Getting ready for casting

Gil Martin · Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 9:51 am Post subject: Getting ready for casting

For years I have been casting muzzle loader round balls using a lead pot on a Coleman camp stove. While it did work, it was difficult to maintain a consistent temperature for casting the round balls. I just bought and received a Lyman lead furnace to replace the Coleman camp stove as a heat source to melt lead. As soon as the weather warms up I will set up my operation in the backyard. How many of you good folks roll your own muzzle loader bullets? All the best...
Gil

stovepipe · Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 10:28 am Post subject: Re: Getting ready for casting

I don't cuz I buy all my projectiles due to time constraints. But I help supply one of my USPSA squad mates with lead. I scrounge the filling station for wheel weights. I'll get 20# ata time, then melt it into an ingot. He takes it from there. He's got a decent furnace/smelting set up. He can process a TON of the stuff in no time. Pretty impressive! You guys have it down to a science- including hardness formulating and testing BH. That's truly the final qualifier in rolling-yer-own when you make your own projectiles!

slimjim · Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 1:49 pm Post subject: Re: Getting ready for casting

Gil Martin wrote:

As soon as the weather warms up I will set up my operation in the backyard.

Warms, up? It was 86 F in North Texas yesterday. Oh, the Northeast is due for one more Nor'easter. Guess the ground hog had it right.

Have fun smelting, Gil.

Vince · Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:10 pm Post subject: Re: Getting ready for casting

I cast .308, 6mm and .224 as well as casting #7.5 shot, but the closest I’ve come to casting round balls for black powder shooting is casting #F and OO buck...oh yeah, and round ball fishing sinkers.

Aloysius · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2018 1:28 am Post subject: Re: Getting ready for casting

Gil, you're not alone... my BP-guns are all .45 caliber (incl. the Parker Hale Volunteer which is a whitwort). I also have the Lyman cal. 12 slug mould, but still have to use it more often. For handgun I can help myself with 7,65mm, .38/.357, .44 and .45 ACP. Rifle I recently got the Lee .225-55g mould and an 8 mm and .378 mould on the way as an extention for my several .308 and .45 moulds.
Casting doesn't stop with blackpowder... with pure lead also think about cal. 12 where you even can make your own moulds.
It's fun!