Cast bullets

L

little buddy

Inactive
Hi Guys, I have been reloading since before most of you were born and I cast all my bullets from wheel weights. Now I don't suppose this is considered proper but I don't really know why. Can some one explain. I probably won't quit but I'm curious. Thanks
Little buddy
 
Considered proper? Cast lead bullets is all I shoot and I'm not alone here in that regard. I do buy mine however.

Welcome to the forum!
 
I just started reloading in the 1960's and casting my own bullets from wheel-weight lead in the early 1970's.

I'd quit all that work if I ever found bullets for Bullseye Matches that group as well as my "home-grown" stuff.:D

JMHO - YRMV
 
Proper? Do you mean politically incorrect? Propaganda, my friend.

I get to shoot more and with better ammo than I can buy. I cast for about a penny apiece, and don't have to pay ten to twenty cents per bullet to buy, that may not even be to my specs! Isn't this enough reason?
 
I have been casting my own for 25 years. And by the thousand in 9mm, 38, 40, 45, and 44. Its mostly what I shoot. The antigun crowd has convinced the public that since lead is toxic if consumed it must be bad to use it as a bullet.
 
I cast all my bullets from wheel weights. Now I don't suppose this is considered proper but I don't really know why.
Click to expand...

2072040-not_sure_if_serious.jpg
 
Shot some cast wheelweight bullets a few days ago, felt good. :) I am moving into trying some linotype and certified metal blends, but WW works just fine for me.
 
The vast majority of my handgun loads are using my home cast bullets. They get shot the most because I can afford to shoot them the most. They also are very accurate. The only jacketed bullets I shoot now days are my duplicated carry loads ( 100 a month or so. I fire a couple of magazines every other week to keep the feel of how they shoot.) Other than that my rifle loads use jacketed. Though I am contemplating getting a mold to cast for 7.62x54R with Trail Boss loads. I have fun shooting those. I am considering an M44 to shoot them out of.
 
I would like to cast my own but I am afaid to spend the money on the molds and melting pot with lead getting more scarce. I dont see the tire shops wanting to off load it to the general publiuc anymore :( Guess I could by bars online but after shiping charges I dont think would be saving much but I have been wrong before
 
I would like to cast my own but I am afaid to spend the money on the molds and melting pot with lead getting more scarce. I dont see the tire shops wanting to off load it to the general publiuc anymore Guess I could by bars online but after shiping charges I dont think would be saving much but I have been wrong before
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat - unless you have a source for free or cheap lead (which, as you've noted, are beginning to dry up), there don't seem to be any great savings to be had. Looking at 92/6/2 alloy from Rotometals, casting the bullets that I use the most would only save me about $13/500 for .45 ACP, and only about $6/500 for .38 Special.
 
After getting wheel-weight lead for free for most of my life, I've had to resort to buying it.:(

Our local auto-scrap yard charges forty cents per pound.

I normally buy 100 lbs at a time ($40.00), a couple of times a year. After sorting out the junk and zinc, and melting it into ingots, I end up with about 80 lbs of good wheel-weight lead from a 100 lb bucket of scrap wheel-weights.

80lbs X 7000 grains = 560,000 grains of wheel-weight lead

560,000 grains divided by 200 grains per bullet = 2,800 bullets

$40.00 divided by 2,800 bullets = .0143 cents per bullet.

Bullet lube is less than $2.00 a stick from White Label Lubes (excellent stuff!)

A stick of bullet lube will do about 2000 .45 ACP bullets.

Total cost = less than 2 cents a shot including the propane used to melt the lead.

By the way, I'm using the bullet casting equipment that I purchased in the 1970's.

Yes, casting bullets is working nicely for me.;)
 
Thanks for the numbers - I didn't realize that scrap lead from local sources was so inexpensive. I may have to re-investigate casting my own after all.
 
ScottRiqui,

I'm retired and casting bullets has been one of my favorite hobbies most of my life.

Much of the casting/reloading equipment I'm using was purchased some time ago, and it is built to last!

I'm still using my first RCBS 38-148-BBWC mold that I got in the 1970's. I've had great luck with RCBS bullet-casting equipment. I keep trying the cheaper brands of molds, etc., but keep going back to RCBS for quality and "life-time" service.

The RCBS 45-230-RN and RCBS 45-201-SWC molds are excellent!

JMHO - YRMV
 
100% of my pistol shooting is home cast WW boolits.
95% of my rifle shooting is home cast WW boolits.

For hunting or self defensive type I use pure lead/WW/2%tin and for varminting boolits I'll hollow point them. For most shooting its straight WW.

Aint anything more fun than getting excellent performance and accuracy with a boolit you made yourself.
 
The only non-lead bullets I've shot in the last 18 years was some 9mm for a brand new gun to test 'er out. If reloading and casting are just to save money, don't bother. If money is yout only motivation, buy ammo bulk and on sale. :rolleyes:

I reload because I like it. I learn a lot about my guns by reloading. It's a quiet, relaxing time with myself and my "gun stuff". I enjoy casting my own bullets too. I have learned a LOT about my guns from shooting cast bullets. I can reload custom ammo with my hand made, perfectly sized and lubed lead bullets. I can customize my loads for a particular bullet in a particular gun and get way better "customer service" than any commercial caster/factory ammo manufacturer. And bottom line, I "keep in touch" with my guns when I can't go to the range, daily if I want. Even if factory ammo were cheaper, I might still reload...
 
The last time I did the calculation I got a penny per boolit which included hard lube with a heater. I casted through a 30 lb jug of propane, culled the rejects, noted how long the heater was on divided by the KWH and counted up my boolits. A penny a piece fully dressed.

Things have went up since then so two cents is probably accurate now.
 
Hi Guys, I have been reloading since before most of you were born.
Click to expand...

Wrong! Unless you were reloading in 1945!:D

This is a bad place to come to be PC! we tend to be rebels, telling the politically correct where to shove it. Some of my guns have never seen a jaxeted bullet, only my home cast lead boolits.

I get my lead nearly free. like a ton of indoor range lead, free for the hauling. We did have to pay gas to haul it 25 miles, then propane to smelt it into ingots, but all that cost $200.00 for 2,000 pounds of good lead.

Another time at work, a machine counterweight was scrapped out, I got 1300 pounds of nearly pure lead from that one. All it took was me mentioning that I cast boolits, that friend that I said that to told me where to find that lead. A pass-out slip from the maint. chief was all it cost! :D: eek:

A casting set-up can be had for under 100 bucks. Lee makes good stuff. If you want something better, get RCBS. Lyman is a has-been company, their service has become terrible and quality even worse. Too bad, they were the best for a long time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top