Reeder Custom Guns - Drug my tired depressed butt out to the old garage

And finally cast a few bullets. Boy did it feel good, I needed it. Something from nothing, raw bullets. Still a lot of work to go; processing, sizing, gas checks, lube. But for just a couple productive hours it’s good. If I guess about 15 lbs. of good bullets (200 gr. 10mm) that’s at least 500.

I’ll keep after it in the evenings.

It’s a start, temp is good, metal fluxed, mould warmed up.
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I drive the forum guys nuts. I guess I’m not very good. Hardness - hard enough, but still soft enough too. Alloy - mostly wheelweights, some tin, antimony, not really sure. Weight? Whatever the mould says right?! Diameter? I’ll know after I size them. If it fits I send it. Pretty ones to my friend, wrinkled ones I shoot.
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I cast, lubed and sized a bunch of 160 gr. .38/357 bullets this week. They make a little over 40 to the pound and I cast about 10 pounds. After setting 3 days I checked them and they were 10 BHN. They work from 500 fps to 1400 fps and that covers everything I will do with them.

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turned some old 60's and 70's tunes on and went with it. It made me realize how blessed I truly was and enjoy the simple pleasures. It was nice to get back to something controllable and familiar.

My biggest issue is what to cast first! I needed some 10mm. The 200 gr. is about the max. for the .40 S&W case and still good for about anything. 10mm, .401 GNR, .38-40, .400 GNR (when sized properly). I think I do need some .38 range bullets. If I stay in the 125 gr. realm I can also use them for 9mm as well as .38/.357. I am working on a 124 gr. .380 ACP load. I have the data.

Processing on the old 450 is not too bad either. With so many guys powder coating I'm rebelling.

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post here I have been casting my bullets for three or four years now. Like you said Scott "something from nothing" is very rewarding. It is not like the experts on other forums suggest either. You don't have to have a phd to put some wheel weights in a pot and cast some useful bullets. I enjoy it immensely.

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and that includes Gary, Jim, JT etc., have mentored me in many good ways. Life truly is short and taking it too seriously can curtail what living you are allowed. A man needs goals but must enjoy simple things too.

Casting you can make as complicated or simple as you want. It's your cheeseburger, suit yourself. I know guys that weigh various alloys to the gram and adhere to strict recipe. Hardness tester at ready, checked at 30 day intervals. Cull bullets a few tenths one way or the other. Hey it that's what you like knock yourself out if that's what floats your boat. It still requires you to press that trigger, not yank, to make it worth it or blow it.

I was using a 6-cav. aluminum mould last night. It was running so well, bottom pour pot was not showing out either. It was sweet. Iron blocks are easier to work with but I use anything available. One trick is to back off on the heat as your pot gets empty. You don't need as much heat energy as the pot gets used up. I stay just behind frosty. I also like to put the sprue waste back in the pot between each pour. Everyone has their system. There is no wrong.

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But that's what real men do ...
Dangerous stuff.
:)
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Boots too. In my advancing age I also got the fire extinguisher from the kitchen! Being foolish hurts too much and too long these days!

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and give it a good tap with a hammer. If it mashes it is too soft so a bit more linotype. If it shatters, then too much linotype, put some more wheel weights in. Put the first few bullets on the scale. If they are within 2 or 3 grains, they are fine. The really wrinkled ones go back in the pot. The slightly wrinkled ones get sized and shot. If they are perfect with no wrinkles I know I did something wrong, but I save them and tell people all my bullets look like that.

I tried water quenching them by dropping them from the mold into a 5 gallon bucket but after quenching myself completely along with everything within 10 feet I gave up on that.

This casting bullets can be fun after I learned to take all the casting books and rules and using them to start a fire in one of our wood stoves. I make a lot less mistakes when I do that.

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and the small sponges contained the splash. Made nice hard heat-treated bullets that were not needed in the hot .45 Colt loads I was shooting. Plain wheelweights worked just as well.

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I experimented will lead hardness quite a bit in my teenage years shooting my 44. Came up with a method that has worked for me since then .
I have a lead melting pot which is just a pot. I melt wheel weights until
pot is up to certain level drop in a little bee wax scoop of all impurities
add 3 lb plumber lead perfect mix for me. I size and lube add gas checks.

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"something for nothing, and the chicks are free"

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gray haired daddy used to just shake his head. He couldn't understand how I got paid very well to sit on my ass and play rock & roll music every morning. He had a few things to say about the "chicks are free" part too.

Drug my tired depressed butt out to the old garage

I find bullet casting to be theraputic.

I had a light bulb out and no replacements

My light bulb is pretty dim

Thanks to Gary and all the information the Misfits

By just being themselves my elders

Just remember it is sorta dangerous ..

I cast standing as I don’t fancy a lap of lead.

you cast like I do. The first bullets I put on a vise

I floated small sponges on the water, dropped the bullets

Bullets

my favorite saying that I lived by for almost 25 years

The Dire Straits?

yup

that was of course while I was still in radio. My dear old

That's like the post office if it fits it ships

I really enjoy casting all of it casting sizing lubing