Newbie bullet casting help please! RForte61

[Tycer]

Any recommendation for the best reference source for design, casting and making? I would like to give it a try

Start yourself a new thread with that question. You’re gonna get a ton of info. Wait, I did it for you

[Tycer]

What gun do you want to cast for?
Caliber?
Bullet use?

Do you reload already?
Do you ever use jacketed bullets in the gun?

[vancelw]

Buy a Lyman Cast Bullet handbook and read it.
Then buy a mould and get after it.
Then read the handbook again.

[AJMD429]

What vancelw said...

....and while you're waiting for the Lyman handbook to arrive in the mail, read all the stuff on the LASC website. Lots of good information there.

http://www.lasc.us/

This is where most of the Cast Bullet stuff is:

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

[fordwannabe]

Some good ,and not so good over, on cast boolits
Website.

[earlmck]

Good advice above on what to read. But there is no substitute for melting up some lead and pouring it in a mould and seeing what happens.

And while true experts can clean up a brand new mould and be casting good bullets with it withing five casts, the rest of us have to cast a hundred or two bullets with a new mould before the dang thing finally relents and gives us wrinkle-free bullets. So be prepared for that little factoid that never seems to happen to the folks who are true enough experts to write the books. And the second time you use the mould to cast bullets it won't take quite as many casts before it puts out nice wrinkle-free babies. And by the 50th time you use the mould it'll be nicely broke in and a joy to use.

You sure you want to get involved with this insanity?

[3leggedturtle]

I started with a single cavity 113gr Lee FP. Just start reading, then start casting, best way to learn is by just doing it. Try not to over think it. Unlike alot of guys, i like my bullets frosty. Todd/3leg

[Sixgun]

Do what that guy from Texas told ya to do...Vance.....that's exactly how I learned ......back in 1973....---6

[AJMD429]

The MAIN things:

1. Be safe - never ever let anything get in the lead-pot that doesn't belong there - especially moisture....!
2. Be safe - wear goggles and ideally an apron or heavy pants.
3. Be safe - wash your hands after any casting session, and don't eat during casting.

[gundownunder]

Y'all said it all already.

Lyman, Fryxell, Cast bullit forum, then just go ahead and do it.
Glen Fryxell wrote a book called "ingot to target", it used to be a free download. If you can find it, it is well worth getting and keeping.

If you want to start off cheap, get a steel saucepan and put it on a gas ring or open fire. Use a soup ladle with a 1/16" hole in the base as a bottom pour ladle. The only other investment is a bullet mold. Try a little 2 cavity Lee if you want to try a cheapy, then chuck it in the recycle bin when you get better than your mold is, ( it won't take long ).
I've been using a cast iron pot and gas ring and a bottom pour ladle for over 12 years, but I use Accurate's 4 gang molds, and cast many thousands of bullets each year.

And, like the Doc said, be safe. Wear natural fiber, not synthetics, synthetics melt and burn.

[Bronco]

In addition to all the great advice given!
Along with the Lyman book I found this book another source to get some pointers and info, by Veral Smith!

http://lbtmolds.com/Products/tabid/5806 ... .aspx#book

[JimT]

Here is a link to a free copy of one of the best books on casting, molds and alloys that has been published ... CAST BULLETS by Col. E. H. Harrison.

http://www.nzha.co.nz/wp-content/upload ... lets-s.pdf

[mikld]

About 25 years ago I read somewhere "The only way to learn to cast bullets, is to cast bullets". So, I did. But I agree with the posts above mentioning Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook (I prefer the 3rd Edition for a beginner, but that's prolly hard to find and the 4th Edition is also excellent and has a bit more data on more bullets). You don't need to spend $$$ to get started and I began with a 2 qt. SS pan, a Coleman stove, a Lee ladle, and a Lee 44 cal mold. I fluxed with bees wax, paraffin, and sawdust, stirred with an old slotted spoon from Ma's kitchen and dip lubed with alox. Even though I had only a 50%-60% keepers at first, I just kept casting and a short time later the keeper percentages went up to about 90%. I shot a lot of cast bullets from that set up for about 10 months before I got a bottom pour pot. I now have 14 molds and about a half ton of ingots laying on the floor of my shop...

I have found a lot of very good info on all aspects of lead bullets from alloy, casting, lubes, loading, shooting, equipment, coatings, and methods here; http://castboolits.gunloads.com/

[Chuck 100 yd]

Those fellers pretty much covered the how to’s. Get to it !
I started back in the 60’s casting .36 cal. Round balls in a Dixie Gun Works $13 mold and never stoped. I now have 75+
molds. Start with a new Lee mold. The new ones are not bad molds and work quite well.