Bullet casting. How many per hour?
Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Bullet casting. How many per hour?
I dont know who casts their own bullets here, but how many bullets per hour for a 45-70 lee double cavity mold, would be a reasonable rate of casting?
Re: Bullet casting. How many per hour?
It would partly depend on the size of your pot. 45-70 slugs will empty a 10# Lee pot fairly quickly. If you had a good rhythm going you should easily get 100+ in an hour of casting. Those big bullets in aluminum molds can get the mold over heated pretty fast if you're casting quickly. A wet dishrag to touch the bottom of the mold on will help with that problem and let you keep on trucking.
NRA Life Member
Re: Bullet casting. How many per hour?
I wouldn't worry about speed as much as I would quality. When you get a rhythm going you'll be surprised at how fast it goes.
If you're gonna be stupid ya gotta be tough-
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
Re: Bullet casting. How many per hour?
One problem that crops up real fast in those Lee molds is overheating, especially in the larger bullets.
Don't worry about how many bullets you can cast in an hour , worry about how many usable bullets you can cast in an hour. Take it nice and easy and get into a good rythym and your bullets will come more uniform and your molds won't take as bad of a beating.
Don't worry about how many bullets you can cast in an hour , worry about how many usable bullets you can cast in an hour. Take it nice and easy and get into a good rythym and your bullets will come more uniform and your molds won't take as bad of a beating.
- Griff
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 20876
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:56 pm
- Location: OH MY GAWD they installed a STOP light!!!
Re: Bullet casting. How many per hour?
WHAT??? You're supposed to keep track??? I generally run 3 2-cavity molds till I get tired or bored. Which has to happen immediately upon notice that my wife wants me for something else! Sometimes I get alll day, others only a few hours. Sometimes the pot doesn't even get waem!
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Re: Bullet casting. How many per hour?
Griff it can vary a whole big bunch. The other day I braved the cold and ran a bunch of .400 pp bullets from the new baco mold, and ran some of the rcbs 530's also, went about 45 minutes and probably got 30 of each that were keepable, and have about a dozen of those, that didn't make the cull, in the box ready to go back to the pot.
I try to do my casting while she's still at work, then I don't have to get bored so quick
I try to do my casting while she's still at work, then I don't have to get bored so quick
- marlinman93
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 6500
- Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 3:40 pm
- Location: Oregon
Re: Bullet casting. How many per hour?
I usually cast several different bullets when I get ready to cast for the same reason Don gave; don't want to over heat my molds and have quality go down. By casting from several molds I can let one sit if the mold blocks start to get too hot. Never really kept track of numbers cast.
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
-
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 6972
- Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:52 pm
- Location: Ridgefield WA. USA
Re: Bullet casting. How many per hour?
I too cast for quality and not speed. If everything is right I usually can get a couple hundred KEEPERS in a 3 hr session.
I scrutinize my bullets with an intense scrute!! No need to shoot krapp when there are more good bullets in the pot waiting to be cast.
I scrutinize my bullets with an intense scrute!! No need to shoot krapp when there are more good bullets in the pot waiting to be cast.
Re: Bullet casting. How many per hour?
Thanks guys. I think I will sell the lead on e-bay, then just go buy the bullets I need.
I have about 300lbs of wheelweights here, and thought I would put them to some use. I can buy 1000 405grn bullets for $160, which shoot fine in my rifle.
I was trying to weigh out the economics before getting into casting.
I have about 300lbs of wheelweights here, and thought I would put them to some use. I can buy 1000 405grn bullets for $160, which shoot fine in my rifle.
I was trying to weigh out the economics before getting into casting.
- Sixgun
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 18763
- Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 7:17 pm
- Location: S.E. Pa. Where The Finest Winchesters & Colts Reside
Re: Bullet casting. How many per hour?
On Sunday, I cast up 1600 115 gr. 32-20 bullets and 1400 175 gr. 30 cal rifle bullets. From start to finish (heat up to clean up) it took me 6 hours.
I cast with two 4 cavity moulds out of a 22 lb. RCBS furnace. Next to the RCBS furnace I keep a 30 lb pot on a gas stove so I never run out of good hot alloy. Everything gets water quenched into 5 gal. buckets, so I never run out of an area to drop the bullets.
Only the first few are thrown back in. When the temperatures of the moulds and the alloys are kept at a constant, rejects are rare.
I am half Italian but my other half (German) gives me the ability to be efficient, with no down time and no waste:D -----Sixgun
Unless you have time to burn and can afford it, buy them. I'm cheap, poor, and have rifles and sixguns to which bullets are very hard and expensive to come by.------------Sixgun
I cast with two 4 cavity moulds out of a 22 lb. RCBS furnace. Next to the RCBS furnace I keep a 30 lb pot on a gas stove so I never run out of good hot alloy. Everything gets water quenched into 5 gal. buckets, so I never run out of an area to drop the bullets.
Only the first few are thrown back in. When the temperatures of the moulds and the alloys are kept at a constant, rejects are rare.
I am half Italian but my other half (German) gives me the ability to be efficient, with no down time and no waste:D -----Sixgun
Unless you have time to burn and can afford it, buy them. I'm cheap, poor, and have rifles and sixguns to which bullets are very hard and expensive to come by.------------Sixgun
Re: Bullet casting. How many per hour?
I probably cast differently than others. I tend to use 1 mould and mostly use only iron. Can't stand aluminum though I have a few. I check every bullet as I cast and throw bad ones back in the pot as I go, using a 20lb pot. Casting in that manner I tend to cast about 200-250 rounds per hour. I'd use more than one mould but I tend to use a bit more pure lead mixed with my WW's for pistol bullets and straight WW's for rifle stuff. I NEVER water quench my bullets as air cooled works best for my hunting.
44
44
“I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.” Ronald Reagan
-
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 6972
- Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:52 pm
- Location: Ridgefield WA. USA
Re: Bullet casting. How many per hour?
44LVR , That sounds a lot like my system. No hurry, casting bullets is a hobby of mine that just feeds my second hobby, reloading.
Reloading feeds a third hobby, shooting. I enjoy each.
Reloading feeds a third hobby, shooting. I enjoy each.