I doubt I will fall in love with casting, but I am looking at it.
Assume a wax lubed, gas checked, 416 bullet of existing bullet mold design. So, everything off the shelf. Starting with nothing but typical reloading gear. Any guesses?
Thanks.

Even with something that seems so straight forward there can be a lot of variables...but I'll give it a shot. I'll base this on hand dipping and not getting a 20 lb. pot.

Lee 4 lb. lead furnace. $35.00
Lee dipper 6.00
Wooden hammer handle 5.00
Mold, anywhere from what you might find used to a bit over a C note.
Alloy, I don't know what it costs from someone like Realmetals or other providers but probably figure between one and two dollars a pound.

You COULD do it for less than $200.00 and cast perfectly adequate bullets. Then you have to either pan lube or acquire a means of sizing and lubing the bullets and applying gas checks. The Lyman and RCBS sizer/lubers run new, retail from about $150.00 to $180.00. Sizing dies about $22.00 each. Lube...what, $5 a stick or a bit more...or make your own. Seems the last gas checks I bought were about $25 or $30 for 1,000.

If a person is going to that much expense and effort a good lead furnace might as well be bought, add another $200.00 for a Lyman and $300 for an RCBS.

Realistically, buying new and not going "on the cheap" I expect one is looking at about $700-$750 for the tools and materials to cast and size bullets and not become completely frustrated. By shopping around and buying used I believe that could be cut by more than half.

A good place to shop for used is the www.castbulletforum.com

Rich

It's a tough call. $700 or so and a learning curve, and time. And I can probably buy a lot of bullets for $700.
On the other hand I can have bullets whenever I want if I am casting my own. And it should be less expensive in the long run. And it might be fun.

the second mold and set of handles are just $100-$140.

Frank, is it possible for you to find someone to cast with to learn if you might like casting?

I believe the only tools I have bought new are my 20 lb. pot, molds and sizing dies...but that's a lot of it, isn't it. I bought both my sizer/lubers used for less than $100.00 for both and yesterday at a local gun show could have bought an RCBS sizer/luber for $80.00. There was also a pile of molds there for an average of around $20.00, with handles. A few molds have been picked up used over the years as well as some sizing dies.

In many ways casting bullets is much like handloading in that it seems there's always some little gadget or a different style mold one wants to try. That and casting can become a bit of a hobby in and of itself. Money can be saved and that too is similar to handloading in that it depends on how much you will shoot. It does take time. I don't believe the learning curve is quite as much as serious handloading. Perhaps because when one starts casting they have usually been handloading a while and much is already understood.

In years past lead, lead alloys and wheelweight were fairly easy to come by and inexpensive even if you had to buy it. Evidently those days are gone but then powder used to be $9.00 a lb. also. I saw powders at that same local gun show yesterday at $30.00+ a lb.

I started casting to save money on revolver bullets and there is no doubt I did. Interests changed and evolved to shooting older American and German firearms in old and obsolete cartridges. Most of which utilized cast bullets. I don't believe there's any question that's when I started sort of losing money casting...unless one calculates the cost of having custom diameter and weight bullets made. Considering that I might still be ahead. Casting bullets does open several avenues that are not available if one is buying bullets. Not a lot different from what handloading does.

That much money, around $700.00, isn't a Kings ransom but I would have to consider it if I didn't know that I would enjoy and appreciate casting bullets. Kind of a lot of money to have sitting on a shelf gathering dust.

I have 2 or 3 handguns and a box full of holsters I don't use. But I do actually carry a handgun every day, so I can live with owning the ones that were not quite perfect. I would be pretty peeved if I spent that time and money then never used it at all. Same with casting. I would probably be ok with the investment if it worked out. But if I spent $700 and then actually never used it, I would be regretting that decision. I would like to avoid more wasted money and stuff on my shelves.
So I very much appreciate the input I am getting from more experienced people.

quote:

That much money, around $700.00, isn't a Kings ransom but I would have to consider it if I didn't know that I would enjoy and appreciate casting bullets. Kind of a lot of money to have sitting on a shelf gathering dust.

Frank4570,

a suggestion, if I may.

Take a look at the Cast Bullet Assn URL sometime. There are an awful lot of casters in VA. They are very helpful to "newbies" like yourself.

A simple request there might get you someone who would be pleased to show you the ropes.

I enjoy casting. It is gratifying to cast, see those shiny silver looking bullets accrue as you work.

I read Pope's book, where he got a rhythm going, and would cast, watch the sprue harden, and then drop the bullet on a pad. He would refill the mold, set the mold down, pick up the bullet with hemostats and check the base. If it was smooth, he would set it in a block (six rows of ten holes) in the order cast. He kept them in order cast to shoot, with the idea that in-order kept any small variances to a minimum. Mind you, he was shooting competition, and .050" out at 200 yds could cost a point on the target.

For me, it is just a good way to make the initial check, and keep track of how many I made.

Good Luck!!

Rich

Since all those spent boolits can be recycled into new ones, provided you have a way to capture them, it's shoot, recast, and repeat over and over. I would never be able to enjoy my Type 14 8mm Nambu if I didn't cast lead boolit ammo for it. I have other military relics that I love to shoot but don't want to chance shooting full power jacketed loads in. I think lead casting is a wonderful extension of the reloading hobby. You might too.

I have cast 10s of thousands of pistol bullets from lee molds and lee pots, use lee sizers and use lee liquid lube.

Buy wheel weights when lead is down

Going that route even new is fairly cheap. Buy used even cheaper yet

I shoot very few cast rifle bullets but have molds to do.

The more specializes one gets the more it well costs.

I cast to:
1. save money over commercial jacketed
2. be traditional for the old black powder express and bore rifles
3. obtain projects that are not produced elsewhere
4. just have a bit of a relaxing hobby
5. cost efficient when shooting reduced loads in big doubles and any other rifle for that matter
6. is cheaper than my meth and crack addictions

Cal

Here is my suggestion if you are curious:
For starters, Lee Precision pretty much has the cheapest stuff, some of is is substantially cheaper so I'd suggest you start with that. If you find it interesting and think you can shoot enough to pay for everything then you can make an informed decision on what to purchase. A bottom pour electric pot is nice and speeds things up but is not necessary. When I was little my Dad and I would do it on the kitchen stove with a saucepan (not one of Moms!)


Pick out a bullet mold you want to try, for a 416 bullet unfortunately a mold is about $80:

http://www.midwayusa.com/produ...-flat-nose-gas-check


Also get a lead ladle or dipper. The Lee one is about $5.50:

http://www.midwayusa.com/produ...1177/lee-lead-dipper

And a bottle of the Lee Liquid bullet lube is about $6.00

http://www.midwayusa.com/produ...let-lube-4-oz-liquid

You need a pot and a heat source, a stainless steel pot from goodwill for a few dollars will work just fine.


You'll need the lead and some type or solder, and some other things like a candle but it is around $100 if you have a budget. If you shoot big bores, the cheapest 416's are about 60 cents each so that is about 200 bullets to break even, probably less if you don't count your time.

If you decide you like it enough to get serious then you can deal with electric pots, gas checks, sizers, lubers, etc but that stuff is not absolutely mandatory to have in order to cast your own bullets.

Of course, the cheapest way is to find someone local and use his stuff, maybe bring your own mold & some scrap lead and a gift of food of some sort.

Mark has it pretty laid out for a "newbie".

Find somebody to learn with...