Overwhelmed New Member...

[Tuttle8]

Yep, that's right. I'm the new guy in town. I have read through so many threads/posts that my head hurts. The search function isn't working on my end, so please be easy on me.

I'm looking at getting into casting and have a slew of questions on my mind. I'm going to do my best to research the answers first and do some reading. I have not purchased any books on casting yet, but will in the near future.

In the meantime, I thought I'd take the advice of a sticky that I read and just jump in and ask questions.

1. Bullet vs. Boolit: I read the percieved difference between the two. Is this a slang term to differentiate which projectiles one is talking about? Or is this an official term?

2. Understanding there's no absolute answer due to zinc and iron used, can you estimate how many projectiles you can yield per pound of WW? I'm about to close a deal on some WW from a tire shop but I was trying to guess how much is there. It's overloaded in a container that would probably equate to 3 gallons.

[oneokie]

Can't help on boolit yield to lb of ww. But with ingoted lead, divide 7,000 by the wt of the boolit. This will give you the number of boolits per lb of lead. One pound is 7,000 grains.

[45nut]

Welcome,,
Regarding Q 1, see my signature.
If is an official term here.

Q 2, a pound of lead is 7000 grains,, the number of boolits obtained per lb is determined by what you cast,, IE 200gr or 500gr ,,see?

Keep looking around the stickies , there are a ton of them and well worth the read.

[357maximum]

Welcome to the asylum Tuttle. :drinks:








KEN DUDE[smilie=1:.... BTW there is 7000 grains in a pound of powder, sand, tin, steel, clay , feathers, etc etc also, not just lead.[smilie=1::twisted:

[Rocky Raab]

I detest the affected term for bullet, but will welcome you here.

Don't be overwhelmed. The casting of bullets is as simple as pouring a liquid down a hole. One can delve as deeply as one likes into alloys, metallic properties, crystal structure and all kinds of esoterica - but it still comes down to filling a small hole with liquid lead. You can mold usable bullets the first day you try it. Then you can crazy for the rest of your life trying to figure out how to do it again!

[Heavy lead]

Welcome aboard, as with anything else in life, remember
K.I.S.S. in other words it ain't rocket science, just have fun man! You can read all you want, and that's good, but you just need to pour some.

[WildmanJack]

Tuttle8,
Welcome to the madness. It will cause you to request drugs from your doctor, lead from the local tire shop, and patience from your signifficant other. But it's the best dam thing you could get yourself into. Hang in thee and keep em in the x ring...
Jack

[sargenv]

I'm a relative newb when it comes to the many people here who've been there done that. As for wheel weights.. I just picked up 150 pounds of mixed wheel weights from another member here, very few were zinc.. Out of 150 pounds of Wheel weights, I likely got in the range of 130-135 pounds of actual lead. So that would mean I got about a 86 - 90% yield. YMMV.

[ddeaton]

Leave now and dont look back or it will be too late. :twisted:
Ask me how I know.

[runfiverun]

i usually figure about 80% from ww's in a bucket.
a five gallon bucket is about 160 lbs.
how you figure it out is start at the beginning.
learn how to smelt properly.
then alloy, then cast, then size.
after you figure out each step you can figure out the delicacies of each.

[Boerrancher]

Welcome aboard first of all, and don't sweat it. I started casting boolits when I was 7 years old to feed my little Marlin 94c 357 mag. That was also the time that I started loading for it as well cause Dad was tired of providing me fodder for my shooting habit. That was 32 years ago, and with a few breaks in casting for overseas adventures with the Army, I have always fed many of my firearms with cast. So, with that being said, if a 7 year old kid can get the hang of it, then you will have no issues with it. Just a fair warning it is addictive.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[Slow Elk 45/70]

:cbpour:Welcome Tuttle8, You are about to enter into the realm of the Cast Bullet/Cast Boolit as you prefer...once you buy that bucket of WW, it will be hard to turn back..so just enjoy the experience and have fun.

:redneck: :cbpour: :Fire: :Fire:

[waksupi]

Cast projectiles are not bullets. That term is properly applied to jacketed projectiles. We cast boolits.

[Tuttle8]

Amazing. In just a couple of hours and I already have 12 responses. Thanks, fellas.
I'm sorry I didn't post clearly. I knew the conversion of grains/lb, just didn't compute in my head while typing. I should have asked what a typical 5 gallon bucket of WW weigh and kinda do the math from there. Of course, it's hard to answer since the volume of weights thrown in a bucket. I was trying to get a quick wag based on, say, making 200gr. boolits.

I'm an experienced reloader. But casting is a whole 'nuther ball of wax, it appears.

I see it as the game of chess. It's easy to learn the game, hard to master.

[Recluse]

That's probably as good of an analogy as any.

Like Heavy said up above, most important thing is to Have Fun. To do that, make sure you stay Safe. This stuff CAN hurt you and all it takes is one careless second. Don't give Senor Murphy that one second.

So far as your wheelweights, make sure you smelt them properly. Good boolits begin with a good smelting session. Flux well, flux often--it will save you hassles later at the furnace.

Welcome.

:coffee:

[Dean D.]

Welcome to the madness Tuttle8!

There is a wealth of information for the new caster here, take advantage of it. It really is easy to cast if you get set up properly and get a bit of OJT under your belt. And....it IS addictive!

[NSP64]

Welcome Tuttle8, It is too late, you have been affected. Hay I live in the metro(far east) STL area and I remember a few members being from upstate area. Search under the members list at the top of the page and you might PM some people. they may live close to you.

[ddeaton]

Tuttle8, +1 on what NSP64 said. I met 2 fellows on here within a few miles of my house and we are members of the same gun club. Great resources for sharing info and supplies. Same here, I reloaded and shot for years, just got into this crazy stuff this winter and now am shooting my own boolits. :castmine: :drinks::Fire:

[rockrat]

Welcome to the Zoo!!!

From others experience, I understand that you can get 100-110lbs of WW out of a 5 gal bucket, so your 3 gal. should yield 60-65lbs. At 6992gr/lb= 419620grains and 200gr/boolit will give you around 2100 booits. Roughly, of course.

Great place. I have learned alot, even though I thought I knew alot. Oh, last warning--RUN---:). I don't know how many moulds I have bought since coming here. The group buys can be addicitive as there are some really good designs that come out of the fertile minds here.

[PatMarlin]

Relax and welcome to cast boolit heaven Tuttle8! ..:drinks:

[Beerd]

Tuttle8,

+1 What them other guys said, :drinks: :castmine:
..

[Tuttle8]

NSP64,

That's a great idea. I'll give it a shot. Someone to look over my shoulder would definitely be a plus. I learn more quickly hands on with a mentor than trying to read a book and do it myself...

rockrat,

Your estimation is exactly what I was trying to figure out. I picked up the WW today at the two shops I negoiated. Come to find out, I filled up about 2 1/2 buckets full equating to about 12 1/2 gallons in volume! I'm pretty stoked about my first score. Can't wait to smelt...

[Leadforbrains]

Welcome to the asylum for the lead addicted. Don't let these fine folks fool you. They are all enablers here, and you are now doomed to a life of melting lead.
I was a normal man once, but I started lurking around the shadier side of the intraweb and then I ended up here. Now everyone calls me LeadforBrains.
All kidding aside this is one of the best forums anywhere. I have learned alot here and I am still learning from all the great minds that inhabit this site.
Welcome aboard! :drinks::castmine:

[Frank46]

Welcome aboard, and in case you happen on them, don't really believe all them stories about cats and sheep. Frank

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Tuttle8, Good to see you are having a good time getting started, sounds like your luck is good also..
Good Luck, let us know what goes on with your casting.

[Tuttle8]

I just ordered the Bayou Classic burner and bought the 12" dutch oven from Harbor Freight.

I hit the Goodwills and Salvation Army stores with no avail on ladles to use for smelting. Couldn't find one lousy muffin tin, either. I think I'm going to just buy some. They can't be that expensive. Just gotta find a place to buy...

[Bob Krack]

Just like makin' ice cubes only different.

Steel soup ladles work pretty OK. Muffin tins at K-Mart, Wal-Mart, most any grocery store. Mini-loaf bread pans work pretty OK too.

Where's quad cities?

Bob

[mooman76]

Try some $ stores. They usually have cheap ladles. Might find something to cast ingots too.

[runfiverun]

stainless steel with long handles will suffice a strainer for getting the clips out are handy too.
wait till you are perusing the cosmetic aisle and the drugstore for lube stuff.

[Gun-adian]

Welcome aboard.

When you end up buying moulds for calibers you don't even shoot, you'll know all is lost.

Mike.

[armyrat1970]

Welcome Tuttle8. I'm still a *** here myself. These guys know their stuff and love to talk shop. Check Ebay and try to find the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. Great with beau-coop info. Also the Lee Modern Reloading Second Edition.
Went to Wally World this past Sunday and picked up a burner. Already had the tank from an old gas grill and an old cast iron dutch oven. While there I picked up a stainless Ladle for 5.50. A strainer for 2.97 and a muffin pan that can yield 12 ingots for 2.97.
Be careful when smelting and molding. Always wear safety glasses and a good pair of leather gloves. No water or even bulit up humidity on anything you might stick into your smelting pot or furnace! You WILL get a visit from the Tinsel Fairy! It is especially easy for the ladle and strainer or whatever you may stir with to gather humidity when smelting and molding outside at night. You may not even notice it but it only takes a little to cause an eruption.
I think there may be a clinc around for this addiction somewhere. Just haven't had the time to search for it.:drinks: