swaging vs casting?

[XWrench3]

i already cast boolits for all of my handguns, and the majority of my rifles. it seems to me, that swaging is a lot more expensive than casting. is there a payoff for the extra $? either in speed of production, or in the quality of the boolits. besides the dies, which seem to at least double of a mold, there is all that lead wire to buy. or is that something that you can make at home as well?

[Edward429451]

I can make better bullets than I can buy. I only swage one caliber (.451) though because the dies are so expensive. The dies do the job being consistent and repeatable so the trick is consistent core weights. I have Corbins adjustable 4 cav core mold, and it is a royal pita to use and adjust, yet gives up cheap cores. The lead wire is more expensive and requires tooling to cut it which I never did buy.

Another alternative to lead wire and casting is to use shot for the core and weigh it by hand. This is the method I use and is easier done than said using a Lee dipper. Unless you're swaging a FMJ though, shot will not give you a nose so I cap it with a plastic ball or more often, a single 00 buckshot.

Bullets swaged this way are the cats meow and make me look very good at the range. I may have to stop using shot for cores because of the price for it now.

[buck1]

I too fought these questions. Some of the equipment is high dollar for sure.
Jackets and lead wire also cost quite a bit.
However if you use dies that will work in a standard heavy duty press, cast your cores, and make your own jackets from fired cases its not bad at all.
FOR ME, Cast boolits cover a lot of my shooting , but some of my shooting requires jacketed bullets.
I now with my reasonably priced BTsnipers dies can make .44 cal and soon .475 cal jacketed boolits for not much more than cast.
The price of a few boxes of condums will cover the cost of a a set of CH4d or better yet BTsniper one step dies.

[Jailer]

I jumped on board so I could make my own jacketed bullets for 450 bushmaster since available bullets are so pricey. As a side benefit I size them down and can use them for 45 ACP as well. I have a virtually unlimited supply of .40 brass at my disposal so it was a no brainer for me.

The best thing though is you can make exactly what your gun wants. It all in the die setup, core weight, and brass trim length.

[warf73]

i already cast boolits for all of my handguns, and the majority of my rifles. it seems to me, that swaging is a lot more expensive than casting. If you cast already and have all your molds then yes swaging is expensive. is there a payoff for the extra $? either in speed of production, or in the quality of the boolits. besides the dies, which seem to at least double of a mold, there is all that lead wire to buy. you are a boolit caster you dont need lead wire. or is that something that you can make at home as well?

My reason to swag is because I hate shooting cast boolits in my XD 40. I've still not got exactly what I want in swaging my own 40's but getting really close.
I would love a to swag for my 460wby rifle but I've not got that far. Cast boolits in that gun work good but again I hate cleaning the magna ports after a shooting seasion. So I'm back to shooting jacketed bullets.

The problem with swaging is at what point will you recover your start up cost for caliber X. In the case with my 460wby I only shoot about 100 rounds a year now. BT will have a die set out soon (I think) but with the cost of the die set I can buy ALOT of years of bullets before I break even.

Is swagin bullets worth it YES, but like everything in our hobby you need to weigh all your options before you leap.

[randmplumbingllc]

Polygonal barrels.

I know that you "CAN" shoot lead through them......but I like the fact that I can shoot them in my HK's, Glock, etc.

No worries about voiding any warranty.

[michiganvet]

I started out with .224 in 1R from Corbin then later added a 6R point forming die. I later got some inexpensive sets in .358 and .431 with multiple nose punches. (cast is better in those cals) Then I ran across a mega Corbin in .458, 1R HP. Lead wire is pricy but I found some ajustable core molds for .22 and .45. Jackets are still expensive but the
J4's make better .224's than what I can buy.

[a.squibload]

Yep. Polygon barrel (Kahr) and gas port (Ruger carbine).

And they're fun to show, most people think it's a round that didn't go off
'til they look at it carefully.

[firefly1957]

The real goofy part is sometimes I cast so I can swage????

If I have a bullet mould with the right weight I will use them to make cores and also swaged lead bullets . It is odd when you think about it however if you swage a already lubed bullet the lube rings stay there . So a box of 200 gr 40 cal. bullets I got for free ended up .452 for 45 ACP.

I do think the only advantage you will get with swaging is being able to put a jacket on it.

[XWrench3]

i just came from the corbin site. it looks to me that i am glad i chose casting. i have a lot more time, than money (i am disabled, and on a fixed income). it looks interesting though. and there are a few things that still interest me, like the bullet groover and knurling tool. i would think that those would still work just fine with a cast lead bullet. i think for the amount of jacketed bullets that i shoot, it would just be better for me to buy bullets, rather than try to make my own. i would NEVER recoup the start up costs, even if i didn't shoot any cast bullets. i would simply have to shoot less, because of my budget. i think it is every bit as intersting as casting, and a lot more precise. but for me, in my situation, i made the right choice. thanks to all for the information, i hope you enjoy your hobby, as much as i do mine!

[Francisco]

Hello, I have a question with the swaging, they suffer the weapon?.

A greeting

[BT Sniper]

Hello, I have a question with the swaging, they suffer the weapon?.

A greeting

Francisco,

Welcome to the sight. I need to answer your private messages still. The google translator can make it challenging to understand.

I do not think shooting brass bullets is harmfull to your barrels. Many people are doing it and Montana Gold Bullets commercialy offers bullets with a brass jacket.

I believe the bullets we can swage from brass can be even better then the commercial bullets offered.

BT

[Francisco]

It pleases me to know that I can use the pods to construct bullets of .40, he will train very much with them IPSC

A greeting and graces for the compression

[DukeInFlorida]

If I may:

" It pleases me to know that I can use the TOOLS to make bullets in .40 S&W. I'll use them to do a lot of competition training.

Thank you for your explanation"

It pleases me to know that I can use the pods to construct bullets of .40, he will train very much with them IPSC

A greeting and graces for the compression