Hello Gunners newbe here

[evel knievel]

newbe here im looking to cast for 40 cal
heres some questions 4ya
can i use reclaimed magnum led shot to melt down for casting if so do i add tin
i dont have acess to wheel weights so i buy lead wher is cheapest deal on lead for a guy with no connections
also whats the best casting book for beginners
in stead of buy premixed lead i want to find cheaper source to meltdown and mix with tin
whats the best furnice under 500bucks

thanks for you time :guntootsmiley:

[flyingmonkey35]

Welcome!

A small Cast iron pan form walmart $9.00
a Source of heat! most use a Coleman propane stove or a good turkey fryer.

Watch these Youtube Videos on how to SAFELY handle lead!
This whole searis part 1-6 Highly recommend!

some repeat the info BUT there only 5 minutes each.
part 1
http://youtu.be/Vq4nzHoGgGI
part 2
http://youtu.be/TjPauCHrwwI
part 3
http://youtu.be/pGXAJI0pdUk

part 4
http://youtu.be/U06aEc09O_k

part 5

http://youtu.be/gscXQJRrdcI
part 6
http://youtu.be/ConjxE7V56c

Recommendations For Beginning Bullet Casters!
http://youtu.be/VIaabmZLf2s

[Gun_nut83]

Stick to the posts here too. I just came across a thread that some of the lifers have posted on and advised on where to find lead and tips on how to be persistent at acquiring cheaply. From what I gathered: ask EVERYONE you know. Friends, family, neighbors, local tire shops, local junk yards, local contractors by them plumbers, roofers, or general contractors who may work at rehabbing hospitals, train tracks, intersections, parking lots etc etc. Basically get creative and "grease the tracks" a little(so to speak). One spoke of getting familiar with the persons you may be dealing with and bringing them donuts from time to time. This is what I've read here hope this helps.

By the way welcome to the addiction.:lovebooli

[MrWolf]

Welcome. I would also buy yourself some reloading manuals such as Lyman's 4th and 3rd edition if you can find it. There are plenty of stickies you should read find them at the top of the forum pages. Best advise I can give us to read, read, read, then read some more. After awhile it will start sinking in and then you can ask the relevant questions. I cut a propane tank for my smelter and mounted everything inside a discarded Weber grill. Lot of folks here have some phenomenal info posted already. Best of luck.

Ron

[RogerDat]

you can melt in any stainless steel or cast iron pot, Coleman camp stove works for melting down larger batches but a hot plate will probably work for actually casting bullets from your alloy ingots. Alloy melts at lower temp than plain lead, hot plates I have struggles to melt plain lead. Have a 750 watts coil type and a 850 watt solid surface one, both really won't do large amounts of plain lead well. The newer hot plates tend to cycle on and off to maintain temp, the older coil type tend to work better from the two I have tried.

Harbor Freight dutch oven less than $30 heated by a $40 Walmart propane fish fryer ( DO NOT use the aluminum pan that comes with the fryer).
Lyman dipper for casting boolits $13 from Amazon.
Tel-Tru LT225R thermometer to measure temp of melted lead so once you find the "right" temp for casting a batch of lead you can maintain it.
Couple of stainless pots from Salvation Army, thrift store or yard sales. $15
Some muffin tins used from Salvation Army, thrift store or yard sales I think I have $5 into mine or ingot molds Lee molds are $14 each.
Hot plate $25 or less if you can find one used.
Couple of slotted spoons for fluxing and skimming off crud. Used maybe $3
A soup ladle used about $3, bend the handle and use for making ingots. Holds approx 1.5 lbs of lead.

If by "furnace" you mean for melting while you cast boolits. That there is a religious question. Some like a bottom pour because with a couple of 6 cavity molds they can be very productive, others have a preference for using a ladle with a regular furnace. Just getting started you can use a ladle, a stainless pot, and a hot plate. Lyman or Lee make decent casting furnace for about $60

Some safety equipment. Welding gloves HF has them for less than $20 and a face shield from Home Depot about $18, at the least safety glasses with side protection. Read up on the tinsel fairy and decide if you are foolish enough to skip eye protection.

You will want a "clean" casting pot for making boolits from, could be stainless with hot plate or a casting furnace, as well as some pot or pots for melting raw materials for ingots. The ingot pots tend to get "crud" in them when melting scrap or wheel weights to make ingots. You want to only cast from a pot where you melt the cleaned and fluxed ingots.

People are selling lead in the WTS part of this forum all the time, at good prices. I scrounge for it but purchasing from a forum member with a good reputation is probably way less hassle and less expensive than flea bay or a metal supplier. Wheel weight lead plus a little lead free solder for tin (available from home improvement or hardware stores) and you are good to go.

Once you can make ingots or have some ingots ready for casting post a question about what .40 cal mold. Better yet read up a bit and narrow it down to a few molds you think you might like then ask which ones people recommend. Don't make folks guess how your going to lube or what weight and profile of bullet you want to shoot with. Give them that based on what options you have figured out will probably work.

While it does not flow as well as a book, the forum stickies (and the links they contain) are free and well worth making it a mission to read them "cover to cover" even if you don't understand everything you will gain knowledge of what is out there to be learned. And frankly pretty much everything you need to know. Ok books may have better grammar and spell checking by the editor and a bit more organized but the folks here are experts in the field, and have done more and know more than will fit in a book less than the size of an encyclopedia.

[evel knievel]

thanks everywon great suggestions i went to buy 2000 jacketed bullets from midway and thought theres got to be a cheaper way

im taking my time so i dont get burned or poisioned lol

[JSnover]

If your budget is $500 you're in good shape. I don't think I paid that much for my 8 qt Dutch oven, King Krab propane burner and Lee casting furnace.

[bangerjim]

thanks everywon great suggestions i went to buy 2000 jacketed bullets from midway and thought theres got to be a cheaper way

im taking my time so i dont get burned or poisioned lol

If all you want to do right now is 40's, get a Lee mold or two (there aren't very many to choose from in that cal....why I do not really like it), a Lee 4-20 bottom pour pot and start casting. I would highly recommend looking into powder coating your new boolits as it saves time & LOTS of money, and prevents smoke and leading in your gun! Check out the stickies on PC'ing using the dry tumble method with black airsoft bb's. Then, once you get used to it, move into the electrostatic gun method to get perfect results every time. You will not have to lay down many hundreds of $$ for a lubra-sizer machine!

When you are casting boolits for pennies a piece rather than those ridiculous prices for FMJ's, you will be shooting more and enjoying it more!!!!!!

Welcome to the fun.

bangerjim