I have been reading a lot lately about casting. But, I am starting to have second doubts, it just looks so confusing. I read so many contrary opinions about alloys. I can't get WW anywhere I have tried and tried. That's fine I am willing to buy my alloy like hardball from midway. I was thinking of mixing it with more lead to soften it. Then I read about heat treating the bullets. But then I read my alloy doesn't have any arsenic in it so it won't work. Then I read that antinomy (think I spelled that right) will help in heat treating just not as much as arsenic. one minute I think forget it the next i'm ready to get into it. Help help help. what do I do? I will be casting big bullets for a 500, 454 and some 155 grains for a 10mm help!!!!!

You cover a lot of bases there....

If you are going to water quench and are in doubt about the arsenic contenet of the lead, add about 1/4 cup of hardened shot to every 10 pounds of your metal. Shot is hardened with arsenic and will gie you the amount you need, only about 1/10 of a percent will do it. Most lead has this trace amount anyway, so try it first. You will need a hardness tester to know how much your quenching hardened the alloy, the Lee looks like a good product, I've heard of no dissatisfied users.If you are going to use the hardball alloy from Midway, don't worry about watrer quenching, that alloy will be plenty hard for your needs.

I'm not sure why you want to soften the hardball alloy, the chamberings you are ging to cast for will need something around 15 BHN. Linotype and pure lead mixed 1 to 1 will give exactly this. If you are going to buy an alloy, linotype seems to me the one to get. As well as the reduction refered to, cutting the linotype at a ratio of 1 linotype to 1.5 lead wi give you a very close approximation of wheelweight alloy. Home Depot or Lowes are good places to look for lead roofing sheet to use to cut harder alloys with.

There can be a lot to casting, that is part of why many reloaders like it, it adds yet another dimension to our shooting habit. But don't let the complexities scare you away. It is as simple as a melting pot (I have used the Lee Production Pot for years) a mold some alloy and a way to lube the bullets. The lube is probably more crucial than your alloy, LBT Blue or an equivilent high grade lube will work for your needs, give exellent results and no head scratching. The Lee Liquid Alox (I believe that Lyman offers a similar product) works well too, but can be messy, but they don't need any special equipment. I like to pan lube my bullets but make my own lube, I can't speak to how well commercial products would work in that application.

So, get a pot, some metal, a mold and some lube, and cast some bullets. Cast lots 'em every chance you get. Continue to read everything you can get your hands on. Visit every forums board that has a casting forum and most especially visit these guys daily www.castboolits.gunloads.com Even after 20 + years of casting I've learned some things from these guys. Good Luck, Keep us posted

Can make it simpler if you'd like...at least for the start of your cating. Can get more complicated as you go on, but the following will produce good bullets. Have to remember, that the bullet doesn't care...it's either wll filled out or it ain't...and if it's well filled out, doesn't matter how it got that way.

1. Simple bottom pour Lee electric pot. Are the large pots "better" than the small ones?...no, they just hold more. For that matter, a lead pot on the stove and dipped bullets are just as good...it's just messy, need good ventilation, lead and food (as in kitchen melting) doen't mix.

2. Bullet molds (your choice). Lots of choices here...but the main thing is to get a mold that casts a bullet betteen ZERO and .002" OVER your barrel diameter. A little large is no problem, too small is a world of problems.

3. Lubrication can be as simple as liquid alox. Just cast them, apply lube, let it dry, load them. When (IF) you want to try differnt sizes, then get the Lee push through dies...they won't lube, but they will size using your laoding press.

Alloy. Using smokless, and a bullet large enough to seal the cylinder mouths (revovlers) or bottom out in the bore (semi-autos), hard bullets are not going to be a problem. Are a problem when they are cast too small in diameter...right size, and hardness isn't much of an issue (except for black powder shooters).

Sooner or later you will find a supply of lead...there has to be a metal salvage yard someplace arround there. That's one "big bussiness" (and it is considering how much metal the US recylces) that ISN'T controlled by corpereations...it's still individuals hustling for a buck by their own sweat, so expect to pay the going rate.

Don't be discouraged if you can't find WW right away. Try your local tire shops, gas stations, or scrap metal dealers. You might have to pay for your WW as some places make extra money from them but if you're lucky, someone is just waiting for a guy like you to just take it off their hands. You mentioned a lot of casting options and have obviously done your research but you don't really have to do all these things to turn out good shootable cast bullets. Start with basic casting and when you have mastered this go on to all those other aspects to refine your skill. There was a time when people cast bullets from a heat source, a pot of lead, a dipper, and a mould. We have come a long way since those days but really, that's all you need to start out. Casting bullets is a great learning experience and we have all started out at the basic level. If you really want to do this, go for it and if you need any questions answered, we are around!

I have been reading a lot lately about casting. But, I am starting to have second doubts, it just looks so confusing. I read so many contrary opinions about alloys. I can't get WW anywhere I have tried and tried. That's fine I am willing to buy my alloy like hardball from midway. I was thinking of mixing it with more lead to soften it. Then I read about heat treating the bullets. But then I read my alloy doesn't have any arsenic in it so it won't work. Then I read that antinomy (think I spelled that right) will help in heat treating just not as much as arsenic. one minute I think forget it the next i'm ready to get into it. Help help help. what do I do? I will be casting big bullets for a 500, 454 and some 155 grains for a 10mm help!!!!!
I sent you a pm Forest Punch

Raison
Don't sweat the details, they will resolve themselves as you gain experience. When I first got into casting, finding lead alloy to cast with, was scarce. Now i know where to look and the people to talk too. I've got tons of the stuff, more then a life time supply.
I remember taking walks with my daughters and, then, wife. I'd come home with 3 or 4 pounds of wheel weights that I picked up from the gutter or parking lot. I'd go to the shooting range and come home with 50 or 60 pounds of backstop lead. As long as I could cast it, and it made a bullet that made it out the barrel and performed like a bullet I was happy.
Then I started to find buckets of WW, friends would ask their tire person for WW.
If I turned the heat up high enough, WW cast pretty bullets just as is.
My suggestion is just start doing the casting and let all the rest fall into place, as it will.
Jim