Lee Precision Pro 4-20 Electric Casting Pot Overview

[jmoney31705]

you can melt down old silver rings no one wants and sell silver bullets to the the emo kids

[bullriderfxxx]

i like lee smelting pots a lot but i hate their molds, i can never get a perfect bullet with it compared to lyman mold i make .58 cal minie bullets for my springfield

[kweek45]

Im going in to casting I want to get this pot and start saving. but Im a little worried about dust Im going to pick up a mask and goggles for lead. and do it outdoors but what else can I do to keep this hobby safe. any advice? anyone?

[Julius44bc]

Because of your influence I bought one of these and I'm going to give casting a shot.

[blackbike82]

I have the smaller lee pot that lasted almost 20 years. A tip for casting bullets. If you have a candle burning char the inside of the mold and it helps prevent the bullets/weights from sticking. Also don't let your mold get too hot because it will change the diameter of the bullet.

I have casted over 20,000 bullets for muzzleloaders and at least 5,000 fishing weights..

The pot will also heat up a lot faster if you add small amouts of lead at a time and if you empty it when finished.

[Diabolos1]

4-20? Pot? Really Lee Precision...

[TechRaptor93]

more casting please, very interesting

[bak1911]

are you going to do a loading vid for the trapdoor? im looking at buying a milsurp one and dont wanna load bp.

[bak1911]

Bought one these lil babies. i love the 20 pds over the 10 pds... damn so much better. lol.

[daaltarian]

how much was the cost of this one? 

[MrRussian19]

"Any amount of quantity" wut?!

[soldier715]

Own one, love it.

[OnlyInhuman666]

great video always wondered how people made bullets. are there molds for 7.62x 54R ? this would make finding hunting legal ammo very simple.

[medhist2006]

I have cast thousands of bullets with this pot. My only complaint is it dribbles. I was in Wisconsin and took it to the plant. They fixed it for me while I went for a burger. I have re-lapped the flow rod but it still does it. I ended up putting a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom and turning up the edge nearest me to act as a splatter guard. I have nothing but the highest regard for the folks at LYman and their products.

[Outdoorsman351]

Why did you put bullet back at 6:20?

[flemingjim1953]

IV8888, might I suggest that you mention how much the pot cost you, in the video? I realize that the price will flucuate with time, but it's a useful tidbit... I know from experience that they go for about $75 plus shipping, currently.

[DavZZee]

Great vid. You might be interested in the electronic temp control that's easy and inexpensive to build. The info for it is on the cast boolits site. I built one to work with my Lyman Mag 20 and it's awesome. I'm getting a Lee 6 cav mold for .45 acp and any info you can pass along on using aluminum molds would be appreciated.

[glockman1727ak47]

I would like to see more on bullet casting. I may be able to see what i need from your other videos. I have some concern with safety and lead poison and lead count.

[eXdXgXe4life]

I have the same pot and I love it. I have about 100lbs of pure lead and don't know what to do with it. I've made 44 magnums out of wheel weights, but I'm sure pure lead will cause leading, even with lee liquid alox. Do you have any knowledge on mixing metals / making alloys (linotype, tin, etc...)? THANKS!

[glockman1727ak47]

@eXdXgXe4life my limited understanding is you mix in some tin. like 5-10% and get a really good bore cleaner that eats lead. I have seen some good heavy duty cleaners that you use in the bore only.

Someone else please explain more. I have not done any casting.

[medhist2006]

@eXdXgXe4life .try adding some linotype if you want the bullets harder. I shot hundreds of 44mag with wheelweights. If your going to crank up the velocities you need a harder alloy. Another thing you may consider is heat treating your bullets in the oven.

[MrSecuritycontractor]

I would love to see a vid on how and what alloy you mix with your lead ! It is my understanding pure lead is not used when casting bullets but have never seen the process!

[AreThereNoMoreNames]

Heh, dejavu right there. I started with the 10lb pot, myself, but the spout started to have frequent trouble after a few years and a few buckets of wheel weights, so I upgraded to the 4-20. Seems like everyone's using steel wheel weights now, so it's not getting so much love anymore.

[agj9]

noob question, but why use lead for bullets?

[therunningidiot]

@agj9 Cheap cost, heavy weight, and soft, so it won't damage the bore of the firearm.

[wildcatactual]

@agj9

When I started casting in the late 1980's it was a lot cheaper than using jacketed. (Plated bullets were few & far between). Fast forward to today & it isn't as cheap. Junk alloy from wheelweights or print shops has largely evaporated in most of the country.

IMO the only advantages casting still has are in making odd sized or unusual bullet designs otherwise unavailable or extremely expensive. Some milsurp falls into this category. Same for designs like OWC revolver bullets.

[camerl2009]

yea that martini can be real hard to keep up with on alloy my mk 4 likes 20-1 lead/tin and my mold cast a .470 bullet at 480gr

[TheVert1276]

is there a reason you are not quenching the bullets?

[camerl2009]

@TheVert1276 he does not want hard bullets for these rifles the .45-70 likes about a 13bhn for the pre 1898 rifles

[clony101]

hehe, now i know why my dad called me lee -is kidding-

[badlieutenant13]

I liked this video a lot, and I'd like to see more casting vids from you, barry is golden too, more stuff with him is always great......keep em coming!!!

[arealgasm]

I really want to get into casting this summer or next. The videos are great because I learn better seeing something done. I Appreciate your efforts.

[son8god8damn]

can i have your old 1 lol

[BubbaRountree]

I love lee products! Never had a problem with anything that they make! I've been loading for over 30 years... I saw in the comments that someone mentioned the lee buckshot mold, but in my opinion, the 'Sharp Shooter' buckshot molds are the best out there right now for molding buckshot in sizes from #4 to #0000 Buck! I did a video on both the lee and the sharp shooter molds a while back.

[badjeep02]

Lee is a great value. Quality is another matter.

[bigdogbuc]

They're on sale at Midway USA for less than $60. Your next option is $350 for an RCBS. And that is why I only use LEE Products and turned on all my friends that are thinking about re-loading to LEE. When you're limited on cash, want to stretch that out, and get quality products, LEE is the only way to go!

[krazycheetah]

What kind of mold is that. I am looking to get into casting for my .50 muzzle loader, and my 44. cal black powder pistol. I am referring to the custom mold but the other one.

[Eldangyankee]

Thanks for the video would like to see more. But where do you get the material to cast bullets ?

[MrMrtiki]

Works good .

[fuyingbro]

this is awesome. thanks for the video i have been thinking of getting into making my own ammo and videos like yours help

[neolexington]

That's a nice pot, I personally would love to see more casting videos.

[bigbuckjeff1]

Very good job love to see more reloading and casting vids. keep up the good work.

[kweek45]

good video by the way

[kweek45]

lol can i have ur old pot

[mohawksniper79]

Nice vid bro love to see more of it and reloading vids good work this is my go to channel keep it up the awsum vids

[Meehan1332]

more casting vids

[spockady]

never thought of doing my own projectiles. you have me interested thanks

[katz217]

Yes ,interested in casting video's. Great job.

[1339LARS]

I´ve had mine for approx 30 years !

[pdalko]

I've got one of those, best bang for the buck for casting

[bcten22]

Do you know how to make jacketed bullets? What about hollow points?

[TheBrowningmaxus8833]

I wanna see more casting videos....but please work on the ventilation and get a mask...Ive been a paramedic now for 18 years...and you dont need cancer....nobody does

[usernameuneeded]

@TheBrowningmaxus8833 Not that I can be quoted on it but it sounds as though there is an exhaust fan in the background

[dopefish93]

wait wait!! you are smelting lead indoors??!!! cancer?

[42105]

@dopefish93

i think while smelting,

he has a ventilation turned on - listen to the noise in the background

[Iraqveteran8888]

@dopefish93 I have a small fan pulling the fumes away out the door. Both front doors to my shop are open and the fumes are being pulled away.

[dopefish93]

@Iraqveteran8888 ok haha i always go outside and smelt cause i have no fan and i dont want my basement to smell like lead :( its a little tricky in the winters cause you need diferent temperature settings

[iamtheomega]

@Iraqveteran8888

Only vaporized, [not melted lead] is an issue, such as at temps and pressures in a firearm. Or possibly lead dust from a bullet trap. However, other chemicals such as in the flux or lead composition itself, hard to say.

[Iraqveteran8888]

@iamtheomega Yeah and be careful smelting your own ingots from wheel weights....many of them contain arsenic.

[iamtheomega]

@Iraqveteran8888

roger that, thanks

[elitenoob1147]

can i get ur old 10 pound pot off u? i could buy it

[camerl2009]

@dopefish93 im starting to think the cancer thing is a myth from cali heck just about anything in cali can cause cancer uncluding the air lol

[dopefish93]

@camerl2009 trust me breating lead is not risk free if you dont get cancer from it then lead poisioning or something else thats not very nice. i just used cancer because its a common disease caused by almost anything these days :P

[camerl2009]

@dopefish93 trust me ive cast indoors for a few years now and have even had lead dust poof right into my face(and mouth PS dont drop the bucket you put your dross into) and nothing has happened of corse it can but its more common in young kids with little amount of exposure your liver is there for a reason :P

[Trillios]

@dopefish93 belive it or not, once there was a guy that didnt "push" the fumes away, and when he checked lead values they werent any higher than normal, do accidentaly eating lead is even worse

[Trillios]

@dopefish93 remove the even....

[vados8383]

@dopefish93 Man, if You smokes, You will get cancer much faster, than if You work in lead foundry.

[Diidiidii4]

Miniballs !!!

[yomumisminging]

plez make something ridiculous with this

[StatenIslandPrepper]

you should talk about ventilation and wearing a safety breathing mask to filter out the fumes. As a paramedic for a bunch of years safety glasses , mask, and venting fan are always recommended

[LookItsRiceCake]

Thats cool. I've never seen that done. I make electronics so I solder alot and have played with molten lead, but never made bullets, so its kinda bad ass seeing this.

[ryanfpowell1]

please mske more casting videos and what do you do with the left over lead in the pot do you just leave it there for next time ???????????

[HammeringHank100]

Please make more casting videos. There very good.

[eviljagtech]

Can you do video on paper patching? Thats a neat little thing I wanted to try with my Mosins

[briandrift88]

thats thing is cool but can it melt cheese? lol

[thesuperfan99]

I use the same setup with 220 volt and use some 6 cavity gang molds. I love it works great!

[eviljagtech]

Note for you, if you use dirty lead (WW lead) you can mess it up, lots of clogs. Thats what happened to me on my first lee pot.

[Firepower357]

@eviljagtech only put properly fluxed, clean ingots in your casting pot. There are pots for melting dirty lead to flux and make ingots, your casting pot isn't intended for that.

[eviljagtech]

@Firepower357 I know that NOW lol, if you mess up and learn nothing wrong there. I got a whole operation now, all thanks to IV8888. These vids helped, just saying for those who don't know

[tahoepimp2039]

Yes more on casting sizing

[1LRLRG]

If you are casting just plinking bullets for .303 or 6.5 swedish do you need to size them or can you just pan lube and away you go. Thanks and excellant videos love those gun gripes

[Chiliconnada]

@1LRLRG Slug your barrel and size your bullets accordingly

[deathrooster14]

How do you clean it?

[Firepower357]

@deathrooster14 simple. Fire up the pot, melt the lead that's in it, pour it out, let it cool, and scrub it with a wire brush. jamming a paper clip up the pour spout helps get some of the slag out of there.

[cplbullet]

More videos on casting and sizing please

[MrShooter7676]

I'd like to to some buckshot cast if you have the time. thanks

[deathrooster14]

@MrShooter7676 I can't imagine how much of a pain in the ass that can be.

[MrShooter7676]

@deathrooster14 Lee sells a casting mold that casts 18 00 buckshot pellets. If you think about it, that gives you 2 9 pellet buckshot shells.

[scoob21625]

I bought this pot about 7 months ago when I started casting and i love it. I have made about 3 thousand rounds with it and and my 6 cavity molds. and its's great

[bigdogbuc]

Yes please, more videos on casting please!

[hogkillerjp]

great video,i have used lee melters and molds for 40 years never any problems always looking to learn more thank you.

[314299]

I've been using one of these for about a year and I'm very pleased with it.

[1crimm]

Lee definitely makes great products at a good price point

[SurvivalPax]

Let's see more videos about casting!

[tblbaby]

true, Lee is better for the price, & more often than not, just better, period

[thedirtbag7]

U should make a casting for a .410 slug and put it through that old single shot.

[fats429]

yes would like more casting videos thinking about getting it to it . I just started reloading in my basement . is this something that could be done in the house or does it smell and you do it in a work shop . in the video if you could include specs like how many you can make in a hour and the start up cost for just getting started and how long it takes to break even . right now I am paying $40.00 for 500rounds and shoot about 1000 rounds month

[paperkiller25]

@fats429 Check out Eric's other videos about casting. His series is full circle in the ways of casting.

Personally doing this inside is risky. Lead fumes are not so nice.

[stainless1911]

@paperkiller25 its not the lead, its the lube. this type of casting equipment doesnt get the lead hot enough to cause toxicity.

[Chiliconnada]

@stainless1911 Lead is "toxic" at any temperature, the fumes released when casting are toxic and ventilation should be in place

[stainless1911]

@Chiliconnada Lead doesnt go into a vapor until it reaches 860 degrees, that's the only time, besides when it's dust, that it becomes an inhalation hazard. an estimated 90% of lead poisoning is through ingestion. Hand to mouth, if you practice good hygiene, keeping your hands and your area clean, avoiding foods and smoking while handling lead, it wont get into the body.

[StatenIslandPrepper]

@Chiliconnada thank you I said it also I agree 100% also safety glasses

[101crazys]

@Iraqveteran8888 could you make casings with this? Like, say 7n6...

[Dr4x4guy]

will it do gold?

[TheCruzmeister]

Yes, please show some .22 casting.

[Jakerem870tac]

I'd love some more casting/reloading vids, esp some 12ga stuff.

[MrShooter423]

Great video. I got one about 4 months ago and love it. My 10lb is still going strong after 12 years of service. 

[DIECASTER]

I want to see you reload some 22 lr....

[bigsteel1991]

that was a great video. id love to handload and cast myown bullets but time and space are at a premium for a guy about togo to basic training.lol

[usops88]

please make some more vids on casting

[TexasPatriotHuneke]

yes please, make more vid's

[pbrexs]

I'm just starting out pouring my bullets. I would like to see more and maybe some tips if you can.

[donthebodyguard]

I have a guy @ my gun range who said he'd sell me .38 cal 158 gr SWC 52bucks for 1000 on average how much will he make?I'm thinking of casting down the road.Keep the casting vids coming

[Pinggong272]

Show us how you reload from start to finish. Your videos are always detailed and great!

[amos89id]

Thanks for the video. I really enjoy your educational videos such as, casting, lost arts, and how-to vids.

[boombap420]

420 pot lmao

[neanderthor66]

Where do you buy the lead for this?

[thegangvault2]

@neanderthor66 You can sometimes get lead for free from plumbers and tire stores (wheel weights). Check out cast boolits forum to read up on it.

[mdr8088]

Nice Pot. I'm glad I got a 20 lb pot, the 1oz Lee 12ga. slugs drains mine pretty fast.

[OgamerNL]

Please do make more videos on casting bullets. For some reason it is really interesting for me.

Keep up the great vids!

[GamersBar]

other than lead what can you cast with?

[4girls1bucket]

Can used wheel weights be used for casting bullets?

[carjacking09]

@4girls1bucket yea i have a friend that uses them the only thing is there alittle harder lead you have to adjust the powder amount

[4girls1bucket]

@carjacking09 I'm gonna give it a try. I just ordered some casting supplies so I can reload my 44s and 45s with my own lead. Cowboy ammo is way overpriced and boxed bullets are getting up there too.

[Dp908]

@4girls1bucket Yes, be sure to use clip on wheel weights as they come in around 13 BnH. Be sure to use published data in one of your reloading manuals for your 44's and 45's. Unique is probably one of the best choices you could ever make.

[4girls1bucket]

@Dp908 I just wanna save money bro. I'm very new to casting but I've been reloading for 15 years. I'm so addicted to shooting cowboy guns right now and even at walmart the winchester 45 long colt factory loads cost almost $1 a round. So I've been reloading all my long colt and 44mag but the cost of lead is very dissapointing. My brother owns a tire shop and he has hundreds of pounds of wheel weights for free.

[styles7887]

good stuff bud

[arriscado75]

nice vid

[64ig6kg0]

make more casting bullets



[chaos311clarity]

What kind of flux did you toss in there? that's the first time i've seen that done and it seems like a good idea to keep it from oxidizing.

[joehunt1980]

@chaos311clarity I use parrifin/candle wax for mine.

It pays to have good ventilation and give the lead a good stir while its burning away to get all the impurity's out

[Chiliconnada]

@chaos311clarity It only oxidizes where exposed to air, a flux just "cleans" debris of lead. It's not even necessary to flux a bottom pour pot, just skim the crap off the top from time to time. and as far as oxidizing, the bullet oxidizes immediately anyways after dropping out of mould

[signman1937]

been using a lee pot for over sixteen years, and it still works great

four lee pro1000 presses set up on on the bench also

[denisaaj]

Whats the cost and quality difference between casting bullets and buying ammo at the store?

[bak1911]

OK i cast my own bullets jigs and sinkers. What is the properway to store the lead pots? ive been told store them empty and also full... what do you store it as?

[joehunt1980]

@bak1911 It says in the manual to leave a half inch or so of lead in the pot which will help make the lead melt faster next time its switched on

[nalgaslaper]

Great video. My moms boyfriend has a 4 pound electric ladle that he had sitting around and never used, because when he made fishing weights with it the weight would fly off the brass eye. Well I found out the he needed a longer brass eye. Works like a charm. He also has a larger melting pot it might be the 10 or even the 20 pound pot, he was having trouble with the spout of the pot clogging. I think I might post a vid of the 4 pound pot in action. I like using clean lead in my pot btw

[DeadHandRed]

nice timing, was just looking at one of these.. how bout a vid on casting for rifle bullets? particularly a mosin?

[joehunt1980]

I recently bought one of these too.

Its a thousand tomes better and cleaner than using my old gas ring and steel pot with the added bonus of never needing to refill a gas bottle ever again!

Aint never going back! lol

[CrocoDuck420]

Have you ever considered shooting .50 diameter muzzle loading minie bullets from a 12 gauge shell?

[Dp908]

I have a Lee Pro4-20. One of the best on the market, wouldn't trade it for anything. Run it wide open til it gets to 700 degrees, flux it, throw the thermometer back in and turn it down to 4, and use the cold mold to bring it back to 750-775 and she's ready to go. I get very few rejects when using a thermometer with my pro4-20.

[Solingen1000]

lead*

[Solingen1000]

does the leav vaporize? if so...isnt that dangerous?...jw

[Solingen1000]

neato!

[MrGlock55]

id love more videos on casting and reloading! :)