gonna start bullet casting

[MDman]

Well tomorrow I go to get about 400lb's of old wheel weights. And naturally I have a few questions.

1, how should I go about getting the metal tabs off the weights?

2, I am under the impression that you do not used cast bullets in modern high power rifles.( like 308) that if the bullet is going to be moving faster then 2,000 fps it will deform even with a gas check.


Anyone suggest a good book on bullet casting?

Oh and I think I am going to be making shot gun slugs first.

 

[Hawg]

Put the weights, clips and all in your melting pot. The clips will float to the top and you can skim them off with the rest of the dross. The weights with the clips are harder than the stick on weights. The stick ons are pure lead or close to it. They work really well in muzzle loaders but are a little too soft for heavy loads in cartridge guns. The clip ons work fine in cartridge guns but use gas checks for really heavy loads.

 

[Gbro]

Wheel weight are good, and the steel tabs will just float to the surface.

GOOD ventalation is the priority here, and a resparator would be in order also.
I will look up the info on the proper one to use.

Check out this link;
http://groups.msn.com/THEGUNROOM/yourwebpage1.msnw


and;


http://groups.msn.com/THEGUNROOM/bulletcasting2.msnw

 

[MDman]

good thing they float..I was worried I was gonna have to use pliers

thanks for responses.

 

[res45]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/

 

[Ken O]

I'm a real long time bullet caster, and highly recommend the forum that Res45 posted.
For your wheelweights, smelt them down and clean the crap off the top that floats including the clips, I do a 100 pounds at a time, and pour into easy to handle ingots. You can use cupcake/muffen pans or anything else if you don't have ingot molds. Make sure you sort out the zinc wheelweigts, it only takes a couple to ruin a whole melt, you will be very frustrated if your stuff gets contaminated with zinc. There are more and more zinc showing up, you can usually pick them out, do a search on the above forum to know what to look for. If you have a lead thermometer, you can keep the temp low enough to melt the wheelweights, and the zinc will float also.
When you put your ingots into a melting pot to pour your bullets, put a little clay cat litter on top to keep the oxygen off the top of the lead. Preheat your mold by putting the corner in the lead while its melting. If you don't have a thermometer, have enough heat so the bullet starts to frost, then back off and you will be about right. If its too cool you will have wrinkles and they wont be filled out.
This is just a starter, its not rocket science, but there are a lot of mistakes that will get you frustrated.

 

[armoredman]

castboolits.com is an OUTSTANDING resource, they helped me get started in a big way. It is a fun and productive hobby, but be safe.