cast lead bullets

[Alex Wheeler]

I used to cast my own. Had a bunch of molds and when I was still working as a mechanic Id meld down 5 gallon buckets of wheel weights for lead and skim off as much zinc as I could. I got tired of it a handful of years ago and started buying them from Montana bullet works. He uses good alloy and you can order them to size. For what he gets and the quality I sold all my casting stuff. I have no affiliation other than doing biz with him. This is just an fyi, maybe it will help you out.

 

[lawman29]

I got tired of it a handful of years ago and started buying them from Montana bullet works.

Me too!

 

[K22]

There are two good reasons to avoid casting bullets:

1. High quality lead cast bullets are readily available. My favorite is Laser Cast bullets. I've shot these extensively in a 38 special and they are as accurate as anything I've ever shot.

2. Unless you take precautions, toxic lead fumes can wreak havoc on your health. I personally know of one case many years ago when live in Pittsburgh of a guy who became seriously ill casting bullets in his basement with poor ventilation.

Now before you unload telling me that you've done it for many years with no ill effect, fine but for novices they need to understand the risks associated with the toxicity of lead. Precautions also need to be observed shooting lead bullets indoors. A quality ventilation system has to be in place to avoid toxic lead exposure.

 

[RegionRat]

casting bullets in his basement with poor ventilation.

Ugh.
Yup, time to take a pause and learn to stay alive.

Materials of all sorts that are commonly mentioned in society, are potentially very dangerous without an education.
Folks like plumbers and welders that are educated, usually find out how dangerous it is to vaporize certain metals and breath in the vapors before they hurt themselves.

If you don't have the patients to learn about lead, then take Alex's advice and stay alive.

 

[243winxb]

Prices for .358" - 158 gr lswc, plain base. Big difference in price, or my math is wrong? Made of gold?

31 cents https://www.montanabulletworks.com/product/357-158gr-swc-pb/
vs 8 cents? https://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=41&category=5&secondary=10&keywords=

I been casting my own for 60 years, now. Thinking about buying soon.

 

[rockhound78]

Been casting for about 50 years. I do buy some powder coated bullets from Chey-cast or Badman in lighter 38 cal and lighter 44 and 45. A few 30 cal powder coated too. The bullets (boolits over at castboolits.gunloads.com) I usually cast are heavier than many places offer as well as different calibers. If I do find some, they can get expensive and I do have a bit of Scottish blood running thru my veins, so I can be "thrifty" at times.

 

[Rem06]

i still have a 5g bucket of wheel weights and buy Missouri now also.

anybody near 16652 zip interested in them, PM me as price will be @ scrap value.

 

[LAH]

49 year caster here, 12 commercial. No lead problem ever. Keep your area clean.

 

[uncle fester]

I kept my stuff, but it is easier and to order from suppliers finished bullets.

 

[LAH]

Sold a bunch of these over the years.

 

[Intheshop]

I'm right behind LAH,pushing 50 years of casting. Considering other activities here,casting barely "ranks" on degree of difficulty WRT safety.....

Let's see,ever been in a professional mill shop(wood machines),machine shop,welding cells,and a big favorite... spraying 2k coatings 5 gallons at a time? We build dust evac systems,to include rolling our own fittings and impellers..... lead just barely rates. Gotta keep it clean guys.

 

[LAH]

After all that spraying lead is probably down there for you.

 

[Intheshop]

Right LAH,like most things it's a matter of perspective. Don't get me started on lead abatement,and how OSHA really is WAY out of their element. Coming from an actual supporter of OSHA by the way.....

I will say,in the deeper ends of digging rabbit holes......WRT bttm pour pots;

I've been running a 1/4" thick steel "top" on the ole Lyman 10#'er. It's not a complete seal meaning,there's 2 clipped corners on this lid. They're for the digital,and regular thermometers. Now add a negative airflow by using a 6" round duct fan,installed over the pot..... you adjust the height of this duct to create a stalled air environment over the melt. Very hard to put into words.....

Think shielding gas from a welding example....

An open top pot with hot lead in,"can" (don't mean will) be drawing in impurities.... just like a weld puddle. Anyway,net result is rarely having to flux,uber clean alloy and subsequent bullets. It also gives a slightly larger melt temp window.

In wood world dust management think "rooster tail" coming off big shaper heads... or any piece of equipment. Shapers just shows up better. How and where the rooster tail impacts is the easy part.... we're looking for the "stalled" areas that aren't being evac'd. It's counterintuitive but,there are times when we'll inject air into the downstream flow of chips to help steer them into submission. It's about controlling the environment and airflow. The very same thing happens over the melt.

 

[JSH]

Those that buy store bought CB’s and are happy, I am happy for you.

I looked at CB’s for many years as a waste of lead, that’s what all the eggspurts said.
Forward some years. I bought some cast bullets off the shelf for a fun match. Fellow shooter said he would help me and assured me of zero issues. NOT. The claim and guarantee on the side of the box of no leading was a joke. Special alloy, harder than wood pecker lips, lube that wasn’t much more than crayon and undersized to boot.
The fellow that offered the help gave me 100 of his home poured, they shot outstanding after I cleaned the mess left by the “store bought”.

I have cast for a fairly long time, close to 30 years. I shot cast exclusively for over 15 years, matches hunting and practice, never fired a jacketed bullet. All with great success and no leading issues.

I won’t argue anymore on the so called downfalls of casting your own. If you have a lick of ommon sense and pay attention it is no more hazardous than any other hobby or sport. FYI if your getting lead hot enough to gas, your ruining your alloy. If you get zink hot enough to melt in lead and not mix in that’s a new one on me, I would say you were skimming off antimony not zink.

If one is happy with what is made for the masses, wonderful.
It would be nice if folks would give up to date information and not the old myths similar to the Loch Ness Monsters and big foot.

 

[Bill K]

As I reached a older more mature age, I also began to buy from a couple bullet casting companies and now have some molds and equipment stored or given to someone. Much easier, for me anyway.

 

[AckleymanII]

When I was shooting IDPA, I met a fellow shooter, "George". George was shooting a 45 with his own beautiful lead HP. Well, George, has a fantastic business casting bullets.

The Advanced Cast bullet makers can offer a guy a variation in Sizes and also lead hardness, which George does.

George is a very active shooter and hunter, all kinds of pistols and rifles, a wealth of knowledge.

GT Bullets!, Fine Hand Cast Lead Bullets

GT Bullets! : - 45 Caliber 9mm 38 Caliber 40 Caliber 400 Corbon 41 Caliber 30 Caliber 44 Caliber 32 Caliber 380 ACP Brass 45-70 Shotgun 25 Cal Lead ecommerce, open source, shop, online shopping, store

www.gtbullets.com

I shoot George's 45 cal 200g HP, soft in my 45 APC which expands to 92 caliber, and they are extremely accurate with AA#5.

45 cal 200gr Hollow Point cast lead bullets [45-200-hp-452] - $17.87 : GT Bullets!, Fine Hand Cast Lead Bullets

GT Bullets! 45 cal 200gr Hollow Point cast lead bullets [45-200-hp-452] - 200 grain 45 caliber hollow point cast lead bullets. These 45 caliber hollow point design are very accurate and give all the advantages of a hollow point design to prevent over penetration This design feeds reliably as it...

www.gtbullets.com

Also, the 175g TC with AA#5 in my 40 S&W Springfield XD-M knaws a hole at 25 yards shot from a rest, loaded with tight group

GT Bullets!, Fine Hand Cast Lead Bullets

GT Bullets! : - 45 Caliber 9mm 38 Caliber 40 Caliber 400 Corbon 41 Caliber 30 Caliber 44 Caliber 32 Caliber 380 ACP Brass 45-70 Shotgun 25 Cal Lead ecommerce, open source, shop, online shopping, store

www.gtbullets.com

The 180g HP opens up to 89 caliber in the soft version at 900 fps,

GT Bullets!, Fine Hand Cast Lead Bullets

GT Bullets! : - 45 Caliber 9mm 38 Caliber 40 Caliber 400 Corbon 41 Caliber 30 Caliber 44 Caliber 32 Caliber 380 ACP Brass 45-70 Shotgun 25 Cal Lead ecommerce, open source, shop, online shopping, store

www.gtbullets.com

In the 9mm version, I shoot the 130g HP bullets with AA#7

130g HP

130gr 9mm hollow point cast lead bullets [9mm-130-hp-356] - $14.68 : GT Bullets!, Fine Hand Cast Lead Bullets

GT Bullets! 130gr 9mm hollow point cast lead bullets [9mm-130-hp-356] - 130 gr 9mm HP Cast lead bullets Very nice hollow point design is very accurate at most velocities and gives all the advantages of a hollow point design to prevent over penetration Sized and lubed to .356 with optional sizing...

www.gtbullets.com

This bullet opened up to 69 caliber when shot in water jugs.

I have a bunch of bullet molds I need to sell.

130g HP is incredibly accurate out of ALL of my 9mm.

 

[rockhound78]

Bullet alloy and fit is everything with cast. Was at the range shooting my 357 max. Ruger #1. Guy walked by and saw what I was shooting and told me" I would lead my barrel with cast bullets and ruin my gun". Told him to look down the bore and check out how much I have already shot. He looked and I got the gun back and picked up a round and fired it. Handed him the gun back and told him to tell me where the leading was and look at the chrony while he was at it. He looked at the bore, the chrony and handed me back the rifle and walked away and left. Only around 2550fps (158 swc gas checked). I buy powder coated cast for plinking in my 30 cals. , but cast my own stuff for over 2000fps.

I have some of George's bullets. Good stuff

 

[DiffEQ]

When I'm not after balls to the wall performance, I cast and use surplus powder to shoot because I'm a cheap bastige and trigger time is priceless.
Years and years of making my own circuit boards, I'm sure I've inhaled more than my fair share of lead.
On zinc in my mix, I add copper sulfateti the melt just before starting my pour, and skim off all the white zinc sulfate salts.

 

[jds holler]

I first started casting for my slingshot with a home-made wooden mold. Prolly 12 or 13 years old. Progressed to 36 cal round ball for my Lyman/Remington Navy six-shooter. Then onto a 90 gr. plinker type for my Ruger 30 carb Blackhawk. Then, a 45 gr. gas check bullet for my 218 Bee. All before I was twenty years old.

Biggest safety problem I had was the time I bubbled the formica on Moms countertop along side the kitchen stove. She damned near killed me. Inspired me to buy a Lyman electric furnace and move the operation into my bedroom. This was back in the seventies, and we didn't know that the fumes would kill ya.

I'm 65 now, and still cast for a bunch of different cartridges. I like that I will never be out of bullets, and have another part of this hobby to play with. My other forum is over at Cast Boolits, and there's a fine bunch of folks over there as well as here. jd

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Prices for .358" - 158 gr lswc, plain base. Big difference in price, or my math is wrong? Made of gold?

31 cents https://www.montanabulletworks.com/product/357-158gr-swc-pb/
vs 8 cents? https://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=41&category=5&secondary=10&keywords=

I been casting my own for 60 years, now. Thinking about buying soon.

View attachment 1346235

Difference is a hand cast bullet vs a machine made bullet. Id guess it would be real hard to make a living casting bullets for 8 cents a piece.