Looking for making lead bullet tips

[41 Mag]

If you'll deliver 70 pound flat rate boxes of wheel weight alloy - alloy clean and ready to cast not mixed wheel weights with zinc and steel and iron and dirt - for $1 per pound I'll cheerfully give you a fair amount of business

Myself, I personally cannot furnish the alloy. I do however purchase it just like that either clip on wheel weights already smelted and fluxed or stick on wheel weights in the same condition. All sorted out with no other junk inclusions that I have noted. Have I had it tested for content, nope, but others have who have also purchase the same alloy. The person I buy from does it for a living and I see no reason why they would tarnish the good name and reputation they have built up simply for profit. They have plenty of other folks who will take the "whatever" alloy for fishing weights and other similar items.

I do still smelt everything I purchase into my own ingots and in the process I also flux it at least once or twice during the process. If for no other reason to make me feel good about it. I run it at 454 full load pressures and have no issues with it what so ever. I also have poured up pounds and pounds of H&G #130 and #50's with it as well with perfect fillout in both cases. They all come out in the weights they are supposed to and shoot to as close to the same POI as I can hold them. I don't know what more I could ask of it but it is the same hardness as my own WW alloy and it gets just as hard when water dropped or heat treated. So as far as I am concerned it is clip on wheel weight alloy, and I pick it up for what I posted above.

It is like finding your own tire shop who gives you the best deal in town I guess but I know of several others who also sell it for the same pricing. I just prefer to deal with the same folks time and time again so I can send them my personal check and they ship the lead knowing I am good for what we agreed on. It took quite a few orders but I even have one fellow who ships things and then gives me a heads up it's coming. Then I have to get on the ball to get the money on it's way. Not how I really like it but I don't mind it too awfully much either.

 

[wgaynor]

just don't be eating the lead and keep water out of the hot pot of lead and it's safe. It's a great hobby and a good skill to know. goferit.

 

[35 Whelen]

Health concerns?

Really?

I started casting lead solders and fishing sinkers on my moms gas kitchen range.
In 1950 something when I was about 8.

And I have been bullet casting regularly since 1962.

Maybe thats why I no longer feel as healthy as I used too?

Or maybe it's because I turn 70 in two months?

Yea!
That has way more to do with it then 64 years of playing around with molten lead for hours at a time for a lifetime.

rc

This. Lead has to be at an extremely high temperature before it vaporizes to the point that it can be inhaled. Does that means you stand with your nose over a pot of molten lead? Of course not. Use common sense and your biggest problem will be finding alloy to replace that which you've used molding all the bullets you've been shooting!

35W

 

[LKLive13]

LKLive13, good thing I saw this thread before I sent you the small primer 45 cases.

I will also PIF an assortment of various brand 9mm lead bullets/types so you can try them out in your pistol and decide which works best for you

Sweet... Thanks again for hooking me up with that!!

 

[ClarkEMyers]

With apologies to .41 Magnum who is precisely correct -

If you are willing to chase down scrap alloy, and make some effort to get antimony and tin as required for the application - less for handgun plinking loads more for fancy rifle loads then by all means get into casting - like reloading in general casting for handguns can allow much more shooting to develop handgun skills. Casting for rifles allows everything from cheap reduced loads to introduce novices to shooting to fairly expensive loads from select alloy including paper patched and other techniques to keep some fairly expensive guns - black powder heirlooms Paradox guns and a world of exotics such as BPCR silhouette.

 

[Foto Joe]

The recommendations which this thread has generated are for the most part spot on. Personally I wouldn't recommend a 6-Cav mold to a beginner though, it takes a little experience to to run one and if the beginner is ladle pouring then the 6-Cav gets even more interesting.

Do by all means get over to http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?8-Cast-Boolits and at least start reading.

Although I use and like Lee molds I will give the warning that should you buy one make sure it is prepped correctly prior to use. Failure to at least get the sharp edges off of the sprue plate can really mess up the mold blocks in short order.

 

[grubbylabs]

I have the hardest time getting lead. First I have to get the guys out back to actually take it off the wheel, then I have to get them to get it in the bucket. And worst of all, I have to haul it out to my car at the end of the day.

 

[Hondo 60]

What is the best way to go about getting into doing it?

Get a copy of Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook.
The current edition is #4
(IMHO #3 is sorely lacking, so make sure you get the current one)