Casting vs. buying?

[Rover]

Just used up my last bare lead .44 and 9mm and was poking around the web looking to stock bak up. I have found 9mm all over the place for fairly little money, but .44 is proving harder to find.

That got me looking at a Lee dual cavity mold. 2 of my good friends manage the America's tire in Camarillo and Thousand Oaks, so getting used wheel weight isn't an issue, getting lead non-stick on weights mite be though, but the metal shop I go to sells lead shot and ingots pretty cheap. So it seems All I need is a cast iron dutch oven or something similar to melt the lead, the mold, a couple candles and a ladle, or do I? Finding good info on what's involved is proving difficult.

For those who cast their own,

Do you need to/should you size the bullets after you cast?

What about testing the harness?

Seems if I have to do either of those it's going to be cheaper to keep buying my bullets, but if I can get away without those steps, looks like I can save some cash.

Not trying to create super pig killer or 100000 yard super accurate match rounds or anything, just some good 115/gr round nosed 9mm, and 240/gr SWC .44 loaded pretty mid-power range to plink with and shoot steel.

[mif_slim]

Its cheaper to cast, but problem is, california has that stupid wheel weight bann so finding wheel weights now is harder. I recently called all 12 tire shops, both big and private own and they call say they cant sell them anymore. I went to the junk yard in my area and all but one (who I guess dont know of the bann yet) said they cant sell them either. So, if you already stocked up on plenty of lead before...your good to cast, if not, buying lead might get a little more expensive since you will have to buy it online.

[kmca]

You can order casting alloys from Rotometals around $2.19/lb, then you don't have to bother with alloying or measuring the hardness of the lead. That makes your bullets about $20/500 for 9mm, not including lube. I can buy coated 9mm for about $23/500. It's not worth it to me to cast those. I only cast those bullets that are hard to find.

[bohoki]

learn to differentiate the clamp on weights

ones that say zn on them are zinc but it is seldom that clear or fe for iron ones

so just use some sidecutters to get the feel for lead and collect all you can now i suggest bringing home a bucket pour it out on a big tarp and get to sorting give them back all the zinc/iron ones get more repeat

you can melt them in a cast iron skillet on a coleman camp stove

[Rover]

This brings me back to the question of alloys. How important is it that you get the alloy perfect? I can get pure lead ingots and shot fairly cheaply, would I be safe if I didn't alloy it, or just did it by weight and ran with it? Or do I really have to buy a hardness gauge?

[bohoki]

for standard pistol loads the alloy is not really critical for magnums or rifles it matters more

[mif_slim]

I've tested WW alone in my pistol, no leading..havent tested it in my M44.

[SKSer]

for lead call you local scrap yard, last time I went to mine it was .75cents a pound. I just started casting, I tried the hot plate, steel pot, and ladle pour method of casting and everyone kept telling me "your gonna get a bottom pour furnace, just watch". Sure enough I was getting so frustrated trying to ladle pour, I sucked it up and bought this: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=637732
MAN what a difference, once you get it dialed in it pours perfect, SOOOOOO much easier

[chris]

This brings me back to the question of alloys. How important is it that you get the alloy perfect? I can get pure lead ingots and shot fairly cheaply, would I be safe if I didn't alloy it, or just did it by weight and ran with it? Or do I really have to buy a hardness gauge?

i cast bullets for my 45-70 and i use a 20:1 alloy mix of lead and tin. not too bad no leading that i have found in my rifle. i use www.rotometals.com for my stuff. and they are pretty fast at shipping to your door. good mixture of alloy is best for weight uniformity and hardness for you bullets. however i don't check the hardness of mine. heck my rifle is Sharps model 1874 i bet back in those days the guys used whatever they could find to shoot out of their rifles so i know that my rifle can eat what make at home.

for lead call you local scrap yard, last time I went to mine it was .75cents a pound. I just started casting, I tried the hot plate, steel pot, and ladle pour method of casting and everyone kept telling me "your gonna get a bottom pour furnace, just watch". Sure enough I was getting so frustrated trying to ladle pour, I sucked it up and bought this: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=637732
MAN what a difference, once you get it dialed in it pours perfect, SOOOOOO much easier

heck i use a propane tank and a turkey frier stand and a cast iron pot that i found at the swampmeet for my casting no need to get fancy. but what works for you is what matters enjoy casting. i do when i do it.

[SKSer]

i cast bullets for my 45-70 and i use a 20:1 alloy mix of lead and tin. not too bad no leading that i have found in my rifle. i use www.rotometals.com for my stuff. and they are pretty fast at shipping to your door. good mixture of alloy is best for weight uniformity and hardness for you bullets. however i don't check the hardness of mine. heck my rifle is Sharps model 1874 i bet back in those days the guys used whatever they could find to shoot out of their rifles so i know that my rifle can eat what make at home.



heck i use a propane tank and a turkey frier stand and a cast iron pot that i found at the swampmeet for my casting no need to get fancy. but what works for you is what matters enjoy casting. i do when i do it.

Yea, I dont think my hot plate was allowing the melt to get hot enough to properly fill the mold. Im deffinately a money saver when i can be, hence casting in the first place, but I deffinately enjoy the cleanliness of the bottom pour no splatter or spilling and what not. But I agree, if you come as far as casting your own bullets, you will deffinately find what ever groove works for you.

[vega]

......... I can buy coated 9mm for about $23/500. ......

Care to share where?

Rover - If you decide not to cast can you pass the two suppliers to me?

[wellfedirishman]

These guys are pretty cheap and if you search online you can find a discount promo code too:

http://www.missouribullet.com/

[kmca]

Care to share where?

Rover - If you decide not to cast can you pass the two suppliers to me?

From Bear Creek direct.

[hill billy]

Just used up my last bare lead .44 and 9mm and was poking around the web looking to stock bak up. I have found 9mm all over the place for fairly little money, but .44 is proving harder to find.

That got me looking at a Lee dual cavity mold. Pay the extra money and get the six cavity mold.2 of my good friends manage the America's tire in Camarillo and Thousand Oaks, so getting used wheel weight isn't an issue, America's tire has a company policy not to sell weights and with the ban now, it's sort of a moot pointgetting lead non-stick on weights mite be though, but the metal shop I go to sells lead shot and ingots pretty cheap. So it seems All I need is a cast iron dutch oven or something similar to melt the lead, the mold, a couple candles and a ladle, or do I? Finding good info on what's involved is proving difficult.

..........

[7222 Hawker]

Its cheaper to cast, but problem is, california has that stupid wheel weight bann so finding wheel weights now is harder. I recently called all 12 tire shops, both big and private own and they call say they cant sell them anymore. I went to the junk yard in my area and all but one (who I guess dont know of the bann yet) said they cant sell them either. So, if you already stocked up on plenty of lead before...your good to cast, if not, buying lead might get a little more expensive since you will have to buy it online.

California has gone to hell. Time for a TEA party.