Bullet Casting Questions

[Coal Creek Griff]

I've always said that I'm not sure which I enjoy more: shooting or reloading.  Now I have another aspect of reloading to enjoy.  I just have to figure out this whole pan-lubing business.

Griff

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Pan lubing is a widely used option, and there is plenty of advice out there. 

I don't bother.  I pick a pea-sized glob off a lube stick and apply it to the grooves by hand.  It doesn't make much of a mess either, and I can do it while watching the magic-lantern show.

[Kawachewan]

Most will say that wheel weights are too hard an alloy. If you look on ebay you can usually find someone selling lead.


Here's the results for a search on ebay. Pure lead is what most recommend.

http://desc.shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=lead+ingots&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=382&_okw=lead+ingots&_oexkw=&LH_TitleDesc=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_sabdlo=&_sabdhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_ftrt=901&_ftrv=1&_sadis=200&_fpos=&_fsct=&LH_SALE_CURRENCY=0&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=50

[Howdy Doody]

These days if you can get a bucket of wheelweights you will find that a lot of them are stick ons. Stick on weights are near pure lead. Melt all of them down and the mix will be plenty soft. Less than 20-1, that is for sure.

I started with Lee pot. I still use it alongside my RCBS. The Lee pot that works well is called a Pro 4. You can get started with Lee molds too, they are the cheapest out there, but they still drop a nice bullet. You don't need a thermometer. If your melt is coming from the down pour Lee, it is at least warm enough to get started. If the bullets are wrinkled add more heat and if the get to just frosty you are good to go. Mark the dial for referrence. You are now casting at about 700 degrees. Flux? Just use a bit of bullet lube. Scoop the crud off with a ladle of dedicated large spoon. Gonna make ingots? Get a metal muffin tin and pour into it. Level muffins of lead in my 6 hole tin weigh right at 5 lbs each. Learn to smoke your molds. They make a spray on but that stuff fills in the mold and you loose definition on your bullets. Of course you need gloves and leather welding gloves are ideal, but they have cheaper leather gloves at places like garden centers, Lowes, etc. Anything else just ask.

BTW, I learned a huge amount about casting when I got started on the websites  Graybeards Outdoors and Cast Boolits. There is a world of info there and you can do searches for answers.
It is fun once you get to makin' yer own.

I got most of my first purchases from Midway USA

[Singing Bear]

I been using a Lee 10 pounder for years along with Lee moulds, 2 and 6 cavity.  Wheel weights are my norm for cartridge bullets as I got the stuff for free.  Hard to beat that price.    I save the really soft lead for my round balls.  This stuff is harder to come by, but through the years I've built up a stash that'll out last me. 

[Bristow Kid]

Please explain smoking my molds?

[Frenchie]

Please explain smoking my molds?

It's to keep the lead from sticking, acts like a mold release. Get a nice beeswax & tallow candle and let the wick get long enough to make smoke. Coat the inside of the mold by holding it over the candle, then cast. Like everything else about casting, it's an art that takes patience and practice to get good at. Maybe one day I'll get the chance to do it instead of just reading about it. 

[Howdy Doody]

Frenchie has that smoking the molds down pat. I made the referral, because I had bought a can of the spray on release, it is like primer and then found that the stuff fills in the mold where you don't want it to. It is a bear to clean out too. So, new molds, you clean with brake clean, alcohol or thinner. Then before using you smoke the inside of the cavities and the bullets drop right out. 

[Delmonico]

Myself I grab 3-4 kitchen matches and light and use them, have never tried the candle because I read/was told one time candles can sometimes leave a bit of waxy soot on the mould.  don't know if this is true, but why I always have used kitchen matches.

Also use the same type match when I want to smoke a seegar.

[Ranch 13]

 Start with the Lee 1-lb production pot and a lee mold or two. Then when you get things down pat,you can move on to the better quality molds such as RCBS Lyman etc.
 You can use straight wheelweights for 99% of the cast bullet shooting you'll ever do. If you can't get them local, there's plenty of folks selling them already rendered and put into ingots on Ebay.
 For high quality certified alloy at reasonable prices I like these folks www.rotometals.com