Bullet Casting 101

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Pouring some muffin tin ingots. We're using a Rowell #3 bottom pour ladle here. It's the biggest you can handle with one hand. Capacity is 5#, working capacity 4.5 lbs.

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Here, my partner is using a Rowell #4 ladle. As can be seen, it takes two hands. Capacity is 6.5 lbs, working capacity is 6#.

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Saturn loaded up ready to go home, destination "casting pot"!

The majority of the lead in the first pic in the post above is right around 12 BHN. Today we were melting some lead from the range where ONLY 22 rimfire is fired. That lead is softer, I don't have a BHN reading for it. I'm expecting from 8-10 BHN.

The 12 BHN lead will be fine by itself for 45, 40, 9mm, and 38's. I'll try to water drop some to see if it'll harden without the need to add antimony/tin.

We have well over 1,000 pounds melted, with half the range lead left to do. I'm considering a second turkey fryer and pot, keeping both going should cut the time. BTW, that fryer will melt a full pot like that in about 25 minutes. I leave about 1" of lead in the bottom before putting more cold stuff in there. First melt of the day takes about 35 minutes, it has to warm the whole shebang up.
 
Wow, lots of great pictures and useful info. Thanks for putting this together guys. :D Now if I just had a primer assembly post. And a how to on casting your own casings...
 
Maybe Johnny doesn't want to make this a sticky. He probably would have done it by now... or maybe he is just a really busy guy...or has something against us casters! :D He must be busy....I like to give GOOD people the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure he will let us know in one way or another if it has a chance at becoming a sticky. Either way, it sure would be nice to know.
 
No, no no - - Nothing against bullet casters.

I used to do a LOT of it myownself.

This is a fine thread and most informative. I realize that I've been remiss in not making a sticky of this thread before, and for that I apologize. This is now remedied.

Best to all.
Johnny
 
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See guys, all it takes is a PM to Johnny to get things done!:D Thanks Johnny, now we can point new casters to this sticky to answer SOME of their questions.:confused:
 
Okay, friends - - Here it is!

Bullet Casting is an official subforum of TFL's Handloading and Reloading forum.

:D
Johnny
 
Hooray! Thanks Johnny, I REALLY didn't think you'd actually create a separate forum when I suggested it. Not that I'm trying to take any credit,,, mind you:p;)

Yotehntr gets the first post huh? Well, only because he saw it first!:D

Now to gather up all my boolits, dust off the camera, get to posting on the pic thread!
 
I truly believe that, snuffy

snuffy said:
Yotehntr gets the first post huh? Well, only because he saw it first! :D
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Yessir, I was trying to locate as many of the "suggestive" PMs and e-mails as possible, so I could do a post acknowledging some of those who advanced the idea. Your name was already in mind.

Anyone else who actually sent a PM or e-mail advocating a bullet casting forum, please either post a reminder to me here or send a PM. I really don't think the new subforum would have happened this soon if Tuttle8 and others hadn't recalled various discussions and suggestions. As a group, we staffers are pretty conservative about changing up the format of TFL (and rightly so. ;)
 
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