# Who cast's their own bullets?



## GAR (Feb 6, 2011)

Anybody casting their own bullets for handguns?

Tom


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## HandgunHTR (Feb 6, 2011)

I do.

I cast 9mm, .357 (heavies and lights), .44, 7mm and .308.  The latter two are used in my silhouette handguns.


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## Fat Daddy (Feb 6, 2011)

I cast for all my handguns: 32, 9x17, 9x18, 9mm, 38, 40, 45, 500.
You can save some serious money with the larger calibers.
It's almost casting season again with the weather about to warm up just a touch.


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## GAR (Feb 6, 2011)

35cal, 41 cal & 45cal are my main ones. Mainly heavy for caliber.
Cast for my .30cal's but only one style.

You hooked on any single brand of mold?

Tom


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## Richard P (Feb 6, 2011)

I cast .30, 7mm, 35, 375,44,and 45. I have cast since 1968.  Dont let the cat pee on your ingots.


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## Fat Daddy (Feb 6, 2011)

GAR said:


> You hooked on any single brand of mold?
> 
> Tom



I cast to save $$$ so I have always used Lee molds.
I'm sure there's better out there but not for the money and I've never had a problem with any of mine.


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## GAR (Feb 6, 2011)

Richard P that tinsel fairy can be a real b*#@!

I have picked up a couple of neat molds that will let me cast either a HP configuration or a solid. They are sweet!!!!

Have one currently enroute somewhere between Slovenia in Europe and Newnan. This is going to be strictly a Ruger mold because of the nose length. Going to drop a LBT style LFN bullet. Going to be 325gr as a solid or 300gr as a HP. Can't wait to get it!!

Do a lot of trading to get the molds that I think I need. Right now I am trying to find one that will drop a 240-250 gr Keith SWC in 44 caliber.

Tom


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## Larry Rooks (Feb 6, 2011)

I do,  275 gr FN for 44 mag, 180 gr SILH for 357 Mag, 220 gr SWC for 41 mag, and 255 Gr SWC for 45 Col  Why buy expensive JSP and JHP for hunting when a good cast bullet will do anything they do only a LOT cheaper, pennies per bullet


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## GAR (Feb 6, 2011)

Larry you want to do some swapping of cast bullets?

Tom


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## Big7 (Feb 8, 2011)

I'm thinking about getting into it.

I don't chase auto brass so the only handgun I would be looking at would be 38/357.

My past theory (prolly wrong but) cast was not hard enough for fast rifle bullets.. Like, say 7 Mag, .243 Win., etc..

Is this right or wrong?

I have access to all manner of machine tools, including CNC and EDM and can produce any 
mold and even automate if there was enough demand for molds or molded bullets.

If anyone is SERIOUSLY interested in taking this on as a business venture, PM me.

What would the base lead material need to be alloyed with for the fastest bullets? How much of what alloy (s)


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## Richard P (Feb 9, 2011)

www.castbulletassoc.org
The hardest alloy bullets have a good percentage of Antimony, only about 2% Tin and some component of Arsenic, usually gained by the use of chilled shot. When heat treated and quenched it can give as high as 28 BHN.


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## Twenty five ought six (Feb 13, 2011)

Big7 said:


> My past theory (prolly wrong but) cast was not hard enough for fast rifle bullets.. Like, say 7 Mag, .243 Win., etc..
> 
> Is this right or wrong?




It's sort of wrong.  Hard lead is not suitable for the fastest rifle bullets.  If it were, armies all over the world would save the expense of putting jackets on rifle bullets.

That said, there are very suitable lead bullets for all modern rifle calibers that will work at appropriate velocities.  For ex. there are no lead bullets that will work at 7 mm mag. "velocities" but there are plenty of lead bullets that will work at 7 mm Mauser or 7mm-08 velocities.  Ditto .243. where for years and years a lot of people considered the .25-20  a  suitable deer killer(almost a .243).


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## Kawaliga (Feb 13, 2011)

What about wheel weights for cast pistol bullets?


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## Fat Daddy (Feb 13, 2011)

tetgunner said:


> What about wheel weights for cast pistol bullets?



That's all I use for my pistols.
Keep velocities under about 1100fps and you should be good to go with straight wheelweights.
Anything faster you may have to add gas checks to the boolit.
I load some 440gr cast boolits for the 500S&Wmag using wheelweights but use a gas check on those.


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## Kawaliga (Feb 13, 2011)

Good, I picked up 200 pounds from an old guy that was going out of the gas station business about 30 years ago. Gave him $20.00


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## Kawaliga (Feb 13, 2011)

*who casts their own bullets*



Fat Daddy said:


> That's all I use for my pistols.
> Keep velocities under about 1100fps and you should be good to go with straight wheelweights.
> Anything faster you may have to add gas checks to the boolit.
> I load some 440gr cast boolits for the 500S&Wmag using wheelweights but use a gas check on those.



Good, I bought 200 pounds from an old timer getting out of the gas station business for $20.00 about 30 years ago.


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## GAR (Feb 14, 2011)

You can harden your wheel weights a couple of ways. Either drop them straight from the mold into a bucket of cold water or harden them in the oven.

Go over to the cast boolit web site and prowl around. They have got some great information.

Tom


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## whitworth (Feb 14, 2011)

*Don't Cast; Only shoot cast*

I thought about it a number of times, but never got into the hobby.  Especially after looking at all the molds you can buy and have to learn.  

Enough companies in the market so it never became real necessary to begin a new hobby.   I save some money; somebody makes a little money.  

Plus, I had enough hobbies, without any new ones.


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## kweidner (Mar 1, 2011)

love it I cast for handguns.  .44, .45, .357, and by the end of the week .41.  I too use wheelweights, no gas checks, typicaly keith style bullets and I shoot alot of them.  only had one gun really try to buck the whole lead thing but castboolits hooked me up on the solution and that 44 sbh 4 incher will now put them under an inch at 25 with no leading.


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## GAR (Mar 6, 2011)

*Incoming mold*

Should be getting this mold in the mail next week. Strictly a "RUGER" only load due to bullet length. 325gr LFNGC or a 300gr LFNGCHP.

Going to be interesting as a HP configuration!!

Tom


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## scout8140 (Mar 6, 2011)

I reload and have always been interested in casting.  About how much does it cost to start?


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## GAR (Mar 6, 2011)

Price is dependant upon what you want/need or desire and how deep are your pockets?

You can start off with a coleman stove, a small dutch oven a set of molds w/handles and a Lee sizer/lubricator. A lot of the guys that cast scrounge/beg or buy wheel weights (WW's) and smelt them down.

Or you can go the deep pocket route and drop well over 1K on the basics with molds and handles.

Casting is just another facet of reloading. Bottom line is you can drop as little or as much cash as you want.

Shoot me a PM if you have any questions as I would be more than happy to answer them for you.

Tom


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