Wheel weight melting and making cheep bullets

Johnnyjeepster

Johnnyjeepster

Member
Rating - 100%
42   0   0
Location
Kamloops
Well iv started this lead bullet project...every one loves things on the cheep.
This was my first big wheel weight melt, 30somthing pounds, already had
My bucket of wheel weights sorted to weed out the bulk of zink.
I have melted down small batches to make lee 45 round nose plinkers and added tin and antimony to
Get the alloy to fill out the Mold cavity’s, I’m a rookie at this and just applying what the “google” has
Thought me.
The projectiles I have made shoot pretty well in my 45acp 1911s withought any lead fouling, so I’m
On the wondering path of getting a 10mm Mold and making some affordable 10mm auto.



94B24040-B134-4643-B190-2BFEF3901CF4.jpeg
[/URL][/IMG]
F176CDF0-FA69-4555-95DF-FDDE39C73A87.jpeg
[/URL][/IMG]
E4B0B32B-BF0F-416C-A070-D122EF3C8ED7.jpeg
[/URL][/IMG]
D0DE47B2-5700-4B7E-B10D-BB8AA3B75948.jpeg
[/URL][/IMG]
 
01-20-2019 ???? Seriously it's that nice in Kamloops to be doing that outside?

Nice melt BTB.

M
 
Give your head a shake, and don't try to pretend you're saving money.
You're entering new territory which could be just a dull chore, or hopelessly fascinating.

I recall Dean Grenell, my reloading guru from the seventies, once wrote that after a while you realize that you are no longer a shooter who reloads, but a reloader who shoots.

You just might become a caster, who reloads.
 
slug said:
Give your head a shake, and don't try to pretend you're saving money.
You're entering new territory which could be just a dull chore, or hopelessly fascinating.

I recall Dean Grenell, my reloading guru from the seventies, once wrote that after a while you realize that you are no longer a shooter who reloads, but a reloader who shoots.

You just might become a caster, who reloads.
Click to expand...

Better doing somthing then being a zombie on a phone, computer or watching tv lol
Like most hobby’s the only return is doing somthing you enjoy.
 
Buy a C$1000.00 9mm auto. Shoot factory ammo @ $16.00 a box & exceed the cost of your gun in 3000 rounds.
Reload your own ammo with currently available cases, primers, powder & bullets and the cost of your ammo drops by 1/2. Or more.

Bullets are the single most costly part of reloading ammo. Cast your own bullets & your bullet costs drops by 2/3rds.
 
hatman1793 said:
Buy a C$1000.00 9mm auto. Shoot factory ammo @ $16.00 a box & exceed the cost of your gun in 3000 rounds.
Reload your own ammo with currently available cases, primers, powder & bullets and the cost of your ammo drops by 1/2. Or more.

Bullets are the single most costly part of reloading ammo. Cast your own bullets & your bullet costs drops by 2/3rds.
Click to expand...

Oh I 100% agree with making you’re own. And the cost savings is there. In my first bulk casting the money I have saved in not buying projectiles and purchasing equipment it has payed for itself for making bullets. The next batch I do is all free...i really like free! Just need to find a cheep 10mm Mold and sizer and the party really starts lol
 
I spent the last couple of days casting bullets in an unheated outdoor shed and casting wheelweight/lead ingots outdoors in shirt sleeve weather. Today it was -18C. Go figure ....

If you are into BPCRs and BP CAS, you are a reloader, bullet caster and shooter. For IDPA I shoot jacketed bullets in 9mm, commercial lead in .45 ACP and .38 Spl. because of the volume. Can't be bothered to cast that many.

I now have enough bullets and lead ready to go for 2-3 years. I may be weird, but I actually enjoy the casting process, labour intensive as it is. The sizing/lubing is the part i hate .....
 
slug said:
I recall Dean Grenell, my reloading guru from the seventies, once wrote that after a while you realize that you are no longer a shooter who reloads, but a reloader who shoots.

You just might become a caster, who reloads.
Click to expand...

ha:
I believe I resemble that remark after how I've spent the last month!
Not quite there with the casting yet but I'm scared to actually count the number of molds currently residing in my shed. It could come to that....
 
Hello JJ. The LEE guys make 40/10mm molds. Two cavity is the 145 grain, but if you want to step it up to 175 grains, LEE makes a 6 cavity production load. Higginsons Powder in Hawksbury stocks molds, mold handles & sizers. My research shows HP to be the most competitive on price too.

For Sharps'74, avoid lubing by powder coating. Remember the "economy of motion" principle when reloading. Less handling & processing of your casts are better. Keep it to six stages:
Cast, quality control, powder coat, quality control, size, & load.
 
Powder coating for 45-70, 50-70 and 56-50 Spencer BP loads? I think not .....

I just melted down a bunch of range pick up powder coated bullets. I was amazed at how much crud I had to skim off. I think this powder coating is going to prove a short lived fad.
 
hatman1793 said:
Hello JJ. The LEE guys make 40/10mm molds. Two cavity is the 145 grain, but if you want to step it up to 175 grains, LEE makes a 6 cavity production load. Higginsons Powder in Hawksbury stocks molds, mold handles & sizers. My research shows HP to be the most competitive on price too.

For Sharps'74, avoid lubing by powder coating. Remember the "economy of motion" principle when reloading. Less handling & processing of your casts are better. Keep it to six stages:
Cast, quality control, powder coat, quality control, size, & load.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this info, I have a mini convection oven to try out doing powder coating in and will probably come up with some sort of
Shallow base holder to keep them from falling over. I did some reading on fellows using plastic BBs while tumbling the bullets in a 5R tub to create static for an even coating. So when ever I get around to actually fiddling around with that stage I will post some more pictures.
So with some ruff math me casting and rolling my own the cost of powder and primer is seven cents a round, pretty well saving some good coin in my first round about of this casting bringing down the cost.
 
Soon you will be a powder coater who casts to reload. Ask me how I know.

45-70, 30-30, 223, 45, 44, 40 and 357. May have missed one or two. Soon to be 9mm.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom