Casting Bullets from Lead

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  • Xeon64

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    Jan 26, 2021
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    Prairieville, LA
    Anyone cast their own bullets? I am thinking pistol and rifle. I know little. I have some buffalo bore hard cast bullets and was thinking of doing something similar in my 44mag and 45 LC. Also looking to cast 30 caliber for 30-40, 308, and 30-06.

    Can I use plain lead for do I need to mix other metal in. Saw these little copper caps for the bullets too. Have no idea what that is for.
     

    Joe504

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    Oct 20, 2012
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    Hey, feel free to PM me, I have been casting for a while.

    You need to pick up Lymans cast bullet handbook, or similar. Bullet alloy is an art as much as a science, but pure lead is not suitable for any smokeless powder rounds. The little caps are called gas checks, and are necessary for most rifle rounds, and some higher velocity pistol rounds to prevent gasses from cutting past the lead and causing a variety of issues.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
     

    highstandard40

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    I've started casting in the early 70s, then stopped for a while. I've been back at it pretty heavy for about 18 years. Joe504 is correct about pure lead. If you decide to go this route, I can let go of some of the wheel weight lead I have. It should be perfect for the 45 LC and the 44 Mag. You could also use it in the rifles if you fit the bullet properly and use suitable loads. I'm in Prairieville also. Casting can be as easy or as complex as you care to take it, depending on your requirements.
     

    Barry J

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    Dec 5, 2011
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    Before you spend money on casting equipment, start collecting lead. For me, the biggest pain was scrounging wheelweights and melting them down. And not all wheelweights are lead/
     

    highstandard40

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    And not all wheelweights are lead/

    True, especially those available now. Iron, zinc, and polymer are the most common composition of wheel weights today as lead weights are being banned. All my stash of lead was accumulated before that. And even before that change in wheel weights, some were pure or near pure lead and others were a harder alloy.
     

    Xeon64

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    Thanks. I know who to contact now. Lead can be easily obtained from EBAY. I was surprised at how cheap it is. I was thinking of using old car batteries too. That is what my dad use to use for hit Muzzle loaders.
     

    Joe504

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    Oct 20, 2012
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    No batteries!!!!
    That entire process is super dangerous, and not worth the trouble.

    The best way to start is buying the appropriate alloy/hardness lead online and getting the basics of casting, without having to learn anything about alloys.

    Jump into smelting and alloying once you figure out casting.

    Some casters never smelt their own lead, finding it much easier to just buy it online.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
     

    dwr461

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    Jan 23, 2009
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    Baton Rouge
    I have casted Bullets and will do it again. But I only bother with when we have shortages. Other wise it’s a PITA and I’d rather just buy Bullets.

    Dave


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    Danny Abear

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    Aug 11, 2007
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    Brusly, La.
    No batteries!!!!
    That entire process is super dangerous, and not worth the trouble.

    The best way to start is buying the appropriate alloy/hardness lead online and getting the basics of casting, without having to learn anything about alloys.

    Jump into smelting and alloying once you figure out casting.

    Some casters never smelt their own lead, finding it much easier to just buy it online.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

    'Smelting' is the process of removing lead ore from the earth; you are either melting or re-melting lead...
     

    Joe504

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    Oct 20, 2012
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    So, in the casting community, smelting is used to differentiate melting dirty lead from different sources, cleaning it and creating ingots ready for casting, from simply melting ingots in preparation for casting.

    Just a simple way to make discussions easier.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
     

    Danny Abear

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    Aug 11, 2007
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    This 'community' you speak of must not have existed in the late 70s, when I started reloading; The correct term for what you are doing is 'processing lead'; Google can provide you with more 'correct' info...
     

    Xeon64

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    Jan 26, 2021
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    My Secret to safely getting lead out of the batteries is to shoot the battery! Not joking. Goes through all of Cells and drains all the Acid out. Then rise with water. I would never try to mess with the battery up close. Esp a sealed battery.

    No batteries!!!!
    That entire process is super dangerous, and not worth the trouble.

    The best way to start is buying the appropriate alloy/hardness lead online and getting the basics of casting, without having to learn anything about alloys.

    Jump into smelting and alloying once you figure out casting.

    Some casters never smelt their own lead, finding it much easier to just buy it online.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
     

    highstandard40

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    Apr 14, 2009
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    Prairieville
    My Secret to safely getting lead out of the batteries is to shoot the battery! Not joking. Goes through all of Cells and drains all the Acid out. Then rise with water. I would never try to mess with the battery up close. Esp a sealed battery.

    The danger of using lead from modern batteries is not so much the acid. It's the cadmium that is alloyed in the lead. The fumes created in melting that are extremely toxic.
     

    Xeon64

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    Jan 26, 2021
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    gwpercle

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    Feb 20, 2013
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    Baton Rouge, LA.
    Casting my own since 1967 . Being your own manufacturing and supply company is the best .
    I own moulds for every firearm I own ... What's a bullet shortage ?
    It's a fun hobby ... although the cost of everything has risen ... so has the cost of bullets and now bullets can't be bought at any price ... NOT IN STOCK ... is all I see.
    Buy the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th edition and begin learning ...READ the 18 Chapters preceeding the load data sections ...
    you can learn just about everything you need to know right there ... I taught myself with the #2 and #3 editions . Another good source of information are books by Glen E. Fryxell , " From Ingot to Target - A Cast Bullet Guide For Handgunners . www.lasc.us/fryxell_book_contents.htm it is available as pdf or you can print the chapters you wish to keep for reference.
    Good luck ... I've enjoyed this hobby for 50 years and still find it interesting and fun .
    Gary
    Note...Don't bother with the insides of modern batteries ...not enough lead in them to bother with and there is acid and cadium corrosion ...the post and terminals are OK to melt .
    Clip on lead wheel weights and soft scrap lead 50/50 makes a good alloy.
     
    Last edited:

    Xeon64

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    Jan 26, 2021
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    Prairieville, LA
    Thanks. I am looking at load data manuals right now. Trying to find something for cast bullets with 30-40 and H4895 since I have a lot of it.

    Casting my own since 1967 . Being your own manufacturing and supply company is the best .
    I own moulds for every firearm I own ... What's a bullet shortage ?
    It's a fun hobby ... although the cost of everything has risen ... so has the cost of bullets and now bullets can't be bought at any price ... NOT IN STOCK ... is all I see.
    Buy the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th edition and begin learning ...READ the 18 Chapters preceeding the load data sections ...
    you can learn just about everything you need to know right there ... I taught myself with the #2 and #3 editions . Another good source of information are books by Glen E. Fryxell , " From Ingot to Target - A Cast Bullet Guide For Handgunners . www.lasc.us/fryxell_book_contents.htm it is available as pdf or you can print the chapters you wish to keep for reference.
    Good luck ... I've enjoyed this hobby for 50 years and still find it interesting and fun .
    Gary
    Note...Don't bother with the insides of modern batteries ...not enough lead in them to bother with and there is acid and cadium corrosion ...the post and terminals are OK to melt .
    Clip on lead wheel weights and soft scrap lead 50/50 makes a good alloy.
     

    Mitch Dufour

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    Mar 21, 2009
    454
    93
    Ruston
    I started my casting education by standing shoulder to shoulder with old timers about 15 years ago. It is an art/science that I have come to love as much as shooting the projectiles I produce. A lot of good suggestion here already, so my hints and tips list will be mostly repeats.
    1) Get the Lyman Cast Bullet manual and read it. Not that you have to follow it 100%, but it gives a good over view.
    2) NO BATTERIES. PERIOD.
    3) Powder Coat.
    3) Start out with one mold for pistol bullets and don't try to push it hard. Plinking rounds are what most of us shoot up anyway, so start there and get good at it. For now don't worry about gas checks.
    4) Check out the Castboolits forum. https://castboolits.gunloads.com/forum.php (Apologies to the excellent admins that keep this site going for us, but the reloading section here can not match that forum.)
    20220515_104247.jpg
     

    revbc

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    Jul 12, 2010
    117
    18
    Saint Francisville
    I agree with Mitch. I love powder coating mine. I made a rack for the bullet nose to sit in when I cooked them up. it made sure I had good coating on the hot end. Don't do very much anymore, need to get back to it.
     

    Danny Abear

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    7   0   0
    Aug 11, 2007
    1,444
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    Brusly, La.
    When you consider the time, money, molds, lead, etc. you will find out that you can buy coated bullets from Bayoubullets.com, cheaper and higher quality, consistantly
     

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