Is it worth it to cast bullets?

[DanishM1Garand]

Back when I could buy 500 cast and lubricated bullets for 16.99, (2006) no it wasn't worth my time. Now those same 500 bullets are 45.99. Yep it's worth it. Ohio was shotgun slugs only for long guns when I started casting slugs. Loaded slugs are over a buck a round for cheap stuff. The good ones are even more. I hope my heresy is excused here.

At a buck or more per round practice got expensive fast. I started casting slugs and buckshot. Now that I have scrounged a half ton of lead and the cost of cast bullets in 9mm or .357 are out of whack I'm casting them too.

[Walstr]

One other thing to note: oftentimes those hard cast lead bullets you buy from wherever are cast out of super hard lead. They do that to avoid those bullets being damaged during shipping and handling. The main problem with this is that super hard lead bullets don't obturate well in the bore, thereby sealing it. Without sealing the bore well, they can lead your barrel because of gas cutting around a non-obturated bullet. Bullets you cast yourself can be sized appropriately to your barrel (which you can slug yourself to find out how big YOUR barrel is). This creates a better fit, and that can not only lead to less leading, but to better accuracy.

Long story short - there's a lot more involved than simple economics, when you build your own.

Greetings USAFrox; At the risk of hijacking your thread, I'm compelled to comment on your use of "obturate". IMHO when the lead projectile is .001"-.002" larger dia. than groove dia., it will seal; lead, pure copper, or brass for that matter. I abide by the notion that hard or soft, a lead boolit will seal just fine if the correct dia. Gas cutting is certainly a factor with too narrow a lead boolit design.

Merry Christmas.