Beginner Equipment Thread or Book or Sticky

[Buck Shot]

Hey, all, new guy here. Thanks to the moderators/forum sponsors for this great resource.

I'm just now trying to get into loading cast bullet loads for 30-06 and 38 Spl and 45 ACP. I've been handloading for jacketed bullets (270, 223, 30-06, etc.) since the 1980s, but bullet casting and sizing, lubing, etc., is all new to me.

I already have all the standard handloading equipment, but as I understand it, getting into loading cast bullets will require a fair amount of new equipment -- lead melter, bullet sizing and lubing equipment, etc.

I looked around, but didn't see a sticky or other thread that goes into this. Is there a thread here, or a book or website anyone can recommend that will tell me what I need to buy to do this? Looking at mainly casting for target loads for 38 Spl and 45 ACP, as well as squib loads for 30-06 for using in CMP Vintage Military matches in a FN M98.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[AndyC]

Welcome aboard :)

Have a look at From Ingot to Target: A Cast Bullet Guide for Handgunners (http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm) - don't get too far down in the weeds for now, but it's an excellent resource for both an overview (for now) and then a deep dive into specifics. It's something to which you'll refer often.

In short, you'll need:
* A supply of bullet alloy - many people start by buying from places such as Rotometals, but you can mix your own using the Alloy Calculator (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators) found on the site (used to determine what mixing various amounts of this metal with that will produce)
* Melting pot (Lee 10-lb is popular)
* Mold + handles
* Method of lubing and sizing your bullet (pan-lubing, wax lube, powdercoating, etc and various sizing methods such as the Lee kits, lube-sizers, etc)

[Bazoo]

Here's a link to from ingot to target http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm

And here is a link to the Lyman cast bullet handbook 3rd edition http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manuals/Bullet%20Casting/Lyman%20Cast%20Bullet%20Handbook%20-%203rd%20Edition%20-%201980%20-%20Reduce.pdf

Those will tell you lot, it can be pretty simple or fairly complex, just pends on your needs and the guns needs.

Howdy and welcome by the way.

[Winger Ed.]

Welcome.

You'll do well to web search things like 'cast .30-06'. 'casting .38 boolits', 'cast boolits', 'bullet sizing', etc.
If you use the word 'boolits' in your keywords, most searches will bring you back here in the archives
where the subjects were well covered and discussed.
Using the key word 'bullet' in various searches will take you all over, mostly to other web sites.

It'll take you from new conversations on the subject, as well as years back into the archives and other sites.

[StuBach]

Welcome aboard.

+1 on reading Ingot to Target. Vast resource of knowledge there.

As for sourcing casting material (lead alloy) root metals is a great source for clean alloy but it can be pricey. There’s a lot of casters on here that sell their excess usually at reasonable prices. Stick to something with at least as much tin (Sn) as it has Antimony (Sb) and you should be pretty good. Avoid sellers on eBay as they are unknown source and may contain zink which is, to most casters, unusable (though some have tried using it).

You’d do well to include your location in your profile as well. Many of us are more than game to educate people in person and or lend extra equipment to a new caster. Depending on where you live there may be many resources at your disposal.

Amazon used to have a casters starter kit that wasn’t too badly priced but who knows what it’s price is now. Might be worth looking at the components though to give you an idea of where to start.

[gpidaho]

Welcome to the forum Buck Shot. Does anyone else feel a little wiggle on the line? Might hook another one. LOL Gp

[mroliver77]

I started with a mold, a hotplate, a cut down coffee can (later upgraded to steel sauce pan) a Lyman ladle and some Lee liquid alox. I made some great boolits and became semi proficient with a handgun.

[gwpercle]

Hot plates no longer get hot enough to melt a small pot of lead ... safety cut off keeps them from getting hot enough like the old ones . You can preheat your mould with iy .

Get a Lee Magnum Melter 20 lb. electric pot and a Lyman Ladle . Smaller pots, 5 and 10 lbs. , just don't hold enough metal to make a good run ... about the time everything is hot and running well ... you run out of metal ... Trust me ... just get the 20 lb. Magnum Melter .
I wish someone had told me that 40 years ago ... I got a bottom pour and never did like all the poor quality boolits it produced ... I wasted years fooling around with that thing .
Gary

[mr surveyor]

has "Buck Shot" ever loaded commercial (or any other) cast boolits before? If not, I would think it may be best to at least try them first. jmo

jd

[Wayne Smith]

I donno, I started with a gas camp stove and a cast iron pot, a Lyman ladle, RCBS mold, and a lot of encouragement from the guys on what was then shooters.com. Both the boolit casters and the BPCR shooters helped greatly. Felix was one of the many. I had and have a 40-70BN Sharps and was learning how to shoot it. Casting boolits with that RCBS mold was a good start. Still use the pot and a gas stove. I've been reloading since I was 16 but this was my introduction to boolit casting and BP shooting.

[Bazoo]

The RCBS cast bullet manual is worth obtaining if you can. It's very useful.

[gbrown]

If there is a Harbor Freight near you, they used to sell a 4 qt. Cast Iron pot. Garage sales, yard sales are a good source. I have 1 from an old caster, as well as a large plumbers pot, from a plumber friend, and a small one inherited from Dad. All have a specific use. Ladles? Again, garage sales and estate sales. Slotted spoons for removing dross, solid for pouring. You gotta think outside the box, not what it is, what it could be. Start small, think big.

[gbrown]

My big smelter is 3/4 20# tank, cut with a battery operated reciprocating saw at the weld line. I never measured how much it will do, but a 5 gallon bucket of COWW won't fill it. Done that several times. Turkey burner, thermometer from Rotometal. Works nicely.

[Conditor22]

Lyman cast bullet manual #3 PDF

http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manuals/Bullet%20Casting/Lyman%20Cast%20Bullet%20Handbook%20-%203rd%20Edition%20-%201980%20-%20Reduce.pdf

[WRideout]

For the pistol cartridges you listed, the initial requirements can be pretty simple. I still shoot wadcutter 38's in my Mod 19 unsized and with either tumble lube or pan lube. You can look up the definitions on those methods elsewhere in this forum. I have been hand loading for at least the past 43 years, and only got a Lyman lubrisizer a couple of years ago, when I bought out an estate sale of reloading equipment. Over time you will develop an eagle eye for sources of lead; I get a certain amount of mine free, and the rest I get from mining the backstop at my club range. In the meantime, there are sources in the swapping and selling forum here that have good, clean lead for a reasonable price. I have obtained many of my molds from members here, as well. Hope this helps.

Wayne

[AndyC]

Lyman cast bullet manual #3 PDF

http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manuals/Bullet%20Casting/Lyman%20Cast%20Bullet%20Handbook%20-%203rd%20Edition%20-%201980%20-%20Reduce.pdf

Thank you! I used to have that manual years back and can't find the darned thing, so that link is a huge help [smilie=s:

[Buck Shot]

Holy mackerel, this is a wealth of great information. Thank you all for your welcomes and advice! I'm digging into some of those links now...

[mdi]

Welcome. Casting your own bullets is probably the most satisfying aspect of do-it-yourself shooting/reloading!

FWIW; I started with a stainless steel pot on a Coleman stove, a Lee ladle, a Lee 44 SWC mold. I "fluxed" with candle wax, and pan lubed with a Lee kit (no longer available. Kit consisted of a small aluminum pan a "cookie cutter", a push through sizing die, just a steel tube not for press mounting, and a steel rod to push bullets through the sizing die). I used scrap lead and wheel weights and soon began dip lubing in alox. I cast many 44 cal bullets for my 44 Magnums for over a year and then bought an electric pot. So, you don't need a lot of equipment to get good shootable cast bullets. Today for a new caster I'd first suggest the Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook (if you can find one a 3rd Edition is a bit better for new casters than the 4th). A lubersizer isn't necessary as there are a few different methods of lubing and sizing that work quite well (I have been casting for 22 years and don't have a lubersizer as I do quite well with pan and dip lubing). I have dip lubed for all my handgun bullets (but not exclusively) and two 30m cal. rifles, and 45-45-1 works very well. I have pan lubed many (thousands) of my cast bullets with commercial lubes and my homemade lubes with great success. I now have 13 different bullet molds and 7 Lee sizing dies, a poor inventory compared to some Advanced Casters!

As equipment and supplies are difficult to obtain now, I'd suggest the Lyman Handbook, The LASC site, and hang out/read here, while keeping shopping/hunting for equipment and supplies (I've purchased a lot of lead from The Captain, vendor/sponsor here)...
http://www.lasc.us/castbulletnotes.htm

[dondiego]

Holy mackerel, this is a wealth of great information. Thank you all for your welcomes and advice! I'm digging into some of those links now...

Buck Shot is a good handle............trust me........welcome aboard.

[GregLaROCHE]

If you want to start as inexpensively as possible, all you need is a mold and a container to melt lead in and a heat source. You can lube with your fingers. After that, the sky is the limit as far as how much you want to put into this great pass time.

[Buck Shot]

Thanks again for the replies. I bought a Lee 20# melter and I have a Lyman 311332 (180gr GC) mold, but I'm having some trouble sourcing gas checks. Sage's is out.

Can anyone recommend:
a) another source for gas checks besides Sage's, and
b) another mold -- preferably plain-base that won't need gas checks -- that would be a good accuracy candidate for a FN M98 30-06 (Colombian Model 1950) with 4-groove barrel? I realize this is a wide-open question, but my main concern is accuracy rather than velocity, if that helps -- along with a plain base that will help prevent the bullet yawing when it engages rifling.

[WestKentucky]

I’m new as well. I have cast about 500 Lee soup can wadcutters for 38spl and put most of them back into the pot while I was learning. I now have about 400 good ones I need to lube and load. I think I’m going to skip straight to powder coating them rather than fool with lubrisizers and whatnot. Sizing is not absolutely necessary... the Lee tumble lube mold I have drops wadcutters at .358 and .359 depending upon how hot the lead is when I pour. At this point I see no reason to size them. It’s the only mold I have right now though.

[StuBach]

Thanks again for the replies. I bought a Lee 20# melter and I have a Lyman 311332 (180gr GC) mold, but I'm having some trouble sourcing gas checks. Sage's is out.

Can anyone recommend:
a) another source for gas checks besides Sage's, and
b) another mold -- preferably plain-base that won't need gas checks -- that would be a good accuracy candidate for a FN M98 30-06 (Colombian Model 1950) with 4-groove barrel? I realize this is a wide-open question, but my main concern is accuracy rather than velocity, if that helps -- along with a plain base that will help prevent the bullet yawing when it engages rifling.

Depending on the load you may be able to get by with just powder coating as opposed to gas checking. I have some 44mag bullets that cast with a gas check shank and they shoot very nice with just PC on them and no check.

You might also keep an eye out for anyone in the group can makes their own checks. I make my own 44 gas checks now so I can avoid becoming reliant on manufacturers. I’m sure someone out there has a Freechex or Pat Marlin check maker on 30cal that will be willing to send you some for a decent price.

[Buck Shot]

Thanks, guys. I wouldn't mind finding the tools to make my own gas checks, as well. I'll have to put that into the Google machine...

[fcvan]

A former member here made them, but due to some 'contest of crossing urine streams' he is not here anymore. Good tools, heck of a nice guy, we still trade correspondence. In fact, I did a google search for check making dies, and it lead me here.

There are a number of folks who make them, a number of folks who have made their own, from plans provided here for nothing. Anything you can make yourself is worth more than something you need but nobody has any inventory. Good luck with your search.

[No_1]

The cheapest way to lube is tumble lube. Both my Magma DEWC moulds (38-148 and 38-105) drop at .359 diameter with my alloy. Since .359 is the size which works well in all my .35 caliber pistols I don’t bother sizing instead opting to swirl a 100 or so at a time around in a large plastic coffee can with a few squirts of LLA followed by standing on one end once I dump them out on a sheet of wax paper. It only takes few minutes per 100 to coat them and while you wait for them to dry you can do other things like clean brass, load primer tubes, check and adjust if required your dies and/or powder measure.

Robert


I’m new as well. I have cast about 500 Lee soup can wadcutters for 38spl and put most of them back into the pot while I was learning. I now have about 400 good ones I need to lube and load. I think I’m going to skip straight to powder coating them rather than fool with lubrisizers and whatnot. Sizing is not absolutely necessary... the Lee tumble lube mold I have drops wadcutters at .358 and .359 depending upon how hot the lead is when I pour. At this point I see no reason to size them. It’s the only mold I have right now though.

[pastera]

The open coil hot plates can be modified to get hot enough - There is a small tab on the temperature control that stops the knob from rotating more than one turn. File or cut it off and rotate the knob around past high until the W in low - that is where mine gets hot enough to melt and mix alloy for ingots.

Hitek is pretty cheap - you don't need a convection oven (but it helps). A thrift store toaster oven is enough

If you are going to powder coat or Hitek, get a $20 thermocouple thermometer from Amazon - will make life a lot easier (and you can check your lead temperature for consistent casts)

[DonHowe]

Hey, all, new guy here. Thanks to the moderators/forum sponsors for this great resource.

I'm just now trying to get into loading cast bullet loads for 30-06 and 38 Spl and 45 ACP. I've been handloading for jacketed bullets (270, 223, 30-06, etc.) since the 1980s, but bullet casting and sizing, lubing, etc., is all new to me.

I already have all the standard handloading equipment, but as I understand it, getting into loading cast bullets will require a fair amount of new equipment -- lead melter, bullet sizing and lubing equipment, etc.

I looked around, but didn't see a sticky or other thread that goes into this. Is there a thread here, or a book or website anyone can recommend that will tell me what I need to buy to do this? Looking at mainly casting for target loads for 38 Spl and 45 ACP, as well as squib loads for 30-06 for using in CMP Vintage Military matches in a FN M98.

Thanks in advance for any help.
Just what I told a young man at the range before deer season last fall. He expressed a wish to try reloading but was put off by the expense of getting started without knowing if if it was something he would want to continue doing. I Dvised him to stop reading the ads and magazine wish lists and find himself a simple single station press (even used), a set of Lee dies (in his case .308 Win), a set of Lee powder dippers and components and following directions just get started. It won't create magic ammo but it will create perfectly serviceable ammo and truth be told, ammo that will do what most shooters will ever need. My advice was to try that route and if he found it enjoyable then as funds allowed add scale, powder measure, etc.
I have known quite a few shooters put off by the cost of the "must have" Dillon 560 plus all the accessories, recommended because "after a while usually get it anyway so why not start right".
To the newbie - this is BS!

[popper]

Get some alloy, melt to ~ 720F. Preheat mould to ~400F. Pour into mould, dump cooled bullets and repeat. Probably a 4x for pistol and 2x for your rifle mould. You can shoot them without GC in the bolt gun with 2400 or unique but they will be light/slow loads. I like the RD style moulds in 308 - PBFN you can push to 15-1800 fps with right alloy and accurate. It is a hunting bullet. Tumble lube alox, BLL are OK for slower loads, PC is good for PB rifle - I don't get good results with LLA.
All this takes some practice and lead remelts easy.

[fn1889m]

“ I have known quite a few shooters put off by the cost of the "must have" ”

I agree. I’m relatively new at casting compared to most people here. But I would start someone with the current Lyman CB manual, a plug in electric pot, a ladle, one plain base revolver bullet mold (Lee .38 158 gn is fine), and 20 lbs of COWW lead in ingot form (soft lead). Keep it simple. Tumble lube with Lee Liquid Alox. Size with the Lee sizing die to .358. Cast outside. Wear gloves, glasses, and cotton clothes. Make mistakes. Have some successes. Load, shoot, repeat.

Softer lead is very forgiving at velocities of 850 FPS. Revolvers do not need to cycle. Messing with JPW and LLA is fun. Tumble lube is cheap and easy. I am now deeper into casting but my basics have not changed much. I have a source of free range lead and found a cheap roll of lead free solder. I bought two cans of JPW. My “hot” loads range from about 750 to 900 FPS. I saw a gas check once, but nah, not necessary yet. I can load everything with either Unique or HP-38. It’s still pretty basic. Except I bought a whole bunch of molds. :-)

I’m certainly no expert. I read almost every helpful post on this forum, like a teenager with a Playboy magazine. I was as terrified of my first casting session. But it all works. And I think it’s easier to learn if you have fewer choices to make. You don’t have to divine the mysteries of the universe to cast your first bullets.

One thing that is interesting, my taste in guns now leans towards revolvers because those are the bullets that I am casting. It’s a little like the tail wagging the dog, but I am matching my guns to the bullet, rather than the other way around.

[robg]

Read all you can .a 10 lee pot some molds .get some lead ,lead free solder for tin ,lee lube and push through sizers if you want to put gas checks on rifle boolits .take your time have fun.

[rintinglen]

Don't overbuy. You don't need to get a used car's purchase price of equipment to get started. Once you are sure this is the route you are going to travel, you can go as deep or shallow into the hobby as you wish.

Like several others, I started with a Coleman stove, a 1 qt. yard sale cast iron pot, an old Cramer 38 Caliber Wad Cutter mold bought at the same yard sale, and a gallon of wheel weights that I scrounged up. I bought a used ladle from the junk box of my LGS. I read of a home made bullet lube made with bee's wax and Vaseline which pan-lubed my first few hundred boolits. I made a cake cutter from a 30-06 case and used an old cake pan.

In those days, Al Gore had yet to invent the internet, in fact, the earliest PC's were still a few years down the road, so I learned from what I read. The single biggest influence was the Late George C. Nonte, whose knowledgeable and yet common sense writings demystified the arcane process of turning scrap lead and components into useable ammo. (IIRC, he was the one who wrote how to make a home made cake cutter.) I bought more molds, a Lee 10 lb pot, and I was off to the races.

I will say this in praise of the Cast Boolit web site. I had been casting for over 35 years when I found this website, and I learned more in the first five years I was a member than I did in the previous thirty five. Welcome to the fun.