Today was my first bullet casting session

[BJK]

I think I was waiting for the stars to align. But I'd waited long enough, I thought today was too windy (I cast outdoors with a propane burner). But all in all it went well. I need to get some shade to work in, one of those collapsible canopies should be fine. Sure I had some rejects as the mould warmed up and I learned how to ladle the Pb, but that learning curve was very short. I did pre-warm the mould as I was waiting for the Pb to melt.

I started casting last year with #4 buckshot, not the easiest thing to cast. Maybe it was because I had that under my belt (probably), but I had no problem casting the 9mm bullets and I'm so happy I bought an 8 cavity mold. It really cranks out the bullets. I have no idea how many I made, but I wasn't in a hurry, I bet I made between 300-500. As the weather permits I'll cast more but in the meantime I need to learn how to coat them. Sizing should be straight forward.

https://www.mp-molds.com/product/359-135-flat-round-nose-bevel-base-8-cavity-aluminum-no-lube-groove-mold/

Then on to, https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop/308-311/tl310-225-rn-ce3/tl310-225-rn-ce3-5-cavity-pb/

I'm liking turning scrap ww into something I'll be able to use. But you all know that feeling.

Anyway, what a year ago was like alchemy to me (that's the way it is with the ignorant, but ignorance can be fixed) went very well today. I was actually surprised at how fast the quality bullets piled up. I'm soooo glad I bought the mould that I did (8 cavity) !

[Bull-Moose]

Congrats on your new skillset. The learning never stops.

[JoeJames]

Good for you, as some members on here will attest; it took me a pretty good spell to get decent bullets. Consider yourself very lucky.

[tankgunner59]

Congrats. I remember when I started casting boolits. I was like you and took to it pretty easily and I cast outside too. I use the Lee 10 pound bottom pour pot and 2 cavity molds cause we don't shoot that much in a normal year. I cast for about 12 different boolits for all of our guns, the main thing for me is 2 fold fun and calming therapy.
Enjoy as you get deeper into the addiction.

[Thumbcocker]

Watching those little boolits fall out never gets old.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[rustyshooter]

Front to back, beginning to end. Any and all things related to casting your own boolits. BUT. Keep loading and shooting so you have to cast more!

[farmbif]

just warming up the pots and doing it is all there is. its great you are having success right out of the box. but as you will find the more you do it the more you learn.
and with this hobby you can always remelt your mistakes and try again if something does not look right to you.
for me casting is its own richly rewarding hobby.

[Springfield]

If you want to know how many you did, just weigh all of them, then one of them. Multiply the total weight by 7000(grains/lb) and divide by the weight of a single bullet.

[BJK]

I just weighed them Springfield. 457 bullets in about 1 1/2 hours of actual casting. Of course there was setup and take down time and waiting for the lead to melt. I'm not a bean counter but that's a pretty good return on this retirees time. Of course they aren't finished, but still...

I'll need alot of them since I shoot USPSA. 400 bullets is enough for 3+ average matches. But I still need to work up a load for them. I expect that to be a piece of cake.

I'm really happy with the MP mould. My only other experience is with LEE.

farmbif, oh yes, I know all about remelting. I'm not the tidiest of pourers with the ladle (I hope to get better) and I have to remelt lots of over poured sprue lead and the bullets with less than sharp edged bases. Those were the biggest flaws, but disappeared once the lead and mould got up to temp'. I need to make a few changes to my setup but they're minor changes. The worst part was being in the direct sun.

But I'm pretty happy with what I did. I was expecting something other. I still remember what I went through with the #4 buckshot learning curve. This was MUCH easier.

[gwpercle]

Congratulations !
I too have always been rather amazed at the rather magical transformation ... the turning of a bucket of dirty , discarded wheel weights and scrap lead building materials into little boxes of valuable , shining boolits ... or as another member put it ... "gleaming orbs of death" !
Save a few from your first boolit making session ... 50 years from now you can look back at them and fondly recall your " First " !
Gary

[gwpercle]

If you want to know how many you did, just weigh all of them, then one of them. Multiply the total weight by 7000(grains/lb) and divide by the weight of a single bullet.

Just count them .

[Shopdog]

Congrats,very rewarding pastime.

I don't cast in big numbers,only have single and dbl cavities. Once done,I count them. Been doing it since the mid '70's.... this is when I do the initial culling. Count them by 5 at a time sorta rolling them,looking for blems. Takes longer to write than do.

Good luck with your shooting.

[slohunter]

Find you a good mound to shoot into and you can reuse the lead forever.

[WHITETAIL]

Welcome to the addiction!
Glad things worked out the way they did.
You will get better with time.
Get them loaded so you can tell us how they worked!:Fire:

[Winger Ed.]

It always feels good when ya beat the system.

To get a so-so accurate count:
I weigh one, then divide it into 7,000. That tells ya how many are in a pound.
Then weigh the batch on a bathroom scale, and multiply that by how many per pound.

It isn't perfect, but it'll get you pretty close.

[clarksvillejoe]

I just took up this portion of hobby last year. Very satisfying to use what you produce. Learning curve in my 60's, keeps the head in game. Most of all.......have fun.

[JoeJames]

Congratulations !
I too have always been rather amazed at the rather magical transformation ... the turning of a bucket of dirty , discarded wheel weights and scrap lead building materials into little boxes of valuable , shining boolits ... or as another member put it ... "gleaming orbs of death" !
Save a few from your first boolit making session ... 50 years from now you can look back at them and fondly recall your " First " !
GaryTo me the closest was when I used a wood lathe turning a stick of hickory off the wood pile into a chisel handle in one step.

[bangerjim]

"Some days are diamonds....some days are stones." (John Denver) Some days you wish you were just plain stoned.


Good sage advice for casting little lead pills.......................and life in general.


(Free knowledge imparted from my 70 years on this mortal coil.)


banger

[Hanzy4200]

Congrats man. Now, you need a bottom pour pot. If you think you're cranking them out now, just wait. I surmise a good pot will roughly double your speed. I started on a burner and skillet also.

[GregLaROCHE]

Congrats and welcomes to the addiction. Think about a few pieces of sheet metal to protect the flame to the melting pot. Maybe even bend a ring so the flame and heat is protected, before it reaches the heating surface.

[BJK]

Congrats man. Now, you need a bottom pour pot. If you think you're cranking them out now, just wait. I surmise a good pot will roughly double your speed.

Thanks. I've been resisting. First I want to learn what I'm doing, then I can try to fine tune things. A properly regulated electric pot might also maintain the temp of the melt better too. That's got to result in better bullets.

[BJK]

I was looking at bottom pour pots today. The Magma is too expense for this noob. the LYMN and RCBS I can swing. The LEE I ran across too many dripping complaints and that would drive me absolutely nuts, but the price is definitely right. I'll probably wait for the re-engineered RCBS to come out since the Lyman and it are priced pretty much the same. I ran across no complaints whatsoever re: RCBS and by the time it's released I should have enough pennies saved.

[GregLaROCHE]

The Lee pots do drip. If you fiddle with them, you can reduce it a lot, but there will always be some.
If you get one of the pricier pots, make sure the support for the molds fits your molds. There was an issue about Lee molds not being supported correctly.

[BJK]

Thanks

RCBS complaints. I should have been clearer. I think it was RCBS that some folks mentioned replacing the mold support. But I don't see that as a huge issue. They're also reengineering it and maybe that's part of it. I also have no experience with ANY bottom pour pot so I guess I'll just cross that bridge when I come to it. From what I saw with the Magma even it had an issue with the mould support. But in looking at it it would be easy to correct. But I'm not spending $600 for the Magma.

[T-Bird]

I've been ladle casting using a propane fish cooker and pot since the early '90's. Had a Lee pot, thought it was an unnecessary PITA. Went back to ladle. I like the RCBS side pour ladle best. I got poor fill out with the Lee ladle.

[robg]

after i lube my boolits i stand them on grease proof paper in rows of 20 ,ok im ocd but it makes counting easy.

[pworley1]

Your hooked now.

[gwpercle]

I was looking at bottom pour pots today. The Magma is too expense for this noob. the LYMN and RCBS I can swing. The LEE I ran across too many dripping complaints and that would drive me absolutely nuts, but the price is definitely right. I'll probably wait for the re-engineered RCBS to come out since the Lyman and it are priced pretty much the same. I ran across no complaints whatsoever re: RCBS and by the time it's released I should have enough pennies saved.

After 50 years of casting ... I still do my best work with a Lyman ladle , with the little side spout , an open top pot and pressure casting . I gave away my bottom pour pots because I like perfect boolits and bottom pours cast a lot of so-so bullets ... I want them nearly perfect and the ladle and Lee Magnum Melter 20 lb. pot give me that .
I wasted a lot of years screwing around with a bottom pour pot and discoved a small pot , when ladle casting , is a big waste of time , you spend too much time filling the pot and reheating metal . You can pour a lot of good boolits with a 20 lb . open top pot , Lyman Ladle and one 4 cavity or two 3 cavity moulds .
Don't agonize over a bottom pour pot ... the truth is you can cast a lot of good boolits without one ... in my case I cast many more good bullets without one !
I only wish I had the Lee 20# Magnum Melter 50 years ago ...5 and 10 lb. pots are way too small .
Gary

[BJK]

Thanks Gary.

Yeah, bottom pour pots that won't drive me nuts are awfully expensive! I can do it, but I can also use that $ for other things.

I'll know much more after I put the bullets I made into the production cycle and shoot them. I appreciate the feedback. I'm already set up with a propane burner and casting outside, well, mostly setup. I still need some shade.