Considering getting into casting but have questions

[Captain Skip]

Question for the collective. I don't cast my own bullets, haven't had a need to as I can usually find what I'm looking for. But, who knows what the future holds. I realize trying to buy the necessary equipment to start casting right now is probably a lesson in futility, just like trying to find small pistol primers. But, if things happen to loosen up it's something I'm considering. I used to be a SCUBA diver and have 60 or 70 lbs of lead SCUBA weights still in my basement. I'm assuming these are probably pure lead. Would they be good for melting down for casting? I realize I'd have to add tin and antimony to increase their hardness. Other than the actually molds it looks like a sizer is necessary and something to lube the bullets, also a way to melt the lead and safely pour it. What is the best way of determining the correct hardness of the lead? I'd be using it primarily for .38/.357 revolver loads and maybe 30/30 rifle loads. Is it worth the investment in equipment if bullets are still available at reasonable prices?

[bobthenailer]

I would get alot more lead alloy before i would invest in casting equipment, 70 lbs of alloy will only make about 3,100 158 gr 357 bullets.

At bare min you need a heat source, cast iron or steel container to melt lead in, a mould , lead dipper, lee sizer , bullet lube and then the experince to cast good bullets which IMO a art form with alot of frustrations along the way.
see if there is someone local who also casts bullets to help you along, most any caster will gladly help a newby.
Put a post up for help from someone in your area you might be surprised!

[farmerjim]

Scuba weights can be any mix, but most of mine are quite soft. There are members on here that sell lead. It is shipped in med flat rate boxes containing 50 to 65 pounds. Most of what is available now is range lead. It is good as is for low pressure loads. For the higher pressure loads you need to add some antimony to it, and perhaps a little tin. The easy way to add antimony is linotype or superhard from RotoMetals. Good luck

[Flailguy]

Welcome to the forum! As far as casting being worth it price wise I would say it depends if you have a local, cheap source of lead. If you buy it at retail prices the savings are not worth the returns. Just my $.02

[SSGOldfart]

Welcome aboard you have found the right place to start,best advice is to read and re-read everything you can find on casting and handloading. Not just what's on these pages but any where you can find it. Casting is way more then just making bullets or( boolits as we call them) again welcome pull up a stump and stay while. Do you load your own ammo? It would help if we knew a little more about how much you shoot and what your planing to to get from casting? Again READ everything you can find,starting here

[dverna]

You can cast decent hunting bullets for the .30/30 but IMHO it is not worth doing unless you really enjoy the work or want to prove something.. When things loosen up, buy 500 170 gr factory bullets and you are set for life. It will cost you about $125-150. By the time you buy a mold, sizing die, use up primers and powder, and invest hours finding a bullet of the right alloy that will shoot decently you will be lucky to match those factory bullets in terms of accuracy, velocity and expansion. If you want to do a bit of plinking with the .30/30 that is different. Much easier to find a 1400-1500 fps load than a 2100 fps load. BTW, that is what I did for my .308's.

I shoot a lot of cast.38's. Easy peesy. Almost any lead bullet of the proper size will work. Take a look at BLL (search for Ben's Liquid Lube) and that will be easy, cheap and all you need. Sizing can be a simple Lee die mounted in your press. Plus it is not as messy as other methods.

My advice is to start with the .38 and get a bit of success under your belt. If you decide to try the .30/30, it will be more of a challenge. If your budget can stand it, get one of the 4 cavity molds from MiHec, Accurate, NOE etc. The 358-429 mold is very good one to start with as the design seems to work well in many guns. I have two from MiHec and they came with pins to make HP's if desired. But when you start, just make solids.

Good luck.

[MOA]

Well Cap, it sounds like you at least have done some reloading or by your remarks "can find what you need" might only refer to buying mfg loaded ammo????? If, you already reload than your at least part way there. Folks have gotten started with less, both in materials and in experience. 70 pounds of scuba belt lead is a great start. I would first russle up some artists pencils that are inexpensive to test the current hardness of your scuba lead. Then depending on your findings you can add to it and get it up to the hardness needed for your application. 38 spcl. can be a softer alloy than that used for 357 mag. For instance you might just order some tin from ROTO Metals for your tin or some of the other alloys they sell and just melt them into your scuba lead. I'd likely find out what hardness I needed and then using the formula break the scuba lead into four or five parts and melt each part separately with the added alloy to get the right finished alloy for my casting. Of course if you have something like a 20# propane tank that's cut in half for your smelting/melting pot you can do all 70 pounds at once. I would get a thermometer that goes to 1000 degrees. That can be had at ROTO METALS too right along with a ladle for pouring and casting. Gloves, goggles, and a good apron along with proper footware are a smart and safe protocol to incorporate into your smelting/casting endeavors. A good start would be a Lee 158 grain round nose tumble lube mold. Lee push through dies, some Lee alox tumble lube. You will have to decide what method you'll use to melt the lead with. Just be sure your heat source is safe and your smelting vessel is not of a configuration that is not stable when filled with 600+ degree liquid metal. Spills are catastrophic. Now, if you don't reload your hill just became a little steeper but again not insurmountable. Just take things one one step at a time and you'll get there. Finding a mentor in either of these disciplines is advantageous if possible and an effort in that direction is advisable and will in itself reduce the learning curve and time considerably. Good luck, we're all here to help. BE SURE TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE STICKIES FOUND ON THE FORUM HEADERS. MANY QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED WITHIN.

[downzero]

Start scrounging for lead now. Once you do, you'll be on your way to casting. Without lead, casting equipment is useless.

[JM7.7x58]

If you enjoy making things and being self-sufficient then casting is for you.

If you enjoy shooting more then reloading then this may not be for you.

If I had a mold and some lead, and I mean only those two things. With a trip to a grocery/big box store and the hardware store I could be casting bullets in a few hours. You need Hot, you need a Pot, and you need a ladle.

Other than a mold you probably have the stuff you need in your garage or basement right now. All you need is a mold, some lead, a heat source, a pot, a big spoon, some wax, some sawdust(or dried leaves), and a can of Johnson’s paste wax(lube).

So, spend $25.00 on a Lee two cavity mold for your 38 special, and make some bullets.

JM

Edit: one of the great things about the Lee Tumble lube designs is that they don’t need to be sized before loading.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Your appetite for shooting, your wallet, and your interest in producing your own bullets play into this. Where you live, ease of getting low cost lead, and your access to places to shoot also are part. For common shooting of mild loads in 38/357, commercial cast bullets (Matt's Bullets, Hunter Supply, Bullshop Bullets, Missouri Bullets...There are many) are a bargain TO ME. Delivered to the door by my poor mail Lady. There are outfits that provide quality gas-checked rifle bullets also. Some bullets/rifles are special, A P14 Enfield needs a .316 bullet to work well. I do have molds for every rifle, sort of a survival/shortage thing. You MAY SHOOT MORE using cast bullets due to a higher enjoyment factor - I made it myself, less reoil, muzzle blast to make shooting more enjoyable. In 1964 I used a single cavity mold on a Coleman stove with a Lyman 10 lb cast iron pot and the Lyman dipper. Starting out, the Lyman dipper and a pot to melt lead work well. Stand bullets in a pan and pour melted Carnauba Blue around them, push out of the waxy lube when cool. Lee makes a push thru sizer that is low cost and works. Lee molds are inexpensive and work well. Casting can be very complicated, but MOSTLY it is paying attention to what you are doing. I started as an unguided 14 year old and managed to cast bullets that were very accurate in a 30-30 and 22 Hornet. There was little guidance in 1964, NO INTERNET, few books on casting. Today, there is much information available and much more and better equipment. A hundred rounds a year, buy jacketed, a hundred rounds a week, cast bullets, your own, maybe. Your Wallet and ease of acquiring lead are both important factors.

[Captain Skip]

Thanks for all the replies, I definitely came to the right place to ask questions!

To answer a couple of your questions, I've been reloading for about 45 years. Right now I reload 9mm, .38/.357 and .45GAP. My son just gave me his Ruger M77 MkII in .308 so I've got a set of dies on order for that caliber. The vast majority of my shooting is the listed pistol calibers. I'm a retired LEO (40 years on the job) and I qualify every year for LEOSA so I tend to put a good amount of lead downrange with the handguns.

For the 30/30 and .308 I'm probably going to stick with store bought bullets and reload as needed with those. In addition to the rifle my son gave me 10lbs of powder, about 1,000 bullets and the same amount of brass for the .308 so I think that will keep me busy for a while. The 30/30 is primarily for deer hunting so other than sighting in and hunting it doesn't get much use.

I do appreciate all the input and advice. I've got a metal recycling place right down the road from me so I think I'll stop in and see him to see if he has any scrap lead available for sale. We're in a small town up in New Hampshire so I don't anticipate being raked over the coals by him buying scrap. I've sold scrap metal to him in the past so he knows me already and that I'm local. I'll have to check with my local auto shop where my vehicles get worked on to see if he's got wheel weights he wants to get rid of as well. I've got a small propane camping stove that puts a good amount of heat (Coleman Peak I) so I'll try to find a small cast iron pot. I'll have to start letting my fingers do the walking on the web and see if I can find a set of .38 molds and a ladle.

[frkelly74]

30-30 was the first rifle cartridge I ever loaded cast into and had good results right away. I used the old lee 160 gr lee bullet from a single cavity mold as cast and tumble lubed at about 1500 FPS, no gas check. But my rifle was an H&R handy rifle so feeding through a magazine tube wasn't a complication. The 170 or 150 gr flat nose designs would be better for Tube magazine rifles. I never tried ladle casting. Lee bottom pour pots were cheap then, so that was what I got to use.

Getting lead can be simple , as in stumbling onto it at estate or yard sales, or getting range lead from the range you shoot at by just picking it up off the berm. To get good clean lead you will have to buy it either from vendors on here or other commercial outlets. Scrap yards might work as well but I have never had to go that route as my scavenging efforts have paid off well enough.

[brassrat]

Many say just forget about wheel weights

[JM7.7x58]

I cast all my bullets with a small heavy duty commercial two ounce kitchen ladle. It has a 3/32” hole drilled thru the bottom. It is a ladle that acts like a small bottom pour pot. I cast with the mold over the pot and any excess lead falls back into the pot.

[kevin c]

Welcome!

I don't dive, and don't know how big a sport it is out your way, but I've seen it suggested more than once that, like clean lead shot to a shotgun reloader, the weights may be worth more as is to another diver than their value as scrap lead, especially if they were commercially produced and accurate on the stated weight.

[samari46]

From the safety end, good set of gloves welders or fireplace gloves. get a good set of goggles or safety sheild. leather welders apron are still fairly inexpensive. For dipping dross and wheel weight clips go toa good barbacue place and get two long handled stainless steel spoons. One with drain holes and one without holes. Wear work shoes when working with lead at all times,andno darn flip flops. Getting hot lead on bare skin is not conducable for consistent casting and is very painful. Frank

[JoeJames]

Many say just forget about wheel weights

I don't. I think it really depends on your location. In my area there are not many who actually reload, and a whole lot fewer that cast. Most around here just buy factory ammo. A couple of months ago I called a friend who has a tire shop. Asked him if he had any wheel weights. He said sure come on over and pick some up. Went by his place and he had a helper dolly out at a 5 gallon bucket to my truck. Made my truck lean a bit (joking), but there were what? 60 or 70 pounds of wheel weights in the bucket. I have been in tall cotton ever since. A cousin who was a paint contractor gave me some x-ray walls from a renovation he'd done for a local hospital = pure lead, and for Tin he also gave me a large spool of lead free solder which was 95% Tin.

[white eagle]

first off let me say a big howdy and hi
looking to get into casting like anything can be daunting
trying to be cost effective is not the best way to start in
your needs will ad up and may seem at the time to be expensive
but if you plan and buy decent equipment you cry but one time
saving money should not be your first priority you should strive to
make a better mouse trap and it can be done with the satisfaction
of knowing you did it yourself
read and read some more everything is here see what meets your
needs and what make the grade for you best of luck

[Scrounge]

Question for the collective. I don't cast my own bullets, haven't had a need to as I can usually find what I'm looking for. But, who knows what the future holds. I realize trying to buy the necessary equipment to start casting right now is probably a lesson in futility, just like trying to find small pistol primers. But, if things happen to loosen up it's something I'm considering. I used to be a SCUBA diver and have 60 or 70 lbs of lead SCUBA weights still in my basement. I'm assuming these are probably pure lead. Would they be good for melting down for casting? I realize I'd have to add tin and antimony to increase their hardness. Other than the actually molds it looks like a sizer is necessary and something to lube the bullets, also a way to melt the lead and safely pour it. What is the best way of determining the correct hardness of the lead? I'd be using it primarily for .38/.357 revolver loads and maybe 30/30 rifle loads. Is it worth the investment in equipment if bullets are still available at reasonable prices?

Casting bullets (or boolits) can be a hobby on it's own, a way to reduce costs, or one facet of the shooting sports. Probably a zillion other options, as well. You can search for the perfect bullet/boolit for your specific gun, or guns. You can search for the perfect bullet/boolit for your specific target: paper, white tail deer, mule deer, elk, moose, elephant, mouse, or anything in between. You can search for the perfect projectile for hunting in heavy brush, or a thousand yards away on a remote mountain top.

There are folks who try to cast perfect boolits, and folks who will shoot anything that comes out of the mold. Some do serious statistical analysis of all the aspects of the projectile, firearm, shell, primer, and powder, others just load and shoot. Some folks load for commonly available firearms and cartridges, others for long-obsolete firearms and cartridges. Anything from black powder originals to highly modified sniper rifles, and everything in between.

Some folks find it relaxing. (I'm one of those) You can buy professional casting equipment to make thousands of projectiles, or do it in a frying pan on a stove or even over a campfire, and any permutation you care to do in between those extremes.

And what if bullets are suddenly (or eventually) no longer available? If you can roll your own, you can keep shooting. Some folks will tell you that's not possible. They're wrong. Especially for older firearms. Just try to buy some .32 long or short rimfire cartridges. Or .32 Colt long or short centerfire cartridges, which are almost interchangeable with them. You can buy or make brass for them, and there are a few folks who sell cast boolits for them, but if you really want to shoot them, you need to DIY. There is a box of new old stock .32 short rimfire cartridges on Gunbroker right now for $165, for example. You gonna shoot that? Me neither. But I have two rifles that are unshootable until I finish gathering together all the stuff I need to load for them. One in .32 long rimfire, and one in .32 short rimfire. I really want to shoot them.

I'm seeing some advice here that amounts to it's too hard, and too expensive, and don't bother with what you have now. If you only shoot once in a while, that may be good advice. If you like to shoot a lot, it's not so good. I had help getting started, but I've been casting, on and off, since I was 10 or so. If I can cast a good boolit, you can. Like anything else, it does take some time and practice. Most places in the US, you can buy lead at a junkyard. I got some here recently for about a dollar a pound. 3100 bullets isn't much to a guy who shoots a lot, but it is 62 boxes of 50 pistol rounds once loaded. Or 155 boxes of 20 rounds for a rifle. More if you're using smaller bullets/boolits in the 30-30. 1 pound is 7000 grains, so a pound of lead is about 44 158 grain bullets, whatever their diameter. That could be a lifetime supply for some folks, and all in a day's fun for others.

You can go from using your fingernail to test lead hardness to buying a $1500 Brinell tester. There are several options in the $100-200 price range specifically for testing boolits. It matters to some extent, but you can completely ignore it, and still get to shoot if you want to. It's up to you just how involved you want to get.

You can avoid sizing, if you want to, by finding a mold that casts the diameter of boolit you want, and pan lube. Or you can spend hundreds of dollars on a machine that will lube lots of boolit. You can get push through sizing dies, hand tools or machine tools to do the sizing and lubing. I'd start small, and see if you like it. For some folks, it's a total bore. Others make a complete hobby of it. and some have turned it into a business for fun and/or profit.

It can be worth the investment. Or not. That's up to you. Some kind of heat source. Hot plate might work, if it gets hot enough. Coleman or similar camp stove works fine. Some kind of steel or iron pot. A ladle of some sort. Several companies make them specifically for casting bullets, and they're reasonably priced, but you can get by with one from the dollar store, too. You can get Lee molds for around $20 each. You can use bee's wax or paraffin for lube, or you can get fancy. There are lots of recipes for DIY bullet lubes. A little flat pan for pan lubing. If you're new to reloading, you'll also need a reloading press and dies. My personal take on it is that even if you only have one gun, and one caliber, it's worth doing. YMMV, and the power is getting flakey here, so I'm gonna call this good and hit "Post Quick Reply before I lose my magnificent manuscript!

Bill

[Don1357]

Lino can be found for $2 a pound here, soft lead for about $1, with shipping via flat rate priority mail boxes making it a pretty good deal. A pound of lino plus 3 pounds of soft lead is about $5 and can net you about 180 155-grain boolits. That on itself is a pretty good deal.

Better yet the actual casting is an enjoyable hobby. It is something you do because it makes you happy so the fact that it actually saves you money is just a bonus. For the cost of dining out you can get a hot plate, ladle, and cast iron pot. For the cost of fast food lunches you can get bullet molds.