Jumping in with both feet!

[taylorce1]

Just ordered my first moulds from Midway today Picked up a .358-158, .309-170 FNGC and .309-200 RNGC all double cavity and on clearance. Figure that should get me started casting for my .357 Mag, .30-30 Win and .30-40 Krag. Picked up a .358 and .309 sizing die from Lee as well along with my first 1K .30 caliber gas checks.

I quit lurking and joined the forum yesterday and already have some used casting equipment, bullet lube, and wax on the way thanks to D Crockett! And a friend of mine just offered to give me his Lee 10lb bottom pour pot since he has bought the 20 lb pot recently. I'm waiting on a used older Lyman cast bullet handbook to come in as well. Just have to get a dipper now and wait for everything to come in. I've already got about 50 lbs of wheel weights collected.

I will probably be looking for pointers in the days to come so thanks in advance!

[Doby45]

You have NO idea what you have just got started. ;-)

[cbrick]

Just have to get a dipper now and wait for everything to come in.

Welcome to Castboolits taylorce1,

I highly recommend the Rowell #1 ladle. It is a bottom pour design in that when full of melted alloy and tilted to pour it draws the alloy from the bottom of the ladle rather than pouring off the top where any crud may be floating.

http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/casting_ladle_bottom1.htm

Rick

[dromia]

Good luck and remember, doing is learning.

Concur with cbrick that the Rowels are fine ladles, the No.1 Rowel is my ladle of choice now when dipping.

[taylorce1]

Good luck and remember, doing is learning.

Concur with cbrick that the Rowels are fine ladles, the No.1 Rowel is my ladle of choice now when dipping.

Thing I like most about the idea of casting is I get a redo if I make a bad bullet! Back into the pot and pour it again.

Thanks for the suggestion on the ladle, I had been looking at Lyman and RCBS. Was about to buy the RCBS because I could get it with a thermometer cheaper than buying them seperate.

[Bret4207]

The rowell ladle is a fine tool, but it's about 3x the size you need for 30 cal boolits. I'd get a smaller ladle also if I could. The Rowell really comes into it's own with 6 and 10 cavity moulds and LARGE boolits.

[Fugowii]

You have NO idea what you have just got started. ;-)

No idea, the poor guy. And I mean poor in every sense of the word. Wait 'till he discovers MiHec moulds. :groner:

[fryboy]

shooting was addicting ...reloading was addicting - plus it made shooting even more addicting ummm.. ya see where this is leading ? lolz one of the best things i could tell a new caster is sharp edges on ur lube grooves and the best way to see that is roll them ,then look at ur tips n bases for further culls

[cbrick]

The rowell ladle is a fine tool, but it's about 3x the size you need for 30 cal boolits. I'd get a smaller ladle also if I could. The Rowell really comes into it's own with 6 and 10 cavity moulds and LARGE boolits.

Hhmmm . . . which Rowell ladle do you have? There is:

#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6

Each progressively larger.

I have #1, #2, #3, #5. The smallest one (#1) is ideal for 1 and 2 cavity molds and the #2 is perfect for 3-6 cavities. My #3 and #5 are for ingots.

Rick

[taylorce1]

Thanks for the advice guys! I had to be away a few days playing Army back to a computer now on a regular basis at least for awhile. I was looking at Graf's RCBS ladel and thermometer combo for around $45 figured it would cost me more if I bought stuff seperate. The Rowell looks nice as well.

[Bret4207]

Hhmmm . . . which Rowell ladle do you have? There is:

#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6

Each progressively larger.

I have #1, #2, #3, #5. The smallest one (#1) is ideal for 1 and 2 cavity molds and the #2 is perfect for 3-6 cavities. My #3 and #5 are for ingots.

Rick

I find the #1 ladle to be too large and clumsy to use with 1,2,3 cav moulds. And yeah, I did shorten the handle. It shines with 6 and 10 cavs. Maybe it's pouring style, but it's just too big IMO for small moulds. Overkill so to speak.

[NSP64]

taylorce1,
If your getting a bottom pour pot why get a laddle? I converted my lee drip-o-matic to ladle. You need to flux often when using a ladle, But I find the boolets fill out better and I have less rejects laddling. I have a Lyman ladle. Welcome to the addiction.

Also I don't have to run as hot when laddling. The hottest lead is going to be at the top.

[taylorce1]

taylorce1,
If your getting a bottom pour pot why get a laddle? I converted my lee drip-o-matic to ladle. You need to flux often when using a ladle, But I find the boolets fill out better and I have less rejects laddling. I have a Lyman ladle. Welcome to the addiction.

Also I don't have to run as hot when laddling. The hottest lead is going to be at the top.

I've got a seperate pot coming that will need ladles to use as well. I'm trying to set up one pot for only smelting and one pot for pouring into the moulds. I figured I'd smelt in the cast iron pot and and use the Lee for casting. I've read somewhere that if you keep the Lee pot clean by smelting in a different one you don't have as much problems with them dripping. Besides I figured it didn't hurt to keep my options open.

[Wayne Smith]

Be aware that the #1 Rowell ladle holds 1/2 lb of lead at one time. It does get heavy after a while.

[Crash_Corrigan]

Welcome to a lifetime addiction. I started about 17 years ago and now I have two rooms full of reloading and casting detrius. I estimate that I have over five grand invested in shooting irons, dies, molds and other shooting related stuff.

I load for over 10 calibres and recently got into shooting blackpowder rifle. This sport rapidly consumes my surplus funds but I really enjoy all aspects of it. Once you start getting good results from your handrolled ammo and your home cast boolits you can never go into a store and lay down serious bucks for a box of factory ammo without feeling that you are throwing your money away.

You can go from a Cats Sneeze load to a full blown hunting load and enjoy good accuracy and not expend too much money.

Example....I got a CA Bulldog in .44 Special recently and I loaded some rounds using Mihec's newest 256 gr SWC cast boolits over 6 gr of Unique. This loading may work great in a Ruger Blackhawk or a Smith Triple Lock but in this lightweight 5 shooter it about tore offa my hand. I could not find the courage to finish off the cylinder. I got off two rounds and put away the gun.

It then dawned on me to download these rounds and I did so with 4.5 gr of unique instead of 6 grains and now I am getting decent accuracy and a much nicer gun to shoot. I can get off a box of 50 and my hand is only tingling. I am not in pain. It is fun not a chore. In the HP Penta cavity with soft 40-1 alloy from Rotometals I am looking forwards to punching some water filled milk jugs just to see what the penetration is and how they open up. I am sure that they will make an excellent ccw loading for social encounters.

Then if and when I finally find a Ruger BH in the .44 Special caliber I will make use of the 200 some odd rounds loaded with 6 gr of Unique.

[cajun shooter]

I was wondering when some one was going to realize that he said he was using a Lee 10lb. It does not have enough room for a tablespoon much less a #1 ladle. If you are going to ladle cast then the Wagge is the pot to buy.

[qajaq59]

Just wait until you try the cast in that 30-30 Win. You'll never buy another "J" bullet for it again.

[stephen perry]

I would suggest starting with your .358-158 mold. cast up 500 and lube and size them. As for a dipper a Lyman or RCBS will do everything you want to do with double cavity molds. For wheel weights you might want to add 10 % lead for pistol Cast , for rifle your choice in adding lead.

You didn't mention lubing and sizing. A Lyman 450 which you can buy used on e-bay or elsewhere will last you a lifetime of good casting. When you get your manual read the chapters on sizing and lubing to pick your sizing dies.

One last thing be safe, common sense goes a long way in bullet casting.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

[taylorce1]

You didn't mention lubing and sizing. A Lyman 450 which you can buy used on e-bay or elsewhere will last you a lifetime of good casting. When you get your manual read the chapters on sizing and lubing to pick your sizing dies.

I'm using the Lee sizing and tumble lubing the .358 bullets. I'll pan lube and size the .30 calibers again using the Lee sizing die. I do plan on picking up a Lyman or RCBS unit in the future.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm about done with my annual training so I should be up and running with some freshly cast bullets in the near future.