I've been converted!

[johnly]

From bottom pour to ladle that is. I couldn't believe how mich easier it was to get good looking bullets casting with a ladle. I started out with huge 20 bore bullets as they took too long to fill with a bottom pour, but then tried casting 200 grain bullets for the 8x56R in a 4 cavity NEI mold and pour after pour resulted in perfect looking bullets. Managing to cast 4 cavities with a single ladle full of lead wasn't nearly as difficult as I though it would be. One just needs to pour over the top of the pot.

John

[Mk42gunner]

I have found that although I can cast decent boolits by bottom pouring with most of my molds, I usually get better results with the ladle. I have one mold that requires pressure filling, an old single cavity Ideal 313445, but I don't shoot too many of those anymore; so it doesn't really bother me.

For most thirty caliber and up, I can use either method; the ones that really like to be ladle poured (for me anyway), are the .22 and .25 calibers. They just seem to work better with a ladle.

Since my back and knees usually only let me cast for an hour or so; and I'm not doing this professionally, I go with what feels right at the time.


Robert

[Bret4207]

You can't tell people these days that a ladle is a better tool for most guys. Gotta have a BP and often they start with a less than well designed one at that. IMO, and it's just one guys opinion, most everyone would be far better off starting out with a 1 or 2 cav mould and a ladle. After 30+ years I'm just getting to like a BP (SAECO) but I'll give it up long before I give up my ladle.

[Duckiller]

How do you keep the lead from solidifying in the ladle before you pour. I have tried several times to ladle pour and all I get is a ladle full of lead that sets up too fast. I scoop out of my BP pot and the temp is right for that. Does the melt have to be hotter for ladle pour? I am very happy with my 20# Lee but I would to successfully try to ladle pour. I have a small Lyman and a lee ladle. Do I need to go get a larger ladle?

[725]

I keep my laddle floating in the lead pot between pours. Stays good and hot. After a time, it may collect dross and try to clog the pour spout. I rap it on the side of the pot and skim. Also, I've bored out the hole slightly (egg shaped laddle) to speed things along.

[bigboredad]

Duckiller

Like 725 said you need to keep your ladle hot or it will solidify every time. I've never tried bottom pouring just because I've had great results with a ladle and I use a stainless soup ladle that has a hole drilled on the side to pour out of and it works great to

[Dale53]

I'm a bottom pour guy through and through. I have been competitive for most of my long life with both pistols and rifles. I LEARNED to cast heavy bullets for the 40/65, 45/70, and 45/90 that would SHOOT with bottom pour. It's a heck of a lot faster, MUCH more convenient and pleasant to use.

These days I shoot mostly handguns (because of vision problems) and run multicavity moulds and get REAL production. I would take gas if I had to go back to ladle casting[smilie=1:.

However, I believe in letting anyone do it like he prefers. The important thing is to DO IT (cast bullets:drinks:).

Dale53

[fryboy]

the small lyman should suffice ,there's better, there's worse , the cast iron just has to be allowed to warm up some more not the whole melt ( well unless u had it too low anyways) i know a guy who managed to pour sum boolits with the lee dipper - it can be done but ya just have to jump in there and do it ( or to borrow a phrase"git-r-done"" the cast iron ladle will hold the heat longer once it gets hot ,i''m much faster at BP but ladling can make some sweet boolits !

[mooman76]

You don't have to keep the ladle in the pot, you just have to get it hot first and it will stay hot as long as you keep going. I just put it in the pot for a few seconds or until it doesn't harden right off when removed.
As far as bottom pour vs top pour, I figure to each his own. I have been ladle pouring for almost 40 years and it works for me so no reason to change. Some might think it's an older persons refusal to change but why should I if it works and suits me? You can't tell someone who bottom pours that ladle pouring is better either and why should they change really? It just a choice of what works for them or what works for someone else.

[bigboredad]

Dale makes a good point Even though I've never done it appears for speed bottom is the way to go. But I'm not in a hurry and usually broke so a ladle works for me

[Bret4207]

You can do it either way. For some stuff though I see a ladle as a more efficient and versatile tool. I don't deny BP have their appeal, but I'm betting Uncle Dale didn't start off with a 10 lbs Lee either!

[StarMetal]

Bret,

You have it correct. I started with a pot and ladle. Then I went to a bottom pour and I'll never go back to the ladle. I want to say this although nobody will believe [smilie=b: all those small groups I shot HV with the Swede, Grendel, Mannlicher, etc....were with bullets cast from a bottom pour. If they are that terrible how come they can cast good bullets?

[Bret4207]

You miss the point Joe, all I'm saying is most people would be better severed by STARTING OUT with a ladle. Learn the effectiveness and versatility of a ladle, then try a BP and use the one that's most appropriate for the job at hand.

[Dale53]

Bret4207;
You are absolutely correct, sir! I DID start out with a Lyman cast iron pot and a Lyman dipper. I was just a teen ager and thought when I got fifty or so good bullets I had REALLY done something. After a couple of years of this relatively slow production, I ran into a fellow at a gun club (he was a much OLDER fellow - Lord, he was probably near THIRTY:mrgreen:). We got to talking about casting bullets and he took me to his house (he lived in the country and had a nice separately housed utility building where he had his casting operation). He and his brother would do a couple thousand bullets at a sitting. I was flabbergasted at the thought of that kind of production.

For a time, I moved my whole operation to his place. He mentored me and in a short time I was doing thousands. That is where I saw my first bottom pour pot. It was a Lyman 11 lb bottom pour. I saved up my money and bought one. I LEARNED how to best use it. When I started shooting IPSC in the seventies, I trained my sons to shoot IPSC and we needed LOTS of production. Here I was, working full time, raising a family (the boys were 12 and 14), and shooting 15,000 .45 ACP's per year myself (+ what the boys shot). That didn't count all of the .38's, .357's, and rifle bullets I was using.

I ended up with a twenty pound melting pot (Saeco) to feed the BP, then sold the Lyman and bought a RCBS 22 lb BP. One weekend, the two boys and I cast 13,000 match grade bullets, sized/lubed, and boxed them. I was doing it commercially by then. I could sell every bullet I could make - people were standing in line for good bullets at a decent price. Finally, it became TOO much and I quit selling bullets and just shot.

I will admit that casting match grade BPCR bullets IS a bit harder. However, it just means that I had to learn a bit more. Not a big deal, really. The long, heavy bullets are a bit more demanding to cast than short, fat pistol bullets, but not at all that difficult.

It has been a VERY good ride, tho'. I wouldn't take any thing for my shooting, casting and loading experiences. I have met some EXTREMELY nice people along the way. AND-D-D, it continues...

Dale53