Plinking / Practice Ammo question

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gr8buckhntr

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I've been reloading rifle ammo for a few years, but I now want to start reloading for my handguns. I have a 357 and just bought a witness 10mm. I have read about people using lead cast and wad cutters and I assume they are for practicing. Does one make their own lead cast bullets, or are they sold cheaply? Are lead cast bullets something that can be shot out of a 10mm auto? I want to practice with my new 10mm, but don't want to take out a loan to do it.

Thanks
 
Casting is the cheap way to make bullets. It costs some green to get into casting. Melting pots 30-70 dollars, molds 20-100 dollars, mold handles, dippers, lube, ingnot mold(to easliy store your lead)... im sure there is other stuff im missing, right now im saving to get started into casting. If you have a good place to shoot, take 50 rounds, shoot them, then if you can recover your lead, you can re-melt it. With shooting lead, I have heard that it likes low velocitys, ive shot lead wadcutters out of my semis before. Just dont stand there and keep pulling the trigger, remember the copper coating on ammo slides(somewhat), lead doesn't. ***just had a though, a round nose bullet mold would work better in a semi gun than a wadcutter type bullet for the slide up the feed ramp**** I might be right, i don't know. I have a super long way to learn with casting, im just trying to soak in as much info as I can while gathering supplies.
 
Shooting cast is a good way to get your foot in the door of cheap reloading.
Then latter you can take up casting if you want.
There is a significant cost savings buying cast bullets compared to jacketed. And then again there is another significant savings to casting your own depending on lead source.

When I was buying my cast bullets I ordered allot from these guys. These are hard cast, that means you can push them pretty hard.
Actually they shoot better that way. Pretty much any retailer selling through the mail sells them hard cast.
Thats not because hard cast is better. Hard cast is better for shipping. To retain their quality.
Softer bullets actually shoot better.

http://www.kingshooters.com/better-bullets-c-463.html?page=1&sort=2a

They will ship flat rate boxed. So you can get 4 boxes of 500 45acp bullets shipped for $14.25

Watch out though your postal worker will be pissed.:cuss:
Thats a heavy box. If it fits it ships.
 
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thanks for the insight. Logically, I'd agree that round nose would be better for my 10mm auto. I'll definitely check out your cast sight. Right now I don't have a source for lead, but I think I remember a buddy that cast's his own & could talk to him for info too.

thanks!
 
I dont have a free lead source so I buy mine.
Usually its around a buck a pound shipped for recycled bullet lead.
Some times more depending on the composition.
Wheel Weight ingots are a little more.
Lyman #2 would be more still.
For pistol shooting. I use just strait Range lead with maybe a pound or two of WW ingots.
Lets do some math.

Bullets 158gr rnfp from Range lead = 0.022 per
Primer = .03
Powder( Bullseye)=.015
That comes out to $3.35 for a box of 50 357 loads.

Even with buying the lead it wont take long to pay for you casting equipment.
 
Wadcutters for the 357 are an excellent choice for a practice round. They are designed to punch neat holes in paper targets. for practice though, I'd likely stick to reloading .38sp for that gun, from a comfort standpoint. I don't see much of a cost difference when I'm loading for the two, but if I'm putting in a long practice session, I prefer to shoot the .38s.

YMMV
 
Missouri Bullets casts them even softer, 12 BHN, which is even better for lower pressure plinking loads.
 
Just like reloading, getting started casting *can* be quite an investment if you buy into the hype that you need to buy lots of equipment, but it can also be accomplished 'on the cheap'. Check out this page as an example of a very straightforward yet simple casting/reloading option. I also can't recommend the "CastBoolits" website enough; you're unlikely to find a better source of information for casting your own, & you may even be able to find some members willing to send you some of their own cast bullets to test with.

I knew I wanted to start casting/reloading my own bullets when I decided to start reloading, so I jumped in with both feet & immediately started reloading these for my .40 S&W & had no problems. Since then, I've seen some comments suggesting thats maybe not the best caliber to start reloading for, but I'm a noob & didn't know it was supposed to be difficult :p

ALL of my lead is recycled range lead; I spend quite a bit of my range time picking up all the empty brass everyone leaves behind, & picking up fired bullets from the backstop (jacketed or plain lead, doesn't matter). Bring that home & melt it down over a propane burner & pour that into an ingot mold of some sort (I just use an old 12-hole muffin tin). Then, when you're ready to actually cast some projectiles, just drop a few ingots into your pot & wait for them to melt, then start casting!

To my surprise, I've found casting & reloading to be virtually as enjoyable as actually shooting, & find it very satisfying to know that you can create ammunition to rival factory-produced rounds at literally a tiny fraction of retail costs.

With my free brass/lead range pickups the only expenses per round are primer & powder costs (+propane/electricity, & my time, which would have otherwise been spent in front of the computer or boob-tube, so I don't really factor those in); nothing quite like turning out loaded rounds at ~$0.05 each (vs ~$0.30-$0.40 each for the CHEAP retail ammo). The per-round cost difference has already more than paid for my equipment costs, but don't expect SAVE any money in the long run... You're just going to shoot a LOT more for the same amount you'd have spent on factory ammo....

Happy shooting!
 
holy cow! I never guessed cast bullets would make shooting so economical. Your right, casting my own would pay for itself quickly. I've never heard of using cast in rifle's, is that possible, or does it move too fast?
 
Casting your own

You certainly can cast rifle bullets, but you can't drive them as fast as jacketed because they will lead your barrel.

You need a good reloading manual. One of the most comprehensive is The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=lyman+cast+bullet+handbook&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CEYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FLyman-Cast-Bullet-Handbook-Edition%2Fdp%2FB004DWBKQY&ei=Sv-SUKvmNpGY8gSD-YD4Aw&usg=AFQjCNGcXr46fl5Xs7j3-U-ZnfMYDQsZCQ&sig2=TnLFKyTgb5t90lrGbpWl1g

In it, you will find load data for most modern pistol and rifle calibers.

Tom
 
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Shooting lead bullets will cut down the cost of reloading. I have no interest in casting my own so I buy them from Missouri Bullet. The 10mm might be more selective in the style bullet you use as opposed to the 357. Most people use SWC for range use but you might find the 10mm will feed round nose better. You will just have to see what performs best.
 
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A cast iron cooking sauce pan colman stove works and a candle to flux the tin and antimony back in the mix. I started with deer tallow and a .357 case with the back cut off as a sizing tool. Look to lee products for least expensive casting equip. melting pot $8, mold $20 in tumble lube type uses liquid alox as lube and can be shot as cast. then a laddle. semi wadcutter cuts clean hole and is preferred for hunting. see lee's catalog on line to see all the swc rnfp molds recommended for autos. look to a nearby recycleing center for ww and lead. their bullet brass barrel is great source for brass. here is $2.50 a pound. Lee #2 reloading manual is great source for cast info as is lyman. I shoot 30-30 cast or jacket with same powder charge. cast comes out faster as lead is slicker. cast bullets shoot as fast or faster in handguns as jacket but rifles in 3500 fps range win. It takes work and patience to get my 3200 fps with cast. lyman 225107 mold and .222 or .223 rifles it can be done. buy some cast bullets, try them and if you like then amold, one is not enough, and begin playing. Have fun and bangaway.
 
If you're just starting to reload handgun ammo, I'd suggest you start with plated or jacketed bullets. Mebbe a little more $$ to begin with, but you only need one set of problems at a time. Buy a hundred plated bullets, work out any reloading probs with them (loads, seating, crimping, sizing, etc), then add lead shooting problems (bullet sizing, seating, feeding, lubes, and leading). Much easier to deal witrh if you only need to fix one problem at a time...;)

BTW I cast my own and won't go back to store bought bullets. I even have guns that have shot 100% lead since they were in my posession.
 
MDI - I gather by your post that there is a difference between reloading jacketed bullets verses lead cast? I was going to work out a recipie for my hunting ammo. But, I was hoping that once I found a recipie I liked for my hunting ammo I could simply swap the jacketed bullet for a lead one and practice away. Is that a mis-conception on my part? My reloading manual has a section on lead, but since I don't have my dies yet, I haven't read it yet.
 
Yep, loads for lead differ from jacketed. Usually lower loads, but check a reloading manual that specs. loads for cast bullets, not swaged. Actual loading is a little different too. You'll use more case flare when seating lead and crimps will differ. You should also check for swaging; the case swaging the bullet smaller as it's seated. Little things that can make a difference.
 
MDI - Thank You! That wee bit if insight will undoubtedly save me a lot of grief! I'll figure out my hunting load first, then go from there. Since dies have lock rings to save your settings, would it be smart, or silly, to have a set of dies set up for jacketed and a separate set of dies for cast?
 
I have multiple dies set for some calibers, but only use the seating die in most. You can use a set of shims if you only have one set of dies. I set the die up with the shortest then use shims to move it back on sizer and crimp dies. On seating dies you can add a micrometer head or use a set of caliber to measure the stem lengths, either inside to die bottom or top to die. Either way works. You can get a complete set of shims on Amazon for around $8. I think I got mine years back for $6.
 
gr8buckhntr said:
MDI - Thank You! That wee bit if insight will undoubtedly save me a lot of grief! I'll figure out my hunting load first, then go from there. Since dies have lock rings to save your settings, would it be smart, or silly, to have a set of dies set up for jacketed and a separate set of dies for cast?
Click to expand...
If you're using a single stage press, it don't matter much. If you remove and replace the die for each operation, it's no bother to readjust for seating depth and crimp (you'll be checking anyway). For a turret or progressive leaving dies set in a turret is a big plus if you get extra die sets (I don't, when I reload 38/357 with my dies on the turret I just run the seater and crimp dies {I keep seating and crimping separate} in or out accordingly, and same with .44 Special/Magnum).
 
Are lead cast bullets something that can be shot out of a 10mm auto?
Click to expand...

of course! jacketed or plated bullets are an invention of the late 20th century.
People have been firing lead projectiles since the dawn of the invention of guns.
 
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