My intention is to make bullet casting accessible to my fellow mil-surp collectors. Accessible to collectors that have not already tried casting and may think it is maybe - too complex, dangerous, or not really worthwhile to attempt.

I do believe it is worthwhile and now believe it can be accomplished in a safe manner. Hopefully I can demonstrate this in the following.

We as a group purchase inexpensive (for the most part) mil-surp rifles that are usually in the $75 to $200 range. So, it would make sense that our reloading and casting setups would be frugal as well.

I had never cast bullets before this article. I used to watch my father cast bullets for his black powder hobby. But that was a very long time ago and left me with no practical knowledge for casting centerfire rifle bullets.

I really did not know if this was going to be a rewarding hobby or a just pain in the......

I had read about leading problems and was generally nervous about working with molten metals at such high temperatures. Then there is the health issue related to working with lead that had me a little concerned to say the least.

I started my research and continued it over a period of a couple months.

First, I wanted to find out exactly what tools and materials I would need and how difficult a task lay before me. 

Next, I needed to attain the knowledge of "how-to cast bullets".

For starters, I ordered a video on the subject.

The video was a waste of time. It was more rudimentary and took less time to watch than you will spend reading this article (I am assuming you probably read at a fairly quick pace if you have ventured out into the internet).

I also read multiple publications and found an abundance of information on the web about the subject. I finally had a basic grasp upon the subject matter and was ready to proceed.

I chose the equipment used in the article because it offered the least amount of "risk".

I probably should define what I mean by "risk"?

My capital outlay would not anger the budget master in my family - my wife. It is a finely managed algorithm to achieve this end, but one that can be simply explained.

If I spend X amount of dollars and X is a HIGH or LARGE dollar figure, then Y (the value of my wife's anger and disappointment with me) will be too high a figure for me to fathom or manage. The goal or product of this equation is to achieve a lower value of X (while still producing a favorable or quality outcome) and then hopefully by default the value of Y will also be much lower.

If X = $500 then Y = Very angry wife!

If X < $200 then Y = Wife not as angry as formula above.

To me, if you are thinking frugal but still wanting to maintain quality and seek a manufacturer of excellent entry level gear, then Lee Precision always comes to my mind.

I have plenty of Lee Precision equipment in my garage. It holds up well and it works. Lee Precision represents a great way for the beginner to get into casting or reloading without spending a lot of money. Personally, I don't like to spend a lot of money before I have really decided whether a hobby is something I want to continue doing on a long term or permanent basis.

Here are some examples why I chose Lee Precision for this article:

1. Lee Precision moulds come with mould handles and are a very reasonable price of only around $20;
2. The prices on Lee Precision melters are the lowest in the industry and they have the largest selection available;
3. The Lee Precision lube (tumble lube system) and resizing system is the easiest to operate and learn from everything I compared on the market.

Lee Precision Contact Information

4275 HIGHWAY U
HARTFORD WISCONSIN 53027
262-673-3075 Voice
262-673-9273 FAX

Email Addresses:
info@leeprecision.com
Web Site Addresses:
http://www.leeprecision.com
Lee Tech Assistant:
http://www.leeprecision.com/faq/index.cgi

LEAD CAUTIONS

How Lead Can Be Transmitted

• Lead particles may become airborne from the surface of the melting kettle during preheating and cleaning;
• Lead fumes or particles may be emitted from the surface of the molten lead during the transfer of lead to the kettle and from the kettle during melting, while adding flux, and while stirring of molten alloy;
• Settled lead dust may be recirculated and become airborne.

How Can Lead Affect Your Health

Surplusrifle.com's Site Disclaimer

The place you choose to cast is very important. Primarily because of the need for proper ventilation and safety.

You should make sure you have:

1. Very good cross-ventilation;
2. A very strong and virtually indestructible table surface;
3. A working fire extinguisher;
4. You should be away from other living creatures. Especially children and pregnant women should not be anywhere near where you are casting.  This is because of the inherent health risks involved with casting.

I chose my garage as my location to cast bullets. I leave my main garage door as well as a side door open. I then set a large fan aimed outward through the side door. This draws air from the front main door, but does not blow on the area where I am casting. This gives adequate ventilation for the amount of casting I do.

The bench top is made from 2x4s that are laid side by side. This gives a very stable and heat resistant surface. Also, the area I have chosen does not have any pets, children, and is not in any proximity to food preparation areas.

Once I am finished with each casting session I use my shop vacuum to clean the general work area of dust and particles that may become airborne if disturbed.

I chose the Lee Precision melter as my choice for a beginner's melting pot. Paired with a good lead thermometer you have a very functional unit that if cared for properly, should last for years. If you shop around you will be able to purchase this model for less than $30 (Midway USA).  If you are planning on casting large quantities of bullets then you may want a larger production size melter. I am planning on upgrading in the future to a larger capacity unit that has a lever controlled valve that is located below the melter. This makes it easy to fill bullet and ingot moulds directly from the melter instead of using a ladle.
 

The Lee precision lead pot is a must have. You need a safe table top container for placing impurities that you skim from the surface of the lead melter while casting. For only $4, how can you go wrong?

The Lee Precision ingot mould is necessary even if you are not casting ingots. I take the mould and lay it at the front of the melter. When I draw a mould away from the melter, that I have just filled with molten lead alloy, I hold if over the ingot mould. This way if I spill any sprue (sprue is the lead the gathers at the top of the mold after you fill it), it falls into the ingot mould. Also when I move the sprue lever and break the sprue, I let it fall into the ingot mould. When I am finished casting, I deposit everything I have collected in the ingot mould back into the melter to be remelted and recast later.
 

The Lee Precision ladle is used to skim the surface of the molten lead alloy for impurities, stir the lead, fluxing, and filling bullet moulds.

Here is what I know:

Using an analogy: when soldering electronics, flux helps the solder spread more smoothly and uniformly on the surface or components you are soldering. So it is likely that the statement that fluxing molten lead alloy helps mix the tin and other metals with the lead, is a reasonable and true statement.

When I flux my molten alloy, it appears to gather impurities to the surface and sides of the melting pot. Then I can easily scoop off what is called dross and place it into my lead pot sitting off to the side. So I would also say that the statement that fluxing helps gather the impurities at the surface of the molten alloy is also a true statement.

There are several different substances you can use for flux. Bee's Wax, Paraffin Wax, and Brownell's Marvelux are some of the most commonly used. The first two wax type flux options produce a large amount of smoke from the pot when added. Now get this - every publication I have read so far states that when you flux and smoke is produced, you need to ignite the smoke with a match. Now I don't know why this seams to intimidate me more than melting lead, but it does. Brownell's Marvelux, hands down, is the most recommended commercially made flux. The great thing about Marvelux is it produces very little smoke and you do not need to ignite what smoke it does produce.

So, you guessed it - Marvelux is my choice!

Marvelux comes in many different sized containers and a little goes a long way. It is a dry white powder that is easily scooped and placed on the surface of the molten lead alloy.
 

Lee Precision moulds are a great value. Most moulds are pretty pricey and you have to pay an additional $15 or more for handles. The Lee Precision moulds come with a handle set and only cost around $20 for a single cavity mould (one bullet per cast). They are made of aluminum that does heat very quickly and cools down quickly as well. These are two traits that are highly useful in casting. I have so far cast several thousand bullets with my first Lee Precision mould and it appears to show no wear for the worse. Lee Precision offers replacement parts, for every product they manufacture, on their website. You can easily order and replace the sprue lever, handles, hardware, etc.

I spent a while researching how to lubricate and size bullets after you cast them. I decided that the easiest and least costly commercial solution was the Lee Precision lube and size kits. With each kit you get a die that will fit any reloading press. You also get a bullet punch/gas check crimper that installs into the ram where you normally place a shell holder. You also get a 4 ounce bottle of Liquid ALOX bullet lubricant.  Also, the kit's red plastic case fits on top of the sizing die as a collection reservoir for the sized bullets as you push them up into the die.

Proper safety equipment is a must!

I start off by wearing leather boots, thick jeans, and a long sleeve shirt.

I also wear very thick cow hide leather gloves, clear safety goggles, and a harmful dust respirator mask to prevent me from harmful dust and fumes.

I went around the area I live visiting tire stores and gathered over a 100 pounds of wheel weights to use as the basis for my casting alloy (all for free). I at first intended to include, making your own #2 Alloy from wheel weights, in this article. I afterwards decided that I had so much material to cover that I could probably hold some content back for later articles.

I went to my club/range and found that they had large ingots of Alloy #2 for only $3.50 each (as shown in figure 10 is two ingots). I purchased all they had in stock (12 each/4 ingot bricks). This was an excellent deal and could not be passed up. Each brick had been given a hardness test and assigned a Brinell Hardness Number (BHN) of 16. This was perfect for the type of bullets that I was trying to cast. I decided to save my wheel weights for a later article on making your own #2 alloy and using a hardness tester to determine the level of hardness in your alloy.

The harder the alloy, the higher the velocity the bullet can handle. For high velocity rifle bullets it is probably best to stay in the #2 alloy and above range. According to the table above this means having a BHN of 15 or greater. 

Last but not least I purchased .30 caliber gas checks and more Liquid Alox. Gas checks are small copper cups that are placed at the base of the bullet. They basically allow the bullet to be exposed to much higher gas pressures without damaging the bullet.

Making Bullets

Fluxing the Alloy

1. I place a small amount (approximately the size of a pea) of Marvelux on the surface of the molten lead alloy after it reaches 750 degrees Fahrenheit;
2. After a few moments I fold the lead with the ladle incorporating air in to the mix;
3. I scrape the sides and bottom of the melter;
4. Then I skim the impurities off of the surface of the molten alloy and place them into the lead pot sitting off to the side;
5. I flux at the beginning of the casting session and when ever I add more lead alloy to the pot (once it returns to the appropriate temperature). I will also add flux if I have bullets that are misshapen or appear to have holes or cavities.

It is key that the mould is already at a high temperature before you start casting. I achieve this by setting the edge of the mold on the rim of the melter (as shown in figure 15).

Pour the molten lead alloy into the top of the sprue hole until you have a puddle over the sprue hole. Carefully move the mould away from the melter (hold over the ingot mould) and wait until the sprue puddle solidifies (funny lingo you have to learn when you take on a new hobby).

Tap the hinge of the mould handles with the hickory hammer handle. This will cause the cast bullet to fall from the mould into the towel.

Figure 22 is something I am not really proud of. I did not pour enough lead into the mould.

1. The first time I cast, I cast about twelve bullets that were not usable;
2. My second time casting I only cast two bullets that were not usable;
3. My third time I cast bullets, I only had one bad cast because I had not properly aligned the mould cavity and the bullet was malformed.

The bullets shown in figure 23 represent the average bullets that I am able to cast when everything is just right. They exhibit good color, no malformed surface, or ripples.

Again I cannot say enough times - I have found the key to good casting is the temperature of the lead in the melter, ladle, and mould. It is very important to warm the mould on the side of the melter during the initial melting of the lead alloy. This will greatly reduce the number of unusable cast bullets. Now I usually can keep my first bullet when I am casting. A stark difference from the first time I tried to cast. I was not able to product a usable bullet until my thirteenth bullet.

When you are all finished casting, it is recommended that you leave at least a inch of alloy in the melter when being stored.

For extended duration of storage it is recommended that the kettle is sprayed with a rust inhibitor such as WD-40.

I have read at least two different methods to store moulds after use:

1. Leave the last cast bullet and sprue in the mold until the next time you cast. This way the mold is sealed and will not be subject to corrosion if stored (some say that moisture can still enter the mould and cause corrosion);
2. You should spray your mould with a very heavy coat of WD-40 and seal it in a plastic bag.

I have tried both and they both seem to work.

Lubing and Sizing the Bullets

I found that the Liquid Alox does not need to be heated to apply (at least in summer, I have not yet cast in winter). The Liquid Alox flows and coats each bullet easily.

A trip back through your childhood, Liquid Alox looks like the color of cosmoline and smells like a box of crayons.

I then place them to dry on top of a sheet of aluminum foil (I did not have the recommended wax paper). I leave them per the instructions overnight to dry.

When I return the next day, they are dry and have a thin film of lube over each bullet. The texture does not appear to be tacky, but firm.

The bullet needs to expand and completely fill the bore as it travels outward. This way gas does not leak past the bullet. If the bullet does not fully expand you will likely have leading. Leading is when the vaporized lead either condenses on the bore or is smeared on the bore by the bullet as it pass through.

Bullets should be sized to measure .001 over groove diameter. This is why you find that bullet moulds and sizing dies are usually .001 larger than the intended caliber.

As an example, in this article I am casting for a U.S. .30 caliber rifle which is generally measured as a .308 diameter.

Thus the bullet mould and sizing die are .309 in diameter (as shown in figure 32).

Assembling the sizing kit on a reloading press is simple:

1. Screw the sizing die into the reloading press (Actual depth is not important - actually this is not true - if you have it placed too high, the punch will have problems pushing the last bullet far enough up and into the sizing die so it can be easily removed);
2. Install bullet punch into shell holder ram;
3. Place pullet reservoir over top of sizing die.

Once you have set up the sizing kit you can proceed with sizing bullets.

Installing gas checks on the bottom of the cast bullet is simple. Most just snap on easily.

Others may require a little pressure.

Place the gas checked bullet on top of the punch and hold the bullet in place while pulling the arm of the press. Once you are sure the bullet is feeding easily into the sizing die, remove your hand. 

The first time I resized a bullet using the Lee Precision sizing kit I was confused and thought that I had done something wrong. The bullet did not pop out into the reservoir as I had anticipated.

I took everything apart and examined the parts.

I looked over the instructions again to see if I had overlooked something.

Finally I realized that you use the bullets themselves to push and feed the bullets through and out into the reservoir. 

Place a bullet into the sizer, then you place another bullet into the sizer, as you place the third bullet into the sizer the first bullet pops out into the reservoir.

The last bullet through will not come out on its own. You will need to take the sizing die off and the bullet will fall out of the top when the die is inverted.

A very handy system indeed.

Just one more task to go.

I have found you can speed the process by placing a small fan aimed directly on the drying bullets.

I used Lyman's 47th Reloading Guide (they already have the 48th out in publication) for my loading reference. Lyman's book is an excellent source for specs on loading cast bullets as they actually give examples of comparable Lyman cast bullets. Actually the book is an excellent read about "How-to" cast lead bullets.

I chose to load with IMR 3031