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Hi, DGR:
I've only started casting last year, but I'll give it a try. You've got the general idea, although sizing the bullets isn't always necessary. Some moulds drop them at the right size. You've already cast sinkers, so you know the basics. A lead melter can be anything from a sauce pan on a Coleman stove to one of the expensive bottom pour furnances. I had a Coleman stove, bought a $6 stainless steel 1 qt sauce pan and got going. Moulds run from about $20 from Lee (not sure about USA prices) to over a hundred for custom made ones. Lee moulds come with handles included, the others don't and you'll need one pair.
Lee has it own economical sizing system but I haven't seen it in use. Lyman and RCBS sizing dies are interchangable, Saecos aren't. The word is that the RCBS is the better machine but Lyman dies are better. Lyman claims the new 4500 lube sizer has the 450's problems fixed. We'll see.
Lyman reloading manuals have more information than the Lee manual has, but the Book is the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 3rd Edition.
The main thing is, stay healthy. This thread got standed before the Bullet Casting forum was set up.
http://beartoothbullets.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=174&highlight=Health
http://www.lymanproducts.com/lymanproducts/index.htm
http://www.rcbs.com/equipmentframe.html
http://www.redding-reloading.com/pages/saecoprods.html
Hope this gives you some idea of what's involved. Don't be afraid to holler for help.
Bye
Jack
I've only started casting last year, but I'll give it a try. You've got the general idea, although sizing the bullets isn't always necessary. Some moulds drop them at the right size. You've already cast sinkers, so you know the basics. A lead melter can be anything from a sauce pan on a Coleman stove to one of the expensive bottom pour furnances. I had a Coleman stove, bought a $6 stainless steel 1 qt sauce pan and got going. Moulds run from about $20 from Lee (not sure about USA prices) to over a hundred for custom made ones. Lee moulds come with handles included, the others don't and you'll need one pair.
Lee has it own economical sizing system but I haven't seen it in use. Lyman and RCBS sizing dies are interchangable, Saecos aren't. The word is that the RCBS is the better machine but Lyman dies are better. Lyman claims the new 4500 lube sizer has the 450's problems fixed. We'll see.
Lyman reloading manuals have more information than the Lee manual has, but the Book is the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 3rd Edition.
The main thing is, stay healthy. This thread got standed before the Bullet Casting forum was set up.
http://beartoothbullets.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=174&highlight=Health
http://www.lymanproducts.com/lymanproducts/index.htm
http://www.rcbs.com/equipmentframe.html
http://www.redding-reloading.com/pages/saecoprods.html
Hope this gives you some idea of what's involved. Don't be afraid to holler for help.
Bye
Jack
