New Member looking to cast!

[Tyguy95]

I have been reloading for a few years now but have just recently started looking into casting. Looking for recommendations on what to avoid or how to ease the process. I want to start with some 7.62x54r I'm looking at .314 gc bullets. Any recommendation on a mold? Also what's a good cheap setup for melting pots And lube/sizing dies? Currently I have nothing casting related, only my rcbs rockchucker and reloading dies.

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[Rcmaveric]

Honesty its not hard. Start with a chamber cast. I use the pound cast method and there of videos on how to do that on you tube and articles on here. Then measure your throat, bore and groove diameters. I get best accuracy by filling the throat of the chamber, some go for 2-3 thousands of an inch over groove, bullet fit is the key and go as big as will chamber. Then the chamber cast will show you what sizer die to get. I use my loading manual to help select an bullet weight. The Lymans casting book and Richard lee's Modern Reloader are great books. I have the new Lymans 50 on the way, haven't read it yet. Before you start or buy any thing its best to get educated for free you can Google these articles/ books and read C. E. Harris: Cast Bullet Loads for Millitray Riffles, Cast Bullets for Beginners and Experts, and From Ingot to Target: A Cast Bullet Guide for Handgunners by Glen E. Fryxell and Robert L. Applegate. They helped me a lot and sometimes gave me more questions. I have been able to solve all my of my problems and answer my questions by searching this site. For equipment its pretty straight forward. Lee makes reasonably price good equipment a bottom pour pot, mold and handles and your set. Then pan lubing is what I do and I made cookie cutters from fired cases to pull bullets from lube. Its free and my wife hounds me too much for me to upgrade to a luber sizer. maybe one day when I hit the lottery. Then install a gas check for high pressure loads. There are numerous ways to install gas checks from tools to rubber mallets. After that, you send the bullet through the push through sizer die and crimps on the gas check. I like to clean the noses after that and tumble lube them. Loading them is pretty much the same, only extra step is to expand and bell the case necks. There are dies for that M-Dies, Lee Universal, and NOE makes inserts for the Lee die to make it an M-Die.

Only last thing is lead source. You can buy it or recycle it. They sell it here, you can search locally. You can even get it for free if you know how. To process just use an old propane turkey burner or cooking stove. A large cast iron or steel pot. A stiring spoon and some flux and ingot molds. You can use all kinds of things for ingot molds. Most of us use muffin tins and I also like a small bread pans. You can get creative and use different molds to signify different alloys.

Also reading all the sticky in the different categories will help a lot. Some may give you more questions than answers but they will all eventually lead you to success. Half the problem is knowing what to ask.

Hope that helps. Start up cost can be a couple hundred to several hundred depending on name brand and tools and method.

[Yodogsandman]

Tyguy95, welcome to the site!

RCmaveric has given some great advice. A lot of us started out with an old coleman stove, a steel pot, a mold, some wheel weights and a casting ladle. Many tools can be found at yard sales or thrift shops. Add fancy stuff as your allowance dictates.

[rancher1913]

just about any question you could have, the answer can be found using the search box in the upper right hand corner. just type in keywords or a question and you will get numerous threads about a topic. saves waiting on replies and gives you something to do when your board.

[kungfustyle]

I have the Lee 314 175g mold that I shoot in my Mosin. If you want a mold that will last (Not that Lee won't with care) invest in an NOE 314299 (316299 if you need it) or the like. If it's being sold it will shoot. Look in the vendor's section for gas checks 30 cal's will work 31's work well if they have them. Blamer is great to deal with on blamer's board. Get a Lyman 4th ed cast handbook for data H4895, 2400 and Unique are great cast powders very forgiving and you can run from 1200 fps up to 2200 fps or more with those powders. Lee 20lb pots work great and get a thermometer. Using a ladle gets great boolits but with the Lee pot you can bottom pour and ladle if you want. The Captain is great source for lead if you don't have a local supply.

[Echo]

Lots of good advice here, and I second using The Captain for a source of lead. fair price, and good quality.

[gwpercle]

I feel I must warn you about the one side effect of this hobby. It's can be addictive.
Some otherwise rational fellows are now lead hoarders. I myself have developed an old boolit mould addiction. Whenever I see a mould at a flea market , garage or estate sale I try not to but usually take it home with me. Some members have hundreds of moulds.
We are are bunch enablers and encouragers , if you ask should I buy mould A or mould B the answer will always be...buy both!
Now that you have been warned...welcome to the addiction!
I find it a most interesting hobby and have been enjoying it for the past 50 years and still fascinated by all of it.
You can start cheaply with a 2 cavity mould , iron pot on a stove and ladle. I just bought a brand new Lyman ladle to replace my 50 year old one I've been using .
Good luck,
Gary

[pjames32]

Good advise above. Read all the "sticky's". Welcome to the addiction!

[Tyguy95]

Reloading in general has been my addiction the past few years... other than adding to the gun collection that is. I'm looking forward to getting sold of done of the abundance of knowledge to be found on this site.

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[Rcmaveric]

Its a labor of love. I started off with hot plate and skillet to reclaim lead. A lee bottom pour pot and lee .270 mold and the wifes fancy smell good candles to flux with. Only had my reloading tools normaly used for reloading (lee anniversary kit and dies). When I started I only had you tube and my books. I was experimenting with powders and having horrible results and wasting a lot of money till I found this site and read those articles I mentioned to you. I found those articles by accident using the search bar. Since then I have started getting quite successful an confident. I still experiment with different powders though. But now I have good loads all ready made so its not so stressful. Its fun to apply what you learn, experiment, and tinker.

[dbosman]

All good advice.
I melt scrap lead in a $5.00 stainless steel condiment tray for a steam table. That heats on a gas Coleman stove. My skim ladle, stir spoon, and ingot mold is a $2.00 soup ladle. I could pour directly into molds, but prefer the finer control of a #20 Lee casting pot.

[Tenbender]

Ask questions here on the forum. No matter how stupid they might sound to you . There's thousands of years experience right here.

[LenH]

Keep in mind you don't have to have the latest and the greatest. I started out with a Lee 4# pot and a ladle. I had a couple of Lyman molds, single & double cavity.
I cast hundreds if not thousands of bullets with that rig and still have that pot nearly 40 years later. I have since graduated to a bottom pour and 4, 6 & 8 cavity molds.
Keep an eye on the Swapping and selling page, there are always deals on lead and other alloys. And as already mention The Captain on the Venders section has good clean
alloy at a decent price. Welcome to the madness.

[Rcmaveric]

I second the swap and sell section.

[trapper9260]

With all that is stated I have not much to add, but welcome to the fun.Alot to learn here.No matter how long one been at it.There is always something new to try out or learn a different way of doing thing.

[country gent]

Welcome to the addictions here, there are many. You can cast very good bullets in many different ways as to equipment. A bottom pour pot and moulds along with clean lead gets you started. Pan lubig and a lee push thru sizer. A simple stand and burner for a steel pot also works well for ladle casting. Size of pot is up to you and your needs my casting pot is on a turkey frier stand and a modified weed burner for heat. It holds 130 lbs of alloy. 3 of us cast around it at a time. This works well for me.

I like to "over"pour my sprues so the ladle and hanging the mould over the pot works best for me. I don't pour for a sprue but pour a full ladle into the mould letting the excess run of the front of the blocks back into the pot. Another plus to the big pot is temps remain much more consistant as the mass there takes longer to change. It takes longer to cool to solid stage than to melt it to casting temp. With my set up I can have the full pot molten in 15-20 mins ready to cast. It takes 45-50 mins for it to cool to solid when done.

Several things of importance are. Find a good safe area to cast. Once you have your equipment a bench and set up that's at a comfortable height for you to work at. If sitting you want to be up right and not leaning. same standing. The electric pots can be height adjusted by blocking under them if needed. Its easier to adjust up rather than down. A bench of a size that allows for everything to be placed in a handy position. A towel pad for the bullet, the pot, a container for sprues to be cut into, a scrapper stirrer, and a sprue plate tapper along with thermometer and any other things you decide you need. If you set your bench on wheels it can move any where there is electric and allow casting out doors even.

[wv109323]

One suggestion I would add is to buy a 20 lb. furnace and a hot plate. A PID makes the process much easier. I recommend a 20 lb. pot because once you get the temps. right you can produce a lot of bullets before adding lead to the pot. Cold lead affects the pot temp. so much you mast wait for lead to heat up.

[KCSO]

You poor sucker! Heroin might be cheaper in the long run! Casting is like borrowing from a Chicago loan shark, you will never get free. That said welcome to our world and whatever you need to know is here somewhere. If you are just getting started haunt garage sales. I picked up my last Lee 20 pound pot at a garage for $10 and got a sinker mould and 20 pounds of lead to boot. Check swapping and selling before you buy elsewhere. You need to slug your Mosin as I have seen them run from 311 to 313. I use a Mountain Mould bullet in mine sized 313 and for plinking 12 grains of Red Dot. The Lee 165 griiian spire point is also a good one but I had to beagle my mould to get a full 313. You cn start out pan lubing and size with a Lee push through. I expand the case mouth with and old de milled 50 calibre cartridge. not fanch but it works to start...then you upgrade...for the rest of your life!

[Tyguy95]

How do I aquire permission to post in swapping and selling? I can comment on posts but cannot post

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[RP]

How do I aquire permission to post in swapping and selling? I can comment on posts but cannot post

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When you look at the swapping and selling section in the header it tells you what is required 30 days 30 post. Post in areas such as the pit and in swapping and selling do not count threads there are deleted when they become inactive to free up the server.

[Wayne Smith]

I started casting with a gas stove and Lyman pot, got a SS 1/2qt cooking pot as well. One has pure lead in it, one has ww+ in it. I started this way because everyone back on Shooters.com said casting big boolits was easier this way. I still do it, years later. Just cast a bunch of .395" round balls in pure, with gas stove and Lyman ladle. Never had a bottom pour, never really wanted one. Ladle is cheap, works for small round balls as well as big boolits. I spent my money on a couple of lube sizers and dies and molds. Still do, too.

[Tyguy95]

Well got my first lead today from a tire shop down the street. 65 lbs lead ww and 12lbs lead stick on we. Should receive my melting pot tommorow. Let the fun begin!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170922/11fbfd3531f96bf9d4daae248ce8463c.jpg

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[Rcmaveric]

Nice find congrats. Tire shops around me wont donate to my cause any more. Something about contracted out now. Did find a scrap yard that would resell to me after calling around. Its not sorted. I am working on relations with then now so i can haggle them down. I buy it mixed, sort it, then sell back the steel and zinc weights. As of long as i get the lead for less than a dollar a pound i am happy.

[Tyguy95]

Got mine for free... heading to the city tomorrow to talk to a couple other places and to maybe check a scrap yard or two out.

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[WFO2]

I started with a Lee 20lb bottom pour and a Lyman mold . It is a lot of fun .

[Tyguy95]

I decided to go a different route than originally planned. I'm gonna start casting for my m1 carbine. Ordered some cast bullets for the mosin to see how the sizing works out. My bore came in at .312 so I got .313 bullets. Ordered a lee 20lb bottom poor and a Lee 2 bullet mold, along with a lee .309 lubrisizer. Usps just can't get here fast enough

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[second chance]

I haven't seen it mentioned, so I'll ask here. I'm going to be using an electric melting pot Lee Pro 20, can I leave the lead in the pot to cool back down when finished, or do I have to empty it? And do the electric pots have to have and maintain a certain level of lead in order to get to, and stay, at the proper temp?

[jonp]

When you look at the swapping and selling section in the header it tells you what is required 30 days 30 post. Post in areas such as the pit and in swapping and selling do not count threads there are deleted when they become inactive to free up the server.

Funny you should post. My wife and I are going down to the Pig Palace this or next week.

[Rcmaveric]

Yes, just leave the lead in there. Only drain it when you change alloys or clean it. I clean my once a year.

[Tyguy95]

Is there a an easy way to keep the spot from plugging in the lee 420? Mine seems to freezer over if not opened ever 10 mins

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[toallmy]

You may need to up the temperature to keep the spout hot ,I hope you didn't but did you melt and clean up your coww in your 4/20 pot ?Tyguy95

[Tyguy95]

Yes, why?

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[Rcmaveric]

hit it with a torch and adjust the stream flow rate until it stops. I have the problem sometimes. I just let it sit for a bit longer after its fully melted. Its like the spout is warming up, my thinking. Us my thermometer and get the temps about right and let it stabilize. Just put a catch pan underneath it so you can fiddle with it (wear leather gloves). I have also opened the nozzle up to much and had it stick open.

[toallmy]

It's ok but it's easier to keep the casting pot your 4/20 " clean " if you melt and flux in a separate operation , then cast with clean material . But I understand I wouldn't be able to wait to cast ether . You can use a paper clip bent out to poke up in the pore spout if it gets debris clogging it , be careful hot lead will come out . A lighter will heat up the cold pore spout . Be careful remember HOT HOT HOT !!!!!!

[Tyguy95]

Well started out the afternoon with 93lbs of lead coww and 12 lbs of lead soww transformed into 73 lbs of coww ingots and 11.5lbs soww ingotshttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170922/3881e163774f451f270dc6ea17a36ffb.jpg

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[toallmy]

Darn fine looking

[Tyguy95]

Well even though yesterday was a little cold and rainy I managed to pop about 300 of these little bad boys out. Had a couple of mess ups off the bat bit managed to get them figured out. Waiting on the mailman to deliver my lubesizer.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170924/93eca1ce36a1fca6d0b016e3087fb821.jpg

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[Rcmaveric]

Pan lube them and load em up. Wait for the mail man at the range. Herd of one guy using a coffee cup warmer to melt the lube and then dipping the bullets.

[Rcmaveric]

Side note, the base of your bullets look a little cratered and not shinny and smooth. Let your sprue cool a bit longer. once you mold gets to operating temp, just lightly touch the mold to a wet sponge to cool it for under a second every other or ever second cast. Those are still good bullets and fine for short range plinking and testing

[Tyguy95]

Any tricks to getting gas checks to fit? Ran them through the sized and they stay on but easily fall off if you pull on them or drop the bullet.

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[Wayne Smith]

You do not appear to have complete fill out of the bases of some of those boolits. Rounded edges on the bases means the gas check area is also not filled out. Hotter mold or a touch more tin in the mix or pressure pour.

[Tyguy95]

Update! After powdercoat the boolits and annealing the gas checks the issues went away

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