anyone here make money casting boolits??

[1911fan]

I have started getting addicted to casting, which I started because all the stores around here stopped selling reloading supplies. If it was hard for me to find cast bullets, must be hard for others as well. Anyone sell their cast boolits????

[Blammer]

Here it would be like trying to sell ice to eskimo's.

[Jack Stanley]

In my area it is difficult enough to get the tightwads to even shoot a box of ammo let alone buy equipment and supplies .

Now if I was to pay them to come out and shoot my ammo , and it didn't conflict with them watching whatever ballsport was on the tube . They might be pried away from their busy lifestyle . The only "money" I seem to be making is my niece and nephew come out to visit and use the range . Naturally , I supply them with whatever cast loads I have to further their shooting "education" . And that ..... is absolutely priceless

Jack

[Humbo]

I sell some bullets now and then, mostly just to cover the investments in new molds.

[Oldtimer]

Too much of a liability to suit me. Never know what some people might do. Bob

[LIMPINGJ]

Does the money saved by not indulging in expensive booze, younger women, motorscooters, boats, and other such toys count?

[Artful]

I used to do that when I lived in Oregon - sold thru the local Rod & Gun Club - works best for pistol bullets with gang molds I found. Becareful to cover all your time

[Artful]

Too much of a liability to suit me. Never know what some people might do. Bob


I used to include a disclaimer sticker on the container - so I wouldn't be responsable for stupid [edit] people.

[462]

Besides the obvious libability issues, there is always the ATF and their bullet-making-for-profit regulations to consider. This has been discussed before, and a license is required. All the information is available from the ATF's web-site.

[44fanatic]

If ya do, just make sure all your ducks are in order. Got one heck of an education over the past two days...all from members on here. Good eye opener.

[felix]

Keep it on a hobby scale with no money transferring between involved hands. Molds for boolits seems appropriate. ... felix

[AviatorTroy]

Ya, no doubt its ILLEGAL unless you have a liscence to manufacture and distribute munitions commercially.

I brew beer too, and I think my beer is pretty damn good and people would like it, but I can't sell it either or the very same folks, yep the ATF, will come knocking.

[1911fan]

I am not talking about finished cartridges, just the cast lead bullets like I buy at gun shows.

[obssd1958]

I am not talking about finished cartridges, just the cast lead bullets like I buy at gun shows.

Read through this thread - the same issue was just hashed out...

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=77739

Take care!

Don

[44fanatic]

Read through this thread - the same issue was just hashed out...

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=77739

Take care!

Don

Didnt know if it was appropriate to bring up that thread...:)

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I worked with a man at the phone company who sold cast bullets for profit but he got his lead free, since he used scrap lead cable sheating and he used large and expensive casting machines. He furnished all the gun shops in the area with cast bullets. When he retired from the phone co. he sold his casting business. I wonder why.

[Shiloh]

I suppose I do in a round-about way... Casting allows the money for powder, primers, jacketed bullets as needed.

Shiloh

[deltaenterprizes]

Ammunition and components are the same under federal law. I had a Type 06 FFL for 12 years to manufacture and sell cast bullets and load the practice ammo for my local Sheriff's Department.

[dnepr]

Does the money saved by not indulging in expensive booze, younger women, motorscooters, boats, and other such toys count?

not always , a couple years ago I was working with a younger woman who did like shooting her 30-06 but she had a shoulder injury and she would be to sore after 5-10 factory rounds , me being the type to go through a 100 rounds in an outing thought that her situation sucked, so I loaded up some lighter stuff for her.

One thing lead to another and well now I am dating a younger woman ( 32 to my 40 ) , still riding motorcycles ( she has her own HarleySoftail) and he has got me back into fishing so a boat is probably in the future , at least neither of us drinks much lol , and she likes this whole shooting lots thing so I have more ammo to load , :bigsmyl2:

Plus a bunch of the old timers I know have picked up on this and now refer to a box of my handloads as " a redneck dozen roses" :redneck:

[Recluse]

One thing lead to another and well now I am dating a younger woman ( 32 to my 40 ) , still riding motorcycles ( she has her own HarleySoftail) and he has got me back into fishing so a boat is probably in the future , at least neither of us drinks much lol , and she likes this whole shooting lots thing so I have more ammo to load , :bigsmyl2:

Plus a bunch of the old timers I know have picked up on this and now refer to a box of my handloads as " a redneck dozen roses" :redneck:

Now THAT is a true Love Story that any one of us could not only relate to, but be envious of you for.

:coffee:

[Adam10mm]

Yup. Been a commercial bullet caster and ammunition manufacturer for 3 years now.

The money is in the volume. In reality to be competitive you are going to make maybe 1-3 cents per bullet gross profit.

You certainly won't be rich and you won't even make much of a living at it.

The thought of the economy of making your own bullets triggers one to think they can make a lot of money selling them. I was a victim of that thought process too.

Let's take the hand caster with a Star sizer and Lar's lube into the picture. Foundry lead by the pallet is maybe $1.50/lb for 6/2 alloy. Let's cast some nominal 200gr SWC for the .45 ACP, H&G 68 type. 1,000 bullets is 28.57 or 29lbs for easy numbers. That will run a cost of $43.50/K. Figure 2 sticks of lube will run about $2, so our cost is up to $45.50/K. A guy with two Lee 6 bangers can do about 1,000 bullets an hour casting from 2 20lb Lee pots. Then sizing is about another hour. So 2 hours to cast and size 1,000 bullets. Bullet boxes will run you about 60 cents each to box up 500 bullets per box. Cost is now $46.70. Then running a label so your name and bullet type are on there along with your logo, probably 2 cents each to amortize ink usage.

OK, cost now is $46.72 for 1,000 bullets. Now you have to factor your labor. You check Missouri Bullet as they are one of the leading bullet makers on the Net. You decide to match their price, since the convenience of having them for sale locally with no shipping but sales tax might make them a bit more expensive in the long run, but the customers have their hands on it today.

Cost per 500 is $23.36 and you list your retail for bullets at $34/500 or $68/K. Your gross profit is $10.64/500 or $21.28/K. Yup. You're making about $10 per hour at retail consumer direct or a whopping 2.128 cents per bullet gross profit. You need to make room for resellers, so you take 15% off your retail price for dealers. Now your price is $28.90/500 or $57.80/K, with gross profit being $5.54/500 and $11.08/K, respectively. Nice. You're making a gnat's hair more than minimum wage as a self employed bullet making machine!

Now for the same price plus a bit of shipping they can get the same thing you make but from Missouri Bullet Company who cares if you're local?

If you are going to make any money you need to make serious volume and get your costs under control. To do volume required to stay profitable you can't cast by hand. That means spending $10,000+ on a commercial machine and a cool $8,000 more on a commercial sizer.

Even hand casting with a commercial sizer and collator will size faster than you can cast. If the machinery is idle, it's costing you money, not making you money.

[wallenba]

You might need a FFL to sell them. It might be 'legal' to sell the alloy at an inflated agreed upon price, and as a favor for someone, cast them into boolits.

[1911fan]

ok, freakshow talked me out of that one in a hurry!!

[Springfield]

Now add into that you decide to cast Big Lube Blackpowder bullets, so you need to put them in styrofoam trays, about a quarter each, so another 1.00/1000. The lube stick is only good for about 200 bullets, so 5 sticks/1000 bullets. Add in buying a vacuum sealer and the plastic bags, and also the styrofoam peanuts so the USPS doesn't bust apart your trays and you have BP bullets all over. That is one of the reasons I am trying to get out of the bullet business and expand the leather half of my business. Plus it is lots easier to buy leather than good bullet lead. Casting your own pays, casting for others generally doesn't.

[ANeat]

ok, freakshow talked me out of that one in a hurry!!

[smilie=l:

Yes I think the key to "making money" or at least more money is one of the casting machines and lubing machines. Or several.

I do know one guy who makes a pretty decent "supplemental" income selling bullets that are hand cast.

He does mix his own alloy and gets a lot of it back from an indoor range.

[Adam10mm]

I mix my own alloy too. Consistency is hard plus the additional labor involved. I only cast from March to October, so I take 3 months off per year. The only thing that keeps me going is I serve the oddball/overpriced market so the money is there and I can beat the competition on price. Guys that price a lot cheaper than competition sink themselves in a few short months and close up shop. I'm nothing in this market but I've seen many bullet casters come and go since I've been in business. Pricing is an art as much a science. In manufacturing, the "lazy scheme" is double your cost and take 15-20% off for wholesale orders. Then let it ride.