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Author Topic: Bullet casting  (Read 788 times)

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Offline Chaz

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Bullet casting
« on: June 01, 2003, 02:52:31 AM »
Venturing in to bullet casting, tired of waiting for bullets in mail and paying high prices for'em. Ordered a mold from Fred Cornell and got some lead from him on Friday. I'm going to use a cast iron pot and turkey burner to melt the lead. Any tip's on casting would greatly be appreciated. Hopefully I'll be shooting these at the next Shippensburg match. Can't do no worse than last shoot. Hopefully!
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Offline ButlerFord45

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Bullet casting
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2003, 05:11:07 AM »
Chaz, I'm too new to casting to be much help.  I'm using a Dutch oven and a Coleman stove.  The one thing that helped me the most was a thermometer.  Different temps, different molds, everything started to "click" when I found the temps at which different things occurd ie, wrinkeled bullets, frosted bullets, finning, moulds too hot, moulds to cold, ect.  When I found how to control these things with temp and casting speed, it all got a lot easier.

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Butler Ford
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Offline The Shrink

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Bullet casting
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2003, 09:13:26 AM »
Chaz

Have you read anything about casting?  Do you know about different alloy mixtures - 20-1, 30-1?  For BPCR pure lead is not hard enough, you need at least some tin in the mix.  How about cleaning the mix?  Keeping your mold to temp is more important in steel molds than in alum. molds. If yoo've real the Layman handbook you have a good start, if you haven't you probably ought to.
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Wayne the Shrink

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Offline oldwoodburner

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Bullet casting
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2003, 01:52:33 PM »
Chaz,
    You've got some good advice here.  A thermometer is a must have.
  Cast in a place out of any breeze but well ventilated.  Develop a rythm to your casting ( I count seconds to myself ) how long I hold the ladle to the mould is so many seconds. After the sprue freezes I count another few seconds before I cut.  After I drop the bullet I give a quick visual inspection and either keep or throw back in the pot.  After my casting session is done I will weigh and visually inspect all bullets again.
 While casting I use the lead temp. and noting how long it takes for the sprue to freeze as my guide for counting out my rythm. (if sprue freezes quick I  speed things up a bit,if  lead runs off the sprue plate like water and takes a long time to freeze I add a bit of time to my count.)  
 You'll probably find there is no better teacher than experience so go cast.
Just keep the wife and kids out of your hair for a couple hours and you'll have some bullets to be proud of.
    Oldwoodburner
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Offline Brasskisser

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Bullet casting
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2003, 05:16:55 AM »
CHAZ, What Oldwoodburner said. here is a couple of more things.  I buy the cheap plastic containers (blue, red, and green) from Midway to store my finished bullets in. I get the ones for .45b Colt. I store them by weight in desending order and save the heaviest ones for tournament shooting.  Also Lube can make a great deal of difference.  My favorite commercial lube is Lee Shaver's BP Moly lube. I pan lube and shot as cast if at all possible.  Although I do use the Lubersizer to size and lube some bullets, I prefer to shot as cast.  After you do this for a while go buy a couple of really good molds. I suggest Paul Jones or Steve Brooks.  You will not beleive what a good quality mold will do for the quality of your bullets and your shooting.  Good Luck.
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Do a lot of CAS, and BPRC. Love to shoot them Buffalo Guns, Both silhuette and long range.

Offline Peddler Parsons

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Bullet casting
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2003, 06:42:03 PM »
one more thing
KEEP ALL WATER AWAY FROM THE MELTED LEAD  if one drop hits it, it will be a major hurt on the body  :eek:
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Peddler Parsons
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Offline Dusty Ed

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Bullet casting
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2003, 01:58:18 AM »
Howdy Chaz
        How was the weather at the last shoot ?,i think it was raining wasn't  
        it.
        I couldn't make it there for some reason, but i'm pretty sure i'll be
        there next week.
        I would like to meet up with you at the next shoot ,who is your      
        spotter?
        Well you recieved alot of good information from your question.
        The only thing i can add to it would be a good bullet lube like SPG.
               Take care and shoot straight
                  Dusty Ed    :wink:
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Edward A. Bergen

Offline Ray Newman

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Bullet casting
« Reply #7 on: June 25, 2003, 07:25:11 PM »
Chaz: call /e-mail the Single Shot Exchange & see if you can get back copies of the March & the April 2002 isssues.

These 2 issues contain Darryl Hedges' in-depth 2 part article  (10 plus pages) on bullet casting, which some have likened to Alchemy....
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Grand PooBah
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