Cheapest way to get started without sacrificing efficiency

[Animal]

I was hoping there would be a sticky that would help new guys like me get to get set up without spending too much... or did I miss it?

Any input you have on casting pots, ladles, burners, ingot molds and so on would be great. I saw a few things at walmart that I wondered about, cast iron pots, dutch ovens an so fourth. Or is it best to just purchase a kit from Lee or one of the other fellows? Thanks guys.

[waksupi]

There are several stickies that should help you get started.
However!
If you buy cheap, you get cheap results. If you are going to seriously pursue this aspect of shooting, I advise to look for the best you can get for your purposes. I myself am poor, and so saying, have never been able to afford to buy cheap stuff. I've always bought the best that is needed for the end results. Cheap stuff doesn't last. Quality does. I still have some of the cheap stuff kicked into the corners of the shop I don't consider good enough to peddle off on a newcomer.
If seriously getting into cast, you will find this is not a "get by" proposition. We are handloading ammunition that surpasses any factory loads you will buy. For the price you pay for good quality now, and compared to the cost of factory ammo, it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out where the money savings are.

[Lead Fred]

/concur

I started with a camp stove converted to propane. A 20lb Lee furnace sure is a lot cheaper to operate.

EVERYTHING else Ive gotten from gun shows, swaps, yard sales, etc.

Cept molds, Ranch Dog & Lyman

[KYShooter73]

With all due respect to Waksupi, I agree to buying the best you can. But...here are the basics I have and doing relatively well for a pistol caster. In order. 1. A supply of wheel weights. 2. Sawdust. 3. A propane tank cut in half. 4. A turkey frier burner. 5. A muffin pan. 6. Simple stolen from wife kitchen utensils. 7. A Lee 4-20 drip-o-matic (the splatter burns don't hurt after a while). 8. A mold. (I have Lee right now, 3 of em. By budget, not choice. Had to do some tinkering, but they work.) 9. A sizer die, again Lee. 10. (And number 10) The last thing you need, but most important issss...Lube....

[Dusty Bannister]

While I generally am in agreement with KYShooter, somewhere before all of that comes a good cast bullet reloading manual. In addition to the data, you will find the basic information and terms upon which to build your knowledge.

Forums are good, but some still have trouble understanding the difference between bore and groove diameters as an example.

Always keep your eyes open for good used equipment. If you already have that item, it is trading stock for what you need. Just keep looking and enjoy the quest.

[waksupi]

I will amend the buy the best you can a little. Lee molds are fine to start with. I have some that are 30 years old, and they still cast good projectiles.

[btroj]

Best way to get started- find someone near you who casts and have them show you the ropes.

Good tools help but knowledge and thinking are the key. A moron can make lousy bullets with even the best of equipment.

[jmort]

A fire and a cast iron ladle and a piece of wood/mdf/particle board. See Bushboy in action making shotgun slugs. It can be very primitive. Ever watch Mel Gibson in the Patriot melting down lead toy soldiers?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g06a6RWC4A

[detox]

Small RCBS or Lyman cast iron pot and stove top (electric or gas will work)

Casting thermometer

RCBS or Lyman ladle

Candle wax as flux

Good used or new RCBS mould and handles

[dbosman]

First read all you can. If you do nothing else read as many of the sticky's in the casting session, as you can.
This is free too. http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

Next, find a local or even not so local mentor. One casting session will teach you a lot in a short time.
While you are doing the above, you can be gathering lead or lead sources. Or not. You may find it less work and actual expense to purchase ingots from someone here, who has a large smelting setup.

It's better to dip and pour from a smelting pot, then to smelt in your casting pot.

[MattOrgan]

There is a difference between cheap and value. I think the Lee 20 pound bottom pour pot is as good as an RCBS in actual use. I've had both for years. Simply stated you can get totally set up for less than the price of an RCBS furnace if you buy a Lee furnace, mold, and sizer. I have had several Lee molds for many years that still work great, but you need to know how to handle and maintain them, luckily Lee includes good instructions.. Some of the best advice is to find someone who is a caster. Learning on your own is slow and it led me down many wrong paths. Buy a Lyman cast bullet guide too. That might be your best place to start. You will get a good foundation on what casting is. If you are looking for a less exspensive way to shoot more, you can do a lot with a Lee set up as a starting point. You certainly can get more specialized if you want. I have never stopped using my early acquisitions. Luckily reloading equipment is all pretty well engineered and durable and most items will last more than one life time, so used equipment can be a great value if you choose to go that route.

Stay involved with this site, many thousands of people here ready to provide very generous help.

[mdi]

I would suggest Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook 3rd Edition (I believe Amazon still has the 3rd Edition). I started with a 2 qt. stainless steel pot, a Coleman single burner stove, a Lee mold, a Lee dipper, a slotted spoon, and some paraffin. I had a supply of wheel weights, and soon discovered sawdust was a better flux than paraffin. This simple outfit kept my .44 Magnums in bullets for a year before I upgraded to a 20 lb. bottom pour pot. The only "problem" I had was temperature control with the stove/flame but I still got 80%-90% keepers. Much of my "casting tools" has come from the kitchen section at the local dollar stove and I keep my eyes open for items that can be used in my bullet casting. Personally, I don't believe you need to spend a lot on a start-up set to get good bullets, and mebbe you learn more about casting starting casting by KISS...

[Whiterabbit]

you can get started casting with as simple as a 10 lb lee drip-o-matic, a lee mold, and a push through sizer. Add a SFRB of clean lead and you have cheaply gotten started. Cast up the lead, get another box, do it again, and you'll very likely be in a good place to ask pointed and serious questions, and understand the answers exactly.

[oscarflytyer]

I started with things I had... Coleman stove to cast, turkey burner to smelt. Big (smelter) and small (cast) cast iron pots. Old spoon to flux and stir. Paint sticks to flux (cheap/free). Scrounged wheelweights (later bought some).

Bought a Lee ladle and a Lyman ingot tray. Crazy thing, my first mold ever was a $100 MiHec H&G#68 clone! Amazing mold! I since own mostly Lee molds which work fine for me. Also have another MiHec 44 Keith mold.

About the only thing I have "bought" are the molds. I also have an old propane can I need to cut in half to smelt in.

Last, I use homemade 45/45/10 lube, tumble lube, and Lee sizing dies that work in my press...

[Smoke4320]

as stated get the Lyman 3rd edition manual read it cover to cover then read it again.. That and reading a lot of the stickys here will save you more money/time than anything besides a local caster to help..
on equipment Lee molds are fine to start with. just be gentle with them
I would suggest a Lee Pro 4-20 bottom pour pot.. again it will speed the learning curve
a lead thermometer
make a mold handle knocker from a broken shovel handle or oak stick cover hitting end with a few rounds of duct tape,
a lee ladle or a wooden spoon/paint stir stick to stir/scrape the pot
and some sawdust/dog bed shavings for flux
LLA tumble lube to start with and lee push thru sizers
with a little shopping easy to get up and running for less than $300

[Smoke4320]

as stated get the Lyman 3rd edition manual read it cover to cover then read it again.. That and reading a lot of the stickys here will save you more money/time than anything besides a local caster to help..
on equipment Lee molds are fine to start with. just be gentle with them
I would suggest a Lee Pro 4-20 bottom pour pot.. again it will speed the learning curve
a lead thermometer
make a mold handle knocker from a broken shovel handle or oak stick cover hitting end with a few rounds of duct tape,
a lee ladle or a wooden spoon/paint stir stick to stir/scrape the pot
and some sawdust/dog bed shavings for flux
LLA tumble lube to start with and lee push thru sizers .. I powdercoat now and love it but that's another issue and cost
with a little shopping easy to get up and running for less than $300

had a turkey fryer and just bought a Cast Iron dutch oven and a cast iron muffin pan to make ingots.. got a 2.5 LB ingot Mold from beone here last month .. All I needed to make ingots or smelt

[FishingFool]

Star lube/sizer. I tried pan lubing. It works but man I'm not going back ever again.

[garym1a2]

Lee magnum melter, lyman dipper, Lee 6up molds.

[jcwit]

I still use a single burner Coleman stove to smelt and cast. But then I live in an area where I can still buy "white gas", Naptha, which is what Coleman fuel is off the pump, cost per gallon? approx. $4.00.

Been doing it this way for 50 + years.

[freebullet]

Lee bottom pour, 6cav, & push through die(even comes with lube). That's a cheap start at makin bulk plinkin boolits.

[Animal]

Excellent advice guys. Thanks. I may have misled some readers by using the word "cheap". I just wanted to make sure that if I spent 50 bucks on a good dutch oven that it was a good buy verses an optional purchase for 60 bucks that would have been specifically marketed for boolits. Hope that makes sense.

I'll check out the Lyman 3rd edition, look at 20lb bottom pour Lee, 6 cavity Lee molds (maybe used RCBS if I come across a good deal) and thermometer. It sounds like most of the other tools can be purchased at most stores like Walmart. Thanks again!

[jcwit]

Excellent advice guys. Thanks. I may have misled some readers by using the word "cheap". I just wanted to make sure that if I spent 50 bucks on a good dutch oven that it was a good buy verses an optional purchase for 60 bucks that would have been specifically marketed for boolits. Hope that makes sense.

I'll check out the Lyman 3rd edition, look at 20lb bottom pour Lee, 6 cavity Lee molds (maybe used RCBS if I come across a good deal) and thermometer. It sounds like most of the other tools can be purchased at most stores like Walmart. Thanks again!

$50 bucks for a dutch oven? How bout going to GoodWill and picking up a steel pot for $3.00? You'll never cook with it anyway.

[Animal]

Got a few things from goodwill to accommodate my reloading station. Good point

[WILCO]

I was hoping there would be a sticky that would help new guys like me get to get set up without spending too much... or did I miss it?

Any input you have on casting pots, ladles, burners, ingot molds and so on would be great. I saw a few things at walmart that I wondered about, cast iron pots, dutch ovens an so fourth. Or is it best to just purchase a kit from Lee or one of the other fellows? Thanks guys.

Take a look at these threads to see how I got started casting boolits:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?55896-My-lead-smelting-set-up

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?127865-Switched-ladles&highlight=switched+ladles

As for molds, dies, presses, powder measures, sizers, the majority of my equipment is from LEE Precision. The rest is Redding and RCBS. I did upgrade lead furnaces by getting a LEE Precision melter and an RCBS Pro-Melt.

Best wishes as you move forward.

[Animal]

Wilco, thanks. That is exactly what I was looking for... something functional, simple and efficient. Think I'll be looking around Goodwill for good buys. If they **** out, you aren't out by much of anything. If they work great... Huge savings!

[dbosman]

I smelt in a stainless steel food service condiments tray for a cold table (about 100# capacity), on a Coleman gas stove. I paid a little less for a gallon of fuel than I did for the stove and tray. A $2.00 stainless steel ladle is my ingot mold, skimming spoon, and dipper for moving hot lead into my Lee casting pot.

[EDG]

Knowledge is the key to how much you spend. You can think you are doing well to buy the best of everything when many scrounged items will work just as well if not better.
Don't be trapped into thinking you have to buy a complete first quality set up to cast your first bullet.
Find a 1 qt cast iron sauce pan with a pour spot for a casting pot. An old dutch oven or bean pot will pemit you to smelt. You can get by with a Coleman stove for a while. Once you get a feel for the basics you can expand your equipment list. I can assure you that the guys that exterminated the buffalo did not have a lot of equipment.

[Animal]

"I can assure you that the guys that exterminated the buffalo did not have a lot of equipment." Good point. In fact, I like the idea of all my reloading to work without electricity or propane.

[shadowcaster]

There is a difference between cheap and value.

This statement says a lot!

There has been lots of good advice given. The best advice I can give (especially if on a tight budget) is to start simple. Buying the so called "best" right out of the shoot can make or break you.

Shad