Cast bullets

[jman47]

I am starting to reload 45-70 and notice the cast bullets are much cheaper than lead. Is the reloading process any different with cast bullets? Also I have been reading about lubing the bullet as well as some people put gas checks on them. Are these two things required?

 

[kuduman]

Uh, what are the cast bullets made out of that's not lead?

 

[jman47]

It has some lead in it and also a few other metals. All I really cant understand is the part about lubing the bullet and the gas checks. Is it required or not?

 

[Petro_58]

For a basic example, Gas Checks are Required or Not depending on several things. Powder, Pressure, and Velocity of the Load your wanting to use.

 

[kuduman]

I'm going to guess that you are talking about casting your own bullets, vs. purchasing bullets already cast.

Gas checks aren't necessary if the alloy is hard and/or velocities low. Lube is always needed.

It looked to me that the time, money, and headache of casting my own greatly exceeded the cost savings I could get out of it.

 

[Petro_58]

One of the Fad's right now instead of Lubing is Powdercoating the cast bullets. I haven't tried it yet still getting a few more things together to start casting my own. I'm almost ready to go.

 

[jman47]

I was acctually looking at the cast 45-70 bullets on midway that were around 23 cents ea. for 45-70. Was hoping it would be as simple as no lube or gas check.

 

[richs]

You'll need a decent sized-luber for this. I have an OLD one, but no dies. This press does 2 jobs, it sizes the round and adds lube, usually a wax compound. A gas check is a small copper disk added to the bullet during the cast process.

 

[JBKnifeworks]

One of the Fad's right now instead of Lubing is Powdercoating the cast bullets. I haven't tried it yet still getting a few more things together to start casting my own. I'm almost ready to go.

This "fad" allows me to shoot cheep lead through my suppressor without clogging it up.

 

[Petro_58]

This "fad" allows me to shoot cheep lead through my suppressor without clogging it up.

Don't take offense I'm just saying it's a Fairly New Fad/Craze. I've got most everything to do it myself, oven, powdercoat set etc. And I intend on trying it. Some guy's get into all kinds of Psycadellic colorings etc. Cast Boolits website has a lot of good reading on different ways to do this. It appears to me to be Better than fooling with Lubes, and stuff less chance for smokey shooting, barrel leading etc. and I'm curious to see what my results are. Not new to reloading, but New to Casting my own.