New to Casting bullets

[Smokybob]

Well I am heading down that road, I bought myself a Lee melting pot, mallet, flux compound and a couple of molds to start casting .575 Mini's and .550 Pritchett's. The only problem is, i have no experience in casting lead bullets. Can anyone recommend a good resource, ie book or video for me to gain some knowledge? If this is in the wrong area, my apologies.

 

[dave951]

I cast minies for competition in the North South Skirmish Association. Regardless of what you may read here's the facts. Minies- cast hot and pour fast. Pot needs to be at about 850. Don't worry about lead "fumes". Lead doesn't phase change from liquid to gas till about 3000f and your put will never reach that. What fumes there are come from fluxing.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Don't lick your fingers.

LOTS of good information on these pages regarding casting your own projectiles.
A due diligence search will open the door for you.

wm

 

[tom_in_vt]

I would suggest looking on YouTube. There are a lot of good casting videos.

 

[bang]

I have a lee bottom pour. I opened the spout to .098 (#40) to pour minis fast. Keep the heat up as stated around 800 - 850 and put the mold on top of pot as lead melts to preheat it. Soot the mold. i like everything hot enough it takes about 5 - 6 seconds for the sprue puddle to solidify. I use aluminum antisieze on the sprue plate.

 

[dave951]

One further comment, for minies only use pure lead

 

[tenngun]

Minies are a PIA to run. Ball is no biggie. I would recommend a sizer to your kit.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/
Everything you need to know is in these pages.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Finest book on casting that I’ve ever read
https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Bullet...fix=bullet+casting+lyman,stripbooks,95&sr=1-1

 

[dave951]

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/
Everything you need to know is in these pages.

Not for minies. They're a world different from ball or regular conical.

Conventional opinion of those who don't play in that world is run the pot at 700, use any lead you can find and a reject rate of 50% is normal. Nope, cast at 800F+, use pure lead, pour fast, keep the base plug hot are key to casting good minies. Skirt deformities and cavities in the base are a sure sign you're not casting hot or pour fast enough. When I get pot and mold to temp, my reject rate falls fast to about 5%, and the minies are very consistent.

 

[Whughett]

Don’t cast wearing flip flops, short pants and wear safety glasses. Slowly lower any metal implement, spoons or ladle into the molten lead. The cold metal could cause splatter.

Preheat molds by lying them on top of the pot as the metal is melting.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Don’t cast wearing flip flops, short pants and wear safety glasses. Slowly lower any metal implement, spoons or ladle into the molten lead. The cold metal could cause splatter.

Preheat molds by lying them on top of the pot as the metal is melting.

I’m sorry but the mental imagery was too much.

”Nice scar yah got there, I see you were wearing flip flops when the lead pot spilled”

 

[Whughett]

I’m sorry but the mental imagery was too much.

”Nice scar yah got there, I see you were wearing flip flops when the lead pot spilled”

I was actually speaking from experience. Just a sprue cut that went awry but it raised a small blister.
The phone company had a safety film dating back to the last century that showed the hazards of solder or lead pots. One scene was a spill just as you mentioned, worker was wearing low cut shoes. Not pretty.

 

[dave951]

One visit from the tinsel fairy and you won't be looking forward to another......

 

[Smokybob]

Thank you for all the great info and reference materials!!

 

[frankie]

Where can one find lead to buy? Is lead in a car battery good to use? Thanks

 

[deerstalkert]

Where can one find lead to buy? Is lead in a car battery good to use? Thanks

only the terminals are worth messing with. others will expand on this.
Rotometals. https://www.rotometals.com

 

[Gtrubicon]

Where can one find lead to buy? Is lead in a car battery good to use? Thanks

Never use car battery lead, ever. Casting, like most other skills is best learned through experience. Casting is very forgiving. If the projectile is not what you want, throw it back into the pot and try again. Pre heat the mold for best results, either the pot itself or a warming plate work fine. Alloys are fickle, a temp gauge is your best guide. When you get good results, note the temp of the lead and atmospheric temperature. I find casting to be very rewarding. There is a learning curve. Flux your alloy, wear your protective gear. It’s a very simple process.

 

[deerstalkert]

one thing to stress. Never have water, or any liquid where it can get into a mold, dipper, or even the pot of molten lead. gets real exiting fast.
just something i learned 40-50 years ago and never forgot. don't ask how. leads to one having to repaint a kitchen.

 

[Whughett]

Where can one find lead to buy? Is lead in a car battery good to use? Thanks

This forum. Justin.44. I’ve bought from him several times.