Do you make your own ??

Ice-Pick

Ice-Pick

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Any body here make their own bullets??
What process do you use ?
Casting ? Swaging ? Machining from solids?

I've been researching some of the info. Corbin has on his site and i'm considering it.

Any insight would be nice here.

M.
 
i think that most people cast as there is a good selection of bullets that can be made. i prefer lyman moulds, and have no trouble with them.
 
The equip. required for swaging is quite expensive, and a large outlay for each dif. bullet, plus the cost of the lead wire and jackets and i don't know about possible savings...esp. since the rules have changed and apparently you can import bullets from the USA(I'm told). Casting or buying cast bullets can reduce your bullet cost by more then 1/2, and in the larger cals. or pistol cals. they can be more effective then anything else. In the usual hi-vel. cals., cast bullet accuracy will be at lower vel. then jacketed but if you're okay with that....go for it.
 
Thanks ben,,,,,,,, I've been told by a few sources that supurb bullets can be made for $.25 / $. 30 each. Plus you can play with the shape/design to suit your needs.

BTW, don't think i wanna put cast lead down the bore of a 50 BMG, gonna research jacketed ones or solid ones.

Thanks guys
keep it coming

M.:sniper:
 
Look into getting some alloying flux, usually beeswax based. It will help to get the crud out of the melted ww. Also, make sure you do the initial melting outside - the lead fumes aren't nearly as bad as the burning oil and grease and road slime, assuming those are used weights. And NO WATER around where you are melting.
 
pharaoh2 don't know what you are classing as lighter metals, but you have to watch your heat so you don't get hot enought to melt any zinc weights that are in your pail (or pick them out 1 at a time). You can also loose your tin if you get it to hot. Good luck.
Ken.
 
I make my own

I cast 8000 bullets last year using wheel weights and shooting range scraps. The trick is to find the right recipe adding tin 2-5% and fluxing (saw dust, candle wax, ground paper). Another trick is to have a 5 gallon pail of water sitting on the floor, so after you open the mold the cast bullets fall in the water and get quenched, hardening them. No water anywhere near the lead melting pot or you get a molten lead shower. I mostly use the lee 6 cavity tumble lube bullet molds # TL358-148-WC, #TL358-158-SWC, Tl410-210-SWC, TL430-240-SWC, Tl452-200-SWC, TL452-230-2R, and I have 2 regular molds in 358-150-1R and 457-405-F. I have a Lee 20 pound lead melting pot and am feeding it constantly to keep up with the 6 cavity molds @ 500 rounds per hour. Then you liquid alox the bullet, size it, relube it and its ready to go. I was surprised at the accuracy the 45 cal bullets were, and the 357 158 gr SWC gave me my first all in the black 3" from 30-35 feet. I do all the lead pouring in the summer outdoors, standing up wind. Happy bullet making.
 
Ice-Pick said:
Thanks ben,,,,,,,, I've been told by a few sources that supurb bullets can be made for $.25 / $. 30 each. Plus you can play with the shape/design to suit your needs.

BTW, don't think i wanna put cast lead down the bore of a 50 BMG, gonna research jacketed ones or solid ones.

Thanks guys
keep it coming

M.:sniper:
Click to expand...

Oh man, if it cost me 25 cents to make a bullet, I wouldn't bother.
Maybe 3 or 4 cents for a 44 mag slug.
Maybe 10 for a .308 with a gas check.
I still buy bullets for my 300 win mag, but my 30-30 hasn't seen anything copper jacketed in probably over 1000 rounds now, and my handguns in more than that.

Learn the "black art" my good man. You'll save a lot of money. :D
 
blacksmithden,,,,,,,,, if it cost me .25 cents to make a bullet,,,,,,,,,, I'd never go home.
I have an old box of Hornady 50 cal. 750 gr. A-max here, price is $42.00,,,, theres twenty in a box.

Maybe I should refine my earlier question, does/has anyone here used a PRESS to make bullets, i'm not interested in a melting pot or any source of flame in my house, especially in my loading room and i'm NOT gonna work out in the garage.
I'm researching CORBIN presses to make my 50 cal bullets due to lack of supply and cost, the easiest ones to find are plain ball ammo (pulled) I want something consistant and accurate.

M.
 
I only make cast stuff. It sounds like a lot of work, and it is........but, when you can wack out 3000 .45 cal slugs in one Saturday, then not worry about making any for months....possibly years, it's really not that much.
Hey, it you can find something to punch them out, go for it. Almost anything is better than paying some of the prices today.
 
With 50 cal, I'm thinking a small lathe might be a better way to go. I've always wondered how a Ring Airfoil bullet design would work in 50 cal, I've seen them work in 38 +P and they are scary fast and very flat shooting. Not that I'm an expert or anything but it would seem to me that it would be quicker to turn a bullet down than press one that will maintain concentricity under the forces generated by a 50.
 
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Casting for me, easy, cheap, and effective.
There are at least two guys on the board making their own swagged bullets. Rick Teal, and Steve Regewell. Steve doesn't visit here much anymore, but he does have a site..{http://www.303british.com/}
 
I cast and I also paper patch. I would like to try swaging 22 bullets from .22 LR cases . I find each new skill bring more enjoyment to my shooting hobby.
 
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