Doing your own casting

[mr ed]

A couple safety cautions you should always keep in mind.

1. never smoke or eat while handling the lead. you can get lead poisioning
from lead to fingers to mouth.

2. make sure lead is always dry when putting in pot. 1 drop of water can ruin your whole day. it can cause the molten lead to explode all over you and the room.

 

[Old Fart]

I'm going to have to live till I'm 80 in order to benefit from the saving I'm doing by reloading and casting. It don't take long to get several hundred dollars tied up in stuff.

If you shoot very much at all it will pay for itself in short order.
Each ne caliber will pay for itself even quicker.
Before you know you'll need to build a workshop to keep all of it in.

A couple safety cautions you should always keep in mind.

1. never smoke or eat while handling the lead. you can get lead poisioning
from lead to fingers to mouth.

2. make sure lead is always dry when putting in pot. 1 drop of water can ruin your whole day. it can cause the molten lead to explode all over you and the room.

I can't believe none of us suggested getting a casting book.
I think Lyman and RCBS still both sell them.
And there are a couple more listed on Midways site.

 

[Woodcutter]

The Lyman Reloading Handbook should be the first (or next) reloading book you get. It is the most comprehensive reloading book out there. It has a chapter on bullet casting, and data for loading those cast bullets for almost every caliber they have listed, as well as loading data that uses most of the more popular powders, primers, cases, and jacketed bullets. After you get this book, I reccomend the Lyman Cast Bullet manual. Lyman is supposed to release a new edition of the cast bullet manual this year if you want to wait for it.

By the way, I believe the RCBS cast bullet manual has been out of print for years. I wish they would publish a new one, but they probably will not, now that Speer has started putting some cast bullet data for the most popular cowboy pistol calibers in their regular reloading manual.

 

[blutch]

I have the Lyman. Totally forgot it had a casting section. ThAnks!

 

[Shadowrider]

After you get this book, I reccomend the Lyman Cast Bullet manual. Lyman is supposed to release a new edition of the cast bullet manual this year if you want to wait for it.

Where did you hear this? I just bought a new one to replace the one I lost. The Lyman cast bullet handbook needs to be revised. After all they have been reprinting the 1980 3rd edition all these years. But it has some extensive info non the less. A good bit of historical info too.

 

[Woodcutter]

Where did you hear this? I just bought a new one to replace the one I lost. The Lyman cast bullet handbook needs to be revised. After all they have been reprinting the 1980 3rd edition all these years. But it has some extensive info non the less. A good bit of historical info too.

I called Lyman directly on Monday and asked them if they were ever going to come out with a new edition and they told me that the Fourth edition is coming out this year. I then went to MidwayUSA and found this:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=867465

I thought that it was neat that they have created the cover design already, so maybe that means there are already some pre-release or review copies circulating. In fact, Midway expects the first copies in on February 22!

 

[Shadowrider]

I called Lyman directly on Monday and asked them if they were ever going to come out with a new edition and they told me that the Fourth edition is coming out this year. I then went to MidwayUSA and found this:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=867465

I thought that it was neat that they have created the cover design already, so maybe that means there are already some pre-release or review copies circulating. In fact, Midway expects the first copies in on February 22!

Well damnit... I should have waited, but I'm glad they are doing another one. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Roadking Larry]

'bout dang time. Been lots of changes and advancments in bullet casting in the last 30 years.

 

[Woodcutter]

Yep, there sure have been many changes. There are lots of new powders. It also seems that Lyman has a smaller mold selection than they used to, though.

I hope Lyman prints lots of those books. I sense a high demand for them.