Cast Bullets

About the only caveat I would add is casting for the .243. can be a bit tricky. I have one mold for the .243 and unless I use a fairly tin rich alloy mold fill out can be spotty. If you think .243s are bad, try casting .22 caliber bullets. :roll eyes: I have to use pure linotype to get decent fill. As far as learning to cast bullets and learning to reload at the same time, that's what I had to do back in 1954 to feed a .38 Spl., .45 ACP, 30-30 and 30-06. At 16 YO and very limited funds, that's what one did back then. Couldn't afford jacketed bullets for the rifles and jacketed bullet for handgun were quite scarce as I recall as I never saw any. To this day I've probably averaged 100 or more cast bullets to every single jacketed bullet. None of my handguns get jacketed to this day.
Someone suggested getting metal from Rotometals or buying commercially cast bullets. Good idea if they come properly sized.
As far as a pointed bullet goes, it depends on the point I believe you'd get better results with a round nose bore riding bullet which frankly wouldn't be all that much of a handicap considering cast bullet velocities.
Cast feed through a 1911 liker pork fat through a goose. Seriously, if you have trouble, polish the feed ramp and they should feed just fine.
I feed a .44 Spl. and five .44 magnums. The bullet is the Lyman #429421 or the RCBS #44-250-SWC. Either one shoots very nicely in all my .44's.
Paul B.
 
If I were to teach someone about a particular subject (and I did have a few apprentices as Automotive Electricians), I would start with the simplest procedures. Reloading alone is much simpler than trying to learn to cast bullets and reload them at the same time. Yes, separate operations/hobbies but one can effect the other and the new reloader/caster will have more trouble discerning where the problem is originating from; the casting bullets or the loading. It is much simpler and quicker to learn one before the other. There is a reason fellers say K.I.S.S....
 
Some vendors offer rifle and handgun bullets that are coated. Missouri Bullets has what is called Hi-Tek, a brown coating, and Bear Creek Supply has a black moly coating. The molys are not gas checked and neither apparently are the Hi-Teks. However it doesn't seem to matter with the molys since the coating seems to curtail the leading and apparently the same with the Hi-Teks. I have used many moly rifle bullet calibers, mostly for mag calibers, but have not used the Hi-Teks. People do speak highly of the Hi-Teks also. Note that Bear Creek does not have a web site but their phone number is available on line so it could be awkward placing a telephone order since you don't know ahead of time what is available. In particular I have used many of the .45-70 360 gr Bear Creek molys sized to .459.
 
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One thing not mentioned is to clean the barrel before switching, if you do switch.

If shooting jacketed, clean the copper out before shooting lead.

Same thing for lead....clean it before shooting jacketed.
 
mikid, I see your point of view but I have to disagree for this reason, a bullet with defects can be easily seen, culled and reworked way before it is to be used. Too hard or too soft of an alloy is a bit different but not critical.

A cartridge that is reloaded incorrectly cannot always be seen and can be deadly.

As far as reloading I don't see any difference in the process whether one is using cast lead bullets or jacketed bullets. Data has to be found and confirmed for either. Cases have to be prepped the same way, charged the same way, bullets seated the same way. Biggest difference is I find lead easier to crimp. Some jacketed bullets do not have a cannelure and with plated bullets a roll crimp can fracture the plating.

The question of casting being more difficult than reloading may be true in that it may take longer to learn the tricks to produce quality cast bullets but the mistakes are usually easily seen. I don't believe anyone would load mistakes or any cast lead bullet that is questionable.

Anyway that is just my point of view and experience. Besides there is much more help and information available today than there was 25 years ago.
 
Now I'm curious as to why not to learn casting and reloading at the same time. They are two completely separate processes.
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It's not a problem if there are no problems, but judging from all the problems, questions, arguments and discussion just on loading cast bullets alone, adding a whole, new set of variables makes it a lot harder to diagnose and fix things, when everything does not fall into place.
 
You could start casting and reloading at the same time but both activities have a fairly steep learning curve. Additionally, to get setup for both activities requires the purchase of specialized equipment that might be a financial barrier for some people to start both at the same time.

I'd definitely recommend to start reloading before casting. You can get cast bullets for reasonably cheap. I think it would be very helpful to know what kind of bullets you and your guns prefer before you start spending $100's on molds. You can find cast bullets for most common calibers for around $.06 to $.08. I can produce my own for about $.03 to $.04. The savings add up over time, but spending a couple cents more and buying cast bullets when your starting out is going eliminate a lot of headache.
 
I started handloading AND casting about the same time in the middle sixties. I discovered that commercial bullets were too expensive and I wanted shoot more for less money (which I did not have much of). In other words, I did not have much choice if I wanted to shoot.
 
Not all cast bullet defects are visible, I have found voids in cast bullets when I sectioned a few.

A cartridge mis-loaded with any bullet can be dangerous, thus it's better to cut down variables and for a new reloader that would most likely be either jacketed bullets or perhaps commercial cast bullets. Safe techniques don't depend on any bullet style.

Having cast and reloaded cast bullets for 20+ years (I didn't cast until I had 15 years of reloading under my belt, just didn't think about it), I can verify there are a few differences between loading lead and jacketed bullets besides powder charges. The biggest difference is case preparation; sizing and mouth flare are the two most important (and many measure case wall thicknesses and sorted). Handling and loading of lubed cast bullets takes a few more considerations, like lube transferring to dies being one. Much more thought goes into shooting cast bullets as there are results from sloppy casting and loading, namely leading (just look at any discussion/forum about cast bullets and you'll see many "I get too much leading in my gun from my cast lead bullets..."). Much much easier to distort/ruin cast bullets with too heavy a crimp (we're still talking about a new reloader), and leading increases and accuracy drops off.

Neither process, casting lead bullets or reloading, is a difficult process to learn, it's just a matter of paying attention and concentrating on what's being done so one can learn the process. Doing both just increases the chance of mistakes and frustrations.

I liken it to learning to drive, simpler the better. I learned to drive in a 1 ton Studebaker truck with 5 speed straight cut gears. Took me awhile, and I wouldn't recommend that to anyone. Learning the driving and the transmission at the same time increased the difficulty ten fold, I wish I could have use my Mom's '57 Chevy! Of course the OP could go with casting and taking his cast bullets to his bench and his full progressive press, but I'd rather see him start simple and avoid frustrations...

jes an old feller's opinion...:rolleyes:
 
mikld thanks for the discussion!

I can see and understand your point of view and reasoning and don't completely disagree with it. Yes the more variables involved the greater the chance for something to not work.

I still look at it as reloading and casting are two separate things. A person could reload and never cast a single bullet and at the same time a person could cast bullets, or any other item, and never reload a single shell.

It's not until those two are but together into one item does it become one and the same.

I also believe that a new person that is just starting anything is going to study the subject and learn as much as possible before they actually start.

Many new to reloading ask a lot of questions here on this forum and on all the other forums I visit. Same goes with those just starting to cast. Which to me are good things. Either way both of those activities have procedures and practices that need to be learned. Which take time. At the same time I still see people that have been doing it a long time still asking questions on loads or bullets that are new to them.

If I were advising someone just starting into reloading my suggestion would be to pick one cartridge and load and stick with it until they've completely worked up a load that really works well. Then take that same cartridge and change powders and start over, then change the bullet. That is how one develops experience. Would also suggest the same for someone just starting to cast.

My personal learning experience came on a Bonanza 86 single stage press with 38/357 and nothing but store bought cast SWC or WC bullets and a Speer #10 reloading manual.

At this time I'm just restarting to reload and with a cartridge that is much more difficult. The 9mm Luger. I plan on starting with plated bullets for the fact that there are less issues with sizing cases, sizing bullets and neck tension/crimping than one would find in a straight walled cartridge or a bottle neck. I'm also gathering tools and supplies to start casting so yes I will be learning both at the same time.
 
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