I have both and personally like the bottom pour better, although mine does kind of get stopped up a little at times. I also know some guys who have used both and like the ladle pour better. If you are going to use wheel weights I would get a seperate set, up such as a turkey frier and cast iron pot to melt the ww down into ingots.
Bullet casting....
- Thread starter DakotaElkSlayer
- Start date
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Dale53
Blackhawk
DakotaElkSlayer"Personal opinion said:
unter1
Bearcat
What Dale53 said....
DakotaElkSlayer
Bearcat
Guys, thanks so much for the tips with the turkey fryer! I already have a Camp Chef stove so I will be on the lookout for a cast iron pot/dutch oven at the local thrift shops/yard sales.
Right now I am on page 56 of "From Ingot to Target"...lots and lots to learn!
Jim
Right now I am on page 56 of "From Ingot to Target"...lots and lots to learn!
Jim
txpete
Bearcat
started out with a coleman stove lee SC mold :lol: now my casting pot holds 40 lb's of alloy.
Bucks Owin
Hunter
2 dogs said:
I hear that, me too! :lol:
I tried using a dipper for awhile after hearing so much about how it's a "better" method than a downpour pot. About all I can say about it is that it's slower. I soon went back to my decades old Lee Production Pot and never looked back. Takes some practice and temp juggling but works well for me.... :wink:
Driftwood Johnson
Blackhawk
Howdy
Frankly, I only cast bullets for my Black Powder cartridges. This is because they are cast from a special mold from very soft lead and only a couple of casters cast them commercially. So I cast my own.
But for regular hard cast Smokeless bullets I am perfectly happy to pay somebody else to do the dirty work. Casting can be dirty, sweaty work. I can usually buy my Smokeless bullets locally, so I don't have to pay for shipping, so I just let somebody else do the work, I am happy to pay him for his efforts.
All my molds are Lee aluminum six cavity molds. I cast two different 45 caliber bullets and one 44 caliber bullet. I have a mold for a 358 bullet, but I have not needed it yet.
If you are going to cast in quantity, get a bottom pour pot. At least twenty pounds. I have a Lee Pot, the one that has a little shelf underneath that I rest the mold on and slide it under the spigot. Just like a bartender filling a row of glasses all at once. It is the only way to cast if you need to cast a lot of bullets. Forget a ladle, that is fine for a few rifle bullets, buy usually for pistols you want to cast a lot of bullets.
After casting I size all my bullets in a Star lubrasizer and lube them with SPG. I used to use a RCBS machine, but it was a pain to size lots of bullets, so I spent the money on the Star. Lots of money, but well worth it.
I am getting tired of my Lee pot though. The spigot drips continually. That is a feature of the Lee pots. You can mess with it, but it always starts dripping again. Next year I may spring for a Lyman pot. Again, more money, but you get what you pay for.
I usually only cast one weekend in the fall. I cast all my bullets for the upcoming Cowboy season, usually around 2000 or so in all for all three calibers. Once I get going, I enjoy it, but it is a pain because I have to completely rearrange my basement for casting. Perhaps if I didn't have to do that I would enjoy it more and do it more often.
Here are some photos.
Here is my lubrasizer setup.
Frankly, I only cast bullets for my Black Powder cartridges. This is because they are cast from a special mold from very soft lead and only a couple of casters cast them commercially. So I cast my own.
But for regular hard cast Smokeless bullets I am perfectly happy to pay somebody else to do the dirty work. Casting can be dirty, sweaty work. I can usually buy my Smokeless bullets locally, so I don't have to pay for shipping, so I just let somebody else do the work, I am happy to pay him for his efforts.
All my molds are Lee aluminum six cavity molds. I cast two different 45 caliber bullets and one 44 caliber bullet. I have a mold for a 358 bullet, but I have not needed it yet.
If you are going to cast in quantity, get a bottom pour pot. At least twenty pounds. I have a Lee Pot, the one that has a little shelf underneath that I rest the mold on and slide it under the spigot. Just like a bartender filling a row of glasses all at once. It is the only way to cast if you need to cast a lot of bullets. Forget a ladle, that is fine for a few rifle bullets, buy usually for pistols you want to cast a lot of bullets.
After casting I size all my bullets in a Star lubrasizer and lube them with SPG. I used to use a RCBS machine, but it was a pain to size lots of bullets, so I spent the money on the Star. Lots of money, but well worth it.
I am getting tired of my Lee pot though. The spigot drips continually. That is a feature of the Lee pots. You can mess with it, but it always starts dripping again. Next year I may spring for a Lyman pot. Again, more money, but you get what you pay for.
I usually only cast one weekend in the fall. I cast all my bullets for the upcoming Cowboy season, usually around 2000 or so in all for all three calibers. Once I get going, I enjoy it, but it is a pain because I have to completely rearrange my basement for casting. Perhaps if I didn't have to do that I would enjoy it more and do it more often.
Here are some photos.
Here is my lubrasizer setup.
txpete
Bearcat
Bucks Owin
Hunter
Driftwood Johnson said:
Wish I had the dinero for a Star, I expect there's a tad more accuracy sizing nose first. Maybe I'll try a Lee push through against my faithful old 450 "one of these days" and see if I can detect a difference...
The Lee drip... I decided to "fix" that once by lapping the stem to the liner with valve grinding compound. Now my Lee has a replacement liner!
:lol: I can live with it though and find that by firmly seating the valve after each pour, along with an occasional "bounce" the drip is minimized...:wink: (And fluxing in a seperate pot first 8) )
txpete
Bearcat
buck the star lubesizers are pricey BUT worth every penny if you cast alot of bullets.I bought my star back in 94 zero problems and gave my lyman to a friend.
Bucks Owin
Hunter
txpete said:
I don't doubt it. Too bad all my Lyman dies and nose punches won't interchange... :?
txpete
Bearcat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCtLi8i7tMg&NR=1
tek4260
Buckeye
Bucks Owin said:Driftwood Johnson said:
Wish I had the dinero for a Star, I expect there's a tad more accuracy sizing nose first. Maybe I'll try a Lee push through against my faithful old 450 "one of these days" and see if I can detect a difference...
The Lee drip... I decided to "fix" that once by lapping the stem to the liner with valve grinding compound. Now my Lee has a replacement liner!
I can live with it though and find that by firmly seating the valve after each pour, along with an occasional "bounce" the drip is minimized...:wink: (And fluxing in a seperate pot first 8) )
I simply clamp a pair of vice grip's to the top of the stem. That way I can adjust the screw to allow more flow rather than using it to control drip by tightening it down.
Bucks Owin
Hunter
tek4260 said:Bucks Owin said:Driftwood Johnson said:
Wish I had the dinero for a Star, I expect there's a tad more accuracy sizing nose first. Maybe I'll try a Lee push through against my faithful old 450 "one of these days" and see if I can detect a difference...
The Lee drip... I decided to "fix" that once by lapping the stem to the liner with valve grinding compound. Now my Lee has a replacement liner!
I can live with it though and find that by firmly seating the valve after each pour, along with an occasional "bounce" the drip is minimized...:wink: (And fluxing in a seperate pot first 8) )
I simply clamp a pair of vice grip's to the top of the stem. That way I can adjust the screw to allow more flow rather than using it to control drip by tightening it down.
Thanks pal. Actually, if my alloy is cleaned first, I don't have much issue with an occasional little drip and my 10 lb Production Pot is an old timer with no flow adjustment...(Other than my practiced "touch"... :wink: )
