Bullet casting / Getting started What do I need?

[2ndovc]

Ok. I've been hoarding lead and a few other things to someday start casting my own bullets but need the big stuff, furnace , sizer & dies etc.

First question, should I order the Lyman casting kit that comes with most of the stuff to get started or put together a group of stuff from different companies? what would i need ?

So far I only have a couple bp molds but eventually want to cast for 45-70, 45 Colt, . 30 cal. etc.

Thanks for any info!

[afish4570]

Some of us began quite humbly. I started with a Model 425 Coleman gasoline (white gas and now using Cole.fuel), a lyman ladel, lead pot and round ball single cavity mold...... As time went on & I had more $$$ I ended up with a Lee 10# pot, some used 4 cav. molds, double cav. and Lee 6 cav. Early on I bought a 450 (now 4500) Lyman Sizing Machine. Some are now using the Lee Sizing system or just shooting unsized lubed with the liquid Lee Alox or XloX White Label. Lyman Cast Bullet manual is still a bible. Get an electric lead melting pot according to your budget....Lee has its following and cheapest. Study the molds and see if you want a hunting bullet (flat point) or target and super accurate bullet. Next a sizing machine of some sort. Gas checks are becoming so costly you may wish to shoot loads that don't go fast enough to need them. Lots to consider....Guys see if you can give more input.afish4570

[Ben_Rumson]

Get the Lyman bullet casting book..You wouldn't go wrong with a Lyman 20 pound capacity melting pot bottom pour...The Lee 20# bottom pour is good too..The smaller cap melting pots have to be replenished more often.. then you have to wait for the melt to come up to proper casting temp.. your mold will have to come back up to temp too.. The Lyman Lubrasizer & Molds are good..Get a thermometer.. Start casting pistol bullets to start with, they're easier to get good results with and learn on than say the 45-70 bullets..Good luck

[HEAD0001]

I may get flamed for this but here goes.

I would personally stay away from Lee products. They are of minimal acceptable quality IMO.

Again IMO unless you are going for high production then I would stay away from the bottom pour pots. They have too many long term problems. I have two of them that the bottom pour no longer works properly, but the heating unit is still fine. And they are not Lee pots.

Lyman makes a good product, along with RCBS.

I do not think you can go wrong with a Lyman Kit. And their manual is top notch.

I personally like the small Lyman pots. They are not real expensive and I have several of them. I can keep different alloys in each pot. As long as I do not forget which one is which.

I also like to use a ladle to pour my bullets. For some reason my bullet's come out more consistently that way.

I really enjoy casting my own bullets. I guess it just gives a sense of accomplishment. Then you get to go out and put 100 rounds of 45-70 down range for just a few bucks. How do you beat that??? Tom.

[2row]

Every one will differ me I use a lee bottom pore matter of fact I've got 2 of them one for WW and the other for soft lead I've had one of them for maby 20 years or longer all I shoot is cast and I shoot all the time cast about 500 for my 30-30s yesterday I don't have a problem with lee just start with what you can get your hands on an go from there and enjoy casting for the fun of it

[Thunder50]

I started with a ladle from my lead solder melting kit but soon went with a Saeco 10lb bottom pour pot (1971). Still have it and still use it. Tried ladle casting, but soon abandoned it for the bottom pour. Also bought a lyman 450 that I wore out and have two others. Also have a RCBS that I like a bit better. You might see what you can find at a gun show, but otherwise I think I would try and get a 20lb pot and the lyman stuff. Lee is OK, but I don't use my Lee stuff very much (except for the moulds). Be sure and get a good supply of lead while you can.

[TedH]

I agree that the LEE casting products are not up to the quality of Lyman or RCBS. BUT, for a fellow that is just starting out, that may be the way to go. I have a LEE 10# pot that is at least 10 years old and is still going strong. I have also used a lot of LEE molds and trashed several over the years too.

If you are pretty sure you'll hang with it for a long time, go ahead and spend the money for a Lyman or RCBS furnace and accessories. Would be hard to go wrong with the Lyman kit. If your thinking of it as kind of an experiment, then go cheap and get the LEE stuff.

[dave in maine]

you might try the castboolits forum,there are some hardcore casters there and lots of info. be careful,it's addictive.

[2ndovc]

Thanks Guys!!

Went out and got the Lyman Cast bullet handbook. Looks like good info.
Planing on starting small and working my way up. Something to do while sitting on the deck in the evenings ( when it warms up).

Just wanted to know what you guys have had good & bad experiences with.

[homefront]

There's a lot to be learned here:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.p ... 52e15877af

[Old Ironsights]

Lessee. How cheap can you go to start smelting/casting with relative ease?




That'll do. (The "vent hood" is there because the Lee Pot is in my basement... with no windows.)

[Texican]

My questions are about wheel weights. Can you get consistent quality from them?

Also, the Lyman manual mentions adding plumber's solder to make #2 alloy. Do you have to? What other recipes for alloys are there?

Please enlighten me, thanks.

[Old Ironsights]

Any "inconsistency" in Wheel Weights is lost to the homoginization of the smelt. The variation between MFGs is negligible.

The KEY is to keep your temperatures low enough to prevent the Zinc weights from melting into the alloy.

Zinc Alloy melt at 800-900deg. Even TINY amounts of Zinc will make mould fillout almost imopssible.

Keep your melting temps between 650-700 and you will be fine.

(NOTE - Pure pb needs higher temps - so you MUST be doubly certain you don't get Zinc WWs into a "pure" smelt. I'd rather melt some pure pb into a WW batch than melt a Zinc WW into a Pure pb batch.)

As for #2 Alloy... IMEX it's not really necessary. WW comes pretty danged close... and kills deer beyond all reason.

[Charles]

I have been bullet casting for a while now. I started with a plumber's furnace in 1958. I bought a 10 lb. Lyman Master Caster bottom draw furnace in 1963. I used it until 1982 when I bought a 20 lbs Lyman bottom draw furnace. I pluged the spigot on the 10 lbs furnace and still use it from time to time for dipper casting.

I started with a Lyman 45 lube sizer also in 1959. I bought a 450 also in 1982 and am still using it and picked up three more along the way. A few months back I gave the 45 to a fellow in Canada and he is having a blast with it.

I have something over 150 molds of various makes: Lyman, RCBS, Cramer, SAECO, Hensley and Gibbs, NEI, Mountain Molds, Modern Bond, Belding and Mull, Old West, Hoch and probably a few more. They all work just fine. Some are about 70 years old, and many have been in regular use by me for almost 50 years.

I have never worn out or broken a molds or equipment other than a couple of cheap *** Lee molds. Lee equipment has a very short life span.

The point of all of this is I always suggest you buy top quality equipment. It will last a lifetime with good care and be a pleasure to use. It is no fun to have to work of something every time you want to use it.

[2ndovc]

More good info!

Thanks Charles and OI!

[Texican]

Thank you very much that helps a lot.

If you'll allow another query: is linotype still available from other sources than a foundry? It would seem the advice to buy it from printing shops is considerably dated.

Thanks again.

[Old Ironsights]

Never used it, so I've never looked for it. But I'm sure there's some availale on E-Bone.