Do You Want to Cast Bullets? ~ Maybe not!

Lead bullet casting is wonderful enjoyment that adds to the enjoyment of shooting. But, let's have a serious talk about this before starting out!

[@SevereMkII]

This man is a treasure to the gun community. I always smile when I see him on my feed. No tactical BS, no brand pimping. Just flat out facts

[@TheCRDMiller]

Me too brother.

[@albatro2676]

Same here.-

[@rickfernald3452]

He is a super nice and friendly man in person as well. I am proud to have met him in person, someday I'll share my story of how we met with the world, just want to say God's timing was involved. God Bless, Amen

[@seanoneil277]

@@rickfernald3452 You're a lucky man, Rick. 25+ years ago, I use to spend a fair amount of time near where Mr GB lives and films. Of course I didn't know who he was back then. Now I live clear across the country and don't get to NH lakes region. But Mr GB makes me wish I could beg for a visit!

[@vdog4799]

Well spoken

[@payres48]

I worked in the printing industry as a compositor. As an apprentice it was one of my jobs to replace lead ingots for the Linotype and Ludlow machines as necessary. It has 4% tin and 12% antimony to increase hardness. I was constantly near the melting pots on the machines removing the dross to keep the lead clean. No one ever warned me about the hazards of this heavy metal. There was no ventilation or extraction system for fumes. I worked with hot metal from 1964 till around 1978. Fortunately I have never suffered any ill affects from it.

[@600miles]

My dad cast lead bullets in the basement. No ventilation, in a crucible, over propane torch. I still have the pieces he made back then in 1960. His can of DuPont powder is dated 1964 and I still have 2 cans of that. He lived to 95 and died of old age and boredom.

[@tires2burn]

I'm 78 and cast with no regrets.

[@doranmaxwell1755]

I have been casting bullets for 40 years or so. I have never shot in an indoor range. I believe that it has been proven that what happens is that you are breathing in lead particles. That does not happen outdoors nor does it happen when casting lead as lead melts at 650 degrees or so. Burns are a real consideration. My blood lead levels are extremely low. Those lead fumes from casting are not actually 'lead' not unless you get that temp up to say 1000 degrees which some lead sinker makers do... they really get that lead hot. One thing I have done tho is All my lead bullets are now 'coated' with High Tech or powder coat. I agree and also dump my bullets directly into a 5 gallon bucket half full of water. It instantly cools em... it hardens em.... it actually means you handle em less.

[@blygutta8280]

That is my experience to. Indoor range is the main reason to get exposed to lead. Not casting. And you know when you are exposed......when you taste a metalic taste in the mouth.

[@hardlylivin6602]

This was a concern of mine as I just started casting my own bullets with a lee bottom pour pot. I don’t have a garage nor can I cast outside due to Floridas heat and sun. So I cast on my back porch which is enclosed. I do cast right next to an open window with a fan at my back for safety. My only concern is that I was running my pot at the 9 setting a couple times and wasn’t sure if that had exposed me to unsafe levels of lead fumes. I also didn’t have the fan at my back at the time, but instead had it between my pot and the window blowing directly out the window.

[@toneeclark399]

Guessing I’m old enough to be responsible. You laid out a good case for balancing risk vs reward and I appreciate you for it.

[@lindafoxwood78]

Thank you for your Lead videos. I have cast bullets since 1986 when I got my S&W 44 mag and I got 100 pounds of lithoplates. I now have 40 pounds of the lead left. I do personal soldiering all that time too. In 1988 I loss feelings in my fingers to the point I had to watch where my hands were at all times, or I would find a few bleeding cuts to my surprise. My doctors never even thought I had Lead poisoning. In 1999 I was diagnosed with Alzheimer with an expectation of 6 months to a year till loss of all memory. Till today, I did not know all my problems were Lead exposure. You are a blessing for me.

[@rogerchampjr933]

I doubt it was from making 40-60 lbs of bullets. A lot of us in the community have burned down thousands of lbs of lead and have our levels checked and never have had numb fingers, toes, etc.

[@oscarbear7498]

​@@rogerchampjr933didn't the guy Jerry (world champion) making bullets his whole life?

[@user-vd4ib2gm9j]

how much $ for the 40# of lead ? - Ill take it off your hands

[@colinreid7305]

Bullet casting is not my scene, however this was a very interesting and informative video. The safety issues have been very well addressed and the presentation excellent. Stay safe and greeting from Australia.

[@livincincy4498]

I used to design industrial ventilation hoods & systems. One of the common problems in buildings is that fans exhausting do not have a source of air to exhaust. The fan has to draw air thru the openings in the building. When the building is closed up for winter test systems don't work. So a make-up air unit is required for the exhaust fans to work at the systems to operate at designed volume & velocity. In a home you could open a window and turn on a heater ... Or get an energy recovery ventilation system. This will need balanced against your lead exhaust fan volume. When exhaust hoods are designed a known velocity is used. This is then measured at the face of the hood. A damper is used to balance it. Often the Air is drawn back / away and not up. A slotted box behind the melting pot would work. The hood over the top would capture heat. Lead is heavy so if the velocity and static pressure is not right you will exhaust air and only a small portion of lead. This is why pulling back & away rather than up works better. In laboratories they have special enclosures where the operator looks thru a window and air flows under the bottom of the window. The operators hands then go under the window to work. This chamber is (-) pressure to re room. These are tested annually to ensure they are in specification for exhaust. This would be a good design to look at. I have thought about a harbour freight sand blasting cabinet for casting. Add a supply and an exhaust fan like you purchased to ventilate the cabinet.

[@seanoneil277]

You could also look at what chemistry lab supply houses sell as fume hood systems, and consider how to make a similar thing with different dimensions. In his work area, Mr GB's little upside-down mushroom fume capture is very similar to some of the fume hoods I saw in my schooling -- though comparatively Mr GB's hood is much smaller, and in some cases much less elaborate/enclosed. Sufficient for task is all one needs.

[@nsboost]

Have to check with a manometer too see how strong the draft is as well as any vacuum. Most older buildings dont seal up well enough to matter. Old houses leak enough to feed big boilers enough combustion air so i cant imagine a small extractor overcoming that. But again, its not too difficult to measure whats going on to see if thats happening

[@calebdoner]

I really appreciate how you spent the first 20 minutes going over safety protocols. All this is why I just pay the little bit extra to buy fully plated bullets. Don't have to worry about lead poisoning in the casting, loading, or shooting. At the volumes that I shoot, the cost savings aren't worth the health risks.

[@GunBlue490]

That's good practice if it works. Oddly, while my 9mm shoots plated bullets with high accuracy, my 1911 vastly prefers cast.

[@dannyd1213]

the primer will do you more harm than a cast bullet as far as lead poisoning. Why do you think he had problems with an indoor range; most of people that use indoor range's use store purchased ammo.

[@edstimator1]

Not unlike protocols regarding covid, I believe that everyone has a right and a duty to make their own decisions regarding safety. Having said that, I submit that if proper protocols are adhered to, casting boolits is MUCH safer than let's say breathing vaporized lead floating in the air in an indoor shooting range. It's really not hard to prevent lead poisoning and I wouldn't let that scare you away from a very rewarding hobby. I've been casting for many years and test regularly. To date, I have no sign of any issues. As often as possible, I try to cast outdoors and I highly recommend following that protocol as well as all the other safety measures. It really is not difficult at all.

[@MurderWalrus]

@@GunBlue490 That's good to know. I shoot 9mm, 44 mag, and 45-70. All at 1500 fps or less. I shoot powder coated lead on all. I love reloading, but I just don't think casting is worth it for me. Especially since I can't cast or load outdoors. Thanks for the great video and the thoughtful safety tips.

[@colostomybag9367]

I really appreciate you being up this important issue. Right before covid hit I started loading 357 and 38spl. I was tempted to start casting bullets but I was urged by a wise old man not to. He cast his bullets in his garage for a few years and got lead poisoning. He’s fine but no longer casts. Honestly pure lead bullets are(were) cheep and I just load those. Thanks for talking about this, it’s a very big issue and I make a point to not go to indoor ranges with lead bullets. You truly are a wonder person to have in the community. God bless you.

[@marklandwehr7604]

Thank you for your practical advise and your detailed attention to detail sometimes there's only a right and a wrong way to do things and clearly you're showing the correct way and giving the detail that people need to know and stick to religiously

[@michaelkullas2031]

Thank you for your insight. I found the information quite enlightening. I remember the dusty floors in the ranges back in the 70s and 80s and never thought anything about it. Thank you

[@mfallen6894]

Great vid! I've seen way too many people dismiss the seriousness of casting lead and it's no joke. One thing I would add is to get a bunch of baby wipes. I believe there are even wipes made specifically for shooters. Anyway, before washing your hands/face/neck/forearms, wipe them down with the wipes. This will remove a great deal of the lead. Next, wash up with COOL water. The warmer the water, the more lead you're going to absorb through the skin. I'd even go to the trouble of finding a good organic soap, real soap, not detergents, as they can actually increase the skin's ability to absorb metals, halogens like chlorines, fluorines, bromines, and other unwanted contaminates. I do the same after a day out shooting just to be safe. I've seen some of the neurological and renal issues that can occur from heavy metal poisoning so going a few extra steps to eliminate as much as possible is well worth the extra time spent. Always glad to see more vids, Blue. Best of luck to you, your family, and Benny too!

[@andreassedin7655]

Thank you for sharing your experiences and I will listen to your advice. I live in sweden. Been castin 1 lbs fishing gear indoors for a while now, by the kitchen fan with 2 windows open. Always wear a respirator. Never touching the lead with my bare hands, always with gloves. I have been careful to clean up after me after casting. Sometimes I borrow a garage when I cast. I then open the door, setup a fan to blow the fumes out and wear the respirator. But I didn't quite understand that lead also gets into your clothes. I will wash then from now on.

[@JeffinTD]

Good precautions and adding blood lead level to annual checkup is a good idea. I recall a discussion of a couple instructors who had a spike in lead levels, after they started using a use of force simulator (indoors) that uses primers in the simulated firearms. I try to limit my time in indoor ranges. Glove wise, I have leather gloves marked “lead” and I use mechanics nitrile gloves underneath. Lastly, engrave “lead” on any iron pot or muffin mold you might use. Wouldn’t want it to unknowingly end up in an estate sale.

[@josephkool8411]

I've had mild lead poising twice. I've worked in lead abatement since I was 17 and it happens to the best of us no matter how hard you. We get blood tests every year and I failed twice' but it was borderline both times. Can't work when you fail the blood test. We take it seriously we shower and change our clothes in a decon trailor so we don't go home and infect our wifes and kids

[@djstl100]

I worked for an abatement company, as asbestos and lead, I allways tryed to decom correctly, but we had idiots that never showered and got dressed... bringing it right into the change room.... several heated arguments because of it

[@Kito66j1]

Good solid heart talk about the basics. Everyone that casts should watch this video just before any session just to get your mind ready for the activity. Thanks a lot.

[@liddell157]

Best guy on KZbin about anything gun/ hunting related.

[@kolschesky]

I almost always shoot plated lead bullets to help avoid with the lead issue. Thank you for the informative and thoughtful discussion.

[@Jeff_Seely]

Thank you for the precautionary video. Everything we do along the way requires for sober mind. Even after the casting, reloading is something that you should set time aside for to that which you are engaged in. All of this is serious stuff! I'm really enjoying how this series is beginning captain!

[@True_BabaYaga]

Very informative video. Thank you for what I consider a community service!

[@Gunsgame1966]

So happy I came across this tutorial! So much to consider! Thanks for opening my eyes 👀

[@geico1975]

I'm glad you're showing us all of this, it's going to be very informative and fun watching.

[@Eric-4501]

I started casting about four years ago, I really enjoy it and it sure does bring reloading cost down. I cast in a building separate from the house and while I do not have a hood ventilation system the building is well ventilated. When I finish casting my clothes go straight to the washing machine and I go straight to a shower, I also have my BLL checked yearly. I do not cast all the time, I cast one day till I get tired casting as many bullets as I can in that time, then it is usually a few months or more till I cast more. With the shortage of reloading components the need to cast has also been reduced. Great video as usual, keep up the good work.

[@3ducs]

Thank-you for this very informative video. In addition to the exhaust hood I think one could rig a cardboard fence around the sides and back of the casting area to further direct air around the furnace up towards the hood.

[@jessearroyo3927]

And yet, another excellent video. Thank you for the education on the dangers of lead poisoning, it was very enlightening.

[@JaredAF]

Excellent and relevent safety brief. I wish all tutorials on youtube started with a video like this.

[@thecainer64]

God bless from Northern Maine! I like Lee products. I'm glad there is a company with the working man in mind. I encourage everyone to pay absolute attention to the safety information in this video an elsewhere. Never take a shortcut. I wanted to teach my kids to cast bullets, and they enjoy shooting them too. It's a skill that is a blessing to those who have lead during this shortage.

[@rheidtech]

Im grateful for you putting out this video. God Bless sir. Ill be watching. Beautiful setup.

[@johnqpublic2718]

Thank you for the wisdom and knowledge, as always.

[@96wx3]

Very informative video, you brought up some points I hadn't considered. 👍👍 I've been a firearms instructor at my agency for about 20 years. We use an indoor and outdoor range. We were tested years ago and all of us had low levels thankfully. But definitely something to have checked periodically.

[@sturisa]

Enjoyed watching GB490, I don't cast or reload, but I will enjoy watching this series as I always learn something from your channel. No nonsense and just the facts!

[@bc2.by.design]

Great content. I appreciate the very conversational, yet in-depth, discussion of risks, rather than the usual 30 second blurb. I have my own experience with lead casting going back several score years. As a child, I had my father's lead soldiers, molds, and casting equipment handed down to me, and did my casting and painting, starting at perhaps 7-8 years old, at the kitchen table. There was no protection. No masks, no gloves, no protective clothing, no eye protection. Nothing. I'm amazed that I survived it ... but survive I did, just as had my father. I did, however, suffer one really serious burn when I had the pot tip over and pour across the back of my right hand. I was fortunate it was winter, as there was a large snow pile right next to the door a few feet away. When I pulled my hand out, I had a sheet of hardened lead between my knuckles and wrist covering about half the back of my hand which, when peeled off, took my skin with it, and most of it was full depth. It was a large, deep, nasty 3rd degree burn that took a long time to heal. The scarring was prominent for many years and I can still make it out today. I've got a healthy respect for lead, especially molten ... BTW, I recentlyy moved to FL from Southern NH. Also, my grandfather was a deputy police chief who died in the line of duty. First name on the on the monument outside the Braintree, MA police station. Glad I found the channel. I'm enjoying it already.

[@VeritasAequitas178]

Sorry for your loss

[@cw2a]

Nice spacious clean casting bench!! Waiting to see some production!

[@chrismills4213]

Educational as always…you sir are a gem to the shooting community. God bless.👍

[@seanoneil277]

Thank you so much for this video, Mr GB. I read many of the comments when I watched this the other day. I appreciate your hard-won wisdom on lead exposure. It's easy for people to be cavalier about something they don't smell or taste or otherwise sense as possibly dangerous. Like carbon monoxide. This video is yet another testament to your many areas of handwork craftsmanship. Quite a nice workspace you've created there. I imagine you must keep yourself busy with some sort of project most of your waking hours. The question is whether anyone can keep up with you, I suppose! God bless you, Mrs GB and Benny.

[@toddcoon6734]

Excellent video, can't believe folks actually smoked around reloading benches with open containers of Hercules!!! The 70s and 80s were a different time. But the insights into lead poisoning are very helpful and food for thought. Generally I like to use outdoor ranges whenever possible, and this reinforces that. The indoor range I do go to has forced air positive ventilation to exhaust fumes and particulants. But it's not a panacea.

[@ClanXmigo]

Great bench! I agree that good lighting is a must. What I've done is buy some cheap LED strips for under the cabinets. You could even extended that to inside the salad bowl. I bet that would be friendly to the camera as well 😊

[@gastonn8]

Thank you very much for all this information, looking forward to those series of videos!

[@calebmcculler]

I really appreciate this video. I didn’t make it ten minutes in before having the realization that casting isn’t for me at this very time in my life. I actually have extensive lead training and knowledge from my industry, however ignored that advice because I was thinking about this as a hobby. Thank you for the content, not the most exciting decision, but family will undoubtedly come first and I’ll need to set down the casting until I have a safe setup to enjoy it while operating responsibly.

[@tomjoseph1444]

I am just getting back into casting after a 30 year absence. In the past we never though about it but you are right. My son got heavy metal poisoning from welding and it is not fun. I just ordered my mask and filters. Thanks.

[@C8geyB]

Nice job improving your setup. The audio sounds very good the video/lighting is noticeable better. Thanks for the casting series.

[@scruffysstash]

Good info gunblue. I've been interested in adding casting to my list, but it comes down to time and money! Stay safe with your setup, and god bless.

[@RME1911]

Big eye opener, I need to make some changes before I fire up my lead pot again. Life saving tips, thank you

[@dansaver8247]

Terrific personal and safety information. Thank you.

[@xapemanx]

those masks work well with preventing silicosis as well if you're cutting rock or concrete. I recommend buying the large fitting one (I purchased a medium and it was too small) medium seems to be a womans size. it works well. one crazy thing is how your smell resets after taking it off and you get to authentically smell your environment for a brief minute lol

[@anthonyross9276]

Love this video series! Keep em coming please sir.

[@sgtstedanko7186]

I used to cast when I could still source lead. All the components are hard to come by right now. Aside from that it's very rewarding to know you've made every round from scratch.

[@emoryzakin2576]

This is great, I’d really love to see you get into power coating the cast bullets! Seems to have a lot of pros

[@MegaCyberleader]

thank you for the advice, I had no idea, it could make me so sick so fast. But I watch these videos to learn and ive been casting with out a mask and improper ventilation

[@steverichards1103]

Thank you. This is a great service.

[@johnhale9686]

I've thought about this for sometime. I have some of the equipment for the job, but I still need sizing and lubing the cast bullets. The real issue is it lead. I shoot a lot of lead pistol bullets which are jacketed , plated. The company I'm buying my lead bullets are coated with a poly coating of some kind. Even at that I wear disposable gloves while loading. I'm just not that in to it ,but I find the subject interesting just the same and will be watching your videos.

[@stephenrubin6810]

Looking forward to your series on casting. I started casting 45-70 for my Sharps with good results. There was a learning curve getting temps and pours consistent, but the final results are very good. Thanks.

[@Beetmagnet]

I'm a caster...I usually cast about 40k every January. Just get your lead level checked twice a year. If you have lead higher than a 10, use milk thistle and Bentonite clay, and the lead will leave your body as it binds to these 2 substances. The problem is if the lead settles down in your bones. That's what creates chronic problems. You'll get more lead exposure by tumbling brass in a closed room. Always do that outside.

[@understandingtruth10]

In the past I would do this on my kitchen stove with no ventilation I’m very glad I watched this video. Only did it two or three times, probably made around 300 .38 special slugs. Thank you I will stay away from this practice now.

[@appalachianamerican7171]

Very interesting video Sir. I don't cast bullets, but it is nice to know this. Never can tell if someone I know decides to take it up. Thank you.

[@L.V-Rider]

Since the '60's I used to walk around shooting air guns and carried the pellets in my mouth for easy and fast access. I still do it and never had any lead poisoning symptoms show up.

[@GunBlue490]

We all did things growing up. I had lead poisoning, and it's quite real and deadly. An associate of mine in another town died suddenly from toxic lead poisoning doing the same range instructor work as me, and he was only 32. Painters in years gone by all died from it, including my wife's uncle and best friend's father. Symptoms are not easily recognized, and can go undiscovered until it's too late and you're on dialysis, or worse. I certainly don't recommend putting lead in your mouth.

[@kirkboswell2575]

Good video, and good discussion of the subject. I do question the bit about lead absorbing through the skin. Not that I'm aware of from my medical training. But that's actually a side issue because it DOES transfer easily from the skin surface into saliva. That's why they say "No eating or drinking" and "good handwashing" afterwards. Back when they still had lead in gasoline, the parking garage workers consistently had high lead levels even though they had zero exposure otherwise. So, inhalation is the easiest way to get lead toxicity. Had another person who kept showing high lead levels. He swore he didn't eat or drink when casting, and always washed his hands after. Come to find out, he chewed tobacco. Since he wasn't swallowing it, he didn't consider it "food", and thought nothing of getting a "chew" while casting. Bingo! Problem found. And your suggestion about changing clothing afterwards is great. I used to do something similar when I told smoking parents to use an old fashioned smoking jacket and remove it before picking up their children - especially with those children who had respiratory issues. So, good video.

[@seanoneil277]

Open pores from perspiring. Microcuts that aren't now bleeding but lack epidermal protection. And obviously, open wounds. When I used to work with chromoly tubing fabrication, I had lots of those little microcuts on my hands. I had to worry about getting flux on those microcuts, they would burn unlike the rest of my hands. It's not like it's easy to get lead poisoning in the way Mr GB is cautioning us about either with long-term range exposure or shorter-term lead casting exposure, but I'd wager it's a lot easier (if exposure amount/time are sufficient) for this to cause lead poisoning than it is for someone's sneeze in your 6 foot arbitrarily chosen perimeter to give you an aerosol-borne virus. Lead isn't typically liquid like mercury, so it's not as fast acting on skin contact as mercury would be. But it's still no joke, especially if you've got airborne particles, liquid hot lead, or heated lead vapors in your vicinity. Luckily it's usually solid. But it's still a malleable, smeary compound and Mr GB's video has made me rethink how often I want to shoot .22LR cartridges that lack a copper/bronze wash. I wonder about waxy-lubed cartridges like Armscor. Does the long-term waxy lube presence solubilize the lead? Just musing here.

[@mikewickerham8149]

I started casting bullets back in 81 or 82 shortly after buying my first revolver. I decided then to hand load and then cast also. Dipped from a cast iron skillet over my kitchen stove. Not too smart. I’ve casted every since. Cast both pistol and rifle bullets and have a great deal of fun hand loading and shooting them, especially the rifle bullets. I don’t cast in the house and haven’t since way back in the early 80’s. Open air only for me. I will set up in the garage and use a box fan for ventilation. Lead contamination is one issue, but there can be a lot of other nasty stuff in the melt as well. All if the casting equipment is easily portable and even though GB’s setup is really nice and precautions are well thought out; I’d move the operations to a out building during the winter, and a covered porch other times.

[@stefanusswanepooel8834]

As gen -X kids we used to throw the lead pellet bullet's in our mouths to kept them while we was hunting birds and rodents 😂. Lead had a sweet tast. And we survived, WOW

[@GunBlue490]

Yes, you survived, just as I did, in children's ignorance of the day. It harmed us in ways that persist throughout our lives, and perhaps shortened our lives. Those few micrograms of lead on a few summer days washed out, and are miniscule compared to the ingestion that lead casters subject themselves to with heavy exposure. Please don't ignore the hazard. I got real lead poisoning, and it wasn't sweet.

[@Maxid1]

I was very excited to start casting my own bullets. I was picking up wheel weights anywherecI could and tracking down linotype blocks everywhere I could. I'd versed myself on the dangers of heating lead and linotype blocks and had been reloading for years before this and I worked for Pacific Telephone for 30 years spending nearly half that time undeground working around lead cable and splices cases so I was pretty familiar with the necessary safety precations concerning lead. But the one thing I never eventually got was a place to do it. I also had a photolab in one of the bathrooms in my apt so taking precautions with toxic substances was never the issue. Except that, as you have there, you have to have proper ventillation or you just can't do it. So I never ended up melting and pouring any bullets.

[@edstimator1]

Just do it outdoors and follow the dozen or two other safety protocls. You'll be fine. I sprinkle that shit on my cereal in the morning.

[@martinetti123]

THX, excellent as always! God bless!

[@CrimeVid]

Cast lead outdoors, under a roof if you can. I have over the years cast a lot of the stuff, sash weights, dive weights, fishing sinkers etc. change your clothes afterwards, wash your hands often, particularly before eating (you would be amazed at how many people don’t !) The old plumbers I knew who dealt with the stuff all day long lasted well after retirement. You can more or less see if your lead is up to temperature by how it moves when you rake the slag off, you can also tell to some extent by what the colour is like if you get it too hot,(tin shows a gold tint, and a lot of my lead had solder joints in it ).

[@Paladin1873]

I probably did everything wrong when I was young except for not casting every day. I would make a few hundred bullets every few weeks, so my exposure was limited. I haven't cast bullets in decades, though I'm still set up for it. I even bought a proper smelter a few years ago, but have yet to use it. When I do, I'll keep your tips in mind.

[@davidunderwood3605]

I've watched a lot of vids on casting. This is one of the most informative on hazards. One hazard you didn't mention was moisture. Don't drop sweat into your lead pot or any kind of water/moisture. It can cause the lead to erupt like mad volcanic eruption. Bad mojo. I actually wear a Ballistic shield made for firefighters to protect my face. These are around 30 to 50$ depending where you buy them. Room enough to wear your respirator and protect my ugly mug. I use a lot of the same equipment as you use. Roto metals a good place for lead products but they have been hit by a lot of casters and have run short on some stock.

[@waksupi]

Water must get below the surface of the lead to cause an explosion.

[@brucethornton9342]

drop of water on the top will harmlessly sizzle, if you add range scrap that has moisture in it to a hot pot.... it will explode! don't ask me how I know

[@nsboost]

A little water hitting the pot isnt as big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be.

[@albatro2676]

Thak you sir ! For all the info. I have the same pot and the same Lyman thermometer, I in casting bullets since 2017, great pot, exccept for the issue that i have when i tried to keep the same temperature of the lead... So I am in a new proyect triyng to build a PID

[@robertbrandywine]

What is a PID?

[@billprice6248]

great learning session on lead, thank you

[@chuck750ss8]

Excellent video. Good common sense advice! I did a lot of really stupid stuff in my younger days.

[@StevenB6963]

Thank you. I was considering getting into casting. Because I have been reloading for some time now. But, after this video, I decided it's not the best time for me. Not with a 5-year-old running around. Thank you for your knowledge and willingness to share it. God bless you.

[@ironDsteele]

I agree. I was considering it, but no thanks. Jacketed bullets are cheap and common.

[@tylersearle9041]

Just subscribed, this guy is great! Reminds me of several ole timers I used to know…..

[@darylcopp9013]

Its easy to be careless when lead molding. When I was a teen, I was using a soup ladle to make ingots. Poured the last ladle ingot and walked inside with ladle in hand. I dropped the ladle and the lead ingot landed on the carpet in the living room. All I could do was watch it melt into the pad and wait for my mom to get home. Lessons learned the hard way... I agree that Alox is super easy and works very well.

[@user-cn8vb9hh5z]

This has certainly made me think carefully about whether and how I will cast.

[@gascheck8151]

Back in the 70’s your description of your range sounds like the ranges of that time. I could taste lead residue in my mouth, feel it on my eyelashes and skin. Like you said you even could visually see it on the walls floors ,clothing ext.. When your young and having fun who cares.We are bullet proof at that age. Anyways most ranges today are required to have proper ventilation. As far as lead accumulation goes just use common sense. You have pointed it out. Don’t handle large amounts of lead with bare hands and eat a jam sandwich without washing. As far as casting goes powder coating is a game changer. That’s a whole subject in itself. Great video.

[@webbzgunnuts]

I was just about to start casting, with out an exhaust hood, gloves and other safety gear. Guess those 300 grain , .452 are gonna have to wait a few more days. :)

[@Roboticdoughbull3k]

I was just going to mess around a little bit and wouldn't have had any safety measures in place. He very clearly is saving lives with this video, as for anyone like myself who would watch it. Thank you for this.

[@yadabotbingo]

I wear a respirator in self defense at indoor ranges. Started doing that because shooting indoors would effect my throat the whole rest of the day, and into the next. Just blowing your nose after you've had some indoor range time will give you a clue as to what's getting into your lungs. Always, after shooting I wash my hands and clean out my nostrils. That respirator does it's job pretty well. Pack one in your range bag.

[@peterparsons7141]

Thank you ,thank you,thank you…. Yep the stuff we used to do is no longer good enough..we should me smarter and better. You advise will be taken and shared. Have a great day !

[@majorpayne5289]

👍Nice work area. Great info!

[@ronalds5902]

Good morning Sir, I’m new to reloading you teachings and unmatched. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. PS. I see the Milwaukee charger god on you, I’m a Milwaukee man also. Take care Ronald

[@user-rz3rw4vs2r]

Thank you for your advice.

[@lucasrupp1937]

God bless you sir for sharing your knowledge

[@joefw2446]

Great info. Thanks so much!

[@andrewmunchkin7212]

I have my smelting setup outside. Looking forward to learning about making bullets!

[@jefferyboring4410]

U won’t get much lead from smelting you’ll cast at 600-700* zink melts at 800 and we all stay less than that. You’d spend to long waiting for your bullets to harden in the mold. You’ll see quickly I’ve only once got upset from wrinkles in bullets and over heated lead to 1000* it boils at 1000 you’ll not do that. Or if so only once. That’s when it lets off vapors at 1000

[@doughunter3967]

thanks for sharing, i will take your advice...Yah bless you and yours...doug

[@doranmaxwell1755]

I agree... I cast bullets during the winter but not every day. two or three hundred bullets cast in a sitting. maybe twice a week? In between that I coat the bullets with HT or powder coat. Once a bullet is coated it is coated everywhere including the base. I have tupperware containers full of coated bullets that I use as needed. If I get lazy I will by coated bullets from several manufactuers.... less savings of course but easy and still a huge savings. I have recovered coated bullets from banks or wood and the coating is still intact.

[@virgilsplabodavic1765]

I love you sir and I appreciate you cautioning people. That being said, casting lead is something that, in my opinion, should be done outside. Period. I cast my own bullets. I don't weld or grind metal or smoke inside my house either. I understand your weather but I live in the south and can't snow ski because of where I live. Our hobbies are limited by our choices. I respect your right to choose your own fate but to me the best advice is do it outside with a fan to keep fumes going away from you. Thank you again for your great contribution to the gun community.

[@blueeyeddevil1]

Thanks for the video. Check out powder coating your bullets vs. lubing/gas-checking; it's all the rage nowadays and works great.

[@edstimator1]

it really is the state of the art in my opinion

[@FubukiShiromiya]

As someone who has only been into guns for a few years, I appreciate the warnings and wisdom here. I got into hand loading already and have been curious about casting. With these warnings I don’t think it’s right for me right now but I am glad to be more educated about it and better prepared if I do some day revisit the idea.

[@66smithra]

Don't let him scare you. Take normal precautions and there is absolutely zero danger. You can probably also find tons of reloading videos that scare people as well. Open a window, blow a fan into it, wear a welders mask and leather gloves. When you do that, it's no big deal whatsoever.

[@joezierden4164]

@@66smithra This guy is tough as nails and no bull shit, he is not trying to scare anyone. He cares about people and he is sharing his expierance to help others. He knows his shit the hard way and i can easily recognize that. His advice is always reasonable and safe.

[@66smithra]

@@joezierden4164 it’s over dramatic. Millions of people have cast bullets and not died.

[@TexasLeverGunner]

@@joezierden4164 He caught lead poisoning from lead styphnate in priming compound in a poorly ventilated indoor range. Not from handling cast bullets or casting bullets himself. I have cast THOUSANDS, might even be close to 6 digits number of bullets over the last 15 years and my blood lead levels are not even a blip on the map. Wash your damn hands after handling lead, don't eat it, and stop shooting in indoor ranges and your risk of lead poisoning is slim to none. I love this mans channel but this is fear mongering at it's finest. It has me considering un-subscribing. Bullet casting is already going to the way side. Last thing we need is false information steering would be casters away from a rewarding hobby.

[@FubukiShiromiya]

I see both of your points. I don't think this video is scaring me out of it so much as preparing me for what I'd need to consider and towards that end I can be better prepared when I am ready for it. I made some mistakes getting into hand loading shortly after getting into guns that could have gone badly, and I learned from them while I still have all my fingers and guns. I do think I'll revisit this, just maybe in a couple of years when I feel more ready.

[@michellewayneburke5111]

Good info. as always, thank you !

[@Peter-od7op]

Winter is best time to cast with good ventilation.

[@brodericksinclair329]

I'm just 20 but I started casting 30-30 bullets this month, Thank you for the wise words.

[@patrickslevin6424]

Wow! I used to cast bullets back in the early 80's and wore no protection other than glasses. No gloves....nothing. I cast thousands of Keith style .38 and .44 bullets as well as the 225 grain .45 acp bullets. I had the lead, linotype and plumbers lead and it made great bullets but I stopped after not being able to cast enough to keep up with my shooting and I could buy lead bullets cheaper, much cheaper time wise than I could cast.

[@howardmcadams3852]

Thanks Sir for Sharing this Information with us

[@awsomedude9111]

While working at academy just handling the boxes from the cardboard boxes from the pallet on shipping and unloading them to the shelf’s I would feel like I was breathing it in and I could sense it on my hands. I loved working the ammo but I needed a break after and hour or two and wash my face and hands.

[@paulmartin6895]

It is good to say the truth on this . I do casting bullets and for a long time . Always make sure you have great ventilation and do not eat, drink when casting or reloading. Always wash your hands after you casting and reloading.

[@edstimator1]

I have been casting a good deal of boolits for about seven year. Not a shit ton of them, but a lot. I have been tested and I have a below average amount of lead in my system. I think the key is best to do your melt outside with good air cirulation anf wear appropriate safety ppe's., i.e., gloves and glasses and possibly an apron. Just be careful and you'll be golden.

[@markhazen8963]

I have been casting lead bullets for 42 years. Round ball, slugs, pistol bullets, rifle bullets, birdshout

[@markhazen8963]

Nevet have had a high lead level. I eat animals shot with lead weekly.

[@robertwinkler4719]

Very important lecture, VERY !!!!!

[@brontoab1]

Thank you for the good video.

[@MichiganDeerHunter1]

.231 diameter .44 special ??? lol. Keep up the good work, information like you present used to be the norm before the internet...never stop learning.

[@callawayken650]

Maybe .431 ??? Nice guy buy he is not above trying to fool you!

[@hookeaires6637]

Yeah, saw that too. It’s for the super compact .44 pocket pistol :)

[@guernseygoodness]

I’ve been searching the comments for the answer as well! He even has it written on the box. 🤔

[@Tradesman1156]

I wish I could send you a pic of the simple wood holder I made for my hardness tester. just a block of wood, cut to a flat top triangle with a notch for a ledge and a hole drilled to hold the magnifier rod!

[@akliving5795]

You should look into powder coating helps to lower the lead exposure

[@pbgd3]

Because lead is heavy I recommend you modify your ventilation. T your vent keep the hood but build a downdraft table using a perforated metal table over a box so you have a barrier around for the heavy vapor to not drop down to the ground. That’s how we deal with other heavy vapor like toluene