Are you a dipper?

[high standard 40]

I am strictly a bottom pour caster. I have an RCBS Pro melt and a Lee 4-20, both with a PID. I cast 22 cal 55 gr -- 7mm 145 gr -- 32 cal 100 gr -- 35 cal 140, 158, and 200 gr -- 30 cal 210 gr -- 40 cal 180 gr -- 44 cal 225, 240, 265 gr -- 45 cal 230 gr. So none of mine are long, large caliber bullets. I have tried ladle casting and truly don't care for it. I can't imagine getting better quality, consistent results than I'm getting with my bottom pour. I'm a competition shooter and I'm kinda OCD. But i will say that I spent a great deal of time with each mold I have to learn exactly what technique it liked to get good results. Mold temp, alloy temp, cadence, all play a role as well as how close you hold the sprue plate to the bottom pour spout and how you adjust the flow rate. My PID also contributed greatly to getting good results. Each of my molds has it's likes and dislikes. I keep notes specific to each mold so I can repeat my results. In the end, do what works for you and makes you happy. For me, it's bottom pour only.

[376Steyr]

A Rowell #1 bottom pour ladle saved me from a life of fighting with drips and the occasional catastrophic pot dump.

[lightman]

I'm a bottom pour guy with an RCBS ProMelt. But we started with a 10# cast iron pot on a Coleman stove. I believe my bullets are just as good. I still have that Lyman Ladle but I don't know where the cast iron pot got off to. I believe it was a Lyman too.

[GhostHawk]

Won't have a bottom pour in the house. Been down that road once, and it was before the internet and all the smart guys figured all this stuff out.

Main pot is a 20 lb Magnum Melter, strictly a dipper pot. Have 2 small 4 lb dipper pots, one bought used here very reasonable. One new with thermostat. Both work fine. I have one pretty much dedicated to tin/pewter, other is a spare.

Loved the Magnum melter from the day I got it.

[Bigslug]

I was born with only two hands, which leaves me about four short of the amount that seems necessary for ladle casting.

Started with a Lyman pot that was also drippy. Went RCBS and have been totally satisfied. The stop screw that controls your rate of flow is easily adjusted on the fly while wearing gloves, so you can keep your pour rate even as your pot runs empty.

[oley55]

Experience shows us some molds cast better with a dipper. Others do not seem to matter.....
Then there is the "what do I want to do today".... Some days I just like to use a dipper.

^^^ without having yet read other replies. I have found that some molds/bullets just will not bottom pour, no matter how I hold my mouth. It was difficult to accept the reality, but it is what it it is.

[Bnt55]

I didnt realize there were different kind of ladles for dipping until I got my copy of the Lyman Cast Bullets book and on the cover is a pour style ladle. I've always used an old cast iron ladle with a notch to direct flow. I will occasionally pour large fishing sinkers and they seem to do better with a ladle.

[Wag]

I dip.

BTW, what is meant by "pressure casting?"

--Wag--

[imashooter2]

I dip.

BTW, what is meant by "pressure casting?"

--Wag--

Where you put the spout of the ladle or furnace against the sprue hole and the weight of the lead column aids in fill out.

[Eddie Southgate]

I do both but use bottom pour pots . Thought about buying a dedicated dip pot but haven't so far . I been dipping out of the old SAECO pots for well over 50 years and never felt at any disadvantage .

[slim1836]

Dipping was the only way I stopped smoking 20 years ago, now if only I can stop dipping. At least I gave my lungs a break.

BTW, I only cast boolits from the bottom, save the ladling for rendering wheel weights.

Slim

[M-Tecs]

I didnt realize there were different kind of ladles for dipping until I got my copy of the Lyman Cast Bullets book and on the cover is a pour style ladle. I've always used an old cast iron ladle with a notch to direct flow. I will occasionally pour large fishing sinkers and they seem to do better with a ladle.

The Rowell bottom pour ladles are hard to bet due to the self-skimming feature. This is my favorite. https://www.rotometals.com/casting-l...handle-length/

[oley55]

Dipping was the only way I stopped smoking 20 years ago, now if only I can stop dipping. At least I gave my lungs a break.

BTW, I only cast boolits from the bottom, save the ladling for rendering wheel weights.

Slim

same for me in 1978.

[oldblinddog]

Rowell bottom pour ladle.

[Wag]

Where you put the spout of the ladle or furnace against the sprue hole and the weight of the lead column aids in fill out.

Ah. Thank you. It's what I do, I just didn't know it was called that.

--Wag--

[porthos]

i dip. get perfect bullets that way.

[tmanbuckhunter]

Both. For BPCR bullets, and most big heavy rifle bullets in general I ladle pour. Pistol and plinking fodder gets bottom poured.

[GregLaROCHE]

The Rowell bottom pour ladles are hard to bet due to the self-skimming feature. This is my favorite. https://www.rotometals.com/casting-l...handle-length/

That’s a neat idea for a ladle. Does it ever get gunked from impurities up and the flow slows down?

[bangerjim]

I only dip with my Rowell ladles when I need to. Too slow going for me! Only 3 of my many molds are fussy and need to be used that way. Otherwise, I crank 600-800 perfect boolits with bottom pour and 6 cav brass molds.

And do not forget "pressure casting" using the 4-20. By forcing the Pb into the mold under its own head pressure in the pot, you can many times get excellent drops and forget the ladle slow-down. Just put the nozzle right down in the sprue hole..................and watch out for squirting Pb!!!!!!!!!!

[SSGOldfart]

I have both.

Same here I do both.