"Casting for Dummies?"

[klausg]

Hey gang-

While I do shoot a lot of cast bullets, and have for some time, I have yet to start trying to make my own. I recently purchased Lyman's "Cast Bullet Handbook", (3d edition), and I'm wondering if there is anything else I ought to read. I've gotten quite a bit of information just from scanning through this forum, but most of the forum Q & A is a little too specific and or technical. I guess I'm looking for the 'Cast Bullets for Dummies' version. Can you guys point me in the right direction for such information and/or give me suggestions as to what equipment to get. Thanks much

-SSG Klaus

[keeper89]

klausg--my best advice would be for you to try to hook up with someone who already has a casting outfit and who would be willing to give you some "hands on" time with the process and some of the equipment---god knows I wish I would have had that opportunity when I first started many years ago........good luck but be warned this is a hobby/pastime/money saving endeavor that will consume you..................:-D

[SharpsShooter]

My advice.....read everything you can find on the topic. Ask questions here before buying equipment. This bunch will not lead you wrong. But most importantly....start casting. You will quickly begin to apply what you have read and begin to develope your own personal depth of knowledge. This is not a rocket science hobby or obsession. It is a detail oriennted and rewarding hobby that provides instant gratification with every perfect boolit.

[lovedogs]

SharpShooter's right. Keep in touch with this forum. I don't know any of these folks personally but they seem like a real good bunch. If I'd had them around a long time ago I could have learned a lot and had a lot more fun with casting. When I started years ago I didn't have anyone to advise me. I tried learning on my own with limited knowledge gleaned from a few printed sources and quickly became frustrated. I gave it up, threw all my casting stuff in the trash and swore I'd never attempt it again.

Fortunately, I got bit by the long-range silhouette shooting with buffalo rifles bug and had to get back into casting. And this time I had the advantage of lots of bullet casters around me and some better books, like the Lyman mentioned. It still took some "hands-on" to get it working right. But now I make really good bullets that shoot well in competition out to a half-mile and I love to shoot lead bullets that I make for myself.

So hang in there. Lean on the good guys on this forum. Read all you can. And start pouring lead. In no time you'll be as passionate about it as the rest of us.

[9.3X62AL]

Klaus--

I started by use of a Coleman stove--Lyman iron 10# pot--and Lyman dipper. I still have (and use) all these items, but have added bottom-pour pots and A LOT of molds since that time. Don't ever look down your nose at dipper-casting......for BIG boolits like the 45-70 slugs, it still does the best work of any method I've tried. Just my opinion--but until you start filling 4-cavity or larger mold blocks, there is no real "need" for a bottom pour pot, other than to speed production rates. Molds have definite "personalities"--and some of them just work better with dipper-casting than with the bottom-pour pots. You lose very little money by acquiring a pot and dipper, if you have a heat source that can get the metal melted.

DON'T use a bottom-pour pot for smelting wheelweights or other scrap metal alloy sources--use the 10# Lyman or a larger "smelting-only" pot. Cleaning out a bottom-pour pot is even less fun than case trimming.

[Goatlips]

Klaus, I got JUST what you're lookin' for to go by your title, written by a Casting Dummy who got just lucky enough to glean the rudiments from a couple dozen different sources and finally cast boolits reasonably round and quite shootable. Lots of pictures anyway, and maybe some things you might find useful. :castmine:

http://goatlipstips.cas-town.com/casting.html

Goatlips

[versifier]

Get yourself a copy of Modern Reloading by Richard Lee. There is tons of info in it on casting, cast boolits, and why and how they work. And also a bunch of good cast rifle loading data with a focus on the most popular .30 cals.

[HORNET]

klauseg,
Goatlips site has some good data and there is some good stuff on the links to articles and castpics at the bottom of this page. A couple of the standards are the NRA cast bullet manual and "The Art of Bullet Casting" by Wolfe Publishing. I believe both are out of print but findable.
More available but very basic is Joe Brennan's book available through the Cast Bullet Association when you join. The CBA's bimonthly magazine ( the Fouling Shot) is well worth the $17/year and any of these are better than most of what you see in the gunrags.
Building a library on cast bullets can be a fairly consuming hobby by itself, but it uses funds that could be used to buy more molds, lead, pots, etc,etc.
If all else fails, get on here and ask questions. There's lots of folks here that will help lead you in deeper until you're hopelessly addicted.:kidding:

[mooman76]

I'd start off simple. Get a cast iron pot and a ladle and a Lee mould that you like and start moulding. Aluminum moulds are a little easier to start out on until you get used to it!

[Marlin Junky]

You can compromise on heat source but you'll learn faster and with less aggravation if you start with an RCBS, SAECO or Lyman mold, a thermometer and a Rowell#2 ladle. The later of which can be purchased from The Antimony Man (http://www.theantimonyman.com/). The molds and thermometer can be purchased from Midsouth Shooters Supply (http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/). Bottom pouring furnaces are expensive and are more difficult to use because metal is dispensed at a rate proportional to the amount of metal in the pot. This disadvantage is compounded when casting long rifle bullets.

Marlin Junky

[klausg]

All- thanks much for the input, I think I'll start out slowly. I've got just the Coleman stove for the job, it got a little crudded up when we used it for a "honey burn" on a bear hunt. Goatlips, your site truly makes it seem grunt-proof, one quick question about the pan lube process; will that method work with the harder smokeless lubes? I'm already looking on ebay; figured I'd start out with a mold for my .32 H&R's. I currently shoot a Meister 94gr RNFP w/ 2.3gr of Red Dot. Anyway, again thanks much, take care & God Bless

-SSG Klaus

[drinks]

Klausg;
I have my variation on pan lubing that is faster and a lot less messy, at least for me.
I use a hotplate, a small, flat bottomed pan, melt enough lube in the pan to come up the bullets as high as I want, keep the lube hot enough to be liquid but no smoke.
Place a bunch of bullets in the pan, on the base, watch, the lube will climb up the bullets when the bullets are hot enough, I use forceps, the little 6" they sell at gun shows for $1, to place and remove the bullets from the lube. Set the bullet on a flat something of aluminum, I use throwaway pie pans. After a few minutes, just pop the bullets loose and proceed, size or load as needed.

[David R]

Welcome to the addiction.

First as others have said, just do it. Go as cheap as you need to. Get started. Once you fire your first cast boolits, you will be hoplessly hooked. I was and that was 20 years ago. There is nothing like shooting a squirrel or an X with your home made boolits. Just yesterday I was shooting 300 yards with my 308. I had 5 shots in 4 inches. I just stood there staring at the target in amazment telling my shooting buddy "I made em in my garage". Its a fun hobby and you meet the nicest people. I am up to 8 or 9 30 cal molds. I still use the same 4 cavity I bought 15 years ago for my 45 auto.

In the last 3 weeks, I have fired 1600 cast boolits in my new S&W K38. Didn't cost me squat and I had a total blast.

Most of all have fun
David

[keeper89]

klausg--got to second david's last--most of all have fun! Even when you screw something up--and you will, we ALL have--learning is fun and remember--you really aren't a true reloader until you shoot boolits you have made yourself!!

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

:drinks:

[cherok9878]

klausg, you WILL have peoblems casting, but you can find the answer to your problems here on this forum. Just start casting and enjoy the results. You will get better the more you pour!!

[Wayne Smith]

I have to admit, I'm something of a project junkie. Keep Buckshot busy with my projects, too, cross country. Glad I met him here.

All that to say, welcome to the addiction. I started simple and pan lubed, but quickly got two lube sizers off eBay, one Lyman and one RCBS. One for BP lube and one for smokeless lube. I lube most of my pistol bullets with the BP lube. I still use the Coleman and one Lyman pot and one 1 qt. kitchen pot. Use steel pots, avoid alum., it slumps. I use the Lyman ladel, it works fine even with the Lee 6-hole molds, I just have to fill it twice. It's not a speed contest, after all.

Read all you can, but get a mold or two and start doing it. The reading will make much more sense when you have the melt in front of you and some bullets on a wet towel beside you.

One of the most important things I got was a lead thermometer.