could I make swaged bullets for less than 11 cents each

[Methuselah3]

Hi all,

Yes, just like the title says.

I can get .308 pull down bullets, 150 grainers for 11 cents each.

If I were to buy the stuff necessary to swage, could I get below 11 cents each.

Thanks.

This is not a pursuit for the use of bullets for target practice or benchrest shooting but I can pass along my 11 cents worth. To date I have over $2200 invested in trying to swage my own bullets. I've got a lathe with SOME tooling, some steel, and high hopes. I've made a swage press($200 for materials). Haven't made the first set of dies. If you have to buy jackets , they will cost you 11 cents alone. Lead at $1 a pound will cost you 2-3 cents per bullet not including what it takes to get it from a glob to the correct shape. Die set $400 and up.Without a lot of free stuff gathered or captured, the simple answer is no. Milspec bullets are another alternative. Keep an ey out for specials at Widener's ...
http://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm?dir=278|284|315 .....
for specials on bullets.

[Russel Nash]

I still haven't decided on anything yet.

still trying to surf the web again for cheap j-word bullets.

[DukeInFlorida]

As has been said (somewhere) before.........

There are two camps of swagers:

1) Plinkers - That's 90% of this crowd, in this area of the forum, including me. We're all looking for cheap bullets, and readily available materials. If Uncle Sam ever tries to stop sale of bullets to the civilian population, I am all set with 90% of what I shoot. Between casting and swaging, I have most of it covered. I'm not looking for 1" groups at 500 yards. Most of my bullets can certainly be made for less than 11 cents each. The cast ones are much less than that.

2) Bench Rest Shooters - The F Class rifle shooters are striving for PERFECTION (if it exists), and stop at near nothing to get it. Their bullets are ALWAYS 2-3-4 times more expensive than match grade shooting projectiles. The guys who swage for that category of shooting buy very expensive die sets, and buy only the best of J4 type jackets, and everything gets measured and weighed a bazillion times. Fussy, fussy, fussy.

So, let's not have any apples and oranges discussions about swaging cost. The OP (original poster) was obviously asking about plinking bullets.

Russel, if you're going to shoot just a few bullets, don't sweat the cost per, and buy commercial or surplus bullets. If the potential exists for you to shoot many thousands of .308 bullets in your lifetime, then invest in swaging tools, and go the 5.7X28 FN route. Just be careful not to spend much money on acquiring the brass.

Like BT Sniper, I did most of my acquisition of 5.7X28 FN brass by trading. Usually there was some postage involved, but I tried to keep an eye on that cost, since it would affect the net cost of the brass.

I scrounge around, and have spread the word far and wide that I am always looking for 5.7X28 FN brass. I have some buddies that come through with it from time to time. I have far less than BT Sniper has, even though I have been scrounging for two years. I don't even have a set of dies for making the bullets yet. Soon..... (I trust)

Like anything else, the more in a hurry you are for something, the more it will likely cost you.

[Reload3006]

Then there is the copper tubing option too. but you will need about an inch of tube so can you get it for less than 11cents? if you can find lead free your in business. Swaging as probably has already been said is not really that much more than casting depending on what grade of equipment you buy. IF you buy all lee stuff there is no way you can swage but if your buying MP or NOE molds Star lubrisizer or Saeco RCBS your up there with swaging. You can cast faster but you have more options swaging there is a trade off. One thing for sure is whether plinking cheap or hight quality projectiles is your goal you can get both with swaging.

[lup]

Then there is the copper tubing option too. but you will need about an inch of tube so can you get it for less than 11cents? if you can find lead free your in business. Swaging as probably has already been said is not really that much more than casting depending on what grade of equipment you buy. IF you buy all lee stuff there is no way you can swage but if your buying MP or NOE molds Star lubrisizer or Saeco RCBS your up there with swaging. You can cast faster but you have more options swaging there is a trade off. One thing for sure is whether plinking cheap or hight quality projectiles is your goal you can get both with swaging.

Type L copper tube usually sells for around 10.5 cents per inch in 10 foot lengths. You'd have to buy in serious quantity to get the price down from there or find some scrap. (100 foot coils break down to just above 9.5 cents an inch.)

It would be tough to get to your 11 cent a bullet mark since you still haven't added any lead to the bullet and you have to assume that your labor is free.

LUP

[Utah Shooter]

The OP (original poster) was obviously asking about plinking bullets.

I scrounge around, and have spread the word far and wide that I am always looking for 5.7X28 FN brass. I have some buddies that come through with it from time to time. I have far less than BT Sniper has, even though I have been scrounging for two years. I don't even have a set of dies for making the bullets yet. Soon..... (I trust)

I do not know the OP personally but... Never caught on to what was "obvious".

HUH? I tried to trade you some 5.7 brass about 6 months ago for your LC .223 (5.56) brass and you turned me down! I do not have it anymore but....???

[newcastter]

I do not know the OP personally but... Never caught on to what was "obvious".

HUH? I tried to trade you some 5.7 brass about 6 months ago for your LC .223 brass and you turned me down! I do not have it anymore but....???

We need a "like" button...

[Mountain Prepper]

As has been said (somewhere) before.........

There are two camps of swagers:

1) Plinkers - That's 90% of this crowd, in this area of the forum, including me. We're all looking for cheap bullets, and readily available materials. If Uncle Sam ever tries to stop sale of bullets to the civilian population, I am all set with 90% of what I shoot. Between casting and swaging, I have most of it covered. I'm not looking for 1" groups at 500 yards. Most of my bullets can certainly be made for less than 11 cents each. The cast ones are much less than that.

2) Bench Rest Shooters - The F Class rifle shooters are striving for PERFECTION (if it exists), and stop at near nothing to get it. Their bullets are ALWAYS 2-3-4 times more expensive than match grade shooting projectiles. The guys who swage for that category of shooting buy very expensive die sets, and buy only the best of J4 type jackets, and everything gets measured and weighed a bazillion times. Fussy, fussy, fussy.

So, let's not have any apples and oranges discussions about swaging cost. The OP (original poster) was obviously asking about plinking bullets.

You forgot two more...

3) Small businesses - many fail at this (myself included) but there are some small bullet makers out there.

4) Hopeless experimenters and bullet design for special use - I basically fit into this one now, I can make some of the most awesome frangible pistol and rifle bullets, sectional bullets for hunting, penetrators for game like hogs, special cores (like tungsten powder) and other special uses.

Russel, if you're going to shoot just a few bullets, don't sweat the cost per, and buy commercial or surplus bullets. If the potential exists for you to shoot many thousands of .308 bullets in your lifetime, then invest in swaging tools, and go the 5.7X28 FN route. Just be careful not to spend much money on acquiring the brass.

I am continuing to work on the 9mm brass into .308 jackets, I am still having issues and when I figure it out I will post it... what I did produce was not all that accurate, surplus bullets would group better - I think there is a way... I’m trying.

[Russel Nash]

Thanks!

I think I found a fairly cheap at 16 cents each j-word bullet:

http://www.speer-bullets.com/ballist...il.aspx?id=140

Speer TNT bullet, 125 grains, with a hollow point, 500 count value pack.

[sargenv]

My 308 absolutely loves these bullets.. My usual load in the 308 is 45.0 of IMR 4895, Federal 100 LR primer, RP 308 brass, Speer 125 TNT.

[Russel Nash]

awesome! thanks!

I went with this Accurate A1680 powder, mainly because it is a very fine powder, like sugar, or maybe even finer than sugar.

I reload on a Dillon 650, so the powder measure gets all crunchey with long extruded powders like Varget.

[Russel Nash]

I got my Lee Dies and Dillon 650 conversion kit yesterday, Tuesday. The bullets are backordered.

from another forum I learned that the military surplus pull down bullets actually have some steel in them. I don't know if that is a bad thing or not.

I am going to call them and ask. I'd feel better if I went there in person and actually saw them stick to a magnet.

[DukeInFlorida]

A steel core inside the bullets... those are called "AP" (armor piercing) bullets. Not good for hunting, unless you are hunting engine blocks.

Do not use those on any steel plate targets.

The steel is limited to a round core in the middle of the bullet.

Some good reading on the subject here:
http://www.itstactical.com/warcom/am...rmor-piercing/