Thread: Bullet casting - is it worth it

Have about 20kg of lead I’ve melted down as I’m contemplating getting into casting 9mm projectiles.
Question is is it really worth it? I feel just from melting down that 20kgs that my lead exposure just
from that it’s probably through the roof. I’m just melting it in a pot on a ring burner atm but if I do start
I would get a proper lead melting pot but even still...lead is lead.

Put on a surgical mask so you don't touch your face. Most lead ingestion is from ingestion of smudges off your fingers, not fumes, but do ventilate the room too.

On that note, bear in mind, carefully, that the black soot from a fired primer, which is also in the case and barrel is fine lead dust from the detonation of lead styphnate primer compound. If you never bothered about this, ask yourself why worry about lead exposure from casting? It's often the devil you can't see that's the most dangerous one, not the obvious molten lead in the pot and die right before your eyes.
@shooternz does a lot of lead casting, me may add some experience about lead exposure.

By the way, no, I'd not bother casting 9mm projectiles, factory ones are cheap as muck from e.g. Gunworks. Projectiles fully encased in pure copper to prevent any exposure of the reloader to lead (well, if you also use lead-free primers).

Just buy CMJ’s from Rusa Reloading Components.
Well priced and great service.


http://rusa.co.nz


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Currently do buy my projectiles from Rusa, I’m sure all pistol reloaders would be in the same boat?

My courier driver hates Rusa projectiles

I heard a commotion outside a while ago and he was tipping up at my daughter about loading them into his van then having to unload them at home.
I like getting them so I didnt say anything about his health possibly affecting his enjoyment of handling them.

They must hate doing a pickup at Bill's place and fight over who's turn it is at smoko

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shootersnz in Tokoroa make wonderful projectiles......he sells them cheaply too......maybe contact him and see if he willing to do you a swapsie..your lead for X amount of projectiles...

He is noted for being a good bugger and very helpful. I may one day get some of his heavy 303 projectiles for a play.

Originally Posted by G.I_Joel

Have about 20kg of lead I’ve melted down as I’m contemplating getting into casting 9mm projectiles.
Question is is it really worth it? I feel just from melting down that 20kgs that my lead exposure just
from that it’s probably through the roof. I’m just melting it in a pot on a ring burner atm but if I do start
I would get a proper lead melting pot but even still...lead is lead.

If you enjoy being able to REALLY tinker away on reloading then yes, if you enjoy just spending a couple of hours pottering away casting some projectiles, then yes again, I was shown the basics and went off on my own merry learnings, made some really great friends who helped me, initially it was a means to get a 303 with a generous bore up and running, then I learnt how to make harder lead, then how to make my own gas checks, then went left field, reloaded for everything from 577 to 25/06 to 458 Socom to 00 buck, if you enjoy making things you’ll enjoy it, which is different from $$ benefits, if I just stuck to the basic lead pot, a mould etc, yeah sure it will eventually work out cost wise. But the neat thing, if there was ever a shortage of a specific projectile and I wanted to make some of that caliber, I can!

Health wise , when cooking up a batch I wear a gas mask care of my Australian friends, gloves and am outside, otherwise gloves if I’m making up a large batch of something?

@shooternz

A good bugger he is too.

We’ve shot a fair few of Robert’s pills in subsonics at goats, they do the bizzo no probs. And the pigs! Some very angry and aggressive pigs with a dog hanging off their arse... Not a single pig has needed more than one of Robert’s cast lead pills, .44 Rem Mag or .308.

I don't know what you pay per projectile for 9mm?

For me it's cost effective for .45 and upwards.I simply could not have shot my Black powder stuff at all if I hadn't cast my own pills.

I once cast up 577/450 projectiles with far too much Tin in them.The were so hard they shot through a railway sleeper cross ways.

So things like that you can look forward to.

Originally Posted by norsk

I don't know what you pay per projectile for 9mm?

For me it's cost effective for .45 and upwards.I simply could not have shot my Black powder stuff at all if I hadn't cast my own pills.

I once cast up 577/450 projectiles with far too much Tin in them.The were so hard they shot through a railway sleeper cross ways.

So things like that you can look forward to.

Vry cost effective & one of the great joys in life. Converting a pile of range scrap or wheel weights into 148gn hollow base wadcutters for .38 or 265gn hollow based Webley bullets sized to .454 or 200 grain round nose for the .38/200 which you cant really buy anywhere (apart from Robert in Tok who does some great bullets) . its a lot of work but like anything you build from scratch its very rewarding. Ive learnt over the years to buy good 5 or 6 cavity molds either from NOE out of the states or MP Molds (Slovenia). Although the molds are expensive you can casts many hundreds & even thousands of bullets in a day using a good pot. then you get to size & lube them to specifically fit your gun
you can load them for basically the cost of a primer and a few grains of powder. Its very satisfying - have to watch out for mum though as she doesn't like the fumes through her washing!!

Originally Posted by omark

Vry cost effective & one of the great joys in life. Converting a pile of range scrap or wheel weights into 148gn hollow base wadcutters for .38 or 265gn hollow based Webley bullets sized to .454 or 200 grain round nose for the .38/200 which you cant really buy anywhere (apart from Robert in Tok who does some great bullets) . its a lot of work but like anything you build from scratch its very rewarding. Ive learnt over the years to buy good 5 or 6 cavity molds either from NOE out of the states or MP Molds (Slovenia). Although the molds are expensive you can casts many hundreds & even thousands of bullets in a day using a good pot. then you get to size & lube them to specifically fit your gun
you can load them for basically the cost of a primer and a few grains of powder. Its very satisfying - have to watch out for mum though as she doesn't like the fumes through her washing!!

A very useful very short video in that regard. Girl has a neurological condition btw, it's not just her Southern drawl:

Forty years ago casting was fun, the old Lee bullet casters lasted well. Recently I tried again and found the Lee stuff crap and the new Lee melting pot kept blocking. Tried all advice and never got it right, so it's been Frontier CMJ bullets for a few years now. I find them streets ahead of any gas checked hard cast in 44 mag.

Best thing you could do with that lead is send it to me to safely dispose of at sea 3oz at a time.

roberts 151 cast hollow points are awesome
i use em in my 308 and 300blk

when does anything firearm related pass the economy test?