I'm wanting to use cast bullets in some of my milsurps,and if anyone has any sources for them,i'd appreciate knowing about them.I don't have the time,equipment or inclination to cast them myself(i'm lazy).

I buy rifle bullets from this old guy:
http://missoula.bigsky.net/western/cbip/cbip.html

I get pistol bullets [copperized]from:
http://www.nationalbullet.com/41-6.html

I may get more bullets from these guys, now that the wait is down from 6 months to 4 weeks:
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/bulletselect/index.htm

I intend to buy some of these guys expensive bullets:
http://www.castperformance.com/?uid=170&page=1658

Yep, that's a good plan. DO NOT CAST YOUR OWN BULLETS!

After all, why would a feller want to get into an ever-expanding extension of his shooting hobby?

Why would he want to have better bullets than he can buy?

Why would he prefer to have expensive, not-tailored-for-his-own-guns bullets, instead of ones that are specifically tuned for his own shooting irons?

Why would he want to have his own personal selection of hardness, diameter, lubrication, and DESIGN?

Why wouldn't he prefer to spend PENNIES per hundred bullets, instead of dollars?

....because he doesn't have time, equipment, and inclination!?!? Hmmmm....well, okay.

It's really not all that involved, nor is it all that expensive to set up. There's a very satisfying sense of personal involvement in creating your own bullets, far more than there is in just loading ones that are bought from some outside source.

If one is really into handloading, meaning technically-interested rather than simply loading ammunition to some recipe as a means to shoot more, then casting offers a VAST field wherein the options will NEVER be exhausted. Trust me on this, 'cuz I've been trying for decades, and all I come up with is MORE things to try....like I said, fascinating.

I'm sure not trying to flame anyone here, 'specially you, Burke, but I reckon I'm doing a "Johnny Appleseed" and hoping to recruit another potential caster into the ranks. Shooting cast bullets is a good start, but now, if we could just push you that one step farther.....

Regards from BruceB (aka Bren Mk1)

i've thought about it,and probably will start doing myself at some point,but between the 3 yr old and the 7 month old,i barely find time to roll my own regular ammo and shoot! i appreciate the encouragement though.thanks!

Yep! Bruce and some of the other old boys from the Cast Bullets forum on Shooters got me to get off my butt and try casting about 3 years ago. I'm just scratching the surface, but it's a very enjoyable and interesting part of the shooting hobby.

There's one thing that has been left out in the equation here. Freedom. During WW-2, only two cartridges were available in the U.S., the .22 LR and the 30-30. You couldn't get 30-06, that went to feed the M-1 Garands, 1917 Brownings and BARs. You had to be a farmer to get .22s and ranchers got the 30-30s. For eveyone else it was scrounge or reload with cast bullets.
It was an old Dutchman that got me into bullet casting, more years ago than I care to count. he taught me the ropes on using the pot and dipper, lubing, sizing, and the other things one needs to know.
My point being, if we ever get into another serious she-bang like WW-2, a pot of lead, a few pounds of Unique, a mold or two, and a supply of primers may be the only way we can keep shooting our favorite toys.
There one other benefit. It's a hell of a lot of fun.
Paul B.

Whew...three years, and seven months, huh?

I have a quote for you, Burke:

"You know where kids get their energy? They DRAIN it from their parents."

Look on the bright side, and you can foresee teaching the little ones (when they're not QUITE so little) all about shooting, handloading, hunting, sporting ethics....and BULLET CASTING. My daughter has loaded her own ammo on a few occasions, carefully supervised of course. At least it takes the mystery out of the process, even if she never carries on by herself. It's possibly an investment in a future son-in-law that I could actually TALK to, as well....

Good fortune to you, and keep that family safe and happy.

Regards from BruceB (aka Bren Mk1)

Kids and lead dont mix... stay lazy

I thought about casting bullets for years before I actually got around to doing it. I don't have a lot of free time, but when I do I cast up a bunch. I'm a pretty lazy person but I've found that casting is an interesting hobby and you can make months worth in an afternoon. I get a real sense of satisfaction from looking at a small mountain of shiny cast bullets all ready to be "reverse mined" from my favorite shootin iron.

There are few activities more satisfying than casting your own bullets, particularly if they are for an obsolete firearm, [re]loading and firing them. The learning curve isn't that steep and the results, 1-2m.o.a. or less, justify the time spent casting and learning. Bruce B. & Not Ricochet are right on the mark about this. ...Maven

Burke,

I've been casting for about 30 years now, but no where near as much lately. Back then there weren't many good hard cast bullets avaliable to buy. Most were that soft swaged crap from Speer and the like that were dirty as hell, and leaded badly. Now the handloader has many recources to buy good hard cast bullets from. Yes, it's still fun, but very time consuming. You have to figure that your time is an investment also. I still cast for some of my big bore rifles, (.458, .45-70), and the like. I have several dozen molds that I've aquired over the years. I also cast for heavy pistol bullets for my .454, .44 Mag., and .45 Colt. It's up to the individual to decide if it's worth the initial investment, which can be quite high. Molds, lubricator-sizer, mold handels, melter pot, ingot molds, etc. Then you need to find a good steady cheap scource of alloy, which is getting tougher to do because of all the enviromental issues that surround lead. Some scrap yards will buy scrap lead, but won't sell it to individual consumers. It depends on local and state laws. It's fun, but it's also a lot easier to buy good hard cast slugs now a days. Bill T.