Author Topic: Casting your own Bullets--start up costs (Read 665 times)

Cheyenne Ranger · « **on:** December 25, 2002, 02:59:29 PM »

First, consider looking at Graybeard's casting forum. A lot of great info there for casters.
This post is speaking to what I have and the costs--use this as ONE way one guy started.
Costs for based on what I spent at www.midway.com
1. Lee 20 lb melting pot, around $70.
2. Molds: Lyman's are around $65, Lee's are $35. Lyman's are steel and usually 4 cavity, Lee is 6 cavity and aluminum.
3. Will need mold handles for above molds. Lyman: $25, Lee: $15. Handles can be changed from one mold to another
4. Lyman #450 sizer/luber: about $95 but Lyman has come out with the #4500 which is an updated version for $120
5. Heater for the sizer/luber (if you use hard lube you need one, if you use soft lube you don't but there will be a mess with the sized and lubed bullets) about $35
6. Top puch and die for each size of bullet (goes in #450): about $25 per set.
7. Lube sticks: $4 per stick. One wil do a bunch of bullets...get 5 to 10 so you don't run out. I like Thompson's Blue Angle hard lube but there are many good ones and all about the same price.

From my previous post you see that I get my WW free so, once set up all I have for costs is lube at $4 per stick. Rest of the cost is just sweat of my brow.
In a 1/2 hour I can cast about 300-500 bullets depending on weight and it takes about the same amount of time to lube them the next day. Both the lead pot and the lube heater take about 30 to heat up so I plug the one I want to work with in and go do something for a while.

I enjoy casting as well as shooting and don't look on it as something I have to do in order to shoot--it's fun in its own right.

ButlerFord45 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 27, 2002, 11:50:28 AM »

Walt
I was wondering if ya could skip the sizing, pan lube and shoot them as cast? Have you measured your bullets before sizing? If so, what size were they as compared to your sized bullets? Any ideas as to what the problems might be doing it this way?

Butler Ford

Cheyenne Ranger · « **Reply #2 on:** December 27, 2002, 12:45:33 PM »

Now that you mention it a lot of shooters will just liquid alox the bullets as cast and go from there. Guess I got into the sizing/lubing thing when my Dad was teaching me. Plus it was something else I had to buy <G>.
Walt

Jose Grande · « **Reply #3 on:** December 28, 2002, 08:06:13 PM »

:-) I size my .45s to .452 ,they are real accurate.Sometimes there will be a little casting flash;sizing takes care of that.

Old Cane · « **Reply #4 on:** December 31, 2002, 04:54:00 AM »

So If I wanted to do this for shooting BP carts, is there a 45/250 that is a two groove? How do you lube with SPG? With SPG do I need a 2 groove bullet for a 24" rifle barrel? I hear about pan lube with crisco/beeswax but sounds like a mess so curious about SPG.

Cuts Crooked · « **Reply #5 on:** December 31, 2002, 05:45:48 AM »

I started out with a Coleman stove and a small iron pan, a ladle made out of an old soup spoon, some good gloves and glasses, Lee molds and determination! :?

That's really not that much different than what I use now, after 25+ years of casting my own! I do have a Lee 10# pot now, and an egg ball ladle, but all one really needs is a heat source and a good iron pan to "run ball"

I like the Lee molds because I've found that the bullets drop from them without any need to resize. I cast round ball fer my various frontstuffers, .45s, and .357s fer my CAS guns. I pan lube with 50/50 lube and don't find it to be "messy" like some folks claim.

I guess what I'm saying is, the investment in casting yer own can be as cheap or as expensive as you want to make it....it really just depends on YOU and what you want to do. :wink:

Old Cane, Lee makes a two groove bullet mold fer .45 Colt. And Yes, you really do need a two groove bullet fer rifles with BP!

Old Cane · « **Reply #6 on:** December 31, 2002, 05:48:39 AM »

Thanks, Cuts. I guess I should have said it sounds like a mess to my wife. Just wondering how you lube with SPG. Ever tried it?

Cuts Crooked · « **Reply #7 on:** January 01, 2003, 06:52:08 AM »

Old Cane,

Being a seriously committed tightwad, I pan lube alla my booolits. I've tried SPG and it's an excellent lube. I jist melted it in an old shoe polish can and set the slug in in the melted lube, let it set up, and cut them out with an old cartridge case.

Given the consistancy of the stuff, I imagine it would werk very good in a standard luber/sizer.

Old Cane · « **Reply #8 on:** January 02, 2003, 01:18:30 AM »

Thanks, Cuts. Still trying to find time and money at the same time. I can relate to the tightwa......"thrifty" remark you made. I'm even a thrifty eater. I finish it ALL!

R. Tillery · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2003, 05:11:36 PM »

Above all else MAKE SURE TO HAVE PROPER VENTILATION!!! Failure to do so can be FATAL!