 molds and enough lead to last me most of my life.

[Thumbcocker]

I have never had a commercial cast boolit that did as well as mine. Too hard, too small, and filled with hard lube that doesn't work worth a darn.

[kmw1954]

Being new to this and as a casual shooter unlike many here I guess I have a different perspective as I don't know of the "good ol days".

From the other threads I've read on the subject of sourcing lead it appears that most now have to pay something for those used wheel weights, Sometimes free or somewhere around $20.00 to $50.00 for a bucket, my question then is how much time and fuel does it take to smelt a bucket of weights?

For someone like me it may be easier and cheaper to just buy the 10-20lbs of already smelted weights while scrounging a horde. Even at 3 cents a pcs it's still cheaper than buying already cast.

[dudel]

Being new to this and as a casual shooter unlike many here I guess I have a different perspective as I don't know of the "good ol days".

From the other threads I've read on the subject of sourcing lead it appears that most now have to pay something for those used wheel weights, Sometimes free or somewhere around $20.00 to $50.00 for a bucket, my question then is how much time and fuel does it take to smelt a bucket of weights?

For someone like me it may be easier and cheaper to just buy the 10-20lbs of already smelted weights while scrounging a horde. Even at 3 cents a pcs it's still cheaper than buying already cast.

Good points. Used to be (way back when), that a bucket of wheel weights was all COWW (the best). Then you started finding more and more SOWW (good; but not as good as COWW). Then you'd find mostly SOWW with a few COWW. Today, you are likely to pay for a full bucket of weights, and find a high percentage of zinc, steel, iron or other non lead weights. You need to spend time with each one and cull out the non lead (usually done with a side cutter - you can make a dent in lead; but not much in the others). Then you look at the piles. Hopefully you have more lead than junk (because you paid for the junk as well). This increases your cost per pound of lead.

I think it's a good idea for someone starting out; to get known alloy. Rotometals is a good choice, second would be some of the suppliers on S&S (you can check them out here), third would be eBay (I've gotten junk alloy while chasing what looked like a good deal). Many of those selling on eBay, don't shoot. The alloy they sell works fine for sinkers, scuba weighs, cast toys; but not always as well for Boolits. For me, shooting is more fun than casting, casting is more fun than smelting. Question is: where do you want to spend your time. When my stash is used up; I'll have to carefully consider the alloy source. I don't find scrounging for WW as much fun (or as productive) as it used to be. Oh, I'll still pickup a WW from a parking lot; but no more nighttime hunts in parking lots with pliers (kidding!).

[Boolseye]

I think it must depend on where you are and the connections you have. I've been able to source large amounts of alloy cheaply or free, due to the lack of casters and the number of salvage guys, roofers and garage owners that I know. Most people have little or no use for the stuff we consider gold.

[dudel]

I think it must depend on where you are and the connections you have. I've been able to source large amounts of alloy cheaply or free, due to the lack of casters and the number of salvage guys, roofers and garage owners that I know. Most people have little or no use for the stuff we consider gold.

Absolutely. Location, Location, Location! Could not agree more.

[kmw1954]

Absolutely. Location, Location, Location! Could not agree more.

Also agree and with a ban on lead weights in Illinois that has greatly reduced my search area. I'm just 5 min. from the Illinois border.

[lightman]

Being new to this and as a casual shooter unlike many here I guess I have a different perspective as I don't know of the "good ol days".

From the other threads I've read on the subject of sourcing lead it appears that most now have to pay something for those used wheel weights, Sometimes free or somewhere around $20.00 to $50.00 for a bucket, my question then is how much time and fuel does it take to smelt a bucket of weights?

For someone like me it may be easier and cheaper to just buy the 10-20lbs of already smelted weights while scrounging a horde. Even at 3 cents a pcs it's still cheaper than buying already cast.

Theres nothing wrong with buying lead thats ready to use. Its a good way to get started while building a "stash". There are some stickies about smelting set-ups that have some good ideas in them that you should check out.

I smelt in batches of 400 pounds, give or take a little. It takes me about 20 minutes to get the stuff together. My burner will get the 400 pounds of lead melted in 20 minutes or so, call it 30 minuted to melt, flux and start pouring. I run several ingot molds so there is no waiting time for them to cool, so call it 30 minutes to run through the 400# pot. So, maybe 2 hours or less for the first smelt and maybe another 1 or 1 1/2 hours for each one after that. I can do 1000 or 1200# in a lazy afternoon, especially if a buddy comes over to help. An afternoon will use a 20# bottle of propane, and sometimes I have to change tanks after 2 or more batches. Also, an afternoon usually requires about 3 Aleve for the ole back!

I'm a pretty good scrounger and most of my lead was nearly free. My smelting pot was a free find and my burner was home made. The only cost being the hose assembly and valve. I found the Lyman style ingot molds at a gun show for $2 each.

If you are a good scrounger or handy with tools you can get into smelting fairly cheap. If you are not you can buy a cheap Dutch oven or use a cut off propane tank to smelt in. You can buy a decent turkey fryer for less than $100, a few large spoons and a hand full of Lee ingot molds. Some casters use muffin tins or condiment cups from Walmart. If you decide to get into smelting you need to commit to the long haul due to the investment. I think its better to do it on the front end vs later on. I wish that I had built a bottom pour smelting pot 30 years ago.

[kmw1954]

Thanks lightman, This whole concept has my mind racing, in a good way. Again being recently retired I have more free time than money so need something to fill the day.

Already working on a design for a small smelting burner from a salvaged gas grill side burner. Plenty of resale shops and flea markets in this area to hit up. Watching for a cast pot or nice stainless one. Already getting the feeling that watching ebay for this stuff is a waste of time. Stuff there is going for almost the same price as new stuff. Still never understand how some people will pay almost full retail price for used stuff.

Just need to work on those scrounging skills and figure out which are productive. Then learning how to identify and sort useful scrap. There are also plenty of plumbing, remodeling and roofing companies around along with many old neighborhoods.

Next comes figuring out what is a fair price to pay for raw scrap if one has to.

[Walter Laich]

something that hasn't been mentioned: how many bullets do you need?

If you are shooting up a storm every week/month then it makes sense...

If you shot 5 times a year: 3 sighters and a couple of shots at deer then maybe no.

I enjoy the casting (and powder coating) as much as shooting. I have over 250 lb of 45 Colt bullets cast and still want to go out and make more--my wife says it's a sickness.

[C. Latch]

Thanks lightman, This whole concept has my mind racing, in a good way. Again being recently retired I have more free time than money so need something to fill the day.


If you spend $100 on smelting equipment, you could have used that money to buy ~80# of alloyed lead, ready to melt and cast.

80 pounds of lead will make you roughly 1000 bullets for a typical .45 Colt and over 2000 for a typical 9mm Luger load, assuming you loaded for those two calibers and used 40# of lead for each.

That's 3000 shots.

I shoot 3000 shots in a year, if I have a good year.

Other people here shot that in a month.

If you're the former, buy your lead in pre-alloyed ingots of known content.

If you're the latter, get the smelting stuff and have at it!

[sargenv]

Need? Why is it about need? ;)

One other thing that casting gets you is the ability to get exactly what you want.. as opposed to what people will sell you. You can go so far as a custom mold and have the maker make what you want to shoot.. RN in 40 caliber was near impossible for me to find. They are all mostly RNFP made for semi-auto pistol.. Since I've been on this forum, I've had two molds made up that you can't find.. a long round nose 40 - 185gr mold by LBT and a 40 cal 155 RN (158 with my alloy) on a group buy. You can sometimes find 155 RN, but they are sort of hard to find commercially. a RN in 41 magnum was also hard to find so I had LBT make me up a 180 gr RN in 41 magnum that works well for speed loading in ICORE competition.. it's also fun to plink with... most 41 cal bullets are jacketed, expensive, and rare..

It's worth it if you have an oddball caliber to load for.. and you'll shoot more for the same money (why we reload, right?).

[kmw1954]

This can be looked at from is it cost effective, which each person is going to have to answer that for themselves. I also fish and have a lot of money tied up in tackle and boats. I could certainly get store bought fish for much less than what it costs to catch it. But it certainly wouldn't be as much fun.

Right now my way of thinking is to start out with a small pot, utensils, a mold and bought ingots. At the same time to start sourcing scrap. Should make for an enjoyable pastime. Not going to worry too much about how much I'm spending or saving, more as a way to productively spend some time.

Previous hobby was buying old fishing boats and rebuilding them. I still enjoy it but it's getting harder to do the real physical work.

[blikseme300]

This can be looked at from is it cost effective, which each person is going to have to answer that for themselves. I also fish and have a lot of money tied up in tackle and boats. I could certainly get store bought fish for much less than what it costs to catch it. But it certainly wouldn't be as much fun.

Right now my way of thinking is to start out with a small pot, utensils, a mold and bought ingots. At the same time to start sourcing scrap. Should make for an enjoyable pastime. Not going to worry too much about how much I'm spending or saving, more as a way to productively spend some time.

Previous hobby was buying old fishing boats and rebuilding them. I still enjoy it but it's getting harder to do the real physical work.

A good friend of mine once asked, "can your put a price tag on enjoyment?" Casting and reloading is not about black and white economics, it is about enjoyment and a sense of accomplishment, IMHO.

It is never too late to start casting and in my experience the more presses, dies, molds and other tools you gather the more alloy these will attract. You just need to get them up to critical mass and the magic happens. [smilie=l:

[cameron.fromthep]

Most recyclers will also sell scrap wheel weights run $ .34 a pound here still not as cheap as free but after I moved cross country I have lost my source of free lead.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk

[Sasquatch-1]

2 things.

1, the next time you go to the range look at the impact area. If it is anything like the range I go to you could probably pick up 10 to 15 lbs. of scrap just laying on the surface. If it's an indoor range see how much they will sell you a bucket for. Keep in mind that you will have up to 25% loss to jackets. A small batch, a camp stove and an old cast iron or stainless steel pot (which should not be used for food anymore) will let you know if you want to spend the energy and money that would be involved. I started with an old vegetable can on the stove. That was almost 40 years ago.

2, If you are going to flee markets, keep a lookout for pewter. Pewter has about 95% tin which will help the lead flow better. There are a lot of threads here about that subject.


Already working on a design for a small smelting burner from a salvaged gas grill side burner. Plenty of resale shops and flea markets in this area to hit up. Watching for a cast pot or nice stainless one. Already getting the feeling that watching ebay for this stuff is a waste of time. Stuff there is going for almost the same price as new stuff. Still never understand how some people will pay almost full retail price for used stuff.

[Vulcan Bob]

Late to the party but I'll toss in my two cents worth. For me it's definitely worth it, I get the boolit I want, the alloy I want, the size I want, and the lube I want. Even if I have to purchase from say Rotometal, it will be worth it to get exactly what I want. This despite common sense at times makes me happy.

[Ranger 7]

I started at 68!
Great! You will always have ammo, regardless of shortages/politics, etc. (Just keep your supplies up, in anticipation)

Slick Willie caught me short, but I have had a long term supply ever since.
As said above, the components will be good for a very long time. (Had powder and primers sit in a closet for 22 years. Still worked fine.

Best place to get lead is from a range. Range lead usually runs at 10 Brn. Join club, or find club and ask permission to recover some lead,Etc.

[g17]

lead even at $1/lb = 44.3 158gr .357 bullets. It's never too late to start doing something worthwhile.

[mjwcaster]

Always a great time to start.
I am new to casting, but figure I have already broken even on my cost (at least for 45) so far with just a few thousand cast and shot.
Scavenged range scrap, yard sale/thriftstore camp store/pots/tools.
Safety gear, lube, sizer and molds.
All paid for.
And I probably made at least 10 cents an hour.
Saving up to spend more money, more molds, bottom pour pot, hot plate, etc.

But I have learned more about guns and shooting in the last few years than I ever knew before.

And I have had fun.
I can't wait to get my casting setup moved indoors so I can do it more often, biggest headache I have had is fighting the weather, wind and rain really make finding casting time a chore.

Being able to slip out to the garage and do something I find relaxing and rewarding is much better than TV or even hanging out on this forum.

Once I am satisfied with my handgun casting it will be time to pick up a rifle to cast for, probably about action 308.

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

[toallmy]

Best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago , second best is right now . Get started now .

[6622729]

Best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago , second best is right now . Get started now .

One thing I think we have established, it's never too late to start casting and there is no shortage of sources for lead. Jump in!

[fredj338]

As for lead, maybe the old ways of finding lead for free at the corner service station are gone but you can buy appropriate lead on eBay all day long for well under $2.00/lb and from here in the Swap and Sell forum for $1.45/lb. There is no issue with getting lead.

If you want to cast and reload to save money, unless you are shooting some very obscure caliber that you can't buy commercially, forget it. Casting and reloading is a hobby in and of itself. If your time means anything, it will never be a cost saver. Casting and reloading is independence and the ability to tailor a load for a particular gun or use.

I would probably not cast my own if I had to pay more than $1.50/#. That would be $45 for 1000-200gr 45s. About 3hrs work to produce them. Right now, still working, that would not be worth my time, even though I really enjoy casting my own. If you shoot a lot, then the $$ saved is quite a bit reloading & casting your own, even if you buy lead. I try to scrounge a lot, do some trades for lead, keeps my cost slightly above free. So at 8-9k rds a year, I prefer to cast & now coat & reload my own. I can load 1k rds of 45acp for about $50 at todays costs. If I had to buy bullets, that would jump to $130! If I had to buy factory ammo, $330!!!! I would certainly shoot a lot less.

[kmw1954]

I certainly can't argue your economic view of this. It does make sense. For someone that's working 40-60 hrs. a week or on a schedule were they have to work a weekend day then free time becomes more valuable than money saved. I know this from experience when I was working 55 hrs. and every other weekend.

Now being retired time is a commodity I have lots of. Excited about getting started on a new pastime.

[Biggs300]

I've got too many hobbies…reloading, hunting (hogs, deer, elk and turkey), sporting clays and skeet shooting, fishing, golf and guitar. I'll soon be 65 and will be retiring in less than 2 months. If I picked up the hobby at this point, I think my wife would shoot me with anything I might be able to cast. With two 45-70's and a 358 Win, I've thought hard about it. If I was just a few years younger…..

[6622729]

I've got too many hobbies…reloading, hunting (hogs, deer, elk and turkey), sporting clays and skeet shooting, fishing, golf and guitar. I'll soon be 65 and will be retiring in less than 2 months. If I picked up the hobby at this point, I think my wife would shoot me with anything I might be able to cast. With two 45-70's and a 358 Win, I've thought hard about it. If I was just a few years younger…..

Now there would be some irony, to be shot by a boolit you cast!

[Texantothecore]

The current prices for ammo are outrageous. I bought 4 boxes of .45 lc this year: $25.00 for each box of 20. 20? Ridiculous

I think that all the new shooters that have come into the sport will keep the prices high for a long time and I don't see any relief on the horizon.

Other than the above purchases, I haven't purchased ammo since 2006 when I started casting.

My accuracy is much better than with the jacketed because casting allows me to shoot several times a week rather than once a month.

Casting, along with reloading, makes it possible to do shooting sports every night if I have the time. Great!

I have found it nearly impossible to burn through $10.00 of ammo in a shooting session. Frequently the guy next to me at the range is burning through $100.00 to $120.00 per hour. Unacceptable.

I suffered not one bit during the Great Ammo Shortage. I expect to see shortages of like severity sometime in the future as many new shooters come into the sport. 76% of millenials intend to buy an ar-15 or ak and as the economy turns around they will be doing so.

As an older friend of mine recently said "the younger guys burn through 200 rounds a minute, the older guys burn 1 round every two minutes."

The satisfaction of using your own bullets is great enough to make it worthwhile without any real thought about cost reduction.

[6622729]

The current prices for ammo are outrageous. I bought 4 boxes of .45 lc this year: $25.00 for each box of 20. 20? Ridiculous

I think that all the new shooters that have come into the sport will keep the prices high for a long time and I don't see any relief on the horizon.

Other than the above purchases, I haven't purchased ammo since 2006 when I started casting.

My accuracy is much better than with the jacketed because casting allows me to shoot several times a week rather than once a month.

Casting, along with reloading, makes it possible to do shooting sports every night if I have the time. Great!

I have found it nearly impossible to burn through $10.00 of ammo in a shooting session. Frequently the guy next to me at the range is burning through $100.00 to $120.00 per hour. Unacceptable.

I suffered not one bit during the Great Ammo Shortage. I expect to see shortages of like severity sometime in the future as many new shooters come into the sport. 76% of millenials intend to buy an ar-15 or ak and as the economy turns around they will be doing so.

As an older friend of mine recently said "the younger guys burn through 200 rounds a minute, the older guys burn 1 round every two minutes."

The satisfaction of using your own bullets is great enough to make it worthwhile without any real thought about cost reduction.

Love your last line and it's something I take great satisfaction in. I have come to take for granted the ability to reload and the ability to cast. Doesn't eveyone do this?! Lol. In casual conversations with others (shooters and non) I quickly realize and again appreciate the skills I have learned.

[dudel]

I haven't purchased ammo since 2006 when I started casting.

My accuracy is much better than with the jacketed because casting allows me to shoot several times a week rather than once a month.


Interesting. You haven't bought factory ammo in 10 years; but you shoot better with Boolits.

I suspect you probably shoot pretty darn good with factory ammo as well after 10 years of practice! :bigsmyl2:

FMJ, plated, Boolits. I don't seem to shoot one better than the other. Practice counts.

[kalison]

I asked myself the same question when I first started casting just a year or so ago.

What sold me on "going for it" was calling my local metal scrap yards. I can get WW for .65/lb and Hospital lead for .75/lb. The savings are still there. I can cast for 2-3 cents a projectile, which is well under even some of the best bulk deals out there lead or FMJ.

Time isnt money with me, as long as I enjoy it.

[Shiloh]

Free lead sources are drying up. Other than that, you can be in charge of making your own boolits

Shiloh

[William Yanda]

"The guy who cast boolits mentioned that in his opinion because it's become so difficult to scrounge lead, it's almost not worth casting anymore."

Disinformation published in the interest of reducing competition for his lead sources.

[paraord]

I know Im late to the party but you will never know what you are missing unless you give it a shot. Its totally worth it IMHO. And I live in NY where lead wheel weights are slim. Youll find a source. This is a wonderful hobby and its great to be darn near fully sufficient in what you feed your firearms.

[bangerjim]

Have they nailed the lid on your coffing yet???????????????

If no........then it is NOT too late!

Lead is everwhere. Different states and different rules. Here I can buy all the Pb and alloys I want for a buck a pound. I do NOT use COWW's anymore. Too dirty, too time-consuming, too much Zn/Fe.

But casting is FAR better than buying what someone else thinks you want to load.

Look around. Lead is out there. And you can buy it on here from good people.

[Frank V]

Don't give up on casting, I have a friend who now buys lead from a lead supplier. He gets it in the exact foumulation he wants & casts great bullets with it. As the price of ready made bullets goes up it'll become even more viable to cast. Plus in handguns & some rifles you can get bullet from your lead pot that you can't get off a shelf or mail order catalog.
I'd say go for it it'll be worth it.
Saving money MIGHT be a result, but I've found not in my case what I am doing is shooting more for the same money, not spending less?:coffee: