[New guy]

Ok, I'm purchasing a .45 Colt Bisley and I definately plan on loading for it.  There's a lot of talk here about casting bullets...I've never done that.  I buy my .45 acp's from www.bonusbullets.com and load them up, but this 260 and 300 grain stuff at high velocity is new for me as far as loading it.  Are there any bullets on that site that might work for me?  What should I start with?  That company is so close to me that I can drive it easily in an afternoon

If there's nothing there for me, how do I get started with casting my own bullets?  What tools do I need, and how do I knw which bullet molds to get?  Thanks!

 

[mcassill]

I get most of my cheap plinking bullets from Oregon Trail; have had good results with their stuff in my .44s.  You're not going to get the kind of velocities in your Bisley that would require anything overly exotic in the way of bullets.  The key is to get bullets that fit properly; for that you will need to slug the barrel and the cylinder throats.  There are instruction for that in several places on this BB; Marshall's book is also an excellent source.  If the throats are smaller than the groove dia. of the barrel you will need to send the cylinder to a gunsmith to get that fixed.
If you end up casting your own, a Lee pot, ladle, leather gloves and apron, lead thermometer, brass hammer, and mould of your choice is the starting point.  Opinions on moulds are all over the place; a lot depends on what you want the bullet you cast to do.  For making nice holes in target paper, the good old SWC is hard to beat; for use on game, the LBT designs are the only way to go.
Good shooting
Mark

 

[Leadslinger]

New guy,

Bullet Casting is just as much fun as reloading. By all means start casting. I despise most commercial cheapo cast bullets, you can do much better spending your money on a beginners casting setup. (more fun and better bullets on your first try.)

Bare Bones Casting Setup:
- used 5 quart cast iron pot - &#3610
- Coleman stove or similar heat source - &#3640
- Lyman/RCBS/Rowell ladle - &#3612
- Lee bullet mould #452-255* w/ handles - &#3618
- wheel weights - free (or cheap)
- 1 lb. 95/5 tin solder - &#367
- wooden stick to loosen sprue plate - free

less than 100 dollars to start. you can cast the bullets leave them unsized and pan lube them (stand the bullets up in an old pan & pour melted homemade lube and let harden)

If you like it you can add equipment and spend more money. If you don't the solder and the coleman stove are useful in other ways so you're out 50 bucks. You've blown more than that on a bad restaurant.

Elmer Keith's "Sixguns" got me started casting. You need this book so go get it.
Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook is also worth having. Post your questions on the board and you'll get help.

take care

* Lee moulds are not the best but will do fine while you are trying casting out. this bullet is a plain based (no gas checks) and should perform better than the beveled base most cheap-junk cast bullets have.  A Lyman or RCBS mould will run more like 65 dollars with a set of handles.

(Edited by Leadslinger at 5<!--emo&:0--><img src="http://beartoothbullets.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'><!--endemo-->0 pm on Oct. 11, 2001)

 

[Jack Monteith]

Hi,New Guy:
  Here's a lot of good advice than got posted about the time I started casting this summer.
<a href="http://beartoothbullets.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard/topic.cgi?forum=1&topic=255&start=0

" target="_blank">http://beartoothbullets.com/cgi-bin....rt=0

</a>   Add about 2% tin to your wheel weight melt when you start. One mould casts OK without it, but another needs everything just right (lead temperature, time between casts and the phase of the moon) before I can get good bullets without tin in the mix. There's no use making it hard for yourself at the beginning.

Bye
Jack

 

[arkypete]

Hey New Guy
Welcome to the community of bullet casters, scroungers. and alchemists.
Part of the fun, for me, is finding sources for lead alloy, then turning that lead into usable ingots of bullet metal.
I've done a fair job of scrounging up casting tools from yard sales, gun shows, even flea markets.
I've not had much luck using Lee casting products other then their lead pot. I'd suggest that if you have difficulty working with the Lee molds, don't give up. There are many other very good mold manufactures and that produce easy to work with molds.
If you hit the gun shows and yard sales I'd bet that you'll come up with some usable molds or at the least, trading plunder. You know the drill, I'll trade this mold for your mold and 6 of your wife's apple pies......
Jim