drec
Member
Sounds a little like some of my experiences in welding.
Pros and cons of casting your own bullets?
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Comrade Mike
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For me the only real con is the time commitment. I have more money than time right now so I let MBC do my casting and powder coating for me. Just not in the cards for me right now.
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
There are always cons. I can tell you why I don't cast. Mostly has to do with time. I have the utmost respect for casters but don't feel they paint a realistic picture because they love doing it. For me it would be just like handloading, I don't do it because I love it. I do it because I love shooting and it's a necessary chore. IMHO, you have to enjoy casting for it to be profitable. All depends on how you value your time. The reason I have two progressives and plan for more is to save even more time at the loading bench.
Casting takes time. Not just to cast but to scrounge for lead, transport it and process it. If you're not getting free or really cheap lead, you're not going to save much money. I couldn't find a tire shop within a 1hr radius whose used wheel weights weren't already spoken for. Spending all day sorting through wheel weights or used bullets and casting them into ingots doesn't sound like my idea of fun. I shoot cast bullets in probably twenty different chamberings with multiple bullet designs for each caliber. That's a big variety. Casting such a big variety is inevitably going to eat up a lot more time than one or two.
As some of the others have said, right now, I have more money than time. Today is the second day of the first "weekend" I've taken off in 11yrs. That's right, 11yrs of working 7 days a week. As such, I'd much rather spend my free time shooting or working on leather projects. Same reason why I hired help so I could have these days off. Same reason I pay neighborhood kids to mow the yard and a local mechanic to do my oil changes. It simply makes more sense than doing all that crap myself. It takes me five minutes to get online and order bullets. The rest of my time I can spend doing more important things than mowing the yard, changing the oil or casting bullets.
I can buy any kind of cast bullet I may want to use. I can buy them in small quantities if there's something I want to try or test without any hassle or having the long term commitment of buying molds for everything. I can buy them in any size, configuration or hardness and have never felt limited. Quite the contrary, I'd probably try a lot fewer bullets if I had to buy a new mold every time.
Casting takes time. Not just to cast but to scrounge for lead, transport it and process it. If you're not getting free or really cheap lead, you're not going to save much money. I couldn't find a tire shop within a 1hr radius whose used wheel weights weren't already spoken for. Spending all day sorting through wheel weights or used bullets and casting them into ingots doesn't sound like my idea of fun. I shoot cast bullets in probably twenty different chamberings with multiple bullet designs for each caliber. That's a big variety. Casting such a big variety is inevitably going to eat up a lot more time than one or two.
As some of the others have said, right now, I have more money than time. Today is the second day of the first "weekend" I've taken off in 11yrs. That's right, 11yrs of working 7 days a week. As such, I'd much rather spend my free time shooting or working on leather projects. Same reason why I hired help so I could have these days off. Same reason I pay neighborhood kids to mow the yard and a local mechanic to do my oil changes. It simply makes more sense than doing all that crap myself. It takes me five minutes to get online and order bullets. The rest of my time I can spend doing more important things than mowing the yard, changing the oil or casting bullets.
I can buy any kind of cast bullet I may want to use. I can buy them in small quantities if there's something I want to try or test without any hassle or having the long term commitment of buying molds for everything. I can buy them in any size, configuration or hardness and have never felt limited. Quite the contrary, I'd probably try a lot fewer bullets if I had to buy a new mold every time.
drec
Member
I really appreciate all of the comments and understand most of the cons.
I got into guns, not for something to do, but for self defense. My wife and I are retired, so money isn't as available as when we were both working. I'm getting into reloading as a means to be able to shoot more. Most of my guns are 9mm, so that is what I will be reloading. The weak spot in my reloading stash is bullets; which I've accumulated 3500, but shooting 500-600 rounds a month isn't going to last that long. So looking at casting would bring the cost way down, from 0.10 to about 0.02 per bullet; which would make shooting a lot more affordable.
I got into guns, not for something to do, but for self defense. My wife and I are retired, so money isn't as available as when we were both working. I'm getting into reloading as a means to be able to shoot more. Most of my guns are 9mm, so that is what I will be reloading. The weak spot in my reloading stash is bullets; which I've accumulated 3500, but shooting 500-600 rounds a month isn't going to last that long. So looking at casting would bring the cost way down, from 0.10 to about 0.02 per bullet; which would make shooting a lot more affordable.
Comrade Mike
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Sounds like casting is for you then! One day I'm sure I'll come around, but at 23 I love to shoot, reloading and casting are chores that eat up precious free time (range time [emoji846])
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Comrade Mike
Wait till you retire - then everyone figures you have nothing to do but what they want .
It is hard enough to make space for reloading . Trying to find more for casting and the time [ right now I reload about 10 calibers a month ] While I have molds for the 380 and 45 ACP , maybe 5 lbs of lead [ bars , sheets and ingots ] Unless there is an earthquake and I can't get to other reloading [ molds , lee hand loaders , powder and primers store in back yard under steer manure and potting soil ] I won't be using them anytime soon .
Wait till you retire - then everyone figures you have nothing to do but what they want .
It is hard enough to make space for reloading . Trying to find more for casting and the time [ right now I reload about 10 calibers a month ] While I have molds for the 380 and 45 ACP , maybe 5 lbs of lead [ bars , sheets and ingots ] Unless there is an earthquake and I can't get to other reloading [ molds , lee hand loaders , powder and primers store in back yard under steer manure and potting soil ] I won't be using them anytime soon .
SSN Vet
Member
pros= it's fun
cons= not getting it right causes leaded barrels.
cons= not getting it right causes leaded barrels.
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