Mean Matt McCord, SASS #24683 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I do not cast bullets. A, I am too clumsy to fool with molten metal and .. B. I already have enough lead in my system. What he said! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Coconino Pistolero, SASS # 72432 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 About 4500 Big Lube boolits in .44 and .45 a year. About 1000 .36 round balls. And I make my own lubed wads. Time is where you find it. I cast outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol Number4 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I use about 8-10,000 per year and use Desperado Cowboy Bullets exclusively for all my different cartridges. For the Cap & Ball pistols I buy them. Ol' #4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I do not cast my bullets. Did that some 30 years ago in my early days of silhouette shooting (44s). I was to picky with weight of each bullet and did not really enjoy the casting procedure so have not interest in doing it these days for cowboy or other. I obtain around 2000 bullets a year from Black Dawge (Powder, Inc). This is usually sufficient as I practice very little with BP ammo and shoot FCD in only major matches each year such as Winter Range, EOT, Landrun, TX state, SW Reg, Shootin in the Shade, U. S. Open, etc. Smokeless ammo is a different story, I may load 20-30K in a year for practice and shooting SD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireball #7709 Life Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Commercial hard cast, no special lube, simpler and I use a wad. Don't use many lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozark Bob Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I cast approx. 4 -5,000 big lube .38's, and 1-200 38/55 and 45/70 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushrod Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I cast 44 big lube, 250 gr. 45 colt,.457 round balls and 50 caliber R.E.A.L. bullets. Round balls and 50 cal. from soft lead the rest from wheel weights. never kept count but in the thousands. So much cheaper and satisfying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch bear Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 howdy i cast 45-70bullets and the 12.7x44r for my trapdoor and my swedisch rollingblock i have tried to cast bullets for my cowboy action loads, but it seems the more i shoot the more i buy and as my wife started shooting just over a year ago, i only cast the bullets for my single shot rifles now a days between the both of us we do 20.000+ rounds a year, and with a busy job i just haven't got time to CAST,load and shoot greets Dutch Bear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Graham, # 26112 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I make all mine. I am much fonder of casting than reloading. I do buy smokeless bullets for Wild Bunch and Teenage Girl .38's for new lady shooters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfego, SASS #50493 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 The challenge now is to find wheelweights or lead at a reasonable price. I was quoted $1.00 per pound for used wheelwieghs at our local 'scrap' store. elfego Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I shoot Frontiersman almost exclusively. I don't cast. I shot over 2500 round ball last year and an equal number cartridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingers McGee Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Dont cast bullets or roundballs. Go through about 1500 of each a year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I cast all the bullets for my wife and I ever since the local bullet/reloading store become unreliable with their cowboy bullet stock. Seems he mostly catered to the bottom feeder semi-auto crowd. Not sure how many I cast, but it is a bunch. Going tomorrow to buy 600 lbs of lead ingots from a guy on Craigs List. It's out there if you look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Blackerby SASS # 34989 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Althought I had all of the equipment and material for casting I just didn't see the time. I have my bullet suppliers send me "regular" lead heads un-lubed and run them thru my Star to get the SPG on them. When I want to "game" it up I'll by some Big Lubes from either Springfield Slim or you dear Pony. I go thru @ 1500 each of .45 & .38 per year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Dick, SASS #12880 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I cast all of my bp bullets including roundballs. I don't cast any bullets for smokeless although I might start casting for some of my military rifles. A local pard sells cowboy bullets at the local matches for a very reasonable price. Roundballs proved to be surprisingly easy. I have a Lee two cavity mould in .380" and a two cavity Lyman mould in .457". Assuming a supply of pure lead (I like cable sheathing the best) and a bottom pour furnace, I can crank out a ton of balls in short order. There's no mixing alloy and unlike the six cavity moulds for my cartridge bullets, the balls always drop right out with no beating on the hinge. The best part is that they are ready to use right out of the mould with no sizing or lubing. And since the balls weigh 80gr and 147gr respectively, I can go a long way before I have to replenish the furnace. Roundballs have become ridiculously expensive and if you've ever gotten some that are oversize or cast of alloy other than pure lead, you're in for a bad day. Casting my Big Lube bullets for my .44's and .45's goes pretty smoothly as well but lubing and sizing them sucks-next toy on my list is a Star lubrisizer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper Agate Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I cast every thing from round ball to 480 grain 50 cal bullets.I'd be guessing about the amount, probably 8,000 to 9,000 Jasper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairshake Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I have been casting since 1970 so I cast my own 44-40 from custom molds made by Accurate moulds. He has about a two week turn around with first class work. When he made my first mould it was less than a week but he has been found by many others. He only charges $119 for a three cavity out of brass to your door. I go through about 2400 a year in matches. I use a alloy of about 10BHN according to my Cabin Tree Tester. You use a soft alloy with a large lube carrying capacity. Most commercial bullets are too hard for BP and then you don't have obturation in the bore. The correct lube is also very important. I make my own but you may buy some from different sources. You will have days as I did last week where every round fired left a huge smoke cloud dead in front of my gun and I could not see the target at all. When these days happen you will have loads of fun but don't look to finish in the top shooters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royal barnes sass #5792 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 deleted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royal barnes sass #5792 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I buy 3-4000 cast, sized and lubed .44's and about 1500 .45's a year from a friend who is also a cowboy action shooter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Smokepole #29248L Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I cast my own. I shoot over 10,000 rounds of cast bullets per year in both Black Powder and smokeeeeeless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Hochbauer, SASS #64409 Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 As if loading real BP for rifle pistol and shotgun is not tedious enough and also roll crimping my shotgun shells.I have decided I needed something else to do.So I am now getting into casting and am having fun.It will be pretty much for my 44-40 and 45 acp ammo.I have no idea how many I go through per season and now my honey has joined the darkside and will be shooting at least 1 or 2 matches a month. Sgt H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Except for 25-20's that I buy from Meister, I cast every lead bullet I shoot 6100 bullets in inventory and believe over 4000 loaded rounds My new venture, just starting, is reloading 22 LR in original gunpowder! Have 5000 empty primed cases for starters and working on a custom 40gr 22 cal heeled bullet mould Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Pony Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 Thanks for all the replys, keep them coming. The "market survey" continues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Dastardly SASS #45219 Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I cast, of course, cuz I sell the Big Lube®LLC molds. I cast all of them but only shoot about half of the BL designs. The others I inventory for bullet samplers. So Iron Pony, yes! I do cast my own but I leave sales of bullets up to custom casters that use my molds. DD-DLoS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I cast, of course, cuz I sell the Big Lube®LLC molds. I cast all of them but only shoot about half of the BL designs. The others I inventory for bullet samplers. So Iron Pony, yes! I do cast my own but I leave sales of bullets up to custom casters that use my molds. DD-DLoS Yo Dick ... "The SASS Wire is for NON-COMMERCIAL POSTINGS ONLY." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Bullet use ,,, I buy all my .45 Cal. 250gr. RNFP bullets in lots of 10,000 ,At the same time I usally include 2,000 to 3,000, .38 cal. 158gr. RNFP And round out the order with 2,000 to 3,000 .40 cal. 180gr. RNFP bullets .... I offten also order 500 .408 cal. 370 Semi-pointed bullets for my .40-65 and about 500 .379 Cal. 249gr. RNFP for one of my .38-55s ( or unlubed ones .381 for my other .38-55).... Other bullets are usully bought in lots of 1,000 or cast in batches of 300 to 400 at a time ,,,,,,,,I cast all my own Round-balls in .36,.40, .44, .45, .50, .54, .58 & .62 Caliber.... Hope this helps ,,,, as for usage ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, it vairies I shoot between 30,000 and 50,000 bullets per year now down considerbly from the 85,000 to 120,000 I used to shoot .... Shooting is done both for testing and FUN ... Jabez Cowboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mud Marine,SASS#54686 Life Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Figure this is a good place to get some quick information and am looking to get input from BP cartridge shooters so here are the questions.. 1. Do you cast your own bullets or buy them commercially? 2. Approx how many a year/season do you go through? Thanks 100% real BP 50/50 Approximately 7,000 rounds per year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mud Marine,SASS#54686 Life Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 100% real BP 50/50 Approximately 7,000 rounds of .45 Colt 250 grains per year. OOPS! That's just SASS. I cast thousands of .45 ACP for indoor and outdoor bullseye smokeless rounds. Also, a "ton" more for my .38-55 and my .50-140 in 515 to 900 grains. My hunting loads are Leverevolution! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCandless Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Buy 'em. Got a good supply laid in. No idea how many I send downrange...roughly 4-5000 /yr. Ball and bullet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Cast 'em... but not that many, don't shoot enough to need that many; 'sides, I shoot C&B mostly... and those I buy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellgate #3302 L Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I cast all my boolits & balls unless someone brings some to a match and sells them for a song to get rid of them. Otherwise I cast up about 2000 per year (1000 .454 round ball and 1000 158gr RN 38 cal). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Windshadow Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I used to cast my own balls and slugs but that was before volume shooting in SASS ... also free wheel weights seem to have gone the way of the dodo and if you do buy a bucket of used weights from your local tyre shop so many of them will be the modern lead free sort that the extra labor in sorting the filthy mess sort of sucks the fun out of the process I still cast a 520g .457 SACCO slug for my 45-90 but that is just done using up my existing stocks of lead so I now purchase my slugs. The big 530 g paper patched I get via Buffalo arms http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm?viewfrom=49&catid=96&step=2 I get my big lube slugs from Springfield slim at White Leather Top quality is what I have seen http://www.whyteleatherworks.com/ Mark Whyte 5557 Bobbywood Ave San Jose, Ca 95124 408 356-5031 SASS# 24733 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noz Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I cast MavDutchman 44-40s for my rifle in the volume of around 2000-2500 per year. roughly the same number of .454 round balls for the pistols. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fontana Vic, SASS #47940 Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I cast around 15,000 a year, with 1200 to 1500 going for BP. I use 777 and don't use any special lube. I use Lee Alox, but coat them a little heavier for BP usage. Some people will tell you that this will not work... BUT it has for me, going on 9 years now. I did however, has some binding problems in my Rugers when I used Goex a few times. Hope this helps. FV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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