Bullet Casting

[Inkman]

You need a lot of free time to do it right. I have to be motivated to get out in the garage and start casting, but when those buckets start filling up with boolits, i have a hard time stopping.

It's one of those things where, when ya get in the groove and everything is running smooth, ya just don't want to put the mold down.

Al

[bruce381]

I started as above with a coleman stove and a soup can to melt in with a lee mold and a long handles spoon

[Germz]

Almost 4 lbs each. Stock it when you can!

I melt all my lead down in bulk from range scrap in a giant stainless steel soup pot on a Coleman stove

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[ArmedCMT]

Actually, I'm in Northridge, but I wouldn't expect someone to invite over a complete stranger.

Im also in Northridge so if there is a member in the area interested in showing us some of the ropes please count me in. Im interested in casting and then plating my own bullets.

[Germz]

Im also in Northridge so if there is a member in the area interested in showing us some of the ropes please count me in. Im interested in casting and then plating my own bullets.

plating requires a copper source and a potassium solution :/
You might find powder coating a cheaper alternative!
however if you can get enough voltage for a dense copper plating more power to you!

[stilly]

Playing around with the idea. Not sure of the overall startup costs, but if the absolute cheapest way is a 1 and the best stuff is a 10, I'm probably in the 8 range.

Start hogging lead...

[sdfire]

Do indoor ranges sell the lead they gather in the traps?

[bohoki]

like i said just try to do it on the cheap

that way you can sell your molds on ebay and probably not be out anything

if i quit now my only outlays in money are

the lee molds at $20 a piece

the lee sizers at $15 a piece

a contaminated pan and stove


do not melt your lead in aluminum

lead is heavy it stays heavy even when liquid

lead is hot

fire bad

[asm_]

What's wrong with using aluminum pot to melt lead?


x

[John Joseph]

Melting in an aluminum pot is an accident waiting to happen.
I have a cast iron pot, but heavy stainless will work, as will an old propane tank cut in half.
You can melt on a Coleman stove.
An aluminum muffin pan makes a nice ingot mold
A stainless soup ladle from Smart & Final is good for filing muffin molds.
Check this out ---

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forum.php

[Bastard]

other - intrigued by the idea & honestly think that it is something that I might like to do later down the line, but right I don't have the room, time nor do I think that my neighbors would look too kindly on it (the joys of apartments)

[19K]

Here's a tip! Go on a fishing website and look for your melting pot. It'll be cheaper!!! I got my lee 10 pound pot brand new for 29.99 shipped.

[Eljay]

It's a useful skill. At the USPSA matches I go to when bullets started getting hard to find suddenly everybody started asking me about casting. That being said I mostly cast for muzzleloaders (HUGE savings on the larger sized balls and some sizes are impossible to get). For cartridges I cast for three calibers but don't intend to cast for every caliber I reload. That being said I should probably pick up some Lee molds for the other handgun calibers - they're cheap and it would provide a backup plan if bullets get scarce again...

[meaty-btz]

plating requires a copper source and a potassium solution :/
You might find powder coating a cheaper alternative!
however if you can get enough voltage for a dense copper plating more power to you!

Plating is more about low voltage and very low amperage and time. The idea is that you also need to make sure you sacrificial anode is designed to keep the distance to copper source is equal and to prevent a high and low side on the bullet.

More even and more dense plating occurs at lower voltages and fractional amps (milliamps) over a longer time. It also is better bonded.

All of that being said, the Plated bullets will still strip off the copper at relatively low velocities.

PC is better for velocities over 1100FPS.

[MrElectric03]

I'm still learning reloading myself but I'd like to get into casting. Especially for the hard to find stuff, have friends with 35 remington and 375 h&hs. Damn things are expensive to shoot.