Casting Bullets down and dirty?

[New Hampshire]

OK, I just got a Hastings barrel for my 12ga and am looking to start loading my own slugs.  Im planning on getting the Lee and Lyman sabot molds.  What I am looking to do is cast these slugs as cheap as possible, meaning I dont want to spend $40-$200 on a furnace.  I cant justify the expense when Im only looking at shooting maybe 50 slugs a month if that.  So Im thinking of just using a heating source with one of the steel pots made for casting purposes (like those available from Lee or RCBS.)  So here goes the questions:
Can I use a portable electric burner unit or is a camp stove the best option (I dont really want to keep buying those little propane dealies  :grin: )
Can anyone give me some suggestions or tips for this adventure?
I am also looking at a custom barrel for an Encore in .50/70 Gov and MAY (not positive yet) look at casting for that too.  That would also be a low volume casting project.
So can anyone give me some help?
Thanks,
Brian M.

[Forest T]

you will need a heat sorce colman camp stove not propain but gass a thermometer would help a stanless steel pot do not use aul. pot I had one blow out on me one time and a latel is the cheepest way to go I have all but the thermometer I would sell you but you would have to have the stove fixed probly seals in the tank if you want give me a pm back Forest T

[Cheyenne Ranger]

Lee makes a nice 10# pot that isn't too expensive.  Check midwayusa.com.  I cast the 1 oz slugs for some buddies.  The Lee mold really uses up the lead--for that reason plus all the bullets I do I have the Lee 20# bottom pour.  It's about $60 and works for me.

Not sure if a pot plus dipper would have enough lead for the job that is about the cheapest way.

CR

[Lloyd Smale]

I agree with CH at least buy a cheap lee pot for the actual casting. Its alot easier to control temp. Clean your lead in a seperate pot to keep the casting pot clean.

[New Hampshire]

Thanks for the replies.  I suppose $40 is not that much to pay.  I should just quit being THAT cheap  :-D .  Now that I think about it, the bottom pour designed pots might make things easier than ladeling that much lead into the mold.
Thanks again,
Brian M.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I do a fair volume of casting, but I'm still a tightwad. :-)

For $8 I bought a Century propane stove.  A couple bucks at Goodwill or Salvation Army can get you a stainless steel pot (or 2) and a good soup ladle.  

The propane stove is designed such that it rest directly on top of the little propane canisters.  However, since I do a considerable volume, I felt justified in getting a 20# propane tank and an adapter hose.  This pays for itself because refilling a propane tank is much cheaper than the little bottles.  I set the propane stove up between two cinder blocks.

I've seen adapters that allow you to refill the little propane bottles from a 20# tank.  You could get one of those then mooch a little bit of propane from a buddy who has a gas grill.

The pot is huge.  So casting big 400 - 500 grain slugs is not a problem.

I use a second pot for cleaning the scrap lead and cast into muffin-pan ingots.