Second cast

[RustyFN]

I cast for the second time Saturday and everything went so much better then the first time thanks to a lot of suggestions. I turned the pot up to around 800 degrees and added 24" of 95/5 solder. I left the end of the mold in the melt long enough to heat up. The first two that I cast I threw back in the pot. After that I only had three bullets that I wasn't happy with and threw them back in also. I threw the sprue back in as soon as I knocked it off. These are the bullets from Saturday.






Rusty

 

[Walkalong]

A thing of beauty, especially if they were made from free wheelweights.

 

[kingpin008]

Oooh, shiny!

Very nice indeed!

 

[Griz44]

VERY NICE! Those are real beauties. Now go SHOOT them! Let us know how they fly...

 

[Roccobro]

Real beauties indeed...

Justin

 

[Kerf]

Good Looking Bullets

Some people don't understand, casting your own bullets is so much fun.

'Fraid the days of free wheel weights is quickly coming to an end though, with people ripping up guard rails to sell for scrap. We used to be able to buy 55 gallon drums of linotype years ago, but those days have gone by also.

Sorry I missed your previous post... what type of mould are you using? Single cavity? Double cavity? You'll soon find yourself wanting a 4 or 6 cavity mould that will really improve your output for the same amount of effort. Check the gun shows for used moulds, or the online auctions.

Keep up the good work!

Kerf

 

[RustyFN]

Walkalong:
A thing of beauty, especially if they were made from free wheelweights.

Is there any other way?

Kerf:
Some people don't understand, casting your own bullets is so much fun.

'Fraid the days of free wheel weights is quickly coming to an end though, with people ripping up guard rails to sell for scrap. We used to be able to buy 55 gallon drums of linotype years ago, but those days have gone by also.

Sorry I missed your previous post... what type of mould are you using? Single cavity? Double cavity? You'll soon find yourself wanting a 4 or 6 cavity mould that will really improve your output for the same amount of effort. Check the gun shows for used moulds, or the online auctions.

Keep up the good work!

Kerf

I guess I'm lucky to not live in a big city. I get free WW's from three different places. I'm not getting massive quantities but free is free. I am using a Lyman 452460 four cavity mold. It's a .452 200 grain SWC. I just finished lubing them and I had 565.
Rusty

 

[putteral]

Very Good Looking. How much per thousand?

 

[Crazy4nitro]

You a Pimp Rusty.....

'Nitro

 

[RustyFN]

You a Pimp Rusty.....

'Nitro

Fo sho

putteral:
Very Good Looking. How much per thousand?

I have around $200 in equipment between smelting and casting. I have enough lead to make around 100,000 bullets at 200 grains each. The lead is free so the equipment is payed off real quick and the bullets are free. I pick up a bucket of lead ( 140 pounds ) every two or three weeks. All it takes is my time which I don't put a dollar amount to because it's a hobby like any other. So with my cast bullets I'm loading 45 auto for around $30 per 1,000.
Rusty

 

[FlyinBryan]

those look great rusty.

i think i am going to start casting too. it just looks like fun.

what guy doesnt like playing with molten metal?????lolo.

 

[Luggernut]

Damn they do look nice. Never done it but with prices the way they are who knows. First I became a brass whore... next a wheel weight whore?

Once question- why do lead bullets always seem to have cannelures on them? As opposed to most plated and FMJ I see without anything.

 

[highlander 5]

they are not cannelures those are grease groves. Once the bullets are cast they need to be sized and lubed that's what those grooves are for. The bullet is pushed it to the sizing die that has holes in it to allow the lube,which is under pressure,is forced into those groves. The lube allows the bullet to travel down the barrel without leading it up.

 

[Luggernut]

Thanks highlander... that makes sense as the groves are real big for cannelures! So... is that why lead rounds seem to smoke more than jacketed? Grease smoking as opposed to the lead.

 

[Sport45]

Yep, most of the smoke you see when shooting cast bullets is the lube. It's also the main part of the stuff you have to clean off the gun and hands (think closing revolver cylinders) after shooting.

 

[scrat]

Rusty excellent job. you got it. Your hooked now. once you start casting and shooting your going to want to cast for everything.

 

[RustyFN]

Have to make a correction to an earlier post. I don't have enough lead to make 100,000 bullets it's more like 10,000 to 12,000 bullets. I must have been dreaming. I lubed them the other night and had 565.
Rusty