My first casting

looks real nice

Holy smokes Batman, thats a nice bunch of 44's,- that's the bullet I use in my 44 Mag.

Smokeyloads

I'm still waiting on my stuff.

Awesome - what did you think about the whole process? I buy lead from Missouri Bullet Company and after shipping it's $55 for 500 wad cutters. Are you saving or coming close to equaling that cost?

I'd love to cast my own for the .44, it just seams fun - but it also seems like A LOT of mess and pissing around.

Casting isn't as much fun as reloading but it not a bad way to spend an afternoon. The rewards are great and its just another part of this addiction we have. Enjoy

Anmut, if you are only buying one box at a time from Missouri Bullet, you arent maximizing your shipping cost. They will ship up to 2K 200gr bullets in one flat rate medium box. Also, they do offer that 5% discount to THR members.

I started casting to help cut cost I'm retired so time isn't a issue to me and shooting IDPA matches you go through a lot of ammo.
So group buys for powder and primers and with free range pickup lead it dosent take long to pay for your equipment.
And like said above it brings every thing full circle.

My son gets me free wheel weights, so the bullets cost for a bit of fuel, and lube.
The tools quickly pay off.
It is a great part of the "addiction".

Nice going.

I won't say it's the most fun I've ever had

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Well, duh. The fun starts when you go and shoot 2-3 times as much as you usually do.

Getting ready to do that very thing.

I've never cast before either.

I just got my copy of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook from Midway yesterday, was reading it some last night.

I have a 20# electric pot that's never been plugged in, a 6-cavity 45 mold, and about 600 lbs. of wheel weights (about half have been melted in to ingots).

I *was* planning on doing rifle shooting today, and competing in a USPSA match tomorrow, but it was called for weather. Rain all damn weekend.

So I'm gonna make me some BOOLITS!

I have been accumulating tools and lead to start casting. I have acquired lead from whatever source I can. My most expensive (by far) is $75 for 60# of WW ingots.
Using this, my cost is 3.571¢ per bullet, or $17.86 per 500. You can currently buying the very good MBC 200gn RNFP for about 9.29¢ each, delivered in 2K lots.
That is a pretty substantial savings.
This is also dependant on having the time and inclination to cast.

I started with the same bullet, 19 years ago. I had a stainless steel pot, a Coleman stove, a Lee ladle, and a Lee mold (240 gr. SWC, T/L) and the mallet from my Lee Loader days. I had access to a bunch of wheel weights and fluxed with candles and soon went to sawdust. Slotted spoon from Ma's kitchen and a soup ladel from the Army-Navy surplus store. I tumble lubed with alox and shot a bunch of them in .44 Special and Magnum through my 5, .44 Magnums. I used this set-up for several months (mebbe a year and a half) before I went to a bottom pour. I still have that mold (along with 7-8 others) and still cast some up once in a while. No need to start out w/high $$$$ kits and a bunch of dedicated "casting tools". K.I.S.S.!

Taking some dirty, greasy wheel weights and scrap lead, melting it into clean ingots, then using those ingots to cast custom bullets specifically fitted to your guns, lubed with lube specifically formulated for your guns, is prolly the most satsfying aspect of home made ammo...

I have no idea what it costs to cast/lube/shoot my bullets, and I don't care. For my entire shooting hobby(s), casting bullets is by far the most enjoyable, no matter what it costs.

Very nice, that should keep you shooting for a week or two.

BBQJoe, that's ingenious. Looking at a tackle shop for a lead casting pot!

Hats off brother. That shows some skill at acquisition.

casting

Gentlemen,I'm sure everyone knows already but when melting lead be very careful with lead fumes. Many years back I was a plumber and worked pouring lead in soil pipes, be careful lead poisoning.

Gentlemen,I'm sure everyone knows already but when melting lead be very careful with lead fumes. Many years back I was a plumber and worked pouring lead in soil pipes, be careful lead poisoning.

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Lead poisoning isnt really that big of a concern when casting, as long as one takes basic precautions.

Yup, decent ventilation is all you should need.

The bigger concern (by far) is fire. Want to make sure there's nothing around which (if introduced to a pot full of 700 degree melted metal) isn't going to flame up or do any other nastiness.

Awesome - what did you think about the whole process? I buy lead from Missouri Bullet Company and after shipping it's $55 for 500 wad cutters. Are you saving or coming close to equaling that cost?

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That's funny.
Now don't get me wrong, Missouri Bullets is a hell of a company. They put out a fine product at a very reasonable price compared to the competition. I've never been less than completely satisfied with their bullets.

However, when you start casting your own you REALLY save some dough. I'm paying $35 for a five gallon bucket of wheel weights. That bucket usually yields me around 100-110 pounds of lead.

Assuming it's only 100 lbs, that's apprx. 2,745, 255 grain SWC .45 Colt bullets for $35.

Now, you're gonna have a little time invested in that. It's sure worth it to me. Hell, I'm loading .45 Colt for about $70 per 1k and .38 Spcl for less than $60.

Quote:
Gentlemen,I'm sure everyone knows already but when melting lead be very careful with lead fumes. Many years back I was a plumber and worked pouring lead in soil pipes, be careful lead poisoning.
Lead poisoning isnt really that big of a concern when casting, as long as one takes basic precautions.

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Correct. Lead fumes aren't an issue at the temperatures that lead pots get too. It has to get hotter than they're capable of to create lead fumes. The smoke and smell you get is merely the oil and dirt burning off the wheel weights, assuming that's what you're smelting.

Other than that, just use a little common sense and you'll be fine.
Make sure you have ventilation.
Wear gloves and long pants. No sandals. (Don't ask me how I know that).
Wash your hands before eating, smoking, going to the john, etc.

It's really not that big a deal.