[HANDLOADER]

I just got back from my casting session and did my formulas and have come to the conclusion that I produced 1039 0.358 Kieth 150 gr bullets. I did it all in 4 hours and 30 mins. I thought it was good time using a 2 cavity mold. So now is the time to brag how long dose it take you to cast at least 1000 GOOD bullets with no defects?

GOD BLESS

Handloader

[ants]

My 6-cavity 45acp drops 6 bullets in 30 seconds. Fill and drop every 1/2 minute. But at 230 grains per bullet, the big problem is keeping the pot full. I thought about a second pot for melting ingots, but transferring the molten material takes too long. I'm thinking about a second production pot so I can use one pot until half empty, and go straight to the second pot while the first one is melting more ingots.

[Griz44]

Right at 2 hours. I use 2 - 10# Lee pots, alternate so while one melts, I pour from the other. I cast from a LEE 6 banger TL mold. That's right at 35# of lead.

[armoredman]

Take me a few weeks - I do about 150-200, get them all prepped and loaded, shoot, back to it. Takes about an hour with my 10# pot and horrible casting area, back screams quickly. So, only every couple of weeks, during the winter.

[sniper7369]

At least four hours to do a 1,000. I use a Lee 2 cavity 200gr SWC mold for the .45 and a Lee 10# production pot. If I run the 111gr 9mm mold at the same time I do a few more, but the pot empties out so fast I don't really gain any production volume.
Looking hard at getting a second 10# pot and a six cavity mold for the .45.

[easyrider6042004@yahoo.ca]

1,100 bullets in two hours. Estimate 40-50 rejects. This two hours includes the time to heat the melter up to clean-up of casting area.

6 cavity .358 TL Lee Mold, Lee 20 lb bottom pour, fed by previously prepared 1 lb and 1/2 lb wheel weight ingots cast in Lee ingot mold.

To make 100 lbs of ingots took about 3 1/2 hours total, using the same Lee 20 lb pot, enough to make more than 4,000 .357 bullets.

[easyrider6042004@yahoo.ca]

But at 230 grains per bullet, the big problem is keeping the pot full. I thought about a second pot for melting ingots, but transferring the molten material takes too long. I'm thinking about a second production pot so I can use one pot until half empty, and go straight to the second pot while the first one is melting more ingots.

I use one Lee 20 lb melter pot. I keep the thermostat at 5.5 and add one 1/2 lb or 1 lb ingot at a time, keeping the pot between 3/4 and 7/8 full. I found that the more molten lead you keep, before adding an ingot, the more uniform the temperature and the quicker the pot recovers to its operating temperature.

I do not have to slow down my pouring rate at all. As soon as I drop 1 ingot, I go right back to casting. Every so often while waiting for the mold to cool, I'd gather the sprues and dump them into the pot as well. No time wasted.

This way I don't have to take a break to add ingots and wait for them to melt.
The only time I stop casting is when I flux the melt perhaps after pouring 20 lbs, which takes only a minute.

[ReloaderFred]

About an hour and a half, or a little less, with our Magma Master Caster. You can cast all day with that machine and not get tired.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[alex9328]

4 Hours gets me about half that number. Last session in January I add a virbration to the table, which increased the number of full bullets to 100%. Of course first casting I have a few cold reject, but after that run of 3 or 4 drop bullets the rest a perfect.

I notice that I was having a lot of malformed bullets, the bullets did not form crisp edges, so I reject them.

I added a slight vibration to the whole table and the bullets started coming out full and crisp. I verified their weights and notice that they were much closer in weight to each other. since weights for 358156 are running dead on I believe no inclusion are insided.

I will be recasting soon and rebuild my stock, I am ran out during the summer and had to purchase some 357 SWC GC. So I will update my run if anyone is interested.

Thanks, Alex

[NuJudge]

With a 6-cavity Lee, with a 20- and 10-pound Lee (using the 10Lb as a melter only and ingots on top of each pre-heating), a pile of ingots and a 5-gallon bucket of water to empty the mold into, I can cast 24 bullets a minute for as long as the ingots hold out. In a bit over 3 hours, I cast something in the neighborhood of 4000 200gr .452" SWC bullets once, even with some short potty breaks.

There are some things that help: Aluminum molds tire your wrists far less than Iron molds, BullPlate mold lube prevents aluminum galling, cast bullets using hot Lead and hot molds, and use Tin to assist fill-out. Don't worry about bullets being frosted, and graphite-based mold prep sprays may help.

If you are going to cast like this, you need a Star lube machine.

[Griz44]

If you are going to cast like this, you need a Star lube machine.

LEE TL type bullets -
Spray with Cabelas case lube, punch through a LEE sizer mounted upside down on the bench and dropping into a large tray - 1000 in 30 minutes

Shake 'em - Tumble Lube (Lee Liquid Alox) - 1000 in 3 minutes.

Wish I could afford a Star - Oh well, maybe next decade....