Cast Bullet shooters

This is the forum for general Milsurp gun topics that don't fit some place else.

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dromia
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Cast Bullet shooters

Post by dromia » Sun Jul 08, 2007 1:38 am

Just interested in how many of us pour or own pills for popping in rifles.

I certainly do, cast has and is a key element in the pleasure I get from my collecting and shooting.

My current project is to work up cast loads for all my Bisley military rifle competitions that will do as well or better than "J" word bullets out to 600 yrds.

Once I get that cracked then 1000 yrds look out.

:shock:
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I am just starting to think about it.........

Post by DuncaninFrance » Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:44 am

I cast my own .457 round balls for my Remington 1858 NMA using pure lead in a 2 cavity Pedersoli mold. That is very easy though.

Because of variuous articles and general chit-chat I am looking ( with a telescope at the moment ) at casting 8mm for my Mauser. This obviously needs some serious thought and will require a major think about raw materials - type AND source.

There was good article in a French Mag in Feb 2005, Action Armes & TIR, by a guy called John Frost which a friend has translated for me. I will write it up and offer it as an e.mail attachment in case anyone wants to check it out. Might take a couple of weeks though. http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f392/ ... cbpour.gif[/pic]
Duncan

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Post by dromia » Sun Jul 08, 2007 3:32 am

Getting into casting is cheap and easy.

First collect your alloy, used wheel weights are the way to go here.

Buy a copy of the Lyman cast bullet book, get Brennan's booklet from the CBA here:

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/

or down load his work in progress ultimate cast bullet book from here:

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/CB-BOOK/files/

Its one of these bloody Yahoo sites so you will need to register if you don't have a Yahoo account, its free just a chew on.

Get a couple of old cast iron pans and some yorkshire pudding trays from second hand shops or car boot sales, a large dutch oven type is good for smelting, cleaning and fluxing your wheel weights. The yorkshire pudding/small tea cake trays is where you'll pour your cleaned alloy to make ingots for storing and adding to you casting pot.

For this you'll need a smaller cast iron pot, heat for it all comes from any old gas bottle ring that will take the weight, again second hand and cheap.

What you don't want to skimp on is a good ladle, Lyman or RCBS are champion and a good mould, for beginners don't touch Lee they need fettling and you'll have enough to think about to begin with.

I'd suggest the Lyman 323470 mould for 8mm Mauser, a proven classic Guy Loverin design, works well in my G98 and even sizes down well for my .319" 1903 Steyr.

Some glasses, some gloves and a place to work with good ventilation and out of the rain and your good to go.

When you get all this together get back to me here and we'll go over the next steps.
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Post by stripperclip » Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:49 am

I shoot lead just never casted for any of guns but I have done it for fishing wieghts.
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Post by ian27 » Sun Jul 08, 2007 8:04 am

I have decided that I'm going to give cast boolits a try in my Martini Enfield and 1903a3. I am gathering up the necessary kit for casting myself, but until then I have found a guy in the UK who can supply various boolits for around £10 per 100. He can size them to what you want. These will do until I get setup myself. The good thing is that he has different styles of bullet, so I can find out what works best in each of my rifles before buying moulds. A friend recently sourced a 10" cauldron for melting the lead in and he has also got a gas burner for me. I have already bought a 38S&W mould and no doubt will buy the 455 Webley one. I know from my readings on the sujbect that wheel weights are great for casting boolits, but after a few initial enquiries in a couple of places, I dont think I am going to get many of those. I have also heard mutterings of a ban on the use of lead wheel weights and it seems a lot of tyre shops are gonna start using zinc ones. I think my main source of lead is going to be lead flashing bought from B&Q, or lead flashing that I have managed to scrounge from friends, builders etc. I have some gathered up already by just asking my friends if they had any old bits lying around. I will also have to buy tin to mix with the lead. Anyway, I'm looking forward to getiing started, and it can only add to to enjoyment of reloading.

Ian
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Ian!

Post by DuncaninFrance » Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:32 am

Become a 'Night repairer of church roofs' :cool: :cool:

Dromia!

I have got the Lyman ladles, pans-various although cast iron ones are like rocking horse droppings here, I think the French are still using them all! Also have some tartlet dishes which make excellent ingot molds.

I went out last week to get some wheel weights and it was like asking for free gold bars! I have managed a few pounds but they were all mixed , zinc and lead so I am sorting them out at the moment. I think I may have to offer payment for used ones in the future and that goes against the grain being a Yorkshireman!!

Anyway, I have 500 Privi Partizan HPBT bullets to use up so I can do a bit more research.

:D
Duncan

What contemptible scoundrel has stolen the cork to my lunch? -- W.C. Fields
"Many of those who enjoy freedom know little of its price."
You can't fix Stupid, but you can occasionally head it off before it hurts something.
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Post by dromia » Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:36 am

Ian keep looking for WW you can still get them and zinc will take a while to take over, try scrappies and stock up whilst the going is good. I've got near enough two tons stashed away, it doesn't take up much space and I wish I had more

Range lead is also good.

You see for rifle and most hand gun bullets you need a bit more than lead and tin, thats Ok for the big bore BP bullets but when your are shooting cast in "J" word cartridges you need some antimony and arsenic, not a lot but you need it, WW and .22" bullets along with most commercial hard cast bullets have useful amounts.
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WW's

Post by DuncaninFrance » Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:53 am

I probably have enough ww's to cast about 100-150 bullets but I need to get a mold first then I suppose some more loading/sizing/lubing dies?
Duncan

What contemptible scoundrel has stolen the cork to my lunch? -- W.C. Fields
"Many of those who enjoy freedom know little of its price."
You can't fix Stupid, but you can occasionally head it off before it hurts something.
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Post by dhtaxi » Sun Jul 08, 2007 11:02 am

A local gun club I was a member of used to collect the spent bullets from the back stop melt them down and make it into ingots then sell it for club funds.

Might be worth talking to your club commite.

Wheel weights are good I had a source for them and like Adam I have a stockpile.

Iv loaded lead in most of my guns the only problem is the sight settings.

Plumbers 50/50 bar solder is a good source of tin you can buy it at plumbers supplies etc although it aint cheap.You can alloy your metal using the bar solder if you purchase a copy of Lyman cast bullit hand book it tells you how to make up different alloys using lead,wheelweights etc.

I wouldnt mind the address of the guy you are getting your bullets from Ian might give him a try.
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Post by dromia » Sun Jul 08, 2007 11:02 am

The trick with the zinc ones is to keep the temperature low just enough to melt the lead WW, zinc melts at a higher temperature and the zinc ones just float to the top.

Reward does seem to be necessary when getting WWs they do have a scrap value and you need to come near that. Its still usually cheaper than buying lead and you get the all important secondary metals as well.
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