Bullet Casting Basics

REFERENCES Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook Wolfe Bullet Casting 101 DVD http://castboolits.gunloads.com/ good for everything! http://www.castbulletassoc.org/ COMPLETE detail on winning match loads SAFETY! Explosion! Never allow water to contact the lead, even one drop can cause explosive splatter! Lead Poisoning! - Ventilate if indoors. Airflow to take away the smoke of an extinguished match is considered sufficient - Lead powder is worse than fumes. (so dont band saw large ingots!) - Vapor increases exponentially around 900+, even though it doesnt boil until ~1500. - Wash hands before smoking or eating. Burns! Wear gloves, minor splatter is random and inevitable. The splatter is minor, but the instinct to jerk away even from minor splatter can cause you to fling an entire ladle of molten metal about!!! (from experience) Wear long sleeve shirt, long pants, and leather shoes. Always wear cotton to minimize the effect of burns (compared to polyester, etc.) CASTING STEPS 1. Follow simple mold cleaning/preparation instructions that come with the mold. 2. Melt lead, start at high temp to melt, then use 650+. ( I prefer ~750) 3. Spray mold with mold release agent. (some use a match to blacken the mold) 4. Add flux to lead, and remove dross. 5. Heat the mold on edge of pot. (often still takes first bullet to pre-heat the mold) 6. Heat ladle in lead, and pour lead into molds. (I prefer side-pour) 7. Use plastic hammer to rotate cutter and cut the sprues. 8. If necessary, tap the handles rotating pin (do NOT strike the mold!) 9. Repeat, remove ladle when done, leave lead in pot 10. Size, lubricate, and add gas-check in the bullet in bullet sizer. (use equipments directions) 11. Load and shoot. (cast bullets perform better with light loads of fast powder)

DEMONSTRATION EQUIPMENT Lee Magnum Melter Furnace $50 Lyman Dipper $17 Used plastic hammer $1 Empty (DRY!) soup can free - dross can (water + hot lead = explosion) Old spoon free - to remove dross Box with old towel to collect bullets RCBS Thermometer $50 - cheaper probably ok, especially if note pot setting Hornady Gas Checks (1000) $27 - only used for rifle rounds, 1200fps+ Lee Expanding Die $11 - NOT for bottleneck cases!!! Frankford Release Agent $9 - works well Frankford Arsenal Flux $10 - lots of warnings compared to wax Lee British Bullet Mold $19 - .312-.313 160gn (should be .314 180gn) Lee Lube and Sizer Kits* $15ea - .308, .314 Lee Lube and Sizer works, especially for money, but RCBS Lub-A-Matic (no heat) $165. This method was recommended to me from someone I trust. SOME CAST BULLET RELOAD DATA All target loads, rifles good out to 500 yards. Enfield No. 1 MKIII SMLE 12gn Unique, .312 160gn medium (radius) ogive (~1600fps) o FAR better than Prvi Partiszan factory, 174gn spire point o very close to Hornady .312 174gn Round nose with 12gn Unique o will likely try to replicate performance with try Lyman .314 200gn round nose mold ($62) o 9gn Bullseye was most accurate, but drops even at 100yds Schmidt-Rubin Model 1911 11gn Unique, .308 160gn medium ogive o comparable to Prvi Partizan factory (very good!) o 9gn Bullseye was most accurate, but drops even at 100yds M1 Garand 34gn and 38gn 4895, .308 160gn both cycle action, but not accurate for cast??? o but works well with jacketed Hornady BTSP .308 168gn o will try round nose cast bullet mentioned above in .303 Enfield notes 1917 Enfield-Eddystone 10gn Unique (11gn to knock down silhouettes at 400yds), .308 180gn long ogive .30-40 Krag 10gn Unique (11gn to knock down silhouettes at 400yds), .308 180gn long ogive S&W 686 4Pistol 2.3 gn Unique, 158gn cast semi-wadcutter o FINALLY, nothing was working, including several factory loads Webley MarkIV .38 Pistol 2gn Bullseye, 158gn cast semi-wadcutter