Casting

[Beekeeper]

I have read a lot of threads about casting and how many someone can cast per hour.
Read Bens speed casting post and even tried it.Made a mess of it all.
So my question is how much you reaistcally cast per hour>
I use a 2 cavity mold and get about 225 per hour and during inspection I find about 10 or 15 with inclusions and chuck them back in the pot
I ladel cast and use a Lee Magnum pot.

So how about it "the facts and only the facts sir"


Jim

[Jim]

I'm sure there are those that need to make a lot of boolits quickly. I don't. I'd rather take my time and make good boolits. Besides, I can make more in an hour than I'll shoot in a half day at the range.

[RobS]

It depends on a few variables. As you stated you are using a 2 cavity mold and should you instead be using a 6 cavity mold then you can take your 225 or better yet 200 for sake of taking longer to fill the cavities and multiply that by 3. So 600 at your casting rate with a 6 cavity mold is reasonable thinking. However another thing in consideration pertains to what size of boolits a person is going to cast. Smaller grain boolits won't require the pot to be replenished with lead ingots as often as larger ones i.e. a 125 grain 38 special boolit vs a 45 cal 340 grainer. Pot size is also in the equation here.

It’s all relative to what a person is going to cast and the equipment at hand. You are doing pretty well at 225 per hour with a two cavity mold. My tempo is not as quick as some and keeping up to your 225 per hour with a double cavity mold is possible but I could run past you with a 4 cavity design as there are simply more holes in the mold.

[white eagle]

I am with Jim
no need for speed
quality before quantity
besides if I cast them all at once what will I cast tomorrow

[cbrick]

In all the years I've been casting not once have I ever kept track of how many in an hour. For me that is something that has no meaning whatsoever. I cast until I have the quantity of the particular bullet I'm casting and of the quality that I am willing to accept for that bullet.

Years ago I cast many hundreds of a given bullet and stored them for future use. Then a year or several years later back in the pot they went because I had moved on to shooting other firearms or different bullets for a given firearm, now I cast for the next box of ammo that I intend to load. When I set up to cast I'll cast for three or four different firearms/bullets and if that takes two hours or four it is what it is.

How many per hour? I have no idea, for me that's irrelevant, I just cast until I have what I need.

I've never had to cast for any of the action/speed games where 1,000 rounds a week may be needed. For those that do I can understand the need for speed but that's not me so this is just my take on numbers per hour.

Rick

[mold maker]

Casting speed is determined by how fast the sprue is ready to be cut. The temp of the air, wind, pot temp, mold temp, mold design, # of cavities, and personal ability, are other factors that have to be included.
Less quality for volume is false economy.
If your time is more valuable than quality boolits , then buy them from bulk dealers.
Casting is supposed to be fun, not work.
As long as your happy, don't let speed bother you. As you gain experience, you will get faster and still improve quality.

[BruceB]

Everyone is different, and I'll be the last to say my way is the only way.

Seriously, though....when I can turn out a LOT of bullets in short order (GOOD bullets, in spite of what some seem to believe, with minimal weight or dimensional variation), why on earth would I take more time than is necessary for ME ? I can; therefore, I do.

I don't work any harder (if "work" is the right term for a casting run), and the bullets are just as good....why NOT cast five hundred an hour with a two-cavity mould? I cast to SHOOT, and increased production is a valuable statistic in MY shop. The time saved is time that's usable for other loading processes. I see no particular virtue in casting slowly, when faster methods and equal quality are easily obtainable.

If one's Zen state requires careful contemplation of every bullet as it's cast, go for it. For my part, I enjoy watching GOOD bullets piling up with some rapidity, because they represent a lot of shooting in the very near future.

Different strokes.....

[bbs70]

With most anything I do, the faster I go the more likely I'm going to screw up.
I've learned to take the time and go for quality or I'll probably end up doing the job over again.

I'm laid off now because of the weather, so I can take my time casting.
I know some people don't have as much time as I do, but faster doesn't always mean better.

If you can cast fast, thats wonderful, some people can do it, I'm just not one of them.:neutral:

[Bullshop]

Not speaking for anyone else I find that for most molds staying very close to 4 cycles per minute produces the best quality boolits I can make from that mold.
With some molds 4 cycles per minute has you moving pretty quickly so at least for me casting fast and keeping up the quality work together.
So if you have a 2 cavity mold and are casting at 4 cycles per minute that would come to lets see 2 cav X 4 cyc per min = 8 per min, then 8 per min X 60 min per hour = 480 per hour.
For me that is about what I come to expect and maintain a high quality.
I should mention that you need to have your molds working properly to maintain a smooth rhythm at 4 cyc. per min. Any venting or sticking issues should be taken care of before the mold is put to use.

[Beekeeper]

Sorry Ben, no offence ment.
I have always cast over a colman stove with a cast iron pot.
Did fairly good, could never get the rythem down to use Bens system.
Bought me a Lee electric Magnum pot and wanted to see what it would do for me.
Not much diference to note so that is why I asked for your inputs.
I guess I am doing OK as I make enough for me to shoot and store a few for a later date.
Thanks for everyones input.


Jim

[*Paladin*]

Speed of production isn't a big deal to me. Moving fast enough to keep the mold hot does. I've noticed the Lee 6-cav cools really fast. I assume all aluminum molds do. If I had to guess, I probably knock out 500 or so an hour...

[fecmech]

I like Bruce and Bullshop see no decrease in quality due to casting rate. My rate is more like 3 cycles per minute be it 2,4 or 6 cav mold and I usually only cast for about an hour at a time. Bruce introduced me to the "BruceB" method of spru cooling and higher temp casting, which has decreased the weight spread on my boolits so it was a win win. I would just work at what is a comfortable pace for you that produces good boolits. It's your satisfaction that counts in the end.