Which equipment do you use to cast your bullets?

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Kryogen

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Lee melting pot, 2 or 6 cavity mold, etc?
What do you use to flux?
How do you know if your lead is hard enough? (Just wheel weights period?)
Do you size cast bullets?
Looking to start casting bullets myself for 9mm, 45, etc.
What size do you cast? round, TC, ?


Thanks
 
Lee bottom pour pot

anything but single cavity moulds, if available

flux....beeswax or, more lately, plain old paraffin. Honestly I only flux now to get the dirt off it - I leave the oxide layer on top, figuring it's the best barrier against further oxidation.

Hard enough? Hope. I made #2 alloy from whatever linotype I had left and scrap. It seems quite hard and I'll be using it for my gas check bullets. I figure on using straight wheel weights for pistol and 45-70, since those are slow projectiles. If I need tin I buy 50-50 or 90-10 (tin-antimony) from Wolsey plumbing for about $12/pound (not quite double that for the 90-10, but cheaper in the end than 50-50. I've yet to find tin for less).

I size, but I did just buy a couple Lee microband moulds to try for 9mm and 45ACP, which I will use as-cast and tumble lube to save time. Still waiting for handles for the buggers.

I cast everything from 6.5mm to .577
 
Lee 20 lb & 10 lb pots. 22 different molds, single up to 6 cavity. Flux is sawdust or candle wax for bullet making. Thumbnail test for hardness, quench drop for harder if alloys present. Size everything but my 500 gr 45/70 bullets. I at one time shot 5000 45 acp bullets a year, all cast from ww. Cast 2 different types of 9mm bullet. Also cast 2 different types of 45acp bullet. Have more molds for both but these are favorites.
It is cool to look at a box of 50 9mm or 45acp and the cost to create was around $2.00 a box.
 
So best thing is that lee microband mould with their liquid alox?
Why doesnt it need to be sized?

Is it worth it getting the big 20 pound melter or not so?

Considering that bullets are what cost the most, by far, for pistol ammo, casting makes sense.

I only plan to cast for pistol anyway (9mm, 45, 357 maybe one day).
 
.45 acp I size them cause there can be a big, JMHO, size difference. .38 special seems a lot more consistant. Lee alox works well with the tumblube bullets. keep them in the 850-950 fps and you will be ok. I now use a hotplate and a cast iron pot with a ladle, I find it faster recovery time and if you cast for more calibers, often will have three 6 cavity moulds going at the same time.
 
Get the 20lb pot for sure, the 10lb one drains quick with a 6cavity mold and 230gr 45s. Even fast using 600gr 50 can bullets....

I bought a Lyman 4500 sizer/luber so I don't use the microband molds anymore, I don't like the lube coating the entire bullet.

I also make my own lube using Bens red recipe on cast boolits. That's going to be your best bet for info on casting.
 
Lee 20 pound bottom pour pot. Paraffin wax for flux. Wheel weights are plenty hard enough for target handgun bullets. Lee Liquid Alox works fine as a lube. It is a little tacky but a dusting of talcum powder gets rid of the tacky feeling. I size all my bullets (with Lee push through sizing dies) because they do vary in size as they come from the moulds (mainly due to variation in alloy temperature as the amount of alloy in the pot goes up & down).
BTW you can also lube non-micro band bullets with liquid Alox. Just lube them after you've sized them. A thin coating works just fine.

Lastly, if you are looking to cast quantity there is nothing that beats the 6 cavity moulds. When I get in the groove & the mould is the right temperature I can easily do 400-500 good quality bullets per hour. For the difference in price between 2 and 6 cavity moulds it's a no brainier.
 
Lee 10lb bottom pour production pot with PID temperature controller & a small hot plate to preheat the mold. I have to agree with getting a larger pot, the small one drains quickly and the larger one would hold it's temperture better. Get (or build with parts from ebay for $50) a temperature controller for your pot, it makes a world of difference in the mold performance and bullet consistency. As a minimum have a thermometer in the pot, the temperature controller that comes with the lee pot is terrible.

Mostly water dropped WW for target use (9mm, 44mag, 45-70, 357, 308) and pure Pb for the antiques.

Flux with sawdust.

Lee Alox tumble lube (diluted with alcohol first), sometimes size with Lee push through die (and check if required), then pan lube.

Currently replacing my molds via castboolit group buys, far better quality than Lee. Largest is a 4 cavity, anything larger than that gets too heavy.

Lastly, but most important - GOOD VENTILATION. If possible, build fume hood for the pot and exhaust to a safe location.
 
Kryogen said:
so should I get the lee stuff or just get better stuff from elsewhere?
Click to expand...

The Lee equipment works fine, the price is right and you can always upgrade. If you find casting is not your thing, you won't be into it for too much money. A group buy mold is typically $120+ and you have to wait... and wait.. I'd recommend you start with the big lee pot one Lee mold and see how it goes. In the mean time, snoop around castboolits as there is tons of info and experience, decide if you want to get in on a group buy mold.
 
I use a Lee 20 lb bottom drop pot. Cast 185gr. .45acp with lee 6 bullet gang mold. Size and lube with Magna lube sizer. 40 cal for my Glock (Oh my God) also through the Magna sizer. They come out great. 9mm 124gr, .38 158gr. with lee 2 cavity, & 6 cavity respectively with micro bands tumble lube with liquid Alox. They seam to work just fine with no sizing. I've also used Lyman Molds for .38's. Also a good mold. Accidentally dropped a hot Lee bullet mold into my bullet quenching bucket, retrieved it and to my surprise had no ill effects on continued casting. Cast what I shoot. Shoot what I cast. Straight wheel weights. Candle wax or parafin to flux. Enjoy & experiment a little. It's a great hobby.
 
RCBS bottom pour, aluminium and steel molds, rcbs and star sizers. Use a lot of wheel weights and some sourced tin. Mostly cast for big bores, 416 Rigby, 450/400 and some 41Magnum. Would also vote for reading Castboolits, lots of info and helpful guys like above. Interesting hobby in itself and makes for some cheap shooting.
 
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