Looking into casting

Hey Grubby
If it means anything, thats the main reason I got into casting. So I wouldnt have to buy someone elses bullets.

I love making my own stuff no matter what it is. I'm still basically new to casting, but my pistols have ALL been 100% homemade, cast fed for about 5 or 6 years. I've been into rifle casting for a year, and in the next couple days when I sight the 243's back in for deer hunting, they will be the first condom bullets I've shot since last hunting season.

My 30-30's will NEVER shoot anything but cast again and I would have to really think long about it before I switch my 30-06's back to jacketed. The 243's shoot excellent with cast boolits (3/4" @ 100yds), but I'm not sure if I want to chance them for deer hunting even with the 100gr boolits. Great for varmints tho.

The down side is you give up a little speed and a little range, but it puts more sport into the hunting part of it.

It is a very addictive hobby for some (I'm guilty) but can be VERY rewarding if you like to make your own stuff. Being fairly new to it, I make 20 different boolit styles for 9 different calibers. I stay pretty busy, but theres still several more molds I want. Its never ending.

On second thought, scratch everything I just said, you probly better not even start.:D
 
I’ve been casting longer than I can remember, but only pistol bullets. Started when I was completion shooting many years back. I’ve used everything from pure lead to linotype and a bunch in between. It all shot fine.

A little advice; Go for broke. Get a good furnace and use steel molds. The aluminum ones don’t hold up. Get you a sizer like the Lyman. Use two molds when you cast and make sure they are at least 4 cavity. Set aside the time to do a bunch bullets at a setting. Extras can always be stored to be sized, lubed and shot years later. Slug your guns bores and size appropriately. Have fun....
 
Great points, hornady. I got into reloading several months ago because I couldn't seem to buy a decent 45-70 cast bullet. My first attempts were many levels better than the bullets I could find. Funny thing, if I could buy bullets as good as my boolits I'd still be casting. I'm casting three boolits now, will add a mould or two this winter. Seems a second furnace will join me this winter as well. ;)
I don't think hoarding is part of my motivation, OP. It's about the satisfaction of having a generous supply of high-quality boolits that I can be proud of. I'm not a high-volume loader or caster but all my products are as good as I can possibly get them, prettier than anything I can buy. Stockpiling lead is just thinking forward and anticipating changes in the market. I happen to need a thousand pounds or so of lead to weigh down my gunsafes. ;) If they happen to be high quality boolits I'm OK with that. Can't be too careful, can we? :D
 
Good points, Hog Buster. All my equipment will outlast me. I like my Lyman moulds and sizer but think I may try a Lee mould before long. Richard Lee makes a pretty good case for them but he's a relentless self-supporter. Seems our camp is divided between Fe and Al moulds and I feel both types must have their strong points. May boil down to casting styles and individual preferences but I'll have to decide that for myself, just like you did.
 
I was either going to get a Lyman or an RCBS mold, I was thinking about a two cavity but I would really like to have the 4 cavity.
 
If you can take the time to read Lee's manual, he makes a good case for aluminum dies. I don't agree with all of his reasoning but he knows more about reloading and bullet casting than any of us. OTOH he's a relentless self-promoter so I take his articles with a grain of salt. Good stuff, tho.
Is the new Lyman manual out yet?
 
TXGunNut

Aluminum molds don’t hold up for me. Cutting hard cast sprues beats them up. They’re almost impossible to rework or polish. Of course they’re cheap and easily replaced, not so for steel molds. Some aluminum molds cast undersized bullets. Not good when your bullet is .356 and your bore slugs .357. Not all of ‘em cast round bullets either. Some are more of an oval, not good either. In their favor.... they sure reach casting temperature quick. If you are like me you’ll have to give them a try and see how they work. At least there’s not a lot of expense involved in giving them a shot, unlike most things in reloading.
 
I just wanted to be fair, Hog Buster. I've had excellent results with my Lyman moulds but some folks seem to like Lee's aluminum moulds. You're right, I'll probably buy one to give it a try. Thinking about a 6 cavity 45 acp mould, probably a 200gr SWC. I'll let you know when it's appropriate to say "I told you so!". ;)
Gonna do a bit of smelting today, not many days in TX start out in the 30's. :D
 
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