Need a little help please

[Rcmaveric]

Some of use tin. Some of us don't. Its ungodly expensive. A pound will do about 10.5 pots.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010251753?pid=724445

https://www.rotometals.com/tin-cut-w...d-made-in-usa/

Its normally scrounged and upcycled from salvaged pewter, but there's a few links for commercial sources.

Add to the pot at 1% to 2%. You got him the 10lb pot so thats 1.5 to 3 ozs per a full pot. Its highly recommended for beginners to use tin to help them get good bullets easier. I personally rarely add tin now unless I have stubborn alloy.

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[Thumbcocker]

To start out you might want to get some ready to cast ingots from one of the vendors here or rotometals on line. Just till your husband gets his feet wet.

[robg]

my wife got me started by buying me a mold.that was 20+ years ago.best present ever.

[quilbilly]

Welcome Tatu.
Back in the day, I started out casting with one of the smaller cast iron pots. Maybe 1 1/2 quart, a long ice tea spoon for skimming, a rawhide hammer, but a hammer handle will do or a stick of wood to thump the sprue plate. Some wheel weights and a Coleman camp stove for heat. Very basic but very functional. If you don't want to pay the price for 50/50 solder, you can get tin in the form of pewter items at the thrift stores, i.e. Good Will, Saint Vinnies etc. Most of it is right at 97% tin. You can also purchase good moulds on ebay, but make sure there are plenty of pics, so to check the condition.

Regards

You can make the project even simpler and cheaper. Several fishing lure making outfits (one is Barlows in the Dallas area) sell a small 2# hand held pot for making lead fishing jigs in a small way for about$40( I think the brand is Do-It). Since your lead supply is already at hand (lucky you and it is likely even pure lead) you only need tin to add. I recommend wandering down to the local Walmart fishing tackle section and see if they have some "environmentally sensitive" tin fishing sinker splitshot. Two size 7 tin splitshot is enough for the 2# of lead in the little hot pot melter. All you need is a Lee sizer die for .430, some Lee Alox lube (Lee usually puts a free tube of it in with the new sizer die), and one of the Lee molds for a 240 gr 429 boolit of the style your husband prefers. Total cost should be in the vicinity of $80 to take that dip into our very friendly pool of knowledge. That free tube of Alox that comes with the sizer should last 500+ rounds.

[Dusty Bannister]

No longer comes with the Lee Liquid Alox.

Product Overview

The Lee Lube and Size Kit is one of the fastest and easiest ways to lubricate and size cast bullets. The sizing die that comes with the kit fits in any press that accepts standard 7/8"-14 threaded dies. Bullets are pushed through the sizing die nose first, so no special top punches are needed. Gas checks are automatically seated and crimped in place. Sized bullets are captured in the special container which is included and doubles as a storage case for the die.

Notes:

Comes in red plastic case
Lee recommends bullets be relubed after sizing to be sure the sized portion is coated.
All lead bullets must be lubricated, but it is not absolutely necessary to size all cast bullets. Bullets must be sized if they are so large that they expand the case too much to freely enter the gun's chamber. Sizing sometimes helps accuracy by making the bullet uniform in diameter. Sizing helps ensure uniform start pressure and better accuracy. Gas checks can be installed with this tool. Simply place the gas check on the base of the bullet before sizing.
Lee recommends the use of Alox bullet lube, not included.

[Rcmaveric]

Off topic. Tatu was the name of one of my favorite bands as a teenager.

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[Bashby]

I’m not sure if anyone recommended powder coating your boolits, but When I started casting a couple years ago, I went wit PC and never even tried any of the messy lube methods. I’m not sure if it will work out with the gas checked mold you ordered though. With PC, you can use a softer alloy and load for higher velocities without needing a gas check. A lot of The veteran casters reason for not using PC is they already have invested in lubri-sizers and all the stuff involved. Starting from scratch it makes sense to set up to PC... $25 toaster oven from goodwill is about the biggest investment.

[mehavey]

Go with the Lee sizer and the Liquid ALOX as first foot in the game.
The fewer the variables the better at this point.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post5013771





*
Yes, I powder coat now
But ALOX is still my simplest failsafe

[robg]

lee sizer and lube ,simple and works well.now you have a new pastime,hunting lead !

[GhostHawk]

Tatu, what a breath of fresh air you are. It is a pleasure to read your posts. Welcome, to both you and your husband.

If you run into a problem remember the stickie posts are full of answers.

And if that does not solve it, just ask. Someone will know the answer.

[Wayne Smith]

Tatu welcome to the craziness and I hope you enjoy shooting those revolvers too, or have your own! Once you have your basic casting equipment in place it is easy to add another caliber, just as adding another caliber to reloading is easy.

BTW - something to think about concerning black powder. Do you have a gallon of gas in the garage, shed or barn? That gallon of gas has much more explosive power than a couple pounds of black powder. I live in Virginia Beach, VA and keep my Black in an old refrigerator in the garage. My wife (LOML) knows all about it and she is a geologist, as well. She is cautious but knows it is safe.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

In 1964 at the age of 14 I started casting bullets, without any adult mentor, just voraciously reading available information( NO INTERNET - 1964!). I too started with a Coleman stove, a Lyman cast lead pot, a Lyman dipper and a Lyman Mold (no Lee then). I pan lubed and got good results without sizing. I am a great supporter of Lee equipment and my reloading presses and many of my bullet molds and sizers are Lee. The liquid alox from Lee or White Label lubes is a simple and good way to start. You can make casting and reloading very technical and off-putting, but it can be quite simple, getting excellent results either way. You can also spend incredible amounts of money, once you get really sucked in to all the possiblities, don't ask me how I know.

[Rcmaveric]

My personal favorite alloy is ranges scraps or 50/50 pure lead to clip on wheel weights (COWW). Bot of which have the same hardness (BHN). I use that in everything from 9mm, 357 Mag to 270 Winchester.

Only thing I use pure lead for are 12G slugs and muzzle loader.

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[Rcmaveric]

Welcome to the family. Youre all hooked now. I love a good story.

Its awesome you found a hands on mentor for learning. It will make the learning process quicker.

If the white coating is a hard plastic like coating. Then that's a Powder Coat (PC). Its a popular alternative lube. Basically its a polymer jacket applied as a powder and sticks by electro static. Its then baked where it melts and polermizes. You can find more information about it in the coatings and alternatives section

Glad the boys had a great time. Post pics of the hunt.

I wouldn't be able to shoot as much as I do without casting and reloading.

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[Thumbcocker]

"When they got back to the house, Dean had a big grin on his face and said he wasn't going to be wasting any more money on store bought bullets, and that he was going to make his own!"

Another convert. Would love to see pics of the big hog with the shield. Glad things worked out so well.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP...

With tusks popping, it came close enough to put a 3 1/2" cut in his coveralls, and at the same time, Dean grabbed him by the coat and threw him over to the side.

Wholly crap, what a time they had.
thanks for sharing that great story.

[Thumbcocker]

Some folks used motor mica on boolits to keep them from being sticky.

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[oley55]

Wow, a wife that wants to get her husband some shooting stuff. That's awesome. My wife just yells at me and tells me to get my stuff out of the house.

yea, pretty close to my thoughts as well.

[AndyC]

Wonderful story! Thanks for sharing - it sounds like the two families are a perfect match

[44magLeo]

I really enjoyed reading your story.
I guess all your questions in your first few posts got answered.
Casting isn't expensive. You found it can be fun, and you found out one of the most important facts, they work.
Welcome to the club.
Leo