Short List

[Bo1]

First of all I'm obviously a newbie, and I am full of questions.
Is there somewhere on here that someone has posted a short list of "must have" to start casting?
I have the cast iron stuff, propane burner,utensils, etc... I'm also making contacts to get WW.
I don't have a clue of which molds to buy, if I have to have a sizer/luber, and stuff like that.
Basically a beginners list for us people who don't have a clue.
Thank you for any help.
Bo

[geargnasher]

1.) The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 3rd or 4th edition.

Gear

[Wayne Smith]

The answer kinda depends on the caliber of the guns you will be using, doesn't it?

[I'll Make Mine]

You're got the heat source, the pot(s) -- one for smelting, the other for casting, right? -- and you'll soon have the scrap. At its basic, cheapest point, you'll still need a sizer (unless you're lucky enough to get a mold that drops at your groove size + .002"), mold, and some way to lube. Lee sells a nice sizer kit that fits in your reloading press at a very reasonable price; it even includes some tumble lube to get you started, and the storage box doubles as a container to catch the boolits as you push them through.

Lubing on a budget or to get started is easily done by the "pan lube" method, assuming you get a traditional lube groove mold (if you get a tumble lube mold, you just need a tumble lube formula -- like the Lee Liquid Alox that comes with the Lee sizer -- and an old cottage cheese carton or similar) -- stand the boolits in a flat bottomed pan (the lid off a holiday popcorn can works very well, but a cake layer pan will do almost as well and is easier to find this time of year), pour your melted lube around them to cover the top lube groove, and once it set up, free the boolits from the lube with a "kake kutter" -- simplest kind is a fired, unsized case with the head cut off so the boolits can push right on through. Lube before sizing, but if you tumble lube, lube again after to replace the lube that was wiped off the driving bands by the sizer.

You can make your own conventional lube; many recipes available on another subforum at this site. At the simplest, you'll usually need some kind of wax and an oil to mix with it -- paraffin and automatic transmission fluid, for instance -- in a proportion that will have the right firmness at a desirable range of temperature (you may need to change formula from winter to summer because lube will soften as it gets warm, but if it's too hard it may not work as well).

You've slugged your barrel, right? You need to know the groove diameter to choose a mold, and I'd recommend getting the mold and casting a few boolits before you buy a sizer, because you can save a few bucks (for now) if you're lucky enough (or do enough homework) to get a mold that drops at the correct size, which is generally .002" over groove (every gun has its preferences, but this will service probably 90% or more of rifles, and a majority of revolvers). If you get lucky, you can put of buying a sizer. Of course, you can also buy a combination luber and sizer, though in my opinion there's enough learning curve in managing the lube temperature and pressure in these to make pan lubing and push-through sizing preferable to start.

So, short version: you still need a bore slug, mold, lube to match your mold type (i.e. tumble or conventional) and some basic lube tools, and probably a sizer.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Bo1,

The answers are going to depend on your likes. I don't like tumble lube, so don't buy molds designed for that. I don't like pan lubing, so use a luber/sizer and have one each of Lyman and RCBS.

I don't like bottom pour pots and yes I've tried them.

I use an old Colman gas stove, a large cast iron pot ( holds about 45lbs ) and most importantly, a Rowell bottom pour ladle which is right up there next to sliced bread.

Molds, Some folk like Lee. For me, the ONLY Lee molds worth bring home are their 6 cavity molds. There is a huge quility difference between the 6 cavity mold and the smaller molds.

I use some of the 6 cavity molds for handguns as they are a fair bang for the buck.

Lyman molds, for me at least just rattle apart and you almost need a wrench in one hand and the mold in the other.

RCBS molds are MUCH better quality then the Lyman. I have both.

My favorite molds are from the "custom" mold makers. LBT is good. Accurate Molds look good and get good reviews.

Ranchdog got lots of good reviews, but guess he is out of business and they were Lee tumble lube molds and I won't go there.

Lube, some good ones out there, and you can make your own. LBT is good.

However, it is really hard to beat, White Label Lube. I like their BAC lube. They are good to deal with and the price is right.

Molds, I like big ones, 4 to 6 cavity.

Wish RCBS made so bigger then 2 cavity.

Gas checks, yes and no. For some things, there is little to no need. I use them on my 45/70, most of the .44 mag but not on my .38/.357, 45acp, or 40S&W.

If you buy a gas check mold, you need to use gas checks.

You will hear a lot about slugging your bore and the fit of your boolit to your bore.

I have been really lucky and this has just never been a big thing for me.

I have found that a boolit sized a bit on the big side has worked just fine. .431 for the .44, .460 for the 45/70.

Metal, Wheel weights are great if you can get them! The current supplys many times have zinc or steel wts. mixed in. The steel you can't melt, and the zinc you need to be careful and sort out or be sure to use a low enough temp when smelting the ww to clean them, that the zinc DOES NOT MELT and wreck your alloy.

Tin, Well millions of boolits have been cast from just plain Ol'Wheel Weights with nothing added. To get started, save your bucks and save your tin.

WW commonly have about .5% tin in the alloy, and if you have your ducks in a row when casting it will be plenty.

My alloy for the 45/70 is 50/50 Wheel Weight/lead, so that makes the percentage of tin even lower then the .5% and they still cast just fine.

You don't list your calibers, but if your going to be hunting with something in 40 or bigger caliber, you simply do not need an expanding or Hollow Point boolit, Just make sure your mold is for a Wide Flat Nose (WFN) profile and it will kill game better then jacketed bullet hunters can possibly believe until they see the awesome results. Been there and seen that.

Get a copy of the new Lyman cast bullet manual and read and read.

Enough, Welcome aboard! There are a lot of folk here with lots of good info, but some of it differs from what I like and you will need to make your own choice.

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[462]

Bo,

Welcome to the forum.

This may not be how other members went about it, and it may not be what you want to hear, but it has worked for me and many others.

Read, read, read, then read it all over again.

Gear has already given you two very excellent references, and they are arguably the best cast boolit dollars you will ever spend. Not only do they address the entire casting and reloading processes, but they include the most comprehensive cast boolit loads available anywhere. This site's stickies and Archive (link located near the bottom of every page) are absolutely invaluable. Too, there is Glen Fryxell's excellent e-book that is available for free from the lasc web-site (link at the bottom of every page).

Boolit casting and reloading exist in the real world, so there aren't and short lists or short cuts. If that happened to be the case, there wouldn't be any need for this site. The new caster/reloader needs to do a good bit of homework, gathering as much information as possible, making notes, asking questions, and determining what equipment will best match your needs and the budget to those of your guns.

Keep foremost in your mind, that just because something worked for someone else and their guns, doesn't mean that it will work for you and your guns. Experimenting is an important part of the entire casting/reloading process. A failed experiment is a lesson learned, and is just as important as a successful one.

[Bo1]

Thank you for the responses.
I think I am going to start with some basic round flat nose, or wide flat nose (as suggested) pistol boolits. I will save the hollow points, and rifle boolits until I get some experience under my belt. The pistol calibers I would like to start with is 44spec, 44mag, 45LC, 45ACP, and 9mm. The 44mag would be for hunting, the 45ACP for trouble, and the rest for playing.

[nhrifle]

Ok, now I am glaring at my computer screen. Where were you guys when I started casting?????? I have what I need now, but jeez! You are a little late in saving me from a bunch of wasted expense and the frustration of learning without a mentor!

Seriously tho, the above posts are some of the best and most complete information for beginning casters I have read anywhere, and that is why I love this forum! I recommend this be made a sticky.

[waksupi]

"Jacketed Performance with Cast Bullets", by Veral Smith.

This book is so familiar to most of us, we forget to mention it to new people.

[shadygrady]

you got zinc send it to me for lead

[Bo1]

What kind of zinc? Metal, powder??
What is a good source for zinc?

[runfiverun]

bo.
a lot of ww's are zink.
keep them separate from any lead ones you find.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Yes, the book by Veral Smith - LBT - is a good one.

Just hang on to your book or you'll end up buying a second one when your first one doesn't get returned. Been there and done that.

As per Veral's info and his claims - and the claims of others - for WFN or LFN cast bullets (Veral doesn't like, "Boolits") when I first read his info I was hard pressed to believe that a non-expanding cast boolit moving at a typical cast boolit velocity could be as effective as he claimed.

BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

I have completed my 3rd hunting season with cast rifle boolits and of the 7 eating sized critter taken during that period, 6 were taken with a 45/70 and cast, non-expanding WFN boolit.

I know the word is over worked, but simply awesome. The WFN cast WILL do everything claimed, at least what I've seen in the large amount of info I've read. 4 deer and 2 elk and all down way faster/better then any old "J" bullet hunter could believe until He has seen the first hand results. I have!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[MtGun44]

Must have:

mold
lead alloy
heat source
pot
ladle or big spoon

lubricant

All else is optional. Don't overthink this and psych yourself out. Research pan lubing
for starters.

Bill