Bullet moulds

Tin sandwich · Jan 31, 2024

Love shooting black powder guns but ive always wondered why people want to mould theyre own ammo when its easier to just buy a box . There cant be that much savings considering the tools and time spent doing it . If people just like doing it i might be interested myself . Nothing like being self sufficient. But you still have to buy lead right ?

tenngun · Jan 31, 2024

Depending on your caliber you can buy back your investment pretty soon
Some ball sizes just aren’t found at wal mart, you can only get them from a supplier like Track of the wolf
Running ball is a chore, but so is shooting and cleaning. But it’s also a lot of fun
At a camp fire tuning three or four ball out of a ladle or at home from a pot, it is just fun

tenngun · Jan 31, 2024

.690 ball from track run $19 for twenty five ball, about two pounds of lead
A Lee mould is $50, I all ready have a pot. So .$50 + 2,50 for a pound of lead for one hundred ball comes to $70
Track will sell me a hundred pre cast for $76
Not much of a saving
Next hundred cost me my time but only my lead cost $20, eight pounds of lead
My mould will never wear out, at least in my life time.
Smaller ball are not as expensive but there is a saving as soon as you buy back the mould

1950DAVE · Jan 31, 2024

Why would anyone want to build a rifle when it’s so much easier to just buy one. Why woUlsan any one want to plant a garden when it’s so much easier to buy your groceries. Why build a house, fix an automobile, why drive across country. Maybe a little satisfaction in doing it yourself. For me the trip makes the destination worthwhile, regardless what I’m doing. I am not a young man but I do still like to learn.

stikshooter · Jan 31, 2024

Tin sandwich said:
Love shooting black powder guns but ive always wondered why people want to mould theyre own ammo when its easier to just buy a box . There cant be that much savings considering the tools and time spent doing it . If people just like doing it i might be interested myself . Nothing like being self sufficient. But you still have to buy lead right ?

You ought to 1st acquaint yourself with casting /economics/ lead suppliers (FREE /or ready made ingots (BHN) guaranteed/ mold /pot quality /and what your time is worth and lastly (most importantly) value when your frequently (out of stock) box of bullets are back ordered/not available or right up there with unicorn roast ! Put a price on that ,your gun becomes a tomato stake while I fill my pockets with more high quality cast bullets ! Ed

Gtrubicon · Jan 31, 2024

I enjoy casting period. Scrounging lead pays off, I enjoy not having to go shopping when I need projectiles of any kind. I even powder coat what I use in the unmentionable calibers, the rabbit hole can be deep.

John Stark · Jan 31, 2024

Where I live, there is not supplier of muzzle loader anything. I have to order everything online then pay shipping plus hazmat for my powder. Sooooo....... I make my own powder, scrounge up lead from old lead acid batteries, public ranges, my son in laws private range (backyard) and my own recovered lead. The time spent is tinkering time so it's enjoyable and relaxing, the lead is free and I can have ammo whenever I need it. It's not always about being easier, sometimes it's just about doing it.

Banjoman · Jan 31, 2024

You don’t have to buy lead. Finding free lead is akin to hunting squirrels or deer or any other game. Making what you need for this hobby is part of the fun. I’m not an accomplished gun builder or craftsman by any stretch of the imagination but I enjoy making accoutrements almost as much as shooting. I have made (or assembled) a gun, powder, caps, flints, round balls, patching, lube, shooting bags, powder measures, horns, ball bags, short starters, ram rods, turn screws, vent picks, pan brushes, knives and some other odds and ends that I can’t recall right now.

Life is good.

Urban Coyote · Jan 31, 2024

In my case there's .319, .353, .400, .500, .562 and .648 that are not generally available. There's probably a place I could buy cast round ball of these sizes but with my own molds I can control the quality.

tenngun · Jan 31, 2024

I would point out that time is a funny thing. Unless you’re in government you don’t get paid for sitting at home watching tv.
So you’re not being paid while running ball at home, but you wouldn’t be paid if you weren’t running ball.
Now if I went in to work and worked an extra shift I could make more then a few ball would cost, but I’d rather have my day off playing.

stikshooter · Jan 31, 2024

John Stark said:
Where I live, there is not supplier of muzzle loader anything. I have to order everything online then pay shipping plus hazmat for my powder. Sooooo....... I make my own powder, scrounge up lead from old lead acid batteries, public ranges, my son in laws private range (backyard) and my own recovered lead. The time spent is tinkering time so it's enjoyable and relaxing, the lead is free and I can have ammo whenever I need it. It's not always about being easier, sometimes it's just about doing it.

I do hope that was a typing error ,if not go on line and see exactly what poisons your working with ! Recycle batteries as their gases are extreme hazards ! No fooling !/Ed

John Stark · Jan 31, 2024

stikshooter said:
I do hope that was a typing error ,if not go on line and see exactly what poisons your working with ! Recycle batteries as their gases are extreme hazards ! No fooling !/Ed

Well, I'm lucky enough to work at a steel mill and have access to a 3 million dollar baghouse and $20K smelter with forced exhaust..... It meets EPA emission regulations and I don't even have to be in there......I think I'm good.

*edit to add*
The acid is removed and neutralized in our hazmat reporting/disposal unit.

The Crisco Kid · Jan 31, 2024

You should be able to increase your lead supply one pound at a time, kind of like Johnny Cash built his car, One Piece at a Time.

oldwood · Jan 31, 2024

For 65 + yrs. , have been casting and shooting lead balls and or ctg. bullets. If ya have lead , molds , casting equipment , and a little spare time , it's very inexpensive to make your own.

stikshooter · Feb 1, 2024

John Stark said:
Well, I'm lucky enough to work at a steel mill and have access to a 3 million dollar baghouse and $20K smelter with forced exhaust..... It meets EPA emission regulations and I don't even have to be in there......I think I'm good.

*edit to add*
The acid is removed and neutralized in our hazmat reporting/disposal unit.

I would like to point out a little back ground on your method might have been in order as not everyone on this forum has that work access ! When you post a method for procuring lead here you most definitely get newbies /less informed folks who will get their new pot fired up and use said batteries as you stated previously with less than healthy issues /results . Just sayin /Ed

John Stark · Feb 1, 2024

stikshooter said:
I would like to point out a little back ground on your method might have been in order as not everyone on this forum has that work access ! When you post a method for procuring lead here you most definitely get newbies /less informed folks who will get their new pot fired up and use said batteries as you stated previously with less than healthy issues /results . Just sayin /Ed

Duly noted.
I admit I did the assume thing thinking everyone knows better to just go melting old batteries down.

dave951 · Feb 1, 2024

Tin sandwich said:
Love shooting black powder guns but ive always wondered why people want to mould theyre own ammo when its easier to just buy a box . There cant be that much savings considering the tools and time spent doing it . If people just like doing it i might be interested myself . Nothing like being self sufficient. But you still have to buy lead right ?

Try that with Civil War arms. You'll find that even if you buy lead at spot market price of $.92/lb you still come out way, way better casting your own. Not to mention that each gun "likes" bullets sized to it for best performance. So casting comes with the territory if you're serious about black powder.

David Veale · Feb 1, 2024

Tin sandwich said:
Love shooting black powder guns but ive always wondered why people want to mould theyre own ammo when its easier to just buy a box . There cant be that much savings considering the tools and time spent doing it . If people just like doing it i might be interested myself . Nothing like being self sufficient. But you still have to buy lead right ?

I'd say my motivation is the same thing that motivates me to mess with antique firearms, or sew my own 18th century clothes.

If you normally fire into a backstop where you can recover your lead (as I do), you can keep firing the same lead indefinitely. I also get a kick out of finding free lead scrap (pipes, flashing, etc) and being able to cast new roundball from that.

manbat · Feb 1, 2024

Tin sandwich said:
Love shooting black powder guns but ive always wondered why people want to mould theyre own ammo when its easier to just buy a box .

Easier, definitely. But it's not always about the difficulty, time, or cost.

Hobby: noun: a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation, plural: hobbies

Ohio Rusty · Feb 1, 2024

I like using original molds to do things more historical. When you bought a rifle in the 18th century, the rifle maker also supplied you with a mould for your gun. I also have done public demonstrations showing how lead ball were made for your rifle. It is the satisfaction of moulding your own ball then hitting the bullseye with this ball that you made yourself. I have gotten my lead for free in the past from a plumber that pulled lead pipes from a house.
Ohio Rusty ><>

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