Melting wheel weights for bullet casting - all you need to know - Blacksmithden

[mlehto]

Awesome job guys!

Not set up for this now but hopefully in the next couple years.

I know who to talk to now.

Thanks

[jonanddad]

I did test them, but I honestly can't remember. Jon might remember...I tested a bar he had against mine with a Lee hardness tester. I'll have to get back to you on that.

You want me to remember some numbers you told me like 4 months ago??? lol that info was purged many months ago

[jfred]

Approximately how much money is saved by casting your own bullets as opposed to just buying cast bullets?

[normmus]

I haven't figured it out, but it is very very inexpensive once you are set up. I have used Den's setup and it is slick, but you can do smaller batches on a coleman stove and a small cast iron pot. The price of the mould and an electric melting setup would be the biggest expense and it is a one time purchase.

[saskgunowner]

Approximately how much money is saved by casting your own bullets as opposed to just buying cast bullets?

I'm not sure if you ever save money with reloading and casting, because you will shoot a lot more. The price per boom is much lower though. As for the cast bullets, assume a 5 gallon pail of WW cost you $25 which is usually the going rate. Even with all the junk and garbage, you end up north of 100 pounds of clean lead (seems to me 110-115 pounds is what I've gotten on average). To keep it simple, we'll call it 100 pounds of lead for $25, so 1 pound is worth .25 cents. And there is 7000 grains in one pound.

Now we'll use a 120 grain .356 bullet mold to make some bullets. 7000 grains divided by 120 grain bullet will give you 58 of these bullets for .25 cents. Obviously very cheap. This doesn't take into account the cost of getting set up, but it will pay for itself easily.

[harbl_the_cat]

Great post!

I disagree though with this assertion:

Who doesn't hate the fact that everything is coming from China these days ?

I love the fact that almost everything is manufactured in China, and sold for 1/10 to 1/2 the price of domestic manufactured goods.

I hate buying overpriced domestically manufactured goods that price in ridiculous union dues and government taxes and regulations. I'd rather lift some poor Chinese peasant out from abject poverty than finance a corrupt union boss or anything that has to do with the Federal government, but I digress.

A great video series I've seen on melting and casting lead comes from a guy who calls himself "San Francisco Liberal With A Gun."

http://www.sanfranciscoliberalwithagun.com/lead.html

I think he's a bit misguided in calling himself a liberal. He's actually a constitutional libertarian - but his video series on reloading are highly recommended - especially his videos on casting and getting Lee progressive presses running smoothly.

[M.T. Chambers]

I don't want to hijack this post but I respectfully disagree, and buy everything that I can "made in Canada" or "the USA" and it's not just patriotism or the economy. Anything gun related, that is made in China, turns out to be junk, at least for me...don't get me wrong, some junk is made here too, buyer beware. The quality of most good reloading equip. cannot be touched by foreign mfg., as well as most good quality guns.

[jrcbecher]

I don't buy offshore goods if I can get made in Canada goods for a little more why finance the enemy you know the old saying pay me know or pay me later.

[harbl_the_cat]

I don't buy offshore goods if I can get made in Canada goods for a little more why finance the enemy you know the old saying pay me know or pay me later.

New thread started: http://www.gunownersofcanada.ca/show...Buying-Chinese

[blacksmithden]

Approximately how much money is saved by casting your own bullets as opposed to just buying cast bullets?

Cost of lead in a 240 grain 44 Rem mag slug - about 5 cents. That's factoring in paying around 75 cents per pound for wheel weights and managing to recover 1/2 the purchased weight in usable lead.

The last time I looked, 1000 commercially cast bullets was going for right around $100....so about 10 cents each.

I've got the price of a 44 Rem mag cartridge down to about 12 cents now as opposed to over $1.00 / round for factory loads if anyone was going to ask about that.