help a new guy get started

[bones37]

Hello, I am new to the forum and would like to have some advice concerning a mold for my 629 smith. I have decided on the style which is a 200 grain round/flat nose. I haven't bought anything yet and need imput on, molds, lube-sizers, and pots etc. I have a particular fondness for light bullets(240 grain and smaller) and the "cowboy" styled bullets as I mostly punch paper, and although I am on a budget, I am not against buying the "better" stuff if it will hold up in the long run. Any advice will be greatly appreciated, Thanks.

Bones37

[bobthenailer]

Hello, I am new to the forum and would like to have some advice concerning a mold for my 629 smith. I have decided on the style which is a 200 grain round/flat nose. I haven't bought anything yet and need imput on, molds, lube-sizers, and pots etc. I have a particular fondness for light bullets(240 grain and smaller) and the "cowboy" styled bullets as I mostly punch paper, and although I am on a budget, I am not against buying the "better" stuff if it will hold up in the long run. Any advice will be greatly appreciated, Thanks.

Bones37

i also have a few 44 mags and i use the saeco # 429 200gr tc for most of my shooting with excellent results i also have a saeco #944 200 gr wc, # 441 240 gr swc and a rcbs 240 gr gc sillewet bullet and at one time i had the saeco #433 a 300 gr gc . i have been casting for about 40 years i have ended up with a rcbs furnance, 2 star lube sizers with heaters and i use only hard lube. to start out buy the lee brand to get your feet wet! if you like it ,get better equipment as time goes on. i like saeco and rcbs moulds the best! the lee are ok in the 6 cavity but are finike to get to cast well but with some tinkering they will cast fine

[testhop]

my ruger sbh hunter (new model) likes lyman 429421
i have a s&w 629 stelth that shoots the 215 or 220 gr better than the heaver slug

[454PB]

Welcome to the forum, Bones.

The lighter boolits are fine, but if you want to push them past about 1300 fps., you may want to get a mould in gas checked design.

I agree with bobthenailer, Lee equipment is a great place to start. If you later decide to buy more expensive gear, the Lee stuff can be backup or sold here.

[docone31]

I use almost exclusively use Lee Products.
For what you are describing, 429-200RF looks like the ticket. Get the corresponding sizer.
I have that mold in 45ACP. Great casting.
I use the 20lb bottom pour pot, cranked up. I water drop wheel weight. I size to .451. I use the Lee Push Thru Sizing System. Pan lubeing is simple once you do it once or twice.
So that is it besides a cast iron pot to pre melt ingots for the casting pot. Always melt the dirty outside the final melt.
It is really simple and works well. I have cast many thousands of rounds for my .38s, 45s, and rifles.
Crank up the pot, heat up the mold, and cast untill you drop! Sizing is a snap also. Just follow Lee's directions. Success right out of the gate.
It is probably scarier to think about this than doing it.

[JIMinPHX]

Don't kid yourself. Those cheap little $25 Lee molds will put out more boolits than most people can shoot in a lifetime if you keep them lubed up properly.

What will be best for you depends on how much money you have & how much time you have. You can certainly get started with a single mold, a little bottle of tumble lube & a second hand pot to melt your lead mix in.

It is nice to have a lubrisizer (expensive), a temperature controlled lead pot (can also be expensive), a thermometer, & a hardness tester. All that can come later though.

If you start out casting wheel weights, cleaned with candle wax, with a little solder thrown in, you can get started with almost nothing but a mold, a way to pour lead into it & a little lube.

[HeavyMetal]

Yep start out simple, cuase as soon as you realize how "easy" this is you'll be asking santa for a Star and trying to talk SWMBO into a 10 banger H&G for the "anaversery".

[JIMinPHX]

SWMBO

I'm guessing that somehow that translates into Wife or Significant Other or something like that?

[HORNET]

SWMBO = She Who Must Be Obeyed
Stolen fair & square from John Mortimer's Rumpole series

[bones37]

Thank You all for the replies, and I don't have a significant other so that is a non-issue for me.

Bones37