WidenersTitan ReloadingRepackboxInline Fabrication
Reloading EverythingLee PrecisionRotoMetals2Load Data
MidSouth Shooters Supply
Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 21 to 40 of 50

Thread: Master Caster.....should I?

  1. #21
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    249
    I shoot my own bullets made from a master caster.

    I find they are way more consistent than the hand molds i was using. It is slower than using a 4 or 6 cavity mold but it's also easier and I get less rejects. I watch TV while I cast and can sit there all day when I get time. It's very boring.

    I plan to automate it, I have most of the parts but no time to install.

    Also get a star lube sizer without the lube bit. They save a tonne of time hooked up to a Mr bullet feeder compared to a single stage press.

    I wouldn't have bought more than 2000 projectiles in the last 2 years so my casting equipment has likely paid for itself by now. I shoot approx 20,000 a year.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    2,659
    Like burnt fingers and a couple others here, I shoot one caliber in volume in an Action Pistol sport where Bullseye type accuracy isn't needed. Like them, I can produce 800 to 1000 good casts an hour using an eight cavity gang mold and the right technique and alloy in my bottom pour with feeder pot and have virtually zero rejects.

    If the Master Caster is hand operated, I wouldn't be saving time or making better boolits. If it were an automated unit, I might not be comfortable walking away from it, but at least I could make productive use of the time doing a another reloading related task nearby.

    I'm retired, with substantially less income than I used to have, so my decision to manually cast, based on time and expense, might be very different from somebody else's. But those are the considerations that I would use personally. YMMV
    Last edited by kevin c; 02-25-2019 at 08:48 PM.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master
    Ausglock's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NSW North Coast, Australia
    Posts
    3,159
    I shoot IPSC and use a Balliti-cast Mark X with 4 molds.
    These will make 2500 per hour, manual operation. Far easier to run than a Mastercaster, and quicker.
    I normally can sit and work it for 3 hours before needing to have a break. The Ballisti Mark IV autocaster is running in the background pumping out the common sizes.
    I size on a Magma Sizemaster with no lube components as I HITEK coat everything I make.
    The NVB version of the Mark X looks similar, but I feel their pour lever system is slower. I have fitted a solenoid to the pour lever on the Mark X with a press button to pour. Really speeds up the operation.
    Hooroo.
    Regards, Trevor.
    Australia

  4. #24
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    38
    Out of my last casting session, I did 1500 rounds. Not many made it. They looked good enough while dropping, but they were about 20 grains light and oblong. After finding 5 good out of the first 250......I stopped looking. I found myold handle was not closing the mold all the way. I modified lee handles to fit a Lyman 4 hole. Took me awhile to find that one. I am also hating my lee drip o matic 10 lbs pot. So I need a pot, better temp control.......so I am thinking the master caster might kill 1 and 1/2 birds with one stone.

  5. #25
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    38
    Quote Originally Posted by Ausglock View Post
    I shoot IPSC and use a Balliti-cast Mark X with 4 molds.
    These will make 2500 per hour, manual operation. Far easier to run than a Mastercaster, and quicker.
    I normally can sit and work it for 3 hours before needing to have a break. The Ballisti Mark IV autocaster is running in the background pumping out the common sizes.
    I size on a Magma Sizemaster with no lube components as I HITEK coat everything I make.
    The NVB version of the Mark X looks similar, but I feel their pour lever system is slower. I have fitted a solenoid to the pour lever on the Mark X with a press button to pour. Really speeds up the operation.
    That machine really looks good from the video I watched. That might just be worth it. I would love to cast that many, now I think some more research is in order. I never ran across that machine before in my searching. Thank you!

  6. #26
    Boolit Master dbosman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    East Lansing, MI, USA
    Posts
    1,995
    Here's an idea. I enjoy casting but do lament the fact that a Master Caster can probably be more accurate than I am.

    I wish I knew a local with a Master Caster. I'd volunteer to run bullets for you for several hours in exchange for running some quantity of my alloy through your machine for, say, an hour.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    2,659
    Quote Originally Posted by tbobbo View Post
    That machine really looks good from the video I watched. That might just be worth it. I would love to cast that many, now I think some more research is in order. I never ran across that machine before in my searching. Thank you!
    Is the BallistiCast company or its successors still around making and selling casters?

  8. #28
    Boolit Master
    Ausglock's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NSW North Coast, Australia
    Posts
    3,159
    Quote Originally Posted by kevin c View Post
    Is the BallistiCast company or its successors still around making and selling casters?
    NVB (Northern Valley Ballistics) supply parts for the Ballist-cast equipment. Their molds are excellent too.
    Hooroo.
    Regards, Trevor.
    Australia

  9. #29
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Norway
    Posts
    493
    I also have a NVM Mark-X. When it works it's very fast as long as you are able to work the handle by hand.

    In my opinion the mechanical sollutions are great on this machine, but the electronics are cr@$p! They are made out of cheap components and they are all showed into a small control box with no ventilation or fan. I suspect this is the reason that I had to shange 2 PIDs and one SSR in the machines first year. I've now moved the SSR out into a separate control box with venting, and a heatsink installed, so I hope this helps, but this is in my mind something that should have been done from the factory.

    There's no big cost to replace the components with the same Chinese electrinics that's already in there, if need to bee.

    In my first 2 years of service I had to change out

    2 PIDS
    1 SSR
    2 heating elements. Both of them cracked and I replaced it with one open style element sticking into the pot, wich after a while burnt the wires through, but after replacing them it now works again.

    With all this said NVM have always been helpful on mail and every time contributed to solve the problems.


    I use mine for big boolits from 350-405 gr. For everything else I run the Bullet Master and it runs like a clock. Beeing used to both of these I can't stand the idea of the one double cavity mould of the Master Caster, but it's my opinion that the Magma products are very well made and they just work with no hassles, like they are supposed to do! They are great to do business with and they have an outstanding customer support!

    My 5 cent, beeing a comercial caster for 5 years.

    Sent fra min SM-G930F via Tapatalk
    Last edited by hunter74; 02-26-2019 at 08:21 AM.

  10. #30
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    114
    Im selling my Mark 8 master caster to a gentleman today and hate to see it go but It makes enough bullets in an afternoon to last me a year and its just sitting in my garage the majority of the time. That, along with the lubemaster has about 21k of casting machinery sitting in my garage most of the year unused. It's not the most efficient use of my funds.

    So Im either going to go the master caster or Master pot route and see how that can sustain me. At about 1500 rounds per month I think I should be ok with the Master Caster. I have plenty of 6 cavity molds but they can get tiresome after a few hours of casting.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

  11. #31
    Boolit Master
    Ausglock's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NSW North Coast, Australia
    Posts
    3,159
    Quote Originally Posted by hunter74 View Post
    I also have a NVM Mark-X. When it works it's very fast as long as you are able to work the handle by hand.

    In my opinion the mechanical sollutions are great on this machine, but the electronics are cr@$p! They are made out of cheap components and they are all showed into a small control box with no ventilation or fan. I suspect this is the reason that I had to shange 2 PIDs and one SSR in the machines first year. I've now moved the SSR out into a separate control box with venting, and a heatsink installed, so I hope this helps, but this is in my mind something that should have been done from the factory.

    There's no big cost to replace the components with the same Chinese electrinics that's already in there, if need to bee.

    In my first 2 years of service I had to change out

    2 PIDS
    1 SSR
    2 heating elements. Both of them cracked and I replaced it with one open style element sticking into the pot, wich after a while burnt the wires through, but after replacing them it now works again.

    With all this said NVM have always been helpful on mail and every time contributed to solve the problems.


    I use mine for big boolits from 350-405 gr. For everything else I run the Bullet Master and it runs like a clock. Beeing used to both of these I can't stand the idea of the one double cavity mould of the Master Caster, but it's my opinion that the Magma products are very well made and they just work with no hassles, like they are supposed to do! They are great to do business with and they have an outstanding customer support!

    My 5 cent, beeing a comercial caster for 5 years.

    Sent fra min SM-G930F via Tapatalk
    Really??? I have 2 Mark X machines and Zero problems with them for the last 4 years. Everything has been working 100%.
    Only thing to be replaced were the springs on the mold carrier arms. They lost some tension.
    Hooroo.
    Regards, Trevor.
    Australia

  12. #32
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    38
    Its good to hear they are still in production, some of the searching I've been doing has turned up quite a bit of negatives. That was the old company though. I do like the thought of the master caster just working with no problems though.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    NC
    Posts
    2,862
    I’m not surprised that nobody has suggested the obvious solution, this is a group of bullet casters after all.

    You get loads of free lead, so sell it and buy the bullets you want. You can probably buy close to 15k 9mm coated bullets with your current 1500lb pile.

  14. #34
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    5,268
    I didn’t get into casting until I started to shoot competitively, for the same reasons you have. I didn’t want to spend the money or the time running it either so I built my machines.

    Once you get going you can make a bunch without a lot of effort. For lead I just pick up bullets at the berm, after the match everyone is picking up brass but no one gets the bullets. Best time to get them is after a rain. Once I melt them down I cast a bullet from a mold I use as a standard, often they are a little heavy so I just mix in lynotype until they drop the right weight.


  15. #35
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    SW WI
    Posts
    67
    I obtained a well used manual Master Caster years ago. The previous owner had a small bullet company and owned several plus the 8 mould automated machine. He ran nothing but wheel weight lead. He made ingots to clean the lead and ran the MC hot! All of his had tape on the thermostat switch so they did not inadvertently get turned down. The thing is very useful. You can make 500 bullets an hour, most importantly, without a lot of fatigue. You will quickly develop a rhythm. I have old style aluminum ice cube trays I use as bullet catch basins. I line them with old terry cloth towel pads. I hang a 3 lb metal coffee can I put a bail on to catch the sprues. I'm glad I own mine.
    Duke

  16. #36
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    OKC, OK
    Posts
    371
    Two bullets every 10-12 seconds all day long.Reload on a 650 and keep an eye on the caster. 1 gr variation over 12 hours. Automated with the Hatch system.See VS section and ask the if you have questions. Had one, sold it to get a Ballisticast. Nevervshowed up. Bought a second master caster and did notblook back.
    Last edited by shootinfox2; 02-28-2019 at 10:41 PM.

  17. #37
    Boolit Grand Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Northern Michigan
    Posts
    8,898
    Quote Originally Posted by jmorris View Post
    I didn’t get into casting until I started to shoot competitively, for the same reasons you have. I didn’t want to spend the money or the time running it either so I built my machines.

    Once you get going you can make a bunch without a lot of effort. For lead I just pick up bullets at the berm, after the match everyone is picking up brass but no one gets the bullets. Best time to get them is after a rain. Once I melt them down I cast a bullet from a mold I use as a standard, often they are a little heavy so I just mix in lynotype until they drop the right weight.

    Amazing.

    Are you using a gearmotor on the Master Caster?
    Don Verna


  18. #38
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    364
    WoW that is sweet!

  19. #39
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    38
    Quote Originally Posted by JimB.. View Post
    I’m not surprised that nobody has suggested the obvious solution, this is a group of bullet casters after all.

    You get loads of free lead, so sell it and buy the bullets you want. You can probably buy close to 15k 9mm coated bullets with your current 1500lb pile.
    I can't bring myself to do that. I don't hate casting and reloading......but I don't love it either. I have a bit of hoarder in me.

  20. #40
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    38
    That truly is an awesome set up. I'm not sure I'm capable of making that. I am also getting quite restricted with room.

Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check