Casting Pot Recommendations

[Thundarstick]

I dabbled in casting years ago, clip on wheel weights, Lee tumbled lube for 32 H&R, pot on a Coleman stove with a Lee spoon. I actually turned out serviceable boolits! Family responsibilities called me in a different direction and I lost interest. I started back several years ago using commerical cast in my 327 mags and have a serviceable cast load for the 375 H&H.
I'm ready to step back in to pouring my own again in order to get the boolits I really want to be shooting. I plan to ladel poor so I don't want a bottom poor pot.

Can I get your recommendations for a pot that holds its temp well, and how deep should a pot be to ladle, 10lb,20lb. Should I just get a hot plate, a yard sale Dutch oven, and a thermometer?

[Czech_too]

If I was to go with a dedicated ladle casting pot, it would be the Waage.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?275471-Waage-K4757-Upgrading-My-Melter&highlight=Waage
No PID needed, no thermometer, & plenty of capacity.

[Thundarstick]

Ok, I looked into the Waage and can't turn it up on their web site at all, and post I see on forums are at least a few years old. The less expensive pots I see are in the $500 Range. Is this a limited item, or something they have discontinued, or do you just have to call them?

[Czech_too]

My understanding is that it's not a catalogued item and you have to call or e-mail.
http://www.waage.com/

[evoevil]

I like my RCBS Pro melt, had it for 20 years

[AbitNutz]

I started with a Lee pot. You can always move to a bigger, more expensive pot if you feel you've out grown the Lee. I think almost everyone starts with a Lee and I'm not one to bad mouth it. I now have an RCBS Pro-Melt, a Lyman Mag 25 and a Magma Master Caster. I use them all, depending on what I'm casting.

The Lee is really easy to change lead alloy in...the others, not so much. So the Lee gets the nod for one off casting tests.

[RedHawk357Mag]

Just bought a Waage last week. 245.00 dollars plus 30.00 for shipping. It is K4757 not specifically listed on the site. It seems to be a company side hustle. Have both the Lee bottom pour and Rcbs bottom pour. If you are going that route, spring for the Rcbs. Yes the Lee can make great bullets but this is supposed to be a fun hobby. The Lee doesn't promote the fun concept. Trying to see the spigot and mold opening is such an awkward endeavor. If you are ladeling and don't feel like the Waage is your type of pony, lodge makes a one quart dutch oven that I find to be the bees knees. One quart holds about 36 lbs of alloy. Has a cover, pretty easy to ladel from, and light enough to prop up to get that last bit of alloy on the bottom.

[jmort]

Got one a couple yeas ago. Very happy. I hate the move by Lyman and RCBS to China Pots, Waage is worth every penny. You communicate with the man, as he really seems to care about us.

[Bent Ramrod]

I started with a Lee 10-lb pot with the heating dial. After a quarter-century of use and abuse, the heating element finally conked out. I bought a Lee Magnum Melter to replace it, and it is a tremendous value for the money. It will very likely outlast me.

My only (minor) objections to it is that it is narrow and deep, as opposed to wide and shallow, like the big SAECO pots used to be. Less surface to push the dross aside while casting, and a splash from something falling into the pot travels further, perhaps with a better chance of landing on me. Also the rim isn’t quite wide enough to securely rest the extra mould on, if I’m doing the two-moulds-at-a-time thing. But a shelf can be arranged and extra care can be taken.

I think the extra money is better spent on custom moulds and alloy than the lead melter itself.

[gwpercle]

I ladle cast and wish I had gotten the Lee Magnum Melter years ago. The new Lyman ladles have longer shafts and wooden handles , perfect for the LMM .
You on a budget....$60.00 will fix you up . 110 volt , melts a pot full in no time.
This is one of Lee's better products . I start mine with the dial on 7.5 and halfway through a pot I have to lower the setting to 7.25 . Big capacity pot helps a lot in production.
Gary

[El Bibliotecario]

The only electic melting pot I have ever used is a Saeco with a dipper. It holds more lead than I usually have ambition to cast. It has a variable rheostat control to adjust temperature. It is now in its fifth decade of use and has yet to malfunction.

[FredBuddy]

can't go wrong with the Lee Magnum Melter.

got mine when I started into this adventure;
been ladling ever since.

just set up this week for another run of casting
since I don't have a dedicated space (another handy
reason for one).

P.S
get good thermometer and hotplate ---
makes all the difference.