Early last year I bought a box of cast bullets for my CAS loads and it was $32 for 500 (240 gr. SWC .44). I just checked a couple weeks ago and the same bullets from the shop are now $52! My dad and I are kicking around the idea of casting our own if it'll save us a lot of money. We'd probably cast mainly for CAS, at least to start, so we'd be looking at a single mould - a .45 250 gr RNFP (I may drop the .44s mentioned above) - probably about 1200 - 1500 bullets a year.

I really don't know a lot about casting, so roughly what would it cost to get a basic setup? My dad is going to look into getting wheel weights from a couple mechanics he knows, so the price of lead is up in the air.

Thanks for your help.

When I get the lead for free or nearly free it cost me about as much to shoot my handguns as it does to shoot the 22 lr. I've been casting for years and if you buy the equipment from Lee payback will take a couple of months. Look in the Midway catalog for Lee melt pots, Lee molds and the Lee sizing kits. I use the Lee liquid alox and just swirl lube the bullets, very inexpensive to do this. I cast for the 38 special, 357 mag, 40 S&W, 41 magnum, 45 ACP and 45 Colt. I've been shooting some of the new Lee bullets designed for tumble lubing and they shoot well without sizing in my guns. Good luck Cowboy.

Here's my setup.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q172/faucettb/Reloading/Leemeltpotandmolds.jpg

If you think you would enjoy casting, or at least get some satisfaction from it, it might be worthwhile. Keep in mind it takes a goodly bit of work and capital outlay to convert wheel weights to bullets.

I enjoy it myself but I guarantee I wouldn't sell you my cast bullets for $10 a hundred.

To save money as the only reason...may not be worth it to you.

Because you like making your own bullets...then you'd probably cast even if it cost more than buying them.

It's a hobby-within-a-hobby, can include saving money, but most of us will admit that there is a certain level of sadisfaction that keeps us casting.

Ribbonstone has me "pegged". I do it because I enjoy it.
I have went from much success with handgun bullets to poor success in rifles. The "rifle part" is a work in progress. I do it as time pemits. It's a hobby for me. I intend to keep it that way! When it stops being fun, I won't do it anymore.

Cowboy shooting is "high volume". I don't do that. Bullet metal becomes a problem? Need a source for that.

Cheezywan

WW are cheap around here... if you can find them. A Lee mold, Lee sizing die kit (or shoot as cast for CAS speeds), Liqiud alox, gas checks if needed, maybe $100-150. You could get "nicer" molds and other equipment if desired, double that. The expensive part is the pot, unless you already have something for that (turkey frier and old cast iron pot/dutch oven), and maybe a few more small hand tools and safety equipment: initial investment $200 up.

If you shoot in volume, then how many boxes of bullets can you buy for the cost of the initial investment? For me, since I shoot a 45/70 and could freeload off of my dad (he already had a lot of the equipment, just collecting dust), this did not take long and the equipment has already paid for itself. If you have a friend or friends that have equipment that you could borrow, or get together with for a casting session, this may help as well. Splitting costs with your dad can't hurt, also.

But... I killed my first deer this year with a load that I built from the ground up, including the bullet, and that was a great since of fulfillment that made all of the time worth it.

It may take some time to make the equipment pay off, but as the others said there is a great since of satisfaction in the hobby. You have to decide if that's worth it.

For loads for CAS I wouldn't spend the money for gas checks. Those speeds don't require it and it's another step that takes time. If the bullets fit and most of the Lee cast I shoot don't even need sized, just tumble lube them and load them when they are dry. I do that for the 38 and for mild loads in the 41, 40 and 45 Colt.

Add in the cost of shipping for those commercially cast bullets and making your own gets even more attractive. My local commercial caster didn't always have the bullets that I wanted when I wanted them so that was another incentive to do my own. Casting good bullets is not that hard to do once you get past the "learning curve" and it's a great way to spend your time especially when the weather doesn't allow you to go shooting.

If you have plenty of spare time you will be o-k. Save a little money but it takes a lot of time for me to cast 5 or 6 hundred 45 APC bullets. That's with a 4 cavity mold. And bottom pour pot.

As bob said there is time involved in casting, but like ribbonstone said there's also a bunch of fun and a real pleasure making up your own. Most of us in this shooting business like the doing as well as the shooting. Bottom line is your going to spend your time doing something and there's where you decide what it's going to be.

If you've got the dough and your time is more valuable doing something else then buying the cast bullets is the way to go. If you like the hands on part of making your own bullets, then yes it's very cost effective. I've got most of my lead free so all it costs me is the powder and primers. It takes a bunch of time to wear out revolver cases with mile loads.

Actually a lot of us cast on a "as time permits" basis. Casting "5 or 6 hundred" bullets at a time starts feeling like "work" rather than fun. As long as my consistent ingot supply holds out, I don't feel pressured into doing all of my casting at once. Once my bullet supply drops down to about 500 for each caliber that I shoot, casting starts again until 1000 for each caliber is reached. This fills in the ocassional spare time that comes up especially in the winter. Your take on this may be different and understandable.:)

Thanks for all the replies. I hadn't thought about the time, so much. I just found out a few days ago that my wife is pregnant with our first child so time will probably be very limited in the near future!

Congrats!!!! My wife and I had our first 16 months ago and I still remember vividly coming home to her eyes full of tears, telling me that she was expecting! What a rush! There is nothing like having a child... a future shooting buddy. My little princess already owns 3 guns, and is well prepared to hunt and fish with Daddy when the time comes! But it is funny how your priorities change, and some things (like hunting, shooting, and fishing) don't seem as important.

Congratulations again, and God bless, Ryan

Thanks for all the replies. I hadn't thought about the time, so much. I just found out a few days ago that my wife is pregnant with our first child so time will probably be very limited in the near future!
Congratulations & let us know when the stork comes & maybe some of us casting nuts will send a box of birthday bullets!!:D:D:D Kidding aside (no pun intended) your life is defintely going to change but be sure to enjoy it because it will go too fast!

Thanks for all the replies. I hadn't thought about the time, so much. I just found out a few days ago that my wife is pregnant with our first child so time will probably be very limited in the near future!

That's the correct answer, and it shows your priorities are in the right place.

Have a princess farm myself, not much spare time, and by far the most expensive hobbies I ever had. Best of luck,

It's a hobby-within-a-hobby, can include saving money, but most of us will admit that there is a certain level of sadisfaction that keeps us casting.
I agree with Ribbon's comment. I started casting to save money and get the most accuracy from reduced velocity rifle loads. As it turns out, I enjoy casting as much as handloading/shooting! Try it, I bet you'll like it!

I like casting because my current favorite bullet is a 44 caliber full wadcutter from a group buy mould over at castboolits. I buy a few bullets to experiment or for something I won't reload a lot of. My favored container for cast bullets is a 3 pound coffee can.

There is also the thought that you can always cast bullets if you can't get them for one reason or another. Primers and powder are unfortunately a whole different situation. I hadn't bought either in a year and about had a stroke with small pistol at $26+ per thousand and powder in the $20 area....and not a lot of choice in primer brands!

Know what you feel about prices. Bought large and small primers at a gun show last week. Cost me 46 dollars for 2 thousand. Last ones that I bought were about half that. If I had known they were going up much I would have stocked up. Did get a good buy last year he was going out of business. Only had 900 large pistol gave him 10 dollars for them. Think the good old prices are gone forever. Used to shoot three or four boxes a week now 22's will do part of my shooting instead of 45's.

I got in on this thread late. I started casting a few years ago just because I wanted to try it and gain satisfaction in making my own bullets. At that time, i got lots of free wheelweights or bought some at $10 per 5 gallon bucket (hernia time!). I also purchased some sheet lead at a recycling center for 10 cents a pound. Last week I went around to every tire store in town and couldn't buy any wheelweights at any price and the recycling center now sells lead at 75 cents a pound. Times they are a changing. But I still enjoy making them and will continue to do so, regardless of price. I bet i can scrounge some lead somewhere. Someone mentioned that casting for a rifle was a work in progress. I want to encourage you to stick with it. I have found that I can be just as accurate with cast bullets in my .308 as with factory ammo. I can consistently get 1" groups at 100 yards. Of course, these are slow loads in the 1900 to 2200 fps range. I use gas checks on Lee 160 or 180 bullets and either SR4759 or H4895 powder. Maybe not great long range hunting loads but they sure make nice looking holes in targets. I have ordered a 200 grain mold and that will give me three bullet weights to experiment with. I tumble lube with alox and have had absolutely no leading problems. Easy on the shoulder, not too loud, and pretty cheap to shoot. What more could one ask for?