casting your own bullets ?

I do it for fun. Also, I buy quality lead - I have a Doe Run secondary smelter about 15 miles away from me. ;) Not TOO much more expensive than buying scrap lead online and then paying for shipping,(dependent on the market), and it's certified bullet metal. But I can cast in plain old wheelweights and be happy to. Powder coating adds to the fun.

 
The majority of my casting is for 45 Colt with 255 grain bullets. I end up with better bullets than I can buy that shoot better than jacketed bullets. My last bucket of wheel-weights lasted a very long time.
 
Dollarwise, casting is probably cost effective. I discontinued casting for the most part when I started shooting the .45 auto, I found at that time I could get 1000 good cast bullets for 28.00. After you are set up casting takes time, you gotta buy or scrounge lead, electricity, bullet lube. I found that no more than the ready rolls cost that I'd rather be shooting. I do still have the equipment toh, we never know what the future will bring.
 
I cast because I have to in order to get the bullets I want.

I don't believe in "hard cast" and that's all you can get now from the commercial guys.

I shoot nothing but BHN 8 to 12 in all my handguns and maybe go up to a 14 for my rifles.

It is almost impossible to find anything less than a BHN 16 in commercial cast.
 
I just wanted to point out for the newcomers....

This thread is over a year old. rebs made his decision (to stick with commercial bullets) a long time ago.
 
Outside th e US (like Southamrica) you ALLWAYS save lots of money reloading-casting

I am located in Southamerica,

I get my wheel wheights for 0.18 US$ a Pound. 10 Kilograms of molten into Ingots lead gets me more than 1000 124 grain bullets (Lee 124 grain Truncated Cone Tumble Lube .356" mold). That translates to about 0.0035 US$ per lead cast bullet. Considering commrcial FMJ 9mm Luger are costing locally 0.22 US$ per unit.

In the US and Canada you may not save that much by reloading and casting. In almost all other countries you save A LOT (HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY). Locally with reloading you save roughly 50% of the cost for the cheapest caliber what happens to be the 9mm Luger. An commercial 9mm Luger round costs here around 0.87 US$. If you reload and cast your own bullets you save about 80% of the Commercial factory bullet Price. Savings are even bigger for 38 spl and 45 acp which costs here 1 US$ and 357 Magnum which costs here about 1.2 US$ per round. Even more you save for rifle ammo if you can get gun powder for reloading.
Locally gun powder is not availlable so I scavenge 12 ga shotshells for the gun powder and lead.
Outside the US RELOADING AND CASTING ALLWAYS SAVES YOU HUGE MONEY.
 
No , saving money is the lie we tell ourselves and our wives when we spend more money on all the new bullet casting things you must have....moulds, sizer/lubricators, sizing dies, bullet lubricant, wheel weights , fancy $100.00 bullet moulds...the $20.00 Lee's are not good enough.....
I started in 1967 and should have every possible thing I should ever need...Oh no, every year I order new moulds , old used moulds...It just never ends !

But , it is a most enjoyable hobby and I get great satisfaction doing it and have no regrets...but I don't save any money for sure.
Gary
 
Oh yeah casting allows you to cast bullets you could never buy. I started casting in the early 70s and don't know if I would bother now...probably, but I don't 'know any better. Everything is tougher, including finding cheap metal.
 
One sail boat keel shared witha friend, #900 of lead, a casting pot, a mould and making 50ct box of 9mm for ~$3.50. Yes its worth it.
 
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