BOTTOM POUR or LADLE

[JCP]

I will be casting 405-500 gr. bullets for 45/70, should I buy the bottom pour melter or dip with ladle? The mold will  be a lee 405 gr. at firts and others later, probably all single cavity.

[fffffg]

a lot of top rate target shooters cast with ladle only.. but for starters and trying it out i dont think youll get much trouble with either. alot of other problems to solve first.. to llook on what the pros are doing  go to the cast bullet list and shilo..  http://www.shilohrifle.com/forums/groupcp.php    ,..  http://www.castbulletassoc.org/index.html

[Lloyd Smale]

I have done alot both ways and allmost all of my casting anymore is bottom pour. Its just faster and i notice very little if any difference i quality

[gutshot_again]

If you get the Lee bottom pour 20 lb pot you could try both.  The Lee pot has enough room to ladle as well as use the bottom pour.  The RCBS and Lyman would also work, but of the bottom pour pots I think the Lee is bigger around.   Also the Lee isn't such a big drain on the pocket book while you're finding out which you prefer.

[The Shrink]

Well, let's see. I can't really answer your question, cause I've never had or used a bottom pour pot.  I got the ladle for a lot less and an old kitchen pot that I melted the alluminum bottom off the first time I melted lead, and I still use the old Coleman camp stove to do that.  The lead stays cleaner in that steel pot than it does in the cast iron 'lead' pot I got later from Lyman.  

If money is an issue the ladle is by far the cheapist way to go, you can find a pot at a thrift store for pennies and old Coleman camp stoves probably at yard sales.  Just make sure you get a steel pot!  Then you can put your money into good molds.  

Wayne the Shrink

There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!

[FAsmus]

JCP,

You ask: I will be casting 405-500 gr. bullets for 45/70, should I buy the bottom pour melter or dip with ladle? The mold will  be a lee 405 gr. at firts and others later, probably all single cavity.

F:  Don't bother with bottom pour pots, especially with long, heavy large caliber rifle bullets.

The ladle, when properly used will allow you to fiddle with casting techniques and come up with a method that works. The bottom drop pots do not lend themselves to this kind of close control over the various factors affecting the production of good bullets.

Good morning,
Forrest

[LAH]

If you're only casting a few bullet the ladle will work fine. If you plan to cast lots of bullets you would be "most likely" better served with a bottom pour pot.

I have friends in the bullet business who ladle cast and make a living at it but I want nothing to do with it.