Casting Bullets

Most people associate casting bullets with muzzleloader or black powder shooting, but casting a bullet is also an option for some slower velocity modern firearms as well. Casting is both an art and science. The science is pretty straight forward, and I will do my best to cover it here. The art of it will come with practice; you will know you have mastered the art when you consistently cast a bullet that meets your standards.

To cast a bullet, you will need a few basic tools designed to heat, shape, and size metal into a projectile capable of firing from your weapon. To begin with, you will need some type of metal to form into the bullet; lead is the most common. Lead is generally soft in its pure form, so tin or antimony can be added in order to make it harder. I am going to concentrate on casting a bullet for reproduction 1800s muzzleloaders so soft lead is appropriate, no need to mix in additional metals.

In addition to lead and alloying additional metals to increase hardness, you will also need to ensure your lead is clean. Adding spoonful of flux to the melted lead will draw and cling to the dirt and debris, allowing you to use a spoon to skim the debris off the top. You can use a commercial flux, such as Brownells Marvelux or Frankford Clean Cast, or rosin, paraffin, tallow, or wax.

Casting bullets also requires a heat source capable of reaching temperatures of around 600 degrees, such as an electric casting furnace or a cast iron pot used over a hot fire. A furnace may or may not be designed to dispense the melted lead from the bottom; some, like the Hot Pot, have the heating element connected to a pot equipped with a handle and pour spout. If just using an iron pot, you Far

will need a dipper or ladle to scoop out the melted lead and transfer it to the bullet mold. The bullet mold is required to give the bullet its shape. There are several reputable brands of bullet molds out there offering hundreds of sizes to choose from. Know your bore and recommended bullet size and weight before selecting a mold; refer to owner’s manuals, casting guidebooks, and reloading charts to find this information.

New molds should be cleaned with a mild detergent and soft bristled brush to remove machining and packing grease, then thoroughly dried. Then, to aid in bullet release, "smoke" the mold; strike a wooden match and expose it to the mold cavity. A little bullet lube can be applied to the hinges and alignment rods to keep it moving smooth, however, don’t apply lube to the mold cavity as it will prevent molten lead from forming nice bullets until removed.

For brand new molds, I usually cast a dozen or so preliminary bullets, cycling them back into the melted lead as they’re imperfect, before I feel the mold is ready to go. I also always warm up my brokenin molds before I begin casing by exposing it to the melting lead. You will want to ensure you set up your casting station outside, or at the very least, in an extremely well-ventilated area if you must cast indoors. The area should be free the scope in using the white tape stripe as a guide.

Install ring caps loosely and set the rifle in a secure position for reticle leveling. I use an EXD Engineering Vertical Reticle Instrument (an over barrel scope leveling device) as well as a plumb line hung at 70 feet. Regardless of how you establish a truly vertical line, set the vertical stadia to plumb with it, secure the ring caps, and re-confirm vertical has been maintained. and clear of any possible exposure to water; if water were to combine with your melted lead it could cause explosive bubbling.

Afire extinguisher should be nearby, and children and pets should be far away. Personal protective equipment should be made of natural materials and consist of long pants, long sleeve shirt, thick leather gloves, a respirator, and eye protection. Now, it’s just a matter of melting the lead, pouring it into the mold, and letting it cool. Then, using a mallet, rotate the spur, open the mold, and release the bullet onto a padded surface.

You now have formed a bullet ready to be sized and lubricated for loading new ammunition. AG sighting in for the final cold bore shot. Rarely, different ammunition is needed to be tested to get a target that will satisfy the customer. I provide the final cold bore shot target with the completed job.