Bullet Casting Gear ~ What's needed?

[@aussiemate60]

I have never wanted to mold bullets and probably never will but I really appreciate your knowledge on everything that you talk about

[@ulflyng]

Yup. There's a soothing "feeling" in listening to knowledge told calmly with a low quiet voice. Fire in my fire oven, coffee, slow daylight coming, storm outside and this to start the day

[@Michael-rg7mx]

I started with used wheel weights melted in an old cast iron pot. Just a few pounds at a time. I used a dipper and a wadcutter 38 spl mold. I would make 100 and then load them for the weekend. 50 years later, I just made 1,500 with a furnace and that same mold. Now I'm watching KZbin while loading them up. I have worn out an S&W and have many thousand through a Taurus but still on the same old Lyman mold.

[@cliffordgoehring7146]

I love the Lee molds, been using them since the 70's. Casting bullets and loading them is as much fun as shooting them. I use my old Coleman camp stove for melting.

[@ianxtreem]

Excellent video! You are the best gun tuber on youtube, hands down. Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge.

[@Prepare2Survive]

Powder coating is just as easy as the lee tumble lube except it's less messy, doesn't gum up your seating dies and works better which allows you to push bullets faster even without gas checks. I shot thousands of homemade cast lead and powder coated 55 grain 223 bullets without gas checks to velocities between 2200 fps and 2400fps with great results. At speeds above 2400 fps the accuracy gets bad. There's plenty of videos on youtube showing simple powder coating methods and there's also videos showing complex methods. The simple methods work fine. There's no need to make it complicated.

[@jolebole-yt]

The best video about how to start casting on YT. Tons and tons of tips. Your knowledge sharing is much appreciated. I just started loading shotshells recently and came across some videos for casting slugs. Next thing you know I am watching your casting videos. 😁Thank you.

[@joshuagibson2520]

I'm really glad you're doing this series. These are important things to know. You're easy to learn from as well. Thank you.

[@tone-starfire]

Thanks so much for your information, I inherited my father in law’s reloading equipment, he’s been gone now 20 years, back then I really enjoyed reloading bullets with him, now I’m going to enjoy my retirement making bullets and reloading, he never took the precautions that you’re taking about, so I’m glad to hear all this, I’ve already purchased, newer equipment, thanks again, Tony

[@Gunsgame1966]

The best tutorial I’ve ever watched for anything! Let alone casting bullets, and such a nice person too ❤

[@rogerdildeau7507]

I enjoy your videos as they are interesting and informative. I have reloaded for over fifty years, and I still learn from watching your videos. Please keep them coming.

[@leandrogabrielperezodstrci9079]

Sir, your videos are mesmerizing, and a pleasure to watch. I hope you keep them coming. God bless you and your family. Greetings from Argentina

[@johnndavis7647]

An excellent tutorial on bullet casting. After 50 years of casting, I have very Little to add. I usually buy a lee 2 cavity mold to try out a bullet or for modifying a mold for a certain use. If i lreally like the way a bullet works then i will invest in a 6 cavity mold or two. Closed toed shoes, long pants and sleeves, eye protection. One glove maybe is good PPE.. Have a pair of plyers handy for gently picking up stray bullets. Too cold a mold has wrinkle bullets, too hot is frosty. Frosty bullets can be brittle and break up on impact. I usdually cast a years suplly of bullets in the fall. I have a lee production pot and a 6 quart cast iron pot on a propane turkey fryer close by. I use a dipper to fill the lee pot from the 6 quart pot. When the lee pot gets down about half full i add a dipper of merlted lead from the big pot. I use a lead thermometer to keep the lead in the big pot around 700 degrees. I flux the big pot with half a crayon. I try to do as much lead refining or casting as i can at a workbench outdoors. Bullet casting is an enjoyable hobby that will save you a lot of money on bullets. Heres the thing. If you are going to develope your shooting skills to the maximum of your ability you are going to have to shoot ten thousand rounds in practice. The only way for the average person to be able to afford that is to reload your own ammo. The most expensive part of the round is the bullet. Enjoy.

[@driftcat7076]

Thank you for posting your own advice it is as invaluable as GunBlues'

[@fredmeebley]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and years of experience. You are a scholar and a scout.

[@daniel-vm3qn]

This is probably the best laid out most informational video of bullet casting basics I have ever watched. a must for anyone who wants to cast his own bullets.

[@bigracer3867]

In the shooting sports for me. This is the heart of it. Hand loading and all the aspects. Thanks for your knowledge share.

[@forthehellofit5544]

I’ll probably never get into casting. But I think knowing how to do it is important. We’re getting hammered up here today. I’ll be firing up my press when I’m done snow fighting! Always enjoy your videos

[@chrismills4213]

Just love the content on this channel….another excellent series. Just want to say thank you for taking the time to share your wisdom with us👍God bless.

[@richardfrost7575]

One point that is often overlooked is that with certain low velocity loads ( cowboy action loads) you need to go softer bullets for less leading. It's that pressure thing . To long of a story to go into. Was cowboy action shooting, complaining of leading problems, oldtimer asked how hard I was casting, Lyman #2 recipe , and what powder I was using ( burn rate) . Ended up listening to his advice, went softer with lead incrementally until leading problem stopped, was already good for powder load and sizing of bullets for my bore. Even with proper sized bullets. He said "sometimes" to hard bullets can allow flame cutting and leading issues ( his theory) I followed his advice and sure enough, worked like a charm. Also mentioned you must have a properly sized bullet for bore dimensions first, so slug your bore or all Betts are off. Love your videos ❤❤

[@cloudcapitan7099]

I love experienced experts talking about what they like to do! Priceless information all over the place! Please keep them coming! Thanks a lot for your hard work on these videos!

[@cw2a]

What about MP, NOE, Accurate, Arsenal, LBT, Mountain Molds? All very good molds. The TL or Tumble lube LEE bullets are the ones designed to not need sizing. But thats a extremely generic statement. Bullets must be properly sized to a bore. Bullets should be properly sized and lubricated. (Or Hitec/powder coated) A bullets diameter is also strongly determined by your alloy. Harder or softer can give you larger or smaller bullets from the same mold. Speaking materials. You have "iron" and Aluminum molds as you mention. But Brass is the king of mold materials. Heat retention is outstanding meaning more time casting steady temps creates better bullets. Lyman has made 4 cav for decades. Accurate, MP, Arsenal, NOE all make molds with more then 4 cav. Then there was "ARSENAL" molds not the manufacturer but called arsenal because of the use or where used. These was 8-10-12 cavities!!! These was usually 8-10# behemoth's and literally rained bullets. Mineral oil is a dandy lubricant for storage. It washes off easily. It burns off quickly and cleanly. The need for a hot plate is a boon to your casting set up. Cheap easy and efficient FAR FAR better then the top your pot for warming the molds. Add a old saw blade wired to the element for a flat "table to support a few molds at a time. You want about 400°. If you want to test hardness a simple chart and some artists pencils is far far cheaper and very accurate and easy to do to see what you have. Search google for lead pencil test chart. Casting is a rewarding and economical way to keep shooting longer. Its been something I have enjoyed for over forty years.

[@Johnny-jr2lq]

Great information CW

[@cw2a]

@@Johnny-jr2lq MORNIN JOHNNY!!!

[@jrwatkins3872]

Very well discussed as are all your well thought out seminars! Sir!

[@bjglover5794]

I own Lyman, RCBS, and Lee moulds all work great for their given purpose and I can recommend all 3 brands. I am really enjoying this series thank you!

[@jameswatkins5986]

Absolutely great video. I have been a long time viewer, so glad that you have decided to make a series on casting. I have been reloading for years and recently wanting to get into casting my own bullets. i will be looking forward to the next video.

[@Tenn-pipes-powder-ponderance]

I shoot just about every weekend and have gotten tired of the prices of bullets and the lack thereof. I have debated on casting for quite some time. Thank you for your information and taking all that time to inform us. Plus I imagine there is just something about making your own bullet and then hitting the target.

[@GunBlue490]

Yup, it's like catching a trout on your own hand tied fly!

[@donaldmack2307]

I got into casting during the great shortage of 2020 with a Lee 7/8 oz slug mold that I transformed traploads into slugs to feed my 870, my first gun. I had fun. Im glad the ammo is coming back around.

[@Johnny-jr2lq]

I started the exact same way something about turning a cheap bird shell into something that can bring down a deer inside of 50 yards

[@donaldmack2307]

@@Johnny-jr2lq I now have a 10/22 Ruger and will probably learn how to reload a .22lr, even if it isnt practical. I can see scenarios where having the ability to do that will be better than not.

[@endutubecensorship]

Hello, did you have to modify the shell beyond removing the bird shot? I'd like to know more about this process

[@johnmccrea8106]

I have been waiting for you to do this subject for a long time. I am enjoying every word of it. I like to hear of the different methods used, you explain them all. Thank you!!! And please thank Benny for showing up too!!

[@Handyman1911]

@GunBlue490, I always feel like I need to pay you for the lesson after each video! Great series, Thank you!

[@albatro2676]

When I bought my casting and reloading equipment back in 2017, I bought every single piece of LEE Presicion equipment.. Now I am watching this video and the advices of this waise man, I know that I did well.

[@jasonkilgore1977]

Great information and well presented. Thank you

[@rogerdildeau7507]

I agree with you on the aluminum molds. I was skeptical of aluminum, having always used Lyman iron blocks. I just got an aluminum Lee mold and it works great. I have come to really like Lee products.

[@fermentillc]

You are looking well sir. Thank you for another great excerpt from your mental encyclopedia of gun knowledge. Safety first.

[@sandych33ks1]

I like the Lee molds as well.. The days of getting free lead wheel weights at your local garage are over.. I have been lucky enough to melt down and save more lead than I will probably use in my lifetime. Great vjdeo.

[@williamganley4739]

Try a slate roofing company or your local water department to source some lead. I've pulled my fair share of lead water line out of the ground and I know roofers still use lead flashing. Another source would be dentists with their x-ray machines but most of them have switched over to digital imaging.

[@markmckeen5705]

Very well explained great job. Thank you.

[@pareloader5989]

Great video Sir! I have been casting now for quite a while and I love it. I have hooked up with several tire shops in my area and I and getting about 75% lead out of a 5 gallon pale. Not to bad I don’t think. Thank you for your knowledge!

[@vdog4799]

My first handloadihg book was the Richard Lees 2nd edition recommended by you👍 All my casting equipment was and still is Lee's. They have products that are just fine and good price. I do have to do long sessions as I have to set up and tear down every time for casting. I would like to mention I have found Synthetic 2 cycle oil is my favorite for lubing the mold

[@RME1911]

That’s funny, same here 100%.

[@vdog4799]

@@RME1911 cool👍😁

[@robertbrandywine]

Why do you have to lube a mold? Do you mean to prevent corrosion? I never understood what the beeswax was all about.

[@vdog4799]

@@robertbrandywine just the Friction spots. The mold gets really hot. 700+ degrees. It gets sticky. Lube is necessary at those points. Lee molds are aluminum so they don't rust

[@12port77]

Thanks for another great video! I enjoy watching the series and have learned from your knowledge. I have always used sawdust for flux, but am now interested to try beeswax. When melting Super hard into the pot, I have found a pair of vice grip clamps to be extremely helpful. They can be clamped so to rest on the top of the pot with the desired amount of the ingot sitting in the molten lead. The heat transferred to the pliers is greatly reduced, minimizing the risk of burning through the gloves.

[@jodyt.9651]

Always love your videos. So knowledgeable. Thank you

[@JeffinTD]

Excellent video as always. I’d respectfully add eye protection to the list of required equipment. I knew someone who received a very serious injury making dive weights. Moisture (say dew on your iron muffin tin as you make ingots) trapped under molten lead seems to be the way to get serious splatter. Secondly, I also don’t use a Lee type sizer much, as it is slow and messy- especially with bevel base bullets. A Star luber is much faster and cleaner, but I now powder coat most all my general handgun stuff. To me it’s also easier/cleaner than Lee/Alox, at least for higher volumes. You’d need a Craigslist toaster oven, some powder (I’d suggest Eastwood’s light ford Blue) and some baskets (Bed Bath and Beyond sells powder coated steel mesh drawer organizers- work better than hand folded hardware cloth baskets).

[@ivermec-tin666]

Wow! That is a real practicum. Thank you!

[@ericmusgrove2828]

Great info thank you for sharing this, some of things you say really crack me up... By the way I am student at SDI and this is one of our subjects this week. Love watching and listening instead of reading about it.

[@stinger4583]

Thanks. I have the LEE 4-20 pot. It's great. Looking forward to your next casting video.

[@Tony-xq4iu]

Great video...very informative. Just at the beginning of this adventure. Many thanks!

[@CJMann-zg6fu]

Thank you for a great and informative video. Much appreciated

[@stevebelam2378]

As always great information, delivered so it's easy to understand with anecdotes to highlight a point ,from safety to startup costs of necessarys and desireable components making it accessible to all .Your style of teaching reminds me of a teacher I had in school, one of the few who could engage a troublesome and unruly boy from East London in the 70's. Mr Thompson he Fought against the Japanese in WW2 and was one of the Chindits ,a mild man but he had a presence that said behave,listen and learn .This was in the Days when Corporal punishment was aloud in schools, a practice I was the innocent recipient of several times ,but not Mr Thompson .

[@jdecar1]

No mention of the modern, semi-custom mold makers, with their ingenious hollow-point or hollow-base systems?! (NOE, MP, etc.) We are in a golden age of quality molds unparalleled in all of history! It's at least worth mentioning. Also, no mention of powder-coating cast bullets? For all of your concern about lead poisoning, powder coating all but eliminates lead exposure by handling the bullets during reloading. And finally, if there is one mantra worth repeating, it is that FIT IS KING! Not bullet alloy, not hardness, not the lube, not chamber pressure, not velocity. A lead bullet must make a perfect gas-seal inside the chamber and barrel. When those hot gases leak by, they erode the bullet like a plasma cutter and spray that lead forward. The bullet then irons that lead down onto the lands & grooves. FIT is the reason lead bullets are passed through a sizing die. The mold should drop bullets large enough to be sized down correctly for all the guns you own in that caliber. You buy a sizing die for each gun based on the measured barrel throat diameter. This is one reason chamber-casts are made, but swaging the bore with a dead-soft bullet is another way to take the measurement. The lead bullets should be sized to 0.001" larger than the throat diameter. Otherwise, a very good video. Thanks for making it. I look forward to the rest of the series. God bless & be well. -J

[@cw2a]

Ha I just mede similar comment Jason. Guess I should read all comments first! Agreed!

[@davidgardner863]

I agree completely. I make bullets for antique rifles and bore diameters weren’t nearly as consistent then as they are now. Slugging the barrel is a necessity. Accurate Molds are custom made to your dimensions and they even consider the lead-tin alloy you plan to use. They give you a choice of aluminum, brass, or iron. I prefer iron even though it’s more expensive.

[@GARR0N]

Thank you for time and knowleage, do you have more follow up videos on techniques and casting?

[@waynehendrix4806]

Great timing for this series, I'm going thru some items I gathered thru the great scourge of 2019-2022, (lessons on no common store bought ammo availability), and making a list of additional items I need to get proficient at this. .357 wadcutters first, then on from there. Thank you.

[@NefariousEnough]

Not something I’ll ever do but it’s really cool to see the chapters revealed. Thank you!!

[@terrencewildman1732]

Thanks much. 490...I discovered your stuff about 2 weeks ago! Rotometals..in San Leandro, CA! I am about 2 hours away, and my daughter lives 15 minutes away, so I will be pestering them!

[@badpete3497]

Excellent video very informative

[@lrmmorgan]

Try anti seize and a mold lube. It handles much higher temperature, and doesn't need reapplied as often. It's used by the "industrial " casting companies. I use the copper Permatex, been using it for years with no issues

[@johnhodgson1735]

Nice setup. Good stuff as usual. Wondering about the lead fumes a bit. When we exhaust them outside the building, what do we do to mitigate lead contamination of the area immediately around the exhaust vent? That vent is in the business of spewing lead vapors out, right? Hopefully the vege garden is not close by outside. Or the mailbox underneath. Or the grandkid's play area. I'm thinking of venting into say a 20 gal drum filled with maybe coarse scoria, broken charcoal or similar. Something the majority of the lead vapor will settle on to before the air carrying it gets to the open. Thoughts?

[@GunBlue490]

My vent location is in an entirely safe area at the back of the house, far from traffic. While lead fumes in an enclosed building are a health problem, the volume emitted from such a small production pot is not a hazard outdoors, and will dissipate. Whatever minute amounts of heavy particulate lead manage to be drawn up and manage to get out will fall harmlessly to the ground where it will be diluted to perfectly safe levels with rain water. Before frangible non toxic bullets, collection of large amounts of actual lead dust in an indoor range, were traditionally captured by simple HEPA air filters or silk bags of the correct mesh. Such heavy, visible dust is a by-product of direct burning, abrasion, and impact of bullets during firing, and is not at all present in casual heating and pouring of molten lead. In such a tiny non-industrial setting, you have no concerns whatsoever. As I believe I mentioned, the only direct hazard is to the operator and bystanders in close proximity, which should be controlled by common sense measures, personal protection, and avoiding long term exposures.

[@reallydonotdo]

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: So he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured. Thank you for another wonderful lesson.

[@charleswilson577]

Great video my man. Im a 100percent lee man. I have loaded thousands of 9mm and 40 cal. Also a 2 cavity 50cal. If i do my part i dont think lee can be beat. The more you use them the better they get.

[@davidhandyman7571]

Another advantage of aluminium if that it is a good conductor of heat. This means it heats up quickly and cools quickly when you want it to. It also means it draws the heat from the lead and helps solidify the bullets more quickly. I am not likely to ever get into casting bullets but I find this very interesting. Thank you for sharing. Blessings from Australia.

[@davidgardner863]

I find that a disadvantage. Cast iron may be slower heating up but it maintains the heat better and more constantly.

[@colinreid7305]

Fantastic information for those that are into casting

[@awsomedude9111]

I would really like to hear what you have to say about making primers and or gun powder. I was interested slightly in black powder rifles because of the ammo shortage. I have seen some people powder coat while a youtuber I watched has sheets of copper he has formed into 223 jackets. Primers and powder is the problem I have heard because of how complex it is chemically.

[@Jeff_Seely]

Why is everyone so "down" on Lee and Lyman? At my range, those guys thumb their noses at the mere mention of Lee reloading, and I suspect they'd do the same with the casting equipment. I've never been much on snobbery of any kind, and I really find Lee is a great value. They are getting the job done for me and I feel good about not getting sucked into the premise that I have to spend a fortune to gain a fortune. Anyway Captain, I am really finding this series more and more interesting. I am really looking forward to anything you might show us is the metallurgy of making hard cast alloys of lead, tin, and antimony. I had zero interest in any of it until I watched your casting videos and now, I read and watch content with strong interest!

[@DuRöhre4711]

I don't get those Guys either. I've been kinda gear wh*re for a long time regarding reloading and had accumulated multiple presses, dies and other stuff of almost any manufacturer that has a name in the industry. One time I got sick of that stuff and sold it all off. Now I'm reloading mostly with lee, some hornady dies, some rcbs and redding and I'm never going back. Most of my sporting and hunting ammo is made on a breech lock challenger with no worse outcome than on any other press triple or even more the price. There is nothing wrong with getting an expensive press for the fun of it, but there is nothing inherently wrong with Lee products either. Even the progressive Lee presses do work well if one knows what he's doing. It all comes down to personal preference, needs and wallet thickness.

[@gastonn8]

great video! I'm watching it a second time. I've just noticed that the other video that was uploaded next to this one, with actual casting in real time is not available anymore, that's a shame, surely due to youyube antigun policy or something.

[@GunBlue490]

It was a problem. Sorry.

[@calebdoner]

Absolutely no desire to cast bullets due to the hazards of lead, but your videos are fantastic education...and I like knowing about things. :)

[@Ben-Wah]

Sir; I would like to respectfully request a video on your personal favorite cast bullet molds and your favorite powders. (rest assured, I am *not* asking for favorite/pet loads!) There seems to be little information on selecting the best bullet for an application and given that all the mold manufacturers have a rather extensive catalog, often listing hundreds of bullet designs, the sheer number of available molds can be overwhelming. Also, there are a fair number of powders out there. I would love to know the nitty-gritty of powder selection. Perhaps let us know your favorite powders you keep on-hand and why...? Thank you much! I greatly appreciate your videos.

[@misiomor]

15:45 take a magnet to the sprue-cutter of a 6-cav Lee mold and you will see it's not blued steel. Looks like anodized duralumin or some other high strength aluminium alloy to me. Tried it with 3 molds made within the last 5 yrs. Yet they work great and probably the sprue cutter will not be the first part to break.

[@hookeaires6637]

Just did your magnet test using a powerful neodymium magnet and there there is a slight attraction to the spruce plate which tells me that the metal is a stainless steel alloy, probably 304L or 308L.

[@seapimpnh.9307]

Another great video . Thank you again sir .

[@SootHead]

Come spring, I will be making some hollow based bullets for my Mark 1 1892 Webley. This series couldn't be more timely on all levels... thanks for choosing this time! ( : < ) Have some of the gear already but now I will have a great list to work from to complete my kit. Don't know if you will deal with casting hollow base bullets but if you have the opportunity, I would appreciate you dipping into that topic. Or demonstrating it if you can. Just got a six cavity mold for the standard 265 grain, hollow base Mark II Webley bullet. Many thanks!

[@garyhammond2213]

I saw a guy in a KZbin video talking about zinc wheel weights. The guy recommended not letting your pot reach a certain temperature. (Wish I could remember what it was.) Apparently, lead melts at a lower temperature and you can spoon off the zinc wheel weights when they float to the top of the pot.

[@ColtGuthrie]

Didn’t you used to have a video on the whole process of casting as well? I can’t seem to find it on your channel anymore.

[@rcaperobonk9392]

Awesome segment. Gun blue 490 I'd like to hear your thoughts on the 17hmr

[@scottwilson1258]

Thank You GunBlue490 for the fine knowledge you pass on, you are a wealth of information. Its guys like you that give guys like me the confidence to take the Dive! I have now!

[@prepperbr]

youre the best, thank you

[@cliffcollins2497]

Thank you for sharing ! Take care!

[@williamwright2291]

Would it be a good idea to wear latex gloves when handling the lead bullets?

[@fredmeebley]

Yes

[@DanielLogan-s9n]

Absolutely. But not for hot lead. I used latex gloves to handle everything. The oils and salts off of the human skin are quite destructive for any metal surface. I paid a lot of money for dies and moulds, my presses and all other equipment to let them be damaged. Unless I'm actually shooting I even handle my firearms and the ammunition that I might produce while wearing these clothes. And besides, your hand stay a lot cleaner, And of course, you're much safer when handling lead.

[@ronalds5902]

Do you have or can you make a video on barrel upkeep. I love your content, thank you Sr. God bless

[@GunBlue490]

Thank you. Yes, I've spoken about barrel care in a number of videos that detail the first use and subsequent cleaning of rifles, pistols, and shotguns. They are simply steel, and have no special requirements. Carbon residue from firing invites moisture into a barrel. Using a simple solvent such as mineral spirits, clean the barrel following the process I've demonstrated, followed by a flannel patch, lightly wetted with mineral oil. Avoid using copper fouling products, and oil very sparingly only to apply a light film to metal surfaces, remembering that oiling destroys guns. God bless.

[@Detroit_Playa]

Fantastic video thank you sir

[@jameswhitaker1324]

What kind of furnace do you use for silver bullets? Seriously, this series has been better than the books I have.

[@travis1143]

Third! I love his voice and serious nature. That's probably why a die hard anti-gun liberal is subscribed.

[@willallen7757]

Literally just watched the last one.

[@ken5439]

What size fan, CFM, is needed to get enough air flow to evacuate the lead fumes? thanks

[@DavidSmith-ef1ws]

Thank you for your videos! What are your thoughts on powder coating? Seems to be the current and most popular method.

[@NeroontheGoon]

I could tell you a great story about a 45-90 Sharps shooter and a man who was enamored with his .338 Lapua Magnum. The moral of the story goes like this, if it’s old, slow, and not so shiny, but pukes a 535 gr Postell bullet, it might just humble someone shooting a 300 gr Sierra MatchKing.

[@gunsnguitars6774]

Good storm huh!? A few weeks ago i first watched one of your videos and about 9 seconds in i go “this guys either from vt right on the river or nh” so… which is it?

[@moreconcerned9661]

Do you know of a source for the exhaust fan you have above your melt pot?

[@DanielLogan-s9n]

Wheel weights. Used to be the tire shops couldn't wait to see us come around so they could get rid of all of that. Would even load it in your vehicle for you to the point where the headlights would only get the tree tops because the butt end of your vehicle was weighted down so much. Then they used to sneak it to you so that they didn't have to pay to dispose of lead per regulations. So it was great still. And yes get your lead melted just to the liquid state and all of the nonsensical crap would float to the top and you would skim it off before putting it into ingots. The problem is now that there is no longer lead production in the US, His lead is getting very hard to find. Now those same tire shops are holding on to their lead for the highest bidder. People like us are now paying them to take out their lead. Luckily I have yet to have to resort to that.

[@sahmadi1000]

Hardness Tester? I have a Lee hardness tester that measure 20-1 Alloy from Rotomatals to have the BHN of 8. Isn't that low? Shouldn't it read BHN of 10?

[@PaulVerhoeven2]

Can you cast bullets usable in 9mm Luger, 9mm Makarov, 10mm, 270, 7.62x54R? Or they have to be jacketed? If you can, how such bullets affect the barrel, any special barrel cleaning considerations after using them?

[@DanielLogan-s9n]

I throw 120 grain truncated 9 mm bullet all day long. As long as you use hard cast basically Lyman's number 2 lead, I've never had a feed problem with a model 92 Version Taurus. Clean the ba rrel as you would with any normal lead bullet use. I am old and the old wives, tale myth about a jacket run...... Put a copper jacket round into your pocket, fire it down range as the last ground of your shooting session. The theory being that the jacket push his out all the excess led from the cast bullets that you've been shooting. Does it work? I Honestly can't say for certain, however I've never had a leading problem with this method. Maybe someone else can provide better comments as well. I would like to hear what GB might have to say about it.

[@johnwilliamswilliams2898]

Can't thank you enough. Have you read From Ingot To Target by Fryzell and Applegate? It is available on line and verifies much of what you are teaching.

[@walterschmidt5204]

How did you cut a 4” hole in the SS salad bowl?

[@TheAJIRELAND]

Quick question - hopefully someone can help. When casting the slug it’s becoming stuck in the cast on the slug dyes. It requires a lot amount of force to release the slug from the cast? Am I missing any sort of lubricant on the due before pouring ?

[@DanielLogan-s9n]

Research the topic on smoking your molds before use. Clean them up very well And then smoke them as directed. A small buttain Is cigarette lighter will work just fine. Of course all lead molds tend to step just a bit anyway. Usually just a quick crisp rap On the henge screw We'll drop the bullet free. Hope this helps

[@ncmotorcyclist]

A set of LEE handles costs $20. A 2 cavity LEE mold with handles is around $25. Might as well get the handles with a 2 cavity mold since you're only paying about $5 for the mold. You can use the same handles on 6 cavity molds. Another way to look at it. It's an inexpensive way to try out the bullets with the 2 cavity mold and if you like them then get the 6 cavity mold and reuse the handles. You're only out about $5.

[@robertbrandywine]

Wow, I wonder why they price that way.

[@DanielLogan-s9n]

An inget mold. I'm all about economy. Go down to your local Cracker Barrel store. They usually have a 4 cavity, cast iron corn fritter sheet pan Is for around $15. Works just as well although a little smaller than normal ingots. But I promise you mind you're a lot prettier. Ha. Just clamp on a set of vice grips from your toolbox and it works just fine.

[@EsyuDach]

really should be done in an open ended shed or outside, or at least, with a fan blowing the toxic fumes away from you., Gloves, face shield, apron, and never handle lead bullets without rubber gloves. Leaad can be absorbed thru your skin, guys. The Lee hand sizer, alox lube, and a simple lee loading press suffice to size and lube your cast bullets very quickly. the typical lyman or RCBS sizer lubers are very expensive and SLOW. The star progressive sizer luber machine is EXTREMELY expensive. and there's a very long wait time for one. The dies are hard to get, too. Join the castboolits forum and youll learn a lot about casting.

[@edmiksis5660]

Tomorrow is the best day for 22 caliber lovers. 2/2/22

[@eastvantony]

great thanks!

[@EitriBrokkr]

"Somebody hid my ingot mold" 😂

[@kstofkos]

Thank you!

[@davidgardner863]

I disagree when he says aluminum doesn’t corrode. I had to scrap a couple of moulds because they got pitting corrosion around the edges of the cavities ruining the bullets.

[@garyhammond2213]

You just told us the temp when zinc melts. Now I know.

[@joeleadslinger6138]

I got started for less than $100 and have cast thousands of bullets.

[@charleswilson577]

You are right. Follow lees instructions to the tee. Trust me on this, they know what they're doing.

[@HypocriticYT]

I tried a 230g Lee mold for 45acp but with powder coating got poor accuracy. I believe that the mold itself casts a poor bullet for accuracy. What is the best mold for 45acp?

[@petalexben4227]

it depends on the gun ,and mould batch . i did use before the lee 6 cavity molds, 2 iron mould s of the same make and type .one cooling and another filling .but jou get not the same bullets and also one mould relases the bullets easy and a other bullets keeps hanging . and do you use the right lead hardness ? and do jou size them ,if not needed you have the better bullets . the bullets must fit tight in the throat of the revolver cilinder and barrel of a pistol

[@HypocriticYT]

@@petalexben4227 all pure lead and sized after being powder coated.

[@DanielLogan-s9n]

If I'm not mistaken a 45 ACP is supposed to be made Using hard cast lead and not pure lead. I cast the same bullet using hard cast lead, however with a Lyman mold, And have never had a problem molding, Bullet feed Or accuracy with it.

[@williamboyd8146]

Wow! Your Knowledge is ridiculous!! Thanks for the Schooling!!