Cost Effective source for lead casting?

[USSR]

Excellent post, CLP.

D.B. Cooper,

I understand your wanting to do this on the cheap, but you're setting yourself up for a lot of angst and frustration by doing so. And it will be such a PITA that you will give up on it. That you have a fish fryer is excellent, now here is what else you need to get.

If you are going to pick up lead from various sources that are not in ingot form:
10# cast iron pot
Ingot mould
Using your fish fryer, melt the lead in the pot and pour it in the mould to create ingots that will later on go into your furnace for casting bullets. Keep your various types of lead separate (i.e. don't melt different types of lead such as pure, wheel weights, etc. together).

Then get the various other items previously mentioned, such as the Lee bottom pour furnace, Lee moulds, etc. You can get into this relatively inexpensively, but forget about the outdoor fire scenario.

Don

 

[Dale shaver]

I don't think I'm going to go through the process of hunting down scrap lead or range scrap, etc. I can buy a 500 rd box of cast lead projectiles for about half a day's pay, so I think, for me at least, I would be better served to just budget that and buy the led projectiles-unless I can get it a lot cheaper.

This is how I do it. Bullets already have the mixture they need and the lube that comes with it is your flux when you melt the lead. Just melt, skim and pour. Done. You might even ask around with local gun shops if anybody they know have some cast projectiles they will never use they are willing to part from.

 

[Swampman]

The way I see it, there are three major reasons for people to cast their own bullets.

1. Because they enjoy it as part of the shooting/handloading sport.

2. To save money. This usually involves sourcing materials that cost more labor than money.

3. To feed a firearm they want to shoot but can't buy bullets for. This often goes along with forming brass for wildcat or truly obsolete cartridges.

If you don't enjoy it and can buy commercial cast bullets, then #2 is the only reason left.

So where exactly do you buy your cast hollowpoint bullets?

How about soft point cast bullets with the nose poured of dead soft lead for quick expansion in soft tissue, but with a shank made of hard, heat treated alloy that'll blow right through the shoulder knuckle of a big boar?

All cast bullets are not created equal and there are a lot more than three reasons why folks might want to make their own.

 

[CraigC]

Rimrock, Hunter's Supply, Matt's or Speer and Hornady swaged hollowpoints.

I wouldn't fool with soft nose cast bullets. IMHO, those are for tinkerers and that falls into #1. In fact, I don't want my LBT's to deform at all.

I never said all cast bullets were created equal. All commercial cast bullets are not created equal either.

I said three MAJOR reasons. I didn't say those were the only three reasons.

 

[Dale shaver]

Okay, a lot of discussion as to whether factory ammo or reloaded cast your own ammo is best as far as affordability. So you spend a little over a hundred dollars for initial equipment cost. But when it is done you don’t have to worry about it. And you don’t HAVE to get a smelting pot you can do it on an open flame if hot enough and a ladle but I suggest a pot. Then you have to spend some time acquiring lead, but when it is done you don’t have to worry about it. Then spend the time actually casting the Bullets and loading them. Or just go to the store and buy what you can afford, shoot it then wait until next pay day. But what if you go to the store and there is no ammo to buy? You know we just went through this when Obama was president. Ammo shortage and everybody wanted it. Lasted about three years then supplies finally went back to normal. What if they didn’t? What would you do? I know what you would do, you would get equipment and start casting your own. When we have nothing we go back to old ways, making it because we know we can.

 

[CraigC]

The only thing I needed but couldn't get during the shortage was .22LR but that was because I was shooting a case every two months. Not hard at all to keep enough bullets and other components on hand to last a while.