Plated Bullets vs Cast Bullets

[rsrocket1]

I bought my casting stuff in November and have cast a couple hundred pounds of bullets. Yesterday morning, I started setting up for a casting session at 9:45AM and had everything put away at 11:30. I cast 670 .40 caliber 180g TC bullets. The actual casting time was about 1 hour. If I were really trying to go for speed, I probably could have done 1000.

Watch the You Tube videos by CowboyT and you can see how once you get into a rhythm, you can cast very quickly with a 6 cavity mold. I have them in 45, 40 and 38 and love them.

Yes it helps to learn as much as possible before starting, but once you start, it is no more difficult than loading pistol rounds in a progressive loader. Safety from splashing molten lead is the most important thing IMO. I sometimes find tiny splats of lead on my face shield, gloves and long sleeve denim shirts. I would hate to feel those splashing on my skin.

[johnny1290]

Just for the record, lead burns worse than mig weld splatter, which I don't love either. You can't be too careful, especially if there's water anywhere near.

[Cowboy T]

Since I shoot about 10,000 rounds a year to stay in practice, I cast about that much a year. For the most part, I agree with XDRoX. Here's my own twist on his advice.

I use mostly Lee 6-cavity moulds. They're really not that expensive. With handles, a 6-banger mould will cost about $55, and they are F-A-S-T for production. They also don't require a lengthy "breaking in" period. I've got some videos on the use of one on my Web site, if you're up for it.

As far as lead exposure, the biggest threat is actually the spent primer dust after you fire. Most primers are made of a compound called lead styphnate. When you fire, naturally the dust comes out the B/C gap (for revolvers) and the barrel (all guns). Breathing in that lead styphnate dust from the primer, especially at a poorly ventilated indoor range, will send your lead levels up. Shooting cast bullets will produce just a little bit, but it's orders of magnitude less than the primer dust. That's why you're seeing all the "non-toxic primer" ammo coming out these days.

Therefore, I personally wouldn't worry about lead exposure from cast bullets, as long as you practice proper hygiene, which others have already described, and which you oughta be doing anyway.

Now, why cast at home? Here are my reasons:

1.) I save a boatload of money per round, especially for my bigger-bore rounds. This $80.03 box of ammo, I replicate with my cast boolits for $8.00.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=292

Yeah, I replicate that box for eight bucks. Even .38 Special only costs me $3.25/box to make. Oh, and that's including the price of the lead at $1.00/lb.

2.) Casting allows me to tailor the hardness and diameter of the "boolits" to my specific gun(s). When this is done properly, there is no lead-fouling that I can detect, even after 1,000 rounds without cleaning.

3.) You can cast your own hollow points if you wish. Cramer-style moulds are great for doing this.

4.) Self-sufficiency and independence. I no longer worry about whether the stores have bullets in stock.

.

[ExtremeX]

Thanks everyone, I think I am going to give casting a shot... the startup costs are not that bad...

What does everyone use for a lube and sizing, luber / sizer…

Can I get away with the cheaper options? I don’t think my volume for pistol rounds is going to be as high as others.

[gunboat]

I think you can do it fairly cheaply --
First item I would buy would be Lymans handbook of cast bullets - any edition --
Lee makes less expensive moulds and casting tooling.
You do need a lube and sizer of some sort, a Star is great, but lots of ammo has been loaded using the "cake cutter" method.
There is also plenty of used equipment for sale as well --
my tuppence

[CEDaytonaRydr]

I like copper plated because I've had lead fouling in my 1911 in the past. It doesn't really happen with the copper plated loads I've done...

That being said, I use both. I shoot a lot of moly coated, cast lead, .41 Mag bullets. They work great...