Mark_Mark
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1,000 pounds! all I can say is … Oooh my back
Molds and loads
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Highland Lofts
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He has another six thousand pound which I will be buying with my extra cash when it comes in.
A thousand pounds at a time.
Invest in precious metals.
I orders five lee ingot molds and will be buying more Lyman and Rcbs molds and I will be buying a diving mold for the belts.
I love melting this scrap lead down and making it into usable ingots.
Mark_Mark
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You are a very resort’s full person!
Highland Lofts
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I found a source for 4 to 5% antimony lead but I would have to get $2 a pound. I will be buying atleast three hundred pounds for myself.
I will list it once I establish that connection.he says he has about eight thousand pounds.
We will see money talks and bullsh!t walks
RockRat64
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What's a fair COWW to cast bullet ratio trade? I might have a connection to a source and believe the guy will want some casted bullets in return.
Mark_Mark
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What part of Washington are you in?
GeoDudeFlorida
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TL/DR
Highland Lofts
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Forty miles north of shàt hole Seattle.
Mark_Mark
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this is true!
lightman
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I enjoy what I call the "smelting" process myself. I get together with an old working buddy once a year and we have a smelting party in my shop. We melt down everything we have accumulated over the year since last time. We have it streamlined to be about as easy as it can get. A large burner, a pot that will hold 400 pounds, a dozen ingot molds, a nice Rowell bottom pour ladle, a nice 5" diameter skimmer and everything is set up off of the ground to avoid stooping and is located for a minimum amount of moving. We have had a couple of days where we did 2000#.
garandsrus
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If a mold is $50, I figure it payed for itself after casting 300 or so bullets. I use gas checks for most rifle bullets and some pistol bullets. Gas checks add about .03 to .04 to the cost of a bullet but are only needed for high velocity loads,
This is a good time to get started in casting! The relatively new Powder Coat and Hi-Tek coatings work very well and remove the cost of a lube sizer. You will still need a push through sizing die for a given diameter but there are pretty cheap and can be used in your normal single stage press.
The best advice I could give someone is:
o Start with at least a 20lb pot (Lee is fine!). You will spend too much time waiting for a 10lb pot to heat up.
o Put your cut sprues right back into the pot. It won’t change the temp at all. That way, you get about 20lbs of bullets from each pot of alloy.
o Cast about 675-725 degrees. Many people cast way too hot.
o Preheat your molds! This is huge. You will get good bullets from about the first cast and it will be a lot less frustrating trying to open the mold.
o As soon as the sprue goes from liquid to solid, cut the sprue and dump the bullets. They are cool enough.
o Keep a good pace so the mold stays hot,
This is a good time to get started in casting! The relatively new Powder Coat and Hi-Tek coatings work very well and remove the cost of a lube sizer. You will still need a push through sizing die for a given diameter but there are pretty cheap and can be used in your normal single stage press.
The best advice I could give someone is:
o Start with at least a 20lb pot (Lee is fine!). You will spend too much time waiting for a 10lb pot to heat up.
o Put your cut sprues right back into the pot. It won’t change the temp at all. That way, you get about 20lbs of bullets from each pot of alloy.
o Cast about 675-725 degrees. Many people cast way too hot.
o Preheat your molds! This is huge. You will get good bullets from about the first cast and it will be a lot less frustrating trying to open the mold.
o As soon as the sprue goes from liquid to solid, cut the sprue and dump the bullets. They are cool enough.
o Keep a good pace so the mold stays hot,
Mark_Mark
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how do you know these reddit concepts???
If you are planning small batches, it may be okay. But 10 lbs. isn't much lead, especially when you're dropping over 200 gr. a bullet. And if you have to alloy your lead, it makes it tedious to add small amounts of alloys. But if you are dabbling to see if casting is for you, it may be the ticket.
I haven't read the entire thread. You do have a supply of lead, don't you?? 200 grain bullets will suck it up pretty quick. About 3 lbs per hundred.
Mark_Mark
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I got a guy 40 miles north of Shi-Seattle who has 1,000 pounds! and he’s getting 3,000 more soon
I'm sitting good on lead and alloys. Somewhere around 6-700 lbs.
But I agree, my 170 gr. and up will lower the pot level quickly.
I don't care much for the tumble lube molds. Lee makes the same mold with one lube groove. (2 cav 90290 & 6 cav 90289). I have the 6 cavity, the bullets shoot well. I have a 44 cal tumble lube mold that I only use for casting pewter bullets to add to the pot.
$21.49 over at Titan Reloading.
https://www.titanreloading.com/product/lee-dc-mold-tl452-230tc/
Shipping was $10.61 for $71 of product. But they had in stock of what molds I was looking for.
The 6 cavity will need a set of handles. 2 cavity come with handles, 6 cavity molds don't.
Mark_Mark
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4 real! dang!
brewer12345
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Yup.
OTOH, in addition to being able to bang out way more bullets, I think the 6 cavity are higher quality molds than the 2 cavity.
Mark_Mark
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but 1 handle is all you need for all the 6 molds?
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