Bullet Casting

wiersy111 · Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 11:23 pm Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

Not yet, I have been shooting 405gr in my BFR and don't know if I really want to throw something that big through there.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:34 am Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

I've been looking at the .458" 330 grain cast HP bullet for my .45-70. From my reading it appears to be dynamite on deer.

www.midwayusa.com/view...ber=370703

wiersy111 · Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 6:22 pm Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

I found a copy of Lyman's Cast bullet Handbook today and found a new gun shop. Oh goody goody goody. So far I have struck out on any casting equipment around here.

wiersy111 · Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:25 pm Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

The Lyman Cast book is e great sourve of knowledge. Between that and Cast Boolits site I have learned a ton.

castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php

I actually feel ready to start casting with confidence. I'm sure I'll make mistakes but I'm confident I can figure them out.

fnuser · Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 9:18 am Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

I got a .454" 270g. R.C.B.S. mold today.

wiersy111 · Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 6:05 pm Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

I've got a RCBS .458 405GR, Lyman .458 535gr, and a Lee .458 500gr on the way. I should get to melting down the 250 lbs of ww I picked up.

Aloysius · Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 2:24 am Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

Wiersy, you almost make me jealous Smile

Now maybe this here is a good place to make a consideration: we all know the brass and the sabot bullets, why does nobody ever talk about using moulded bullets out of +90% tin? In my head I can see it work: you take a mould for a heavy bullet and use tin, so you get the same size but a much lighter bullet, which in my opinion will get much more speed and good results on impact. Tin is healphier than lead (to eat, not to be shot with Smile

). Tin is almost not effected by corrosion, it will even stay bright when you storage it above 13°C.
But I'm also clever enough not to invent the wheel again, so I wonder why nobody is using tin? It's cheaper and easier to use than brass...

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:05 am Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

www.winchester.com/Pro...llets.aspx

wiersy111 · Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 7:43 am Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

Aloysius wrote:

Wiersy, you almost make me jealous Smile

So far I have spent 100 for molds, 50 for WW's, and about 15 for tools. Most of the tools I already had.

Aloysius · Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 11:58 am Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

Be happy: 1 set RCBS moulds (handle included) costs here almost 100 euro...

and Mike, I didn't know this Winchester amno, I've never seen it here. This tin doesn't seem bad at all. I'll try to get something ready before May 15th when the roebuck starts here. But as always: if it doesn't groupe on paper, it doesn't get a chance on game.

wiersy111 · Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 12:19 pm Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

Last year when we visited my wife's family in Germany I was kinda surprised at the prices of everything over there.

wiersy111 · Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 9:03 pm Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

Melted about 80lbs of WW's today, I was using a small cast iron skillet on a propane fish fryer and could only melt enough to fill 4 cavities in a muffin tin. So I broke down and bought a cast iron dutch oven. I learned a valuable lesson today......do not leave the ingots in the muffin tin to long or they will stick!!!! I wrecked a perfectly good muffin tin that I pulled out of the garbage. Back to dumpster diving for more muffin tins.

I have got a lot of good info from castboolits.com

gelandangan · Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 10:07 pm Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

Fill only half of the muffin tray cavity to make smaller ingots.
That way you don't loose too much temperature when you refill your pot during casting.

wiersy111 · Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 10:17 pm Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

Ah good tip I didn't think of that.

wiersy111 · Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:45 pm Post subject: Re: Bullet Casting

I ended up coming up with 350 pounds of lead. I cast my first boolits tonight it took a few throws to get everything to the right temp. It was fun once I got things going good. Another addiction ... just what I need. I can't wait to shoot my new boolits now.