New to casting and looking for a push in the right direction

[Lastmile]

As stated, I've been reloading for a bit, but have just been buying jacketed bullets. A couple months ago I saw a youtube video and it got the ideas rolling. Ever since then I've been reading. So far casting seems like reloading in the sense that it's complicatedly simple. So, I've decided to start with only a few calibers and work from there. I have a Rock Island 1911 45ACP that will be my first attempt. I'm mainly just looking for reassurance that I'm starting off on the right foot, but any pointers are appreciated. The only shooting I really ever do is on a range.

For lead I've got 100lbs of pure lead, and grandparents who've got an Intertype machine they no longer use. Which gives me a good bit of lynotype I can pull from. I recently found the alloy calculator which, I'm very thankful for, and see that if I mixed those two in a 1:5 ratio I should come out with a hardness around 11ish. Which seems to be about what I need, from what I can tell.

I'm planning on a 10 lee pot, and can snag some of the old smelting equipment from the print shop. They've got some flux left over, but I don't know if it's any good still. I've got plenty saw dust and am figuring on using that.

As far as a mold is concerned I've got my eye on Lee's 6 cavity TL452-230-2R. From what I've read the SWC seem to give people trouble in 1911. My only concerns for a mold is something I can get to shoot in a decent group without giving me too much of a hassle to load. In reality most anything I load will probably out shoot me in accuracy, but it'd be nice to have a good starting platform. I slugged the barrel and it came out at .451, so I'm not sure if I'm going to need to size them. I'm also planning on starting off with powder coating to keep equipment cost down.

I've read a couple books, but don't know enough to know what I don't know. Though I figure it's time to give it a try, and find out what I don't know.

[chutesnreloads]

Best advice I can give,and looks like you've already started some of it,is to read read read.There's a lot more info than you can absorb in a few years just in the stickies.Would advise you towards a 20 lb. melter though.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Lastmile,

Do you happen to live in the Moscow, Idaho - Deary, Idaho area.

If so, let us get together and do some hands on.

I need to have an early morning casting session soon.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[MT Gianni]

First thing to do is post your general location in profile. What you have planned should work, I shoot a ly452460 200 gr swc in my Kimber with no feed issues.

[Wayne Smith]

I'd say you are starting right. You can and probably will look at other molds (it is addicting!) but that's a good start and a good low intensity cartridge to start with. Only one better might be the 38Special. You can actually use that pure in the 45ACP but it would be a waste. Any hardness you can add would be good, but don't go above your planed 11. You may hit your sweet spot the first time, but don't give up if you don't.

[Sasquatch-1]

Plus one on the 20 pound pot. Easier to add lead as you go. I think I would start with a 2 cavity mold. It is easier to get good bullets fast when first starting your run. Also, if the mold doesn't work for you, you are not out as much.

The flux you are talking about, is that the blue stuff in the round tin pack? Had some a print shop gave me a long time ago that was fantastic.

[lightman]

Welcome Aboard! I agree, you are off to a good start. The 45 is pretty easy to load and cast for, so good 1st choice there. I also suggest starting with a 20# pot. Read the stickies on smelting, caring for molds and anything about safety that you can find. Give that new mold a scrubbing and go to casting!

[Markopolo]

Not sure if I would start right off powder coating though.. take it one step at a time.. learn what it takes to get good boolits rolling out first, then shooting... once real comfy with that for a while, then consider the whole powder coating thing... only one new twist at a time, like riding a bike.. not many of us started riding a unicycle and then went to a 2 wheeler. And most of all, enjoy the satisfaction of rolling your own.. ��

[sutherpride59]

One big price of advice I will give you is hardness even in 45acp does matter. Lots of people tell you you can shoot darn near pure lead in 45acp! True you can shoot pure lead without leading but the accuracy is garbage. You want your alloy to be the same hardness as pure clip on wheel weight alloy. To save myself from using up all my clip on wheel weight lead I cast with 50/50+2%sn and ice water quench to get the same hardness. Plus I don't have to wait for the boolits to cool down. I don't powder coat but with powder coating a lot of people over look the hardness they are shooting and don't achieve the accuracy they desire. Also for powder coat my buddy who does it found its way easier if you preheat to boolits to 150 for a couple of minutes first, makes the powder stick better.

[pjames32]

My alloy for 45ACP calculates at 10.4bhn and has good accuracy with minimal leading. I cast a 200gr SWC from an old Lyman mold. I'd suggest a 20lb pot and start with a 2 cavity mold. Don't over use the linotype!
Good luck on your new habit.

[BNE]

As you can tell, every body has an opinion!! Mine are as follows:
get the 20 pound pot
get the 6 hole mold
Fluxing with sawdust is great, and you probably won't need to flux a lot as
Print type is usually clean.
Not sure why one person suggested not powder coating from the start. I had lots of trouble and lots of leading in my .45 until I switched to powder coating. I almost quit casting due to the whole lube thing.

Go slow, and ask questions just like you are and lots of good folks here will jump in to help.

[Walla2]

All good advice above. The one thing I would comment on is to get the proper safety equipment. It isn't expensive but can save your hide. Eye protection, gloves, long sleeves, don't wear sandals (my screw up), at the minimum for starters. This is a great hobby. Welcome to the forum.

[psweigle]

I would say you're right on track. Don't over think it and have fun. I started with a 20 lb pot from lee and a 2 cavity mold from lee. I use sawdust and I powdercoat. Make sure to pm smoke (he is a vendor sponsor) and ask him lots of questions about powder coating. And all of the guys on here are SUPER helpful. Welcome to the madness. It's fun, keep it that way. Be safe and enjoy.

[TexasGrunt]

1. 20 lb pot.
2. Get a NOE or Arsenal mold, you'll thank me later for this.
3. I've got 13 1911 pistols and they all feed SWC just fine. I just bought a NOE 155 SWC mold, for me the savings in lead is going to be great.
4. Get the NOE push-through sizing die and both a .452 and .453 bushing. If you only want to buy one bushing get the .453
5. You can powder coat from the start or just go to Hi-Tek. I'm doing more and more Hi-Tek.

[jmort]

Accurate makes the best molds. I would start with the Lee and then get the best, Accurate.
I like PC but Hi Tek works
Your plan is sound.

[Lastmile]

Wow, To say I was surprised by all the responses would be an understatement. I really appreciate all of the advice, thank you.
Well, currently I'm living in Phoenix AZ, but I tend to move around quite a bit. I'll probably ended up doing most of my casting in So Cal, because I doubt the apartment complex I'm living in would be excited if I did it here. That and I enjoy going back to the home town while I'm working this close.
I'll have to looking into Hi-tek more. I've read a bit on it, but there's quite a few options out there. So, it was overlooked for the most part.
The advice about starting with a two cavity mold seem like sound advice to me. Plus saving a few pennies will help out. Took about a 50% pay cut with this job, but it'll help to get me where I want to be. So, I'll snag a lee mold to get started and spend the money saved on a push through sizer. Which reminds me of one of my questions. I hear discrepancies on sizing. It seems that some people say +.001 or +.002. Is it just one of those divided camp issues, or just depends on what the specific gun prefers?
Thanks again, I really appreciate the advice.

[Bzcraig]

Welcome aboard! It shows that you have done your homework and I agree you're getting started right. Over time and as the addiction progresses you will need additional boolit sizers. Seriously consider buying the NOE sizer, it's a little bit more money to start but cheaper in the long run. I have a lot of Lee equipment and not a Lee basher by any stretch of the imagination but I have never gotten a sizer from Lee that sized boolits as labeled, all were on the small side. As far as how much over groove diameter is best, minimum is .001, .002 is ideal, and .003 is doable in MOST BUT NOT ALL cases. Much will depend on your throat. I have a Para Elite with .451 groove as yours that I couldn't get to chamber any of the boolits I cast and even some jacketed bullets were wrong. Sent the barrel to member Dougguy to work his magic and it will now chamber everything I've tried so far.

[Echo]

The only thing I can add is the 1/5 alloy could use a little extra Sn - Lino is only 4% Sn, so cutting it like that gives only .008 Sn, that I don't think is enough. I like between 2 & 3% - anything over 3% is wasteful, to my thinking.
My own smelting effort involves WW's & monotype, 7/1, with an additional 1% Sn to bring the Sn up to 2+%, and it works for me...

[Wayne Smith]

Only thing you are missing is a hotplate to pre-heat your mold. I have no problem someone starting with a six cavity Lee mold - just realize you can fill two or three cavities at a time until you find your pace.

[WHITETAIL]

Like what was said, everyone has a opinion.
I agree with most of the things said.
What works for me is.
A 2 cav. RCBS mold,
A 20lb. bottom pour pot.
A 450 sizer / luber.
A Lyman cast book.:Fire:

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Lastmile,
welcome to the forum.
You do have the correct direction, IHMO.
Keep reading the posts here, use the search function, there is so much great info buried in the 12 years worth of posts here, it's mind boogling.

I just have two things to add to the comments you already have received.

>>>Regarding the Lee 20lb pot.
The big advantage to the Pro 4-20 isn't that it holds more alloy (but that is a benefit no doubt), it's the improved valve assembly design.

>>>For me, Pre-heating the mold with a Hot plate was the single biggest thing that made this casting hobby more pleasurable.

[Larry Gibson]

Don't know if it's been mentioned but if you can find a Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook #3 it will give you all the basic information. You will often refer to the first half which is excellent basic information. Study it and you'll be far ahead of just trying to learn everything off the internet one or two questions at a time.

The CBH #3 is out of print but can be found. CBH #4 is available but doesn't have the best information in the front half. It's mostly just one person's method. CBH #3 is the best book to have and to learn bullet csting from. With the basic information at hand in CBH #3 you can get excellent follow up explanation here. Once you learn the basics advanced cast bullet use information is readily available here also.

Larry Gibson

[w5pv]

Mix some Ben's Red and use that for bullet lube,after many thousands of rounds through the tube no leading and after a while the only place you will have to clean is the chamber(action and other parts).The bore will get the carnuba shine in it and there will be nothing in the bore to clean just wipe the chamber ever so often.Good luck

[6622729]

Best advice I can give,and looks like you've already started some of it,is to read read read.There's a lot more info than you can absorb in a few years just in the stickies.Would advise you towards a 20 lb. melter though.

Agreed. You will not go wrong with the PID controlled Lyman Mag25. What a nice piece of equipment. My 10lb Lee pot was obsolete the minute the Mag25 was in use.

[Lastmile]

Great I'll pick up a hot plate and make sure to get the 20lbs pot. I read the cbh, but I'm sure it was #4. I'll track down a #3. Last weeks pay check was a bit light, so I'll have to hold off on the spending for a week or so. In the mean time, is there any recommendations for reading material or subjects I should look into? Anything you wish you had known from day one? The problem I've ran into is not knowing enough to know what I don't know. Thanks again I'm much more confident about starting out now than before I'd heard from all of you.

[pjames32]

Search this forum for "From Ingot to Target". A pdf download that will become your bible. It is free!
Save the pdf so you can read it at your leisure and refer to it when needed.

[lightman]

Search this forum for "From Ingot to Target". A pdf download that will become your bible. It is free!
Save the pdf so you can read it at your leisure and refer to it when needed.

Thats a good idea. I printed it, punched holes in the pages and put them in a 3 ring binder. It lives on the book shelf beside the loading bench.

[Sasquatch-1]

Not putting WET lead in a pot that already has melted lead. Did this more then 40 years ago and learned my lesson.

I casted for more then 30 years without a PID and without a thermometer with Lee molds and a 10 pound Lee bottom pour and did just fine. Get what you can afford now and save the bells and whistles for later.



Anything you wish you had known from day one? The problem I've ran into is not knowing enough to know what I don't know.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Great I'll pick up a hot plate and make sure to get the 20lbs pot. I read the cbh, but I'm sure it was #4. I'll track down a #3. Last weeks pay check was a bit light, so I'll have to hold off on the spending for a week or so. In the mean time, is there any recommendations for reading material or subjects I should look into? Anything you wish you had known from day one? The problem I've ran into is not knowing enough to know what I don't know. Thanks again I'm much more confident about starting out now than before I'd heard from all of you.

OK, here are three stickied threads of tips, there are numerous posts, and there are many posts that aren't worth reading that you will have to fish through...but there are some gems that are worth the time skimming through all the posts. Many times, I will find an idea or concept I never thought of, and then use that post as a jumping point to search out more threads on that subject for a more defined/detailed.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?104024-Top-10-Cast-Boolits-tips

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?110506-Share-Your-Tip-Of-The-Day

This last thread is more advanced, It started out like other tips threads, but ended up being a store house of incredible links. I fish through this one all the time.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?148085-some-tips-that-may-help

[pjames32]

Thanks JonB. Good links!

[Grmps]

this site has a wealth of information http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm
this is a link to multiple free load data sites http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?337910-CB-load-data-online-sources&p=4086919&viewfull=1#post4086919
the "google custom search" near the top right of the forum will lead you to almost everything you are looking for.
Unless something is published by a reliable/accountable source double and triple check the information
On this and any forum, people post their opinion, what works for them, what they think. Most of it is universal knowledge.
BUT: some (not a lot) is not recommended or even dangerous.
You will see disagreements even arguments on ideas. That's where personal research from documented resources keeps you safe.
There are MULTIPLE variables, one instance should the bullet be 1, 2, 3 thousandths over:
You need to consider riffling twist rate and type, barrel length, alloy hardness/composition, bullet design, lube, coating, powder how fast the powder burns and how heavy a charge your using plus every firearm has it's own "personality"
RULE #1: SAFTEY:
Always wear eye protection! burns and scarring suck's BUT being blind is permanent.
Never cast/load/shoot tired or impaired
Avoid all distractions when casting/loading/shooting
Welcome to the addiction

[gwpercle]

this site has a wealth of information http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm
this is a link to multiple free load data sites http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?337910-CB-load-data-online-sources&p=4086919&viewfull=1#post4086919
the "google custom search" near the top right of the forum will lead you to almost everything you are looking for.
Unless something is published by a reliable/accountable source double and triple check the information
On this and any forum, people post their opinion, what works for them, what they think. Most of it is universal knowledge.
BUT: some (not a lot) is not recommended or even dangerous.
You will see disagreements even arguments on ideas. That's where personal research from documented resources keeps you safe.
There are MULTIPLE variables, one instance should the bullet be 1, 2, 3 thousandths over:
You need to consider riffling twist rate and type, barrel length, alloy hardness/composition, bullet design, lube, coating, powder how fast the powder burns and how heavy a charge your using plus every firearm has it's own "personality"
RULE #1: SAFTEY:
Always wear eye protection! burns and scarring suck's BUT being blind is permanent.
Never cast/load/shoot tired or impaired
Avoid all distractions when casting/loading/shooting
Welcome to the addiction

Does this mean the Drunk Naked Casting Contest won't be held this year? I was so looking forward to that event ! :kidding:

[dbosman]

If you don't already have it, grab your FREE copy of "From Ingot to Target: A Cast Bullet Guide for Handgunners ©" A joint effort by Glen E. Fryxell and Robert L. Applegate from: http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

[David2011]

Lastmile,

Lots of us have shot SWCs in 1911s without feeding issues. Just seat the boolits so about a thumbnail's thickness of the shoulder is exposed above the mouth of the brass. The Lee 2R nose shape is IMO better suited for revolvers than auto loaders but plenty have been used in 1911s.

One thing that will help in the 1911 is to TAPER crimp the mouth (never a roll crimp on an auto loader) of the case to between .471 and .469, measured just behind the case mouth. Measuring on the case mouth might catch a burr and distort the measurement.

[Lastmile]

I found ingots to target while I was reading through the stickies, and that's what convinced me to give casting a try. I've read it twice and actually understood much more the second time. Seems to be a reoccurring theme, so I'll see what will stick this time around the stickies. I'll start with those three. I haven't figured out how to quote multiple posts yet, but I thank everyone for their advice.
I'm sure SWC will be my second mold, and I'll read up on the different crimps. My knowledge on that subject is simple, I know there are different crimps, but I turn my little crimp knob until it mic's right. I'm not even sure what kind of crimp it is, if I'm being honest.
I've found you take forum advice with a grain of salt. Mostly because I'd rather not eat pieces of my gun inadvertently. That being said, without this forum I wouldn't know a fraction of what I do about reloading and my theoretical knowledge of casting.
You're safety advice is appreciated. I shall wear my PPE. My experience in life has taught me if something is flying through the air it will hit me in the eye, so I'll pick up one of the dozens of pairs of safety glass that have migrated to the garage.
Thanks again for the direction. I'll have plenty to read for awhile, and even more to learn.