Hard cast lead bullets

[IheartGUNS]

I've never used Russian primers.

I use WW or Federal...I prefer Federal. I do not like CCI. The last primers I purchased were $15.50 per 1000 for WW. I still have many Federal and WW that I bought for $12.50 per 1000.

My cast bullets work out to about 10 cents per 100.

Wow are those primer prices from 20 years ago or something? I never seen primers that cheap.

 

[Jacurso]

Wow are those primer prices from 20 years ago or something? I never seen primers that cheap.

The $15.50...was around '07.....and the $12.50 around '04-'06....it's hard to remember. The price labels are still on the boxes. I still have lots of different powders that I paid $8 lb for also.......and some at $3 lb. I have many boxes of jacketed bullets in various calibers that are marked $5 per 100. Yes, I am a hoarder and very wallet wise. I learned from my Dad(who went through the Depression), not to take things for granted and stocking up on many things, may help you down the road.
When food, or anything else goes on sale, I buy multiples of it.
Recently, BiMart had loaded 9mm Remington ammo on sale in bulk. $180 per 1000. Limit two boxes. It works out to $9 a box of 50....about the best you can find factory loads these days. Sure I can reload cheaper, but if I get lazy....there it sits. I didn't really need it but I bought two boxes anyway.

 

[james2562]

I see that Badman has some 200gr 10mm bullets. Anyone want to go in on an order?

I am shocked that people shoot anything except cast or swaged lead in .45ACP. You have to be rich to shoot jacketed.
Go to MasterCastBullets.com or Missouri Bullets. For the .45ACP, first try to 14BHN bullets. Never needed the really hard bullets for .45ACP or .45Colt, only for some real hot Magnum loads--and I almost never load them hot enough to need harder bullets. When I started casting in the '70s, 14BHN was a very hard bullet.
For .40 caliber and up, lead is the only thing I can afford and never had any problems.
To try to ensure success, slug your barrel. Most, but not all, .45ACPs are quite happy with 0.452" bullets. However, if the groove diameter of your barrel is larger than 0.451", you may have leading and lousy accuracy and you will need to get 0.453-0.454" lead bullets.
I particularly like MasterCastBullets.com because he lowers the price for the less expensive "soft" alloy, which is still over-kill if you ask me (and you didn't).
The 14BHN bullets at MasterCastBullets.com are:
.45 200gn SWC $55.71/1000
.45 230gn RN $64.07/1000
They are accurate and well worth the money. I prefer the 200gn L-SWCs for all my .45ACP shooting.
Try to order about 67 lbs of bullets (about 2000 230gn or 2300 200gn bullets), if you are ordering them to be shipped, as that will fit in the large fixed-price USPS boxes so shipping will be minimized.
If you are afraid of lead and rich, go to Precision Delta (230gn FMJ for $130/1000, or $128/1000 if you order 6000)--a LOT cheaper than Hornady, Sierra, Remington, Winchester, and Speer. No reason NOT to stock up now if you have the money--prices will only be going up.

 

[Jacurso]

Jacketed does get spendy........I use to reload for others and then stopped years ago when I realized how much my rearend was hanging out liability wise. It did pay for all my equipment however.
I was able to retrieve tens of thousands of once fired rifle and handgun cases from a friend in Calif. who ran a county range. He'd sweep them up and put them in a 55 gal. drum and I would go down 3-4 times per year and scoop up what I needed. I kind of got carried away........some day I'm going to have to sell some.

 

[gunfreak]

I cast my own too. Bought a 10lb Lee pot. It is so easy and when you get lead from someone for free you save a lot of money.

 

[Jacurso]

I cast my own too. Bought a 10lb Lee pot. It is so easy and when you get lead from someone for free you save a lot of money.

Yep. My only cost is the electricity to run the pot(make my own lube too and that's been free).......works out to about 10 cents per 100 bullets cast...including the warmup.

So figuring the price I paid for my powder, primers and the cost of the casting the bullets.......A box of .45acp is costing me about $1.14 to load up.

I had some 20 year old Red Dot, that I found the other day, (the price tag says $6) plus some WW primers that are about 6 years old($12.50 per 1000) and a handful of .358 bullets that I cast last year and I loaded a box of .38s for about .80 cents.
Sure wish I could beat the power company like I beat the bullet makers....

 

[Key-Hay]

Get mine from Snappy Dan

2nd Chance Bullet Co.

 

[joken]

I am far from an expert on casting. I've been at it a year or so and still have a lot to learn. I load primarily for my 1911 .45 and some 9mm. Leading is a big problem because it can increase pressure and is murder on accuracy. If bullets are under-size and some are, or the round has too much crimp the expanding gas will blow by the bullet and deposit lead on the barrel. Improper lube and over sized bullets cause problems too. My first experience with lead bullets was an order of 500 230 gr RN. They were too small for my barrel and I also crimped them like I always did jacked bullets. I couldn't shoot over 10 rounds before the pistol would not feed because it was so dirty. Yes, I did load several hundred before I read enough to identify the problem. My cast bullets are now sized properly for my barrel and with proper lube work pretty good. I hope my experience helps someone from having the same problems I had. Google Cast Boolits and start reading and asking questions. I'm in Corvallis and will help anyone that wants to get started. It's a great way to spend a rainy winter day. Ken

 

[RVTECH]

Got a brick of CCI 500s in front of me with a Bi-Mart sticker on it showing $6.70.

 

[Throckmorton]

Got a brick of CCI 500s in front of me with a Bi-Mart sticker on it showing $6.70.

wanna triple ur money ?

I also get my bullets from Snappy and Rose at 2nd chance bullets.You need to order several days before u run out,rush orders are a thing of the past with the upsurge in shooting in general. they will deliver at ranges when they shoot,tri county,Olympia/tumwater area,etc