what equipment to buy

[garbear]

Okay my first post here. So everyone knows who to blame I was sent here by Swamprat1052 who i know from a different site. Here goes I started reloading and swampy told me to come here and get info for casting bullets. I am interested in casting bullets for two of my rifles maybe some others lator. I am reloading for a british .303, k-31 in 7.5x55 and will be reloading for a mosin nagant. I need to know what equipment I need, what are the safety precautions. I have small children but a large air open garage/car port to cast in. What are some good books on the subject any nfo would be great. I do hunt with these rifles of these rifles and don't want to ruin the rifles. I need to try and keep the cost down when I buy the equipment. I can't break the bank if you know what i mean. Wife has been very gracious on this reloading adventure and want to keep here happy. I notice reloaing bullets have sky rocketed and hope I can cut some or the reloading cost.

[Naphtali]

I have a boxed RCBS RC-130 balance beam scale with instructions. Send me your address, and I'll send it to you.

And when you upgrade, send it to the next person getting started, okay?

[garbear]

Hello Naphtali. I am interested in the scale. I was wondering if you can tell me if anything needs to be added to wheel wieghts. Long story short my sweetheart who is from this area talked to a friend of her dad's that has a tire shop and said I can have all the wheel wieghts I want. Just have to swap out the five gal buckets. He said he has more wheel wieghts then he knows what to do with. Like I said she has been gracius about this whole thing of me getting into reloading and when I told her I wanted to cast my own it didn't even faze her

[avery53]

Hello Naphtali. I am interested in the scale. I was wondering if you can tell me if anything needs to be added to wheel wieghts. Long story short my sweetheart who is from this area talked to a friend of her dad's that has a tire shop and said I can have all the wheel wieghts I want. Just have to swap out the five gal buckets. He said he has more wheel wieghts then he knows what to do with. Like I said she has been gracius about this whole thing of me getting into reloading and when I told her I wanted to cast my own it didn't even faze her

Ever try to pick up a 5-gallon pail of WW?
I just happen to load for the 303 and the 7.5x55.
Just use .308 boolits in the Swiss.
Good luck in your endeavor.
I have an old Herters press I have used for eons, just bought an RCBS. Shellholders are a lot easier to come by.
I'd send you the old thing, but shipping would be a killer.
avery

.

[BPCR Bill]

Garbear, If you are buying molds, get RCBS and Lyman, the handles are interchangeable. Lee molds work great too for the economy minded shooter. A Lee pot, like a Magnum 20 with thermostat, is a great buy. Get a dipper, and a lead thermometer. Look around for a used lubrisizer such as the Lyman 450, usually scrounge some of this gear up at gun shows. Get the Lyman Cast Boolit handbook, that will give you a wealth of information on the do's and dont's of casting. That's a start for you! Welcome to the world of Casting!

Regards,
Bill

[Russel Nash]

^^^ I did NOT know that RCBS and Lyman mould handles were interchangeable.

Thanks for that tid bit of info.

I only have 4 Lyman moulds and just one set of Lyman handles.

If I could start over, I would try making my own pot.

I started a thread here where I had taken my RCBS Pro Melt apart and taken pictures. I really wasn't too impressed with what is involved with the innards.

I bought my Pro Melt new for around $250. I have heard some scarey high prices for them lately... so I would probably just go with the Lee "drip-o-matic".

[largom]

garbear,
You stated that you "started reloading", so before we get into what equip. you need for casting we should know what equip. you now have, if any, for loading and or casting.
LARRY

[atr]

you are going to need
melting pot
dipper
heat source (coleman stove works)
casting molds
sizer and dies
probably gas checks and casting lubrication
a good manual (Lyman) for loads
safety glasses
a well ventilated space
bees wax, or something similiar to flux your mix
lead, wheel weights, etc to melt
TIME
Safety precautions: well ventilated space, safety glasses, some wear gloves, wash your hands after you handle lead

[MT Gianni]

Garbear, If you are buying molds, get RCBS and Lyman, the handles are interchangeable.
Regards,
Bill

They don't interchange on my molds.

[Russel Nash]

^^^ Okay... hmmn... thanks...

DRATS!!

I'm just casting with one mould at a time right now.

It might require too much fumbling on my part to try to run two moulds at the same time. Not to mention the added cost of the mould handles, but if I was running two moulds simultaneously, it seems like it would require two water buckets/tanks to drop quench into, especially if they were different calibers.

Mould handle interchangeability was just one of those things I was gonna stick in my mental rolodex just in case I come across a helluva deal at say a gunshow or an estate auction.

[dromia]

you are going to need
melting pot
dipper
heat source (coleman stove works)
casting molds
sizer and dies
probably gas checks and casting lubrication
a good manual (Lyman) for loads
safety glasses
a well ventilated space
bees wax, or something similiar to flux your mix
lead, wheel weights, etc to melt
TIME
Safety precautions: well ventilated space, safety glasses, some wear gloves, wash your hands after you handle lead

Welcome to Cast Boolits garbear

Atar has got it down pretty well, you'll need suitable mould handles if they don't come with the mould.

Good gloves have their uses.

I'd also recommend that you spring for some Bull Plate lube for the mould. See the Bull shop link at the bottom of the page.

A piece of wood to help tap open the sprue plate.

Something soft like a folded towel to catch your boolits as they drop from the mould.

A dry stick, I use dowel offcuts is as good as anything for fluxing with and is usually available at no cost and produces less irritating fumes than beeswax, boolit lube or such like.

Hot soapy water, brake cleaner, meths or something to make sure the mould is oil free for casting.

You'll also need two pots a large one for cleaning you alloy and making ingots and a smaller one for when you cast with the cleaned alloy. No need in heating up lead you won't use in a casting session in a large pot, also a separate alloying pot helps keep your casting pot clean.

Ingot moulds of some type, many of us use Yorkshire pudding pans. Or other suitable kitchen ware.

A slotted spoon is also useful as is a ladle for lifting of crud and clips as well as pouring alloy into the ingot moulds.

I know it sounds a lot but much you may have on hand and a lot of the other stuff can be got cheaply second hand.

Any questions just ask.

[TAWILDCATT]

thats why you buy Lee double cavity they come with the handles for $18.06
midsouthshooters.

[shotman]

Many here dont like the Lee bottom pour or drip-O-matic that is an easy fix. I have had one for 20 yrs and either the coil or therostate went out . I ordered both from Lee for $7.00 total. You cant fix the $300 ones for that . Lees sell for around $60-65. Keep your alloy clean and dont let the pot get low and the drips go away

[Echo]

Read, Read, Read! The sticky's here on this board contain ALL THE INFO ANY CASTER WILL EVER NEED! And +1 on the Cast Bullet manual - either RCBS or Lyman, whatever. Study, and ask questions - they will be answered here in a more-or-less gentemanly manner. One cannot survive on this board if they are overly sensative...

[dromia]

Dear oh dear Ed!

Are you suggesting the we are not in touch with our sensitive feminine side here.

Why on earth would you think that?

[garbear]

I have the lee breech lock press the powder througher but it doesn't through consitant powder charges, a barrowed rcbs scale from my father in-law. lee powder dipper measures and slide scale for the different powders. lee pace setter dies for .303 british and my 7.5x55 swiss for my k-31.
I picked up my first bucket of lead and had to have help loading it in to the back of my truck. I picked up a old pan big metal table spoon, metal laddel and some mettal cups from a second hand storeI think I spent $4 total for this stuff. I melted about half the lead using a camp chef stove. I melted it out side because I don't want to be doing it in my garage even though is is wide open and doesn't have a garage door.
I didn't realize it at the time but the stick on wieghts are pure lead and I will be separating those for my muzzle loaders.
I pored the molten lead into the metal cups after i skimed all the junk off the top. I have read about using bees wax or saw dust to flux the lead. I didn't flux the lead; so I think I will melt the lead again and try to make sure all the crap is out of it. The wheel wieghts seem hard and I know they are to hard for my muzzle loaders. MY question is are they hard enough for 45 acp and long colts. The old man said he might buy the molds to cast him some bullets for his hand guns. I want to use them in my rifles and was wondering if the wheel weights are hard enough for center fire rifles. I am cheap not because I like being cheap but having a family my size causes you to find the most cost effective method of doing things. I also have some other questions. I hope you all don't mind. Can the cast bullets for the 30 cal rifles i have can the bullets be cast hard enough for 200 yds. I am ordering a Lyamn cast bullet hand book. Also can I get away with out using melting pot and use a pan over the outdoor cooker in stead.

[dromia]

You need to watch out for the dreaded Zinc wheel weight, get that in your boolit alloy mix and its a goner, won't cast.

I use ordinary WW boolits for up to 1600 fps no problem in my rifles with good boolit fit to the throat, if I need harder I'll water drop.

1600 fps is good for 200yrd target shooting.

[garbear]

will the zinc melt with the lead or does it float to the top. how can I tell what the zinc ones are? also I have only one powder right now I am using imr 4895 can that work or do I need a different powder for casting boolits

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

will the zinc melt with the lead or does it float to the top. how can I tell what the zinc ones are? also I have only one powder right now I am using imr 4895 can that work or do I need a different powder for casting boolits

Here's a simple solution with the zinc wheel weights. Get yourself a thermometer from antimonyman.com (He sells an excellent one.) and keep your smelting operation at 725 degrees F. This will melt lead, but not the zinc. If you have any zine weights, they will float to the top with the steel wheel clips. You'll be able to skim both out without risking contaminating your wheel weights with zinc.

Depending on the boolit, 4895 is a fine powder and will work well in many various loadings. Of course, you may want to add other powders to your stable to give you more flexibility.

regards,

Dave