New guy with a few questions

[chrisr]

Hello fellow members. I'm looking at getting into casting my own 00 buck. I've never cast anything in my life but I've loaded both metalic and shot shells for years. I've pretty much decided on the sharp shooter 00 mould unsure what else I need. I know I'll need a furnace and ladle but unsure what else I'll need. I appreciate any suggestions.

[I'll Make Mine]

Melting pot (with included or separate heat source, some prefer one way, some the other, and sometimes it's cheaper one way or the other), mold, ladle (if not using a bottom pour pot -- and if you use bottom pour, make sure it has room to get the mold under the spout!), personal protective equipment (recommended minimum is a pair of welding gloves and eye protection; full face shield is better, and adding a leather welder's apron and laceless boots high enough to run up inside your jeans will improve your protection in case of a splash of molten alloy or a steam explosion event), sprue cutter (side cutting wire cutters with enough clearance not to mar the shot -- needed to separate the shot in each column as well as to remove the actual sprue), something softish and temperature tolerant to drop the shot onto when you open the mold (an old cotton towel, dedicated to lead casting use, works well), and some way to store the shot after cutting the sprues and separating the shot, until you load it into shells.

[LUBEDUDE]

Howdy Chris, welcome to the forum. I M M, is spot on. I might add, you need a sprue whacker to open the cut the sprue and open the mold. Just a round piece of wood like a handle for a hammer works well, or you can buy them from Lyman or off of ebay.
If you are not happy with your system of bringing the mold up to temp by laying your mold on the pot or dipping method, some guys buy a hot plate to lay the mold on.

Good Luck and Have Fun

[I'll Make Mine]

Sharpshooter molds have no sprue plate, so no need for a heavy dowel or soft mallet to knock the sprue plate open.

A separate mold heater is a nice refinement, but so far I've had good results heating my molds in or over my melting pot (haven't used a long mold like the Sharpshooter buckshot molds, though).

[LUBEDUDE]

The green wire cutters in the picture are a little from the norm in that the blades angle AWay from the cut,allowing you to get closer to the work. These work well for me. I believe that they were only about $5 at Wal-Mart. They are in the crafts section/jewelry making section over by fabrics. While not beefy looking as normal wire cutters, they do hold up to the task at hand.

[LUBEDUDE]

Sharpshooter molds have no sprue plate, so no need for a heavy dowel or soft mallet to knock the sprue plate open.

.

Correct!

My mind was in "general terms" mode. Sorry

[LUBEDUDE]

A separate mold heater is a nice refinement, but so far I've had good results heating my molds in or over my melting pot (haven't used a long mold like the Sharpshooter buckshot molds, though).

I don't use one either, however it does sound like a good idea. The guys that use them seem to really like them.

[chrisr]

Would it better or easier to use a bottom pour pot?

[6pt-sika]

Would it better or easier to use a bottom pour pot?

I tried the ladle thing for awhile when I first started casting and I got past it quickly . Some folks love using a ladle but I'm not one of them !

Seems to me my finish product looked just as good if not better using a bottom pour pot . To say nothing of the ease of use .

[turmech]

I would suggest the Lyman shot shell manual. You will of course need hull, wads, powder and primers. the manual will give you load data to follow to know what components to buy. the manual can help you from buying components that won't fill the hull correctly and provide proper crimp.

[I'll Make Mine]

Would it better or easier to use a bottom pour pot?

Most folks who've done it both ways say the bottom pour is easier, but affordable bottom pour pots have a reputation for dripping, as well as being too low to get the Sharpshooter mold under the spout (you have to get it all the way under, too, to pour each cavity individually, or you'll have more lead in the long, heavy sprue than in the buckshot). The Rowell ladle (even the smallest one) is plenty to pour one side of that mold and can be used with a bottom-budget melting pot or even a setup like mine (old iron kitchen pot on a camp stove).

[shotman4]

when you get it change the handles .
use 1in mop handle cut in half about 8in long
the bottom pour works better as you can sit mold on bottom plate and get the extra force to fill mold .

[Fla9-40]

when you get it change the handles .
use 1in mop handle cut in half about 8in long
the bottom pour works better as you can sit mold on bottom plate and get the extra force to fill mold .

+1 on this suggestion for sure! I had to change the handles myself. I love my Sharp Shooter 00/#4 combo mold, although the first pouring I was ready to send it back. But the next setting, I got the mold/lead at the correct temp and I went to town! I pre-heat my mold on a gas stove(low heat) while my pot is heating up to 875° and all is good now!