Posted: 3/17/2010 11:55:36 AM EDT
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I have had some friends ask me about how to go about casting lead bullets. So, today I cast some and took some pictures and thought I'd show you how it's done.
First, you might wonder why a person would want to go to the trouble to cast lead bullets. Some folks do it to save a little money, as cast bullets, if made from low-cost or free lead, are really cheap. But the main reason I do it is that I simply cannot buy exactly the bullets I want to shoot, so cast my own. Besides, like most things gun-related, it's fun to do. 
There is some expense to get started, as you need some basic equipment, but the more bullets you cast and shoot, the more profitable it becomes. Now, before we start, let me emphasize that this is the way I do it. There are many other ways to do it, but this is the way I have done it for about 40 years. And, I have sent a lot of bullets down range in that time. 
The first thing we need to be aware of is that molten lead at 700+ degrees F, can be dangerous. So, I always wear safety glasses, and leather gloves. 
I also wear a shop apron that I bought at Harbor Freight, in case any lead splatters on me. 
One experience with molten lead will make you a believer. My old buddy Tman was once casting bullets with shoes and no socks on, and had a sprue fall into his shoe. He always said that the experience was "memorable". I also would warn you that lead fumes can be harmful, so I always work in a well-ventilated place. I usually cast bullets in my workshop. It has a door and window right next to the work table. 
And it also has a big door at the other end of the shop, with a floor fan that can help draw a breeze through the shop if no wind is blowing. 
The first piece of equipment I use is my electric Lyman Casting Pot. 
You can use many types of equipment to melt the lead, but this system is one of the easiest to use. It has a dial on the front that allows easy regulation of the temperature of the lead, and has a draw at the bottom of the pot that allows easy mold filling. More on that later. You also need some lead. 
If mine looks like lead corn pones, well, that's what they are. We started out with wheel weights and melted them down, and removed the clips. We then added some tin and antimony to harden the mixture. I also had a friend whose Dad was a printer in the old days, and he gave me some linotype, which was used in the printing process years ago. It is high in tin and antimony and is excellent to mix into the lead to harden the resulting mixture. We then fluxed the mixture. This is the process of adding flux, which can be beeswax, or grease, of candle wax, or many other things to the mixture. This causes the undesirable elements to float to the top of the lead where they can be removed. We then poured the lead into the corn pone molds for ease of storage and use. You will also need bullet molds. Here are some of mine that I have collected over many years. 
It is important to prevent them from rusting and I do this by storing them in an ammo can with a good rubber gasket. I put a jar of desiccant in with them and this keeps them dry and rust free. 
You can oil them to prevent rust, but then you must clean them very carefully, as any oil will ruin the cast bullets. I prefer to just keep them clean and dry. Today I will be casting some 510 grain, gas checked .45-70 bullets from a Lyman mold. For a flux, I use something called Marvelux. 
As you can see from the can, it lasts many years. Any time I add lead to the pot, I flux the mixture. More later. I plug in the melting pot and let it get hot. I also have found that if I place the mold on top of the pot, it will also get hot and allow casting good bullets much quicker. 
It takes a while for the lead in the pot to melt. I always put it up full of lead to prevent the inside of the pot from rusting. As it starts to get hot, the lead will bubble up on the side first. 
When it is fully melted, I take a screwdriver full of Marvelux and put in on the lead. 
Then I use a long spoon to stir it into the lead. 
This will cause the dross to float to the top where I can remove it. We are now ready to start making bullets. You place the bullet mold under the spout and lift the handle of the pot. This will allow a small amount of lead to fill the mold. 
It will leave a puddle of lead on top of the mold. 
This puddle is called the sprue. You can watch the sprue and as it becomes clouded and cools, this tells you when the bullet is solidified and ready to remove from the mold. 
I then use a small hammer to knock the sprue cutter aside and cut off the sprue. 
I catch the sprues in a pot to add back to the melting pot every now and then. 
I then open the mold, but the bullets often will adhere to one side of the mold. 
You just tap the hinge with the hammer and the bullet will fall free. 
Close the mold and fill it again, and you are on your way. 
When you first start casting the first couple of bullets will need to heat up the mold. Here is the first bullet between two others. 
You can see that the base of the bullet did not fill completely. I just added it back to the pot. I always place a towel over the holding pot to catch the bullets. They are "soft" as they come out of the mold, and dropping them on a hard surface can dent them. 
After a few seconds, you can dump them into the holding pot. 
When casting big bullets like these 510 grain bullets, you will use lead pretty quickly. As the level in the melting pot drops, I just add a piece of lead, 
....stir it really well, and then flux the mixture again. 
Stir it to mix it well. 
Then I scrape off the dross and I am ready to go again. 
Keep at this for a while and before you know it, you have a pot full of bullets. 
Next time, in Part Two, we will talk about sizing, lubricating, and reloading these bullets, with a range trip thrown in. 
Edited to add: Part Two is posted. |
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A lot of people recommend using a wooden dowel to tap the mold. If you use something metal like your hammer, you risk eventually breaking the mold.
I'm not trying to "correct" you, just sharing information that I've been told and read in other sources. I know you said you've been doing it for 40 years. |
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thats pretty neat. can you cast .223 rounds? You can, but very small bullets like that can be difficult to cast well. And, cast bullets usually need to be held to velocities of less than 1,200 fps or so and folks shooting .223 rifles usually want more velocity. |
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Quoted: thats pretty neat. can you cast .223 rounds? Yes, but there are potential issues when you push lead too fast. You'd want gas checks (small cups for the base of the bullet that help prevent gas escaping past the bullet) and you'd want to keep velocities down and use a harder alloy (more tin/antimony) to help minimize leading. Pistol calibers and low velocity rifle calibers are best. 510gr .458 bullets are unlikely to ever see 2000 fps, so leading the bore is not a huge issue. |
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A lot of people recommend using a wooden dowel to tap the mold. If you use something metal like your hammer, you risk eventually breaking the mold. I'm not trying to "correct" you, just sharing information that I've been told and read in other sources. I know you said you've been doing it for 40 years. No problem.
I also read that and used a hammer handle for many years. But, it added wood splinters to the table, and one day I decided to try a small hammer and it worked great. I only hit the sprue plate and the hinge bolt, and the hammer is too small to cause them any harm. Been doing it for years now, with no problems.
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Great post, very informative. I have casted in the past for pistol bullets and slugs. It's a very enjoyable and satisfying hobby within a hobby.
One thing you didn't mention to the folks but you are doing, you are pre heating your mold by placing it on top of your melter, two reasons for this, it gets any moisture out of the mold and aids faster start up production of useable bullets (less wrinkled ones) Again brill post. wheel weights are not bad either but not the all the stick on ones are useable. Cheers, Slug |
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thats pretty neat. can you cast .223 rounds? You can, but very small bullets like that can be difficult to cast well. And, cast bullets usually need to be held to velocities of less than 1,200 fps or so and folks shooting .223 rifles usually want more velocity. Didn't know that. Thanks O_P. |
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thats pretty neat. can you cast .223 rounds? You can, but very small bullets like that can be difficult to cast well. And, cast bullets usually need to be held to velocities of less than 1,200 fps or so and folks shooting .223 rifles usually want more velocity. Didn't know that. Thanks O_P. The maximum velocity you can drive lead bullets is determined by several factors. Plain lead bullets have that velocity ceiling as they will lead the barrel if driven too fast. But you can increase the velocity ceiling by adding a gas check to the base of the bullet, or making the lead harder, or using certain lubes. But even with gas checks and hard lead, and good lube, 2,000 fps or so is about all you can do without stripping lead in your barrel. More on this in Part Two.
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Quoted: Quoted: The maximum velocity you can drive lead bullets is determined by several factors. Plain lead bullets have that velocity ceiling as they will lead the barrel if driven too fast.Quoted: Didn't know that. Thanks O_P.Quoted: You can, but very small bullets like that can be difficult to cast well.thats pretty neat. can you cast .223 rounds? And, cast bullets usually need to be held to velocities of less than 1,200 fps or so and folks shooting .223 rifles usually want more velocity. But you can increase the velocity ceiling by adding a gas check to the base of the bullet, or making the lead harder, or using certain lubes. But even with gas checks and hard lead, and good lube, 2,000 fps or so is about all you can do without stripping lead in your barrel. More on this in Part Two. I know a guy that casts bullets for .223 and then uses old .22LR cases to make jackets for them. That might be a lot of work but I wonder how bad it would be to copper plate them at home? |
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Any difference in air cooling rather than water quench? I would think it would effect the hardness. Some folks do drop their cast bullets in water for a quick quench. This will add hardness to the final bullet. I depend on the lead mix for hardness. But water and molten lead do not mix well and I do not like them in the same room with me. If you get water in the lead, it will turn to steam and explode. Now this is not a big problem if a drop of water lands on the surface of the molten lead, as it will just sizzle and boil off. But if any water gets below the surface, it can cause a steam explosion and lead will fly everywhere. My old buddy Tman was once adding scrap lead to a pot and (he believed) must have had a live .22 Short cartridge mixed in with the lead. Luckily, he turned away to do something else when the bullet exploded. He said lead went everywhere, and even splattered the ceiling of his garage. Luckily, he was not burned, but he was scared silly for a while. 
Molten lead demands respect and I give it plenty.
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I know a guy that casts bullets for .223 and then uses old .22LR cases to make jackets for them. That might be a lot of work but I wonder how bad it would be to copper plate them at home? That is possible, but I bet that he is instead using lead wire and swedging bullets into the cases. Fred Hornady (of Hornady Bullets) started out making jacketed .22 bullets out of spent .22 rimfire shells. His original bullets all had the indent of the hammer in the base of the bullet.
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I feel smarter after reading this thread. How often does that happen in General Discussion?
Pretty damned often if you are the OP and the title says "Lots of pics".
Outstanding damned post. One of your best along with the slug write up.
+1 Couldn't have said it better myself. |