Short-fat-bald-ugly

[jkcerda]

Good evening, new here . Been reading a bit and head nearly exploded
anyways looking to get strted casting my own, just started reloading & figured I might also give this a try, but WHERE to begin? No clue what 6 cavity mold to get .
trying to load for .45 ACP-230 GR and .223-62 gr.
Can someone Forrest Gump it for me as to what I need? Getting the lee small pot furnace. Although it seems I might need a ladle for that one?
Anyways. Thanks for the help

[sigep1764]

If you wanna go the ladle route, look up the master caster kit. You'll also need a turkey fryer or some other way to heat lead to smelt it into ingots. I use a turkey fryer and a cast iron skillet with a muffin tin. Makes three pound ingots. You could also get a bottom pour pot from Lee for cheap. Eliminates the need for a ladle. Also a way to size boolits. Lee makes push through sizes on the cheap, or you could buy a lyman/star lubrisizer which sizes and lubes the boolit at the same time. Look up fortunecookie45lc on YouTube for some video. AND KEEP READING HERE AND ASKING QUESTIONS!!!

[jkcerda]

If you wanna go the ladle route, look up the master caster kit. You'll also need a turkey fryer or some other way to heat lead to smelt it into ingots. I use a turkey fryer and a cast iron skillet with a muffin tin. Makes three pound ingots. You could also get a bottom pour pot from Lee for cheap. Eliminates the need for a ladle. Also a way to size boolits. Lee makes push through sizes on the cheap, or you could buy a lyman/star lubrisizer which sizes and lubes the boolit at the same time. Look up fortunecookie45lc on YouTube for some video. AND KEEP READING HERE AND ASKING QUESTIONS!!!

going to buy the ingots here, no smelt for me.

are this it?
its a .451 size , not sure if it would fly using a .452 mold.
http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-...rds=Lee++sizer


http://www.amazon.com/Lyman-4500-Siz...pr_product_top

mold considered

http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-...avity+mold+.45

[1989toddm]

Sigep1764 gave ya good advice. 45acp or 45 Colt? The lee sizer is used in a reloading press to size boolits after tumbling a batch of them in a baggie with the included lee alox. The lyman 4500 lubesizer takes lyman or Rcbs sizer dies, different than the lee. Keep reading! And fortunecookie45lc's videos are very good.

[jkcerda]

.45 ACP on a Glock and 1911

[Cmm_3940]

The Lee TL452-230-2R and a .452 Lee push-through sizer die kit will meet your stated requirements and get you started loading 45ACP.

for .223...

not a lot comes to mind for 62gr. Keep your eyes open for a HM² 225-62-1.

if you are willing to go 55gr, the Lee Bator mold is easier to find. Either way, you will also need .22 cal. Gas checks and a .225 push-through sizer kit. You will probably need to pan lube these; I've never attempted to tumble lube rifle boolits.

I strongly recommend you start out with .45ACP before attempting to cast for .223

[Digital Dan]

JKCERDA, with minor trepidation and knowledge other members may feast on my bones if I suggest something incorrect, but I am suspicious of the wisdom that might lead to teaming up a 6 cavity mould with ladle pour cast methods. My understanding has it that such things are more complementary to bottom pour pots due to the need to keep things hot and rolling along. 2 cavity, yep, maybe even a 4 cavity mould though I cannot speak with any authority on the latter. I can attest that a simple 2 cavity mould that is up to temperature can churn out a surprising number of bullets in fairly short order. Few weeks back I was running a 2-cav Lyman mould for the .25-20 and cobbled up 250 bullets in just a little over 2 hours. My trigger finger will get tired before I need to do it again.

[Cmm_3940]

+1 agree with the above. For someone starting out, especially with a 6-banger mold, I would recommend the Lee 4-20 pot. They drip a lot, but get the job done. You will have a hard time keeping a 6 cavity mold fed with the small 10 pound pot.

[Handloader109]

As a relatively new caster, I'd tell you to get the Lee 4-20 pot also, 65 lbs of lead from one of the dozen guys on the site, (I've bought from 5 different and everyone was great to deal with), DO only start with the 45, cheap Lee 2 banger mold of your choice and get to work. May need sizing die, Lee again is you are starting out, Alox comes with it. I see powder coating as next step, then about three or four other molds, and then and then, it never stops.. good times ahead

[markshere2]

Nobody says you have to fill all six of the holes in your mould, especially at the start of a casting session. Until you get the knack, fill two holes, cut the sprue, and dump them. Do that 20 times, then graduate to 3 or 4 holes, then work your way up. Trying to cut 6 cold hard sprues at once is hard on the machinery.

[dondiego]

Sounds like you are considering the 4 pound Lee pot???? That is for sure a ladle pot only and if you get that one, you will be better off with a 1 or 2 cavity mold.

[Foto Joe]

As a lover of 6 hole molds I'll also state that I wouldn't recommend one for a beginner. It's not because they're hard to operate 'cause they're not. Although I don't ladle pour I'd have no issues doing so with a 6-cav mold, keeping the Lee aluminum ones hot isn't the problem, it's keeping them cool enough that's the problem so ladle pouring shouldn't be an issue.

I'd also be a little cautious about recommending a bottom pour right off the bat too. It's not because they drip a lot because they don't. If they drip it's because of the operator not the pot although a muffin tin under the spout relegates any drip to a non event. If I had to make a choice though I'd recommend a bottom pour for a beginner before I recommended a 6-cav mold here's why:

I can pretty much promise you that the odds of you as a beginner causing damage to a brandy spanking new aluminum mold are pretty high. I might even go so far as to say that your first mold might as well just be considered "disposable". I'm not being mean here or anything but there's so much a beginner doesn't know yet about the art form that is casting boolits. It's for this reason that I recommend spending $20 for a 2 holer rather than $40 for a 6-cav and then another $20 for the handles.

[gray wolf]

20 pound pot for sure, a thermometer, and please consider a 2 cavity mold to start.
A couple of hours and some steady casting will easily get you 500 bullets.

[bhn22]

I would start with the 45 ACP. To ladle cast, I'd also suggest a 2 cavity. The primary reason is to simplify troubleshooting if things don't go well at first, and they usually don't, for some reason. With a 6 cavity mould, you have 6 individual situations to evaluate, and that's enough to make you head explode at first. Cavity one could still have some residual oil in it, cavity two could be perfect, cavity three could have venting issues that are unique to that cavity, and the other three might not fill out because the heat up slower than the first three. I cannot recommend LEEs ladle. It is a cruel joke to refer to that as a ladle, it's a spoon. It does work well for fluxing and scraping, but it is not a ladle by any stretch of the imagination. Get a Lyman or RCBS bottom pour type ladle. Just pay the extra for their far superior performance in pouring. A LEE ladle/spoon is needed too for the tasks mentioned above. All alloys need to be fluxed and tuned, so be prepared for that as well. A lead thermometer is an exceptionally good idea as well. After that, all you need to do is decide how to lube and size your bullets. Glocks require more care to cast for, and I'm sure you've already read the thread on them in the handguns section. Relax and enjoy!

[leadman]

Any mold you buy should be treated gently but especially an aluminum one. The Lee molds are soft aluminum so when closing them set it on a hard surface so the pins align properly. Make sure to lube the mold pins and sprue plate pivot. I use Bullplate lube ( 2 cycle engine oil)
On the top of the mold and bottom of the sprue plate. Instructions can be found on this site.
I also recommend a larger pot for use with a 6 cavity mold. The Lee is listed as a #20 but actually only holds #15.5 of pure lead. If you buy a 6 cavity Lee use caution when operating the sprue cut-off as they break if used improperly. If the sprue is too cold it takes excessive force to cut it. Once the beveled part of the handle bottoms out back it off and insert a flat tip screwdriver blade and you will regain the mechanical advantage to cut the sprue.
If you want to shoot cast in the 223 it is doubtful if the tumble lube will provide enough lube. You can buy some of Lar's Carnuba Red lube and use it like a crayon to fill the lube grooves and then seat the gas check and size in the Lee push thru sizer. Probably the cheapest method to lube and size the boolits.

Once you get started post some pictures of your results so if any issues are seen the members here can make suggestions. Good casting!

[claude]

Thanks JK for asking this question, I have been pondering the very question. I was most concerned about what size pot to purchase, I see the small 4# isn't advised.
Personally, I have pretty much determined to go with ladle casting.

Nobody says you have to fill all six of the holes in your mould

Thank you markshere2, that was another question running around in my feeble brain.

I have been slowly acquiring the essentials and this is helpful.

Thanks for your hard earned knowledge gentlemen!

claude.

[Garyshome]

I don't think that the Lee sizer will work with the Lyman 4500 Lube Sizer with Heater 115-Volt [The sizer is not a reloading press]. I think you need Lyman sizer die.The sizer part should work but the lube part won't. You should just get a cheap lee press for starters until you know exactly what you are doing, then get something better. Get a bottom pour pot, if you want to do some volume casting. I started with the small Lee pot them got the #20, and use them both when casting now, it really speeds up casting volume.

[mdi]

Get some more info before you begin (a bit more than forum opinions). Lyman's 3rd Edition Cast Bullet Hand book is an excellent place to start (if you can find one, the 4th Edition will do though, just not as new caster friendly). Check LASC website for a whole lot of info http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm. This site will give tons of info and you will have an idea of what equipment you'll need.

I too would suggest a two cavity mold for a new caster as temperature control is easier than on a long 6 banger. Check out all the melting pots available (google bullet casting), check with the major vendors (MidWay, Mid South, Widners, Titan Reloading) for price and availability, and figger what will suit your casting needs (only need 100 bullets at a time? A small pot with a ladle will suffice. Want to cast 500 per setting? A bottom pour and mebbe a couple molds).

I started with a stainless steel pot, 1 qt., a Coleman single burner stove, a wooden stick for stirring, a slotted spoon for skimming, some paraffin for flux, a Lee ladle, a two hole Lee mold, and a yellar hammer. I had access to wheel weights and used this alloy exclusively. My mold was a tumble lube design so I didn't size the bullets and I lubed with alox. I kept my 629 fed with this set up for about a year before I went with a bottom pour pot. I slowly added tools as I needed them, and found better methods and supplies as I went along.

But, you need to know, this is a slippery slope you're startin' on. Bullet casting is extremely satisfying, and some say addicting (I can stop anytime I want, I just don't wanna). Soon your mold inventory will grow, you'll add different alloys, you will soon start making your own lubes, and mebbe gaschecks. Another pot will be very helpful, and you'll prolly get a mold preheater (hot plate). Then you'll start walking every where and scan the curb/gutter and cruise parking lots looking for wheel weights. Every time you go to a store you'll scan the shelves thinking "Can I use that for my boolits?". Be very careful my friend, it does happen...

[jkcerda]

Thanks for the help & the PMs
lee 4-20 and a 2 mould will be the start. Also getting the Lyman 4th edition book
already looking to buy ingots ready to go here

seems .223 is a hassle. How about .308?

[jkcerda]

Quick question
how many bookits per pound can I expect ? .45 ACP 230 gr?