Boolit casting baby

[dustlane]

Well, guys, I am new to the forum and pretty darned new to reloading. I have only been reloading for a couple of months. But that is long enough to realize that I need to lean to cast my own bullets. There is no place around here to buy reloading bullets so I have to order them. That gets pricey. So I figure that while I am am learning to reload, I might as well learn to cast my own bullets at the same time. I am a disabled vet and can't work so I have plenty of time on my hands. This is where you guys come into play. I have no idea where to start or what equipment to buy. I wish there were some sort of "kit" that I could buy that has everything I need to cast my own bullets for my .380, 9mm, and .40 S&W. My cousin owns a plumbing company so I can get let for nearly nothing but, from what I have read on this site, I can't use just any old lead. I have alot to learn but I have no idea where to start. Anybody know where I can get a casting course for dummies?

[Suo Gan]

Holy smokes that is one big bass!

Thank you for your sacrifice! You can sure use the lead pipe. Pay attention to where they soldered the pipes together because that will be tin. If I were you I would buy a few hundred pounds of wheel weight lead from a member here and mix it 50/50 with the pure add some of your tin to get it to flow. This is as easy or as hard as you want it to be. Some people naturally want to take this hobby down the path of high science. The average Joe does not need to go there. The difference between the very best cast boolit shooters and one that has a pretty good handle on it is very, very small.

What I would do is start small and use this site as a reference as you go. Type your question in the search box and you will get a pile of info. For example "30-30 boolit" or "casting technique", or "lube for 30-30", or "Micro Groove boolits" etc.

There is going to be a learning curve doing this. The best way to get discouraged is to think you need to know about all the esoteric BS to cast a proper boolit, it is just NOT true. It is not over your head. You can make good, cheap, ammo for a penny or two on the dollar and have the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

You are currently enrolled in the course! Now go read through ALL the stickies and head to Cast Pics and read through the Wolfe and NRA books! And when they get too technical for you, just file what you can away, and remember what I said, because it is true.

Have fun.

PS They sell boolit lube, I like Verals soft blue, it will save you from buying fairy dust and illegal animal products :) $50 of lube already in a tube is not a bad investment considering the alternative.

[hornady]

Also the link below will direct you to some very good information.
http://www.lasc.us/IndexBrennan.htm

[RKJ]

+1 on what Suo Gan said. I started last year and I make decent bullets. I would definitely go with the commercial lubes, I tried making my own and while they "worked" I was trying to re-invent the wheel. There are folks here that sell lube at low prices (lower and better than I could make it. Have you looked at Lee precision? There are two different camps when it comes to their products though, those that swear by them and those that swear at them. I'm straddling the fence as I do both (as likely a lot of us do) :) As for kits, I got this at Midway on sale and use it all except the ingot molds http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=573247 for those I use stainless steel condiment cups from Walmart (4 for $1.00) Some people use tumble lube molds instead of a lube grooved bullet and they seem to work just fine for them. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=141131
I also got this Lee furnace http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=645810 but you could use the Lyman pot and dip.
A lot of folks do it that way but I haven't tried it so can't comment on how it works. If you'll check out the threads and stickies here you'll find a ton of ways to save (or spend) money. Have fun, good luck and enjoy yourself. Also, there are many places to purchase these items, I use Midway as they are fairly close and I can pickup at the site.

[leadman]

Graf & Sons and Midsouth are also good places to buy from. Rotometals sells metals you can add to the lead you get from plumbing to mix your own alloy. Superhard is 30% antimony and 70% pure lead. This is an easy way to add antimony as the melting temperature is over 1,100'. They also have tin but you might find that in Selling & Swapping on this board cheaper. Antimony hardens the lead, tin will add hardness but is used mostly to get the lead to flow better.

White Label lubes is a great place to buy your lube from. Excellent lubes, less expensive than everyone else. Glen is a sponsor here.
Buy the Lyman 4th edition cast bullet manual and read it. There is some pretty technical stuff in their but don't let that discourage you.
There is always good used equipment for sale here. I have bought and sold here and the dealings have always been good. Great people on this site.
The Cast Bullet Notes from LASC located at the bottom of the page has great info. There are even formulas for mixing your own alloy.
I starting casting with an old enamel pan on the stove and a gravy ladle I bent into the shape I wanted. Does not have to be complicated.
Welcome to the forum and good shooting.

[jonk]

For a starter, I would use the liquid alox that lee provides and their push through dies and cheap molds. Once you have a handle on that if you want to move up to a lube sizer, go for it. For handguns the alox is just fine.

I'd use the lead pipe as is for muzzleloaders or black powder cartridges; for anything else I'd add some tin as others have said. Plumbing solder is either the old 50/50 type (getting harder to find) or the newer 95% tin. Ask your cousin what he can get. A good start recipe would be 9 pounds of pure lead to 1 pound of tin (or 2 pounds of 50/50 as the case may be). Getting some antimony would however be a good thing, and ordering some of that would be a great benefit.

Melt, cast, cool, lube, load. Simple as that. I started with a benzomatic propane torch and an old plumber's ladle, you don't have to go expensive to start.

[para45lda]

Read, read, read and then when you think you're almost ready just do it.

Slug your bores, buy a micrometer, order you a mold (get some really great used ones right here) and go for it.

As everyone above me has indicated, the wealth of knowledge available on this site is amazing (now don't get the bighead y'all). I swear I learn something new every day.

One suggestion: when you read something you think you might use (pan lube vs lube/sizer for example); write it down. Start you a little notebook or if you are computer savvy keep an electronic journal and just paste the text or links right there.

Good luck and welcome to Cast Boolits.

Wes

[9.3X62AL]

Dustlane--

Welcome to the board, and to the hobby field. DANG--that IS one nice fish!

Cost and availability are only two of the reasons to cast your own boolits. For me, quality control has shaded both of the more obvious advantages.

Don't get "lost" in the details and esoterics at first. There are kinks and tricks to the hobby, but it sure isn't rocket science. If I were to advise a beginner on early-days recommendations.......

1) Clean mould cavities are your friend

2) Heat in your alloy is your friend

And, remember--every one of us was new at this at one point in time. There are NO DUMB QUESTIONS.

[reloader28]

My God man, DONT START.

I'm telling you, this is so addictive that before you know it, your going to have to build a new room for all your casting reloading stuff.

Melt your lead, lube the boolits, shoot them, dig them from the stump or ground and remelt them.
Remelt the lead, relube the boolits, shoot them, dig them up and do it again.:2gunsfiring_v1:

I even bulldozed out a new pistol range this summer so I could mine out my old one.

[para45lda]

:goodpost:

Sadly true. Just dug some boolits out of a tree day before yesterday. So sad.

Wes

[9.3X62AL]

We do foster some unique personality elements. Just sayin'.

[462]

Dustlane,
Thanks for your service.

My suggestion, and the way I went about learning to cast boolits, is to read, read, read, accumulate the basic equipment, and have at it.

The Cast Boolit Archive and Castpics (links toward the bottom of every page) are very informative and well worth the time spent there.

Glen Fryzell, a much recognized cast boolit authority, has been super generous and provided boolit casters with a free compilation of some of his vast knowledge: http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm.

Request catalogues from reloading and casting equipment manufacturers such as Lee, Lyman, RCBS, Redding, Hornady, etc.

For reloading manuals, Lyman's Reloading Handbook is the best.

Enjoy your new-found hobbies.

[cbrick]

Anybody know where I can get a casting course for dummies?

Yep, I do, you have found it right here. There is more collective casting knowledge right here at CastBoolits than the rest of the world combined. Read all you can and remember, there is only one dumb question and that is the one that you don't ask.

Here is must reading for brand new casters and the old salts as well. It's a free download, print it out and read it several times, there is a huge amount of solid info in this book.

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_textonly2.pdf

Welcome to CastBoolits, pour a cup of coffee and read. :coffeecom

Now about your avatar, why are you showing off your bait? [smilie=1:

Rick

[mdi]

Lyma's Cast Bullet Handbook is a great way to start. Huge amopunt of info on all aspects of casting and shooting boolits. I started with a coleman stove, a stainless steel 2 qt. pot, a Lee mold and a Lee dipper. I have been casting sinkers and jig heads for years but I got ragged, uneven, screwed up excuses for bullets so I got Lyman's book and read it! It's the finer points of smelting, fluxing, casting temps, etc. in the hand book that got me to making good boolits right away. Stove, pot and mold were OK, just needed to clean the melt and learn techniques with a good ladle...

All the links above are full of good info. Read 'em.

[Lizard333]

Yep, I do, you have found it right here. There is more collective casting knowledge right here at CastBoolits than the rest of the world combined. Read all you can and remember, there is only one dumb question and that is the one that you don't ask.

Here is must reading for brand new casters and the old salts as well. It's a free download, print it out and read it several times, there is a huge amount of solid info in this book.

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_textonly2.pdf

Welcome to CastBoolits, pour a cup of coffee and read. :coffeecom

Now about your avatar, why are you showing off your bait? [smilie=1:

Rick

That reading material us a must. You'll find guys will knock the lee molds cause they are not the best quality but starting out you can't beat the price. They include the handles for the most part and better to make mistakes on then expensive ones. Buy your lubes from white label and save money. I started out with a lee bottom pour as well. The price was right. Learn what you like the spend the money. Read read read and then read some more. I spent three months on this site before I spent a single dime. Find someone in ur area local and learn the basics. Most people are more than willing to help. And, as said before THANK YOU FOR SERVICE!!!!!!

[Hurricane]

You will need a lead melting pot (furnace). There are several makers but Lee will be the least expensive. Lee makes melting pots both in bottom pour for those that don't want to use a dipper and a solid bottom dipper only melting pot. The choice is yours. I enjoy hand pouring with a dipper so I have the solid bottom unit. If you get the bottom pour unit, always have something under the pouring spout in the event it may leak. An igot mold works well. Next you need a pouring dipper (handy to stir the melt even if you have a bottom pour pot). Bullet molds (one for each caliber you plan to cast would be a good starter), an igot mold (store bought or maybe an old cupcake mold), lube, a casting mallet (a wood hammer handle or a 12 inch peice of 1 inch dowel would work) and safety equipment. Safety equipment includes a face shield or at least safety googles, welder gloves or maybe fireplace gloves, long sleve cotton shirt, long cotton or denim pants, shoes. Even if you never have a large spill of liquid lead, you will have small drops some how getting out. They zero in on bare skin with amazing accuracy, don't give it bare skin to attack. Welcome to Cast Boolits.

[a.squibload]

I started long ago with a used 2 qt enameled pot (don't use aluminum!),
Coleman gas camp stove, and a RCBS dipper. Still using that pot for casting.
If you outgrow or just don't like a piece of equipment you can save it for
a backup, or put it up for sale here in Swappin' & Sellin' forum.
Start with basic (cheap) equipment, ask a lot of questions, do small batches
and test your boolits by shootin' 'em up. It's all about havin' fun, you'll just
naturally get better at it!

Oh yeah, safety is a plus, read up on equipment to keep lead off ya.
Mostly tiny splatters. Again, doesn't have to be expensive.
I don't crash into stuff while driving but I still use a seatbelt, just in case...

[Bullet Caster]

Welcome to CastBoolits dustlane. Reminds me of my name, Rusty Lane. I too am a disabled Vietnam vet and former Marine Sergeant. Thank you for your service.

I too am new to casting and reloading. You will find a plethora of information on this site and others. Like others have said, start small and your equipment will begin to grow. I use a casting pot I got off of fleabay and use a Coleman stove for a heat source. As suggested the first thing you'll need to do is slug the bores of the weapons you'll be reloading for. This will give you a starting point. Use pure soft lead for slugging the bore with plenty of lubrication. You'll need a micrometer to get the proper measurements of the slug. I only have calipers and they are only accurate to .01. Measuring the slug with a micrometer will get you closer to the proper fit of the boolit to your bore. Once that is determined, then you can go ahead and get your mould and the right sizer. Most of the reloaders here use the Lee push through sizer. There are also those that swear by a lubricator/sizer. With the Lee push through sizers they get pushed through nose first and they don't require a top punch conformed to the bullet nose shape.

Like others have said the only dumb question is the one not asked. With all the experience on this site you will have about a gazillion years worth of experience. Good luck and happy casting and reloading. BC

[cajun shooter]

First Let me say Welcome home and THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!
You may be taking on a little too much at once depending on what calibers you are going to load and cast for.
If you are talking about something like the 38 spl then you are not going to have many problems. That changes big time if you are talking a magnum rifle caliber or a pistol caliber such as the 454 Casull.
My reasons for telling you that are quite simple. The difference in the alloys for the two go from a very simple wheel weight or 20-1 alloy to a very hard alloy with the hardening process and the use of gas checks.
All the info you have received has been dead on and please follow the suggestion that you read the Fryxell and Applegate book named From Ingot TO Target that has been put on our forum for a free download.
It's worth making a paper copy to use in a three ring binder if you have a printer. It's 186 pages and is a fast job with High Speed Internet.
As has been posted if you find yourself in a bind and are not sure of how to proceed,please stop and ask a question as it will be the best way.
Both of these hobbies are easy if you go slow and pay attention. Best of Luck and Welcome aboard. Later David

[Iron Mike Golf]

Dustlane,

You don't say what guns you have. If any have a polygonal barrel, I'd save them for later. 9mm can be tricky. 380 can be impossible. It depends on the gun's bore. Some have such a huge groove dia that a properly fitting bullet won't chamber.

Anyways, pick one of them and start with that. Stay with that until you have your loads all figured out and tuned to where you like them, then move to the next caliber. Yeah, each gun is a law unto itself, but you can stack the deck in your favor by starting with a bullet design that others have had success with. Learn what to avoid (like SWCs in Springfield XDs).

Used is your friend. It may take you longer to get things together, but your wallet will love you for it. Check classifieds on this and other gun boards. Don't be afraid to post Want To Buy ads, either. Dunno if flea markets out your way (I know, it's winter), have casting stuff, but they do sometimes up my way in OH. Check flea markets, auctions, and Goodwill/thrift stores for pewter (an excellent source for economical tin).

Here's my recommended start list: micrometer for slugging, 10 lb pot bottom pour pot, hotplate with old circular saw blade, 2 cav mold, thermometer for the pot, lubrisizer with die, White label Lube (BAC should work for all your calibers).

[GLL]

Welcome ! I really cannot add much to the comments BUT I and several others here would sure like to see a larger detailed photo of THAT BASS ! :) :)

Jerry