"Bullet Casting Part 2- Casting, Quenching, etc" Video #75 Iraqveteran8888

[omgiTsmeJon]

4:08 That magic dog...

[LongRifle100]

Very well done. Thank you. You are a natural teacher. Lol @ titties...

[gdamcay]

just reading the responses thought i'd throw out some useful info,..always use the handles that go to the molds cause if there out of alignment they'll mess up the pins and holes . also one way to help keep the molds from getting hot too fast is to run two different molds at the same time ..put one down to cool then fill the other ..i always cast 358's and 458's at the same time even if i don't need one of them.

[DTesch357]

"Take your titties and throw em back in the pot."

That made me shoot coffee out my nose. Thanks, Eric. Thanks so much.

[777BedHead777]

thanks for the vid and do they make molds for rifle bullets soory i know stupid question but dont know any thing about makeing bullets and btw i finally subscribed

[thegangvault2]

Hey, noob question. Why not go with a 4 or 6 bullet mold? What's the advantage of a 1 or 2 hole mold? Love your vids btw. Learned a ton about reloading.

[MrOttmandus]

Do you ever cast copper or brass bullets?

[valttu94]

What caliber bullets you make in this video?

[v1g1lant376]

very informative thanks for this video titties ha

[omgiTsmeJon]

so if im right the lead sticking is pretty much condensation but with molten lead

[TomBuhls]

Eric- Do you use any moulds other than ones made by Lee? I've been shopping around for bullet moulds for a couple of my rifles, and the prices on some (Saeco, RCBS...) are higher than the cats back. Do you think that Lee moulds produce cast bullets at comparable quality to those higher priced moulds, or is there something that I'm missing?

[Pikors]

Hi Iraqveteran, i'm about to start casting bullets (mold ordered!) in a few days and I had a very basic question, at a certain moment, you say that if the molds gets too hot, it's better to let it cool for a while. But how can I see that the mold is too hot? Thanks for the videos and greetings from the home country of the K31... ;)

[frasatat2]

dude, dont say sorry. u are doin awesome work. when i finish buyn all the stuff i need, im sendn ya cash 4ya future projects. av jus finished castn 1oz slugs 4 the shotie , now 4 the 9mm n 357. cheers

[MrAganger]

i have noticed after you poor it into your molds that your furnace drips i was wondering how you clean up after it and what you could possible do to stop that? thanks

[markquimby82]

"take you a spoon full of titties....."

Classic Eric.

[Bilbo107]

Hi. I like your films, very informative. I am seriously considering casting .303 for my two WW1 Lee Enfield SMLE rifles, with a view to less wear on the barrels in the future and lighter loads. I remember that I saw somewhere that it is a good practise with a new mould to smoke it over a flame. Did I get that right and is it necessary to prepare a mould before its first use. Thanks and appreciation. Steve UK

[Philibus59]

What's the difference between letting the bullets hit the bottom of the plastic bucket versus using the rag method and having the bullets hit each other when you drop them on to the rag? (After the first few bullets have been quenched)

Seems that they will dent either way.

[HomeMadeGunNut]

Where Can I Get Molds For Lead Musket Balls?

[ortan191]

well this is the BEST casting video thank you very much

[FatasMe]

while this is fun, wouldn't it be cheaper to buy?

[BHARMS2]

pan full of titties lol

[Vincerama]

Is it worth it to get the 6 cavity molds?

[txstang84]

It definitely does put me in the mood to buy casting equipment and cast some bullets...too bad I'm nowhere near home...and won't be for a few more months...

[germantrader10]

Awesome Job on the videos! Pop Smoke!

[kb1kix]

ROTFLMMFAO - titties - priceless!!! Seriously, your videos are a great supplement to some stuff I read or miss in a commercial video. I'm goin' it alone and it does help a lot. Sense of humor along the way doesn't hurt neither!!!

Thanx!

[otunca]

Is it good idea to do this process in side the garage ? Thank you for the video

[Kylef7735]

@otunca With the door open and a fan going.

[otunca]

@Kylef7735 Thank you

Matter fact I did my casting few weeks ago and I went down to my local shooting range to day and I did my first cased reload shooting Turn out to be pretty well This video gave me great info

Ones again Thank you so much

[bennra26008]

I have a bunch of lead shot.can i use that as well.P.S great vid!! lots of info thxs

[curtisshawk]

just started casting myself. My bottoms are not filling in. Heat is on high but it drips slow and not filling the bullet base as well as the edges are rounded. I may not have enough lead in the pot. Its only about a inch deep. I will try more lead and not let it get past 2/3 low and try again!

[OpenCarryAlabama]

Where can you get extra lead? Do I buy it from a company or can you get it as scrap? I've looked everywhere. I called the local shooting range but they keep it. What can I do?

[Naturepheonix]

How are molding your own bullets good?

[Iraqveteran8888]

@deergutter17 Yep you are exactly right there. Like the way it looks right before it gets fully liquid.

[pyroshow4YOU]

Titties!!

[rugerp89ipsc]

sorry for the noob question. I have been trying to figure out how you know which set of mold handles go with the corresponding molds. is it a one sizes fits all? I wanted to start with a 2 cavity mold, but a lot of these handles online say they fit 4 cavity molds. Just getting a little hung up on creating my list of equip to get.

[Iraqveteran8888]

@rugerp89ipsc

Yes, typically a 2 cavity mold with use handles designed for 2 cavities. In all actuality, you may need to modify cross branded handles slightly, but all in all, they are made to same basic standard. Even still, I would recommend keeping the brands the same. I.E. Lyman mold=Lyman Handles.

Same principle applies to 6 cavity molds.

[rugerp89ipsc]

thanks, figured out the 2 cavity mold I wanted to use comes with handles, so no big deal there. I need to browse your videos more.

[BIue85]

Titties, never heard that one. Funny stuff.

Also, casting off the back of your truck, priceless.

[Iraqveteran8888]

Yeah I have a funny sense of humor...glad you concur...lol

[tdo79]

This may be a crazy question, but do you know of a way to get custom logo on the nose of the bullet? I figure there may molds like that out there. and you have to admit it would be pretty sweet!

[Iraqveteran8888]

It would be very very difficult to machine a mold block that precisely.

[pk79601]

great vid. I have never done this before but sounds like a lot of fun. I have a 300 weatherby mag. real hard to find ammo may as well make my own.

[Iraqveteran8888]

Bear in mind that the caliber you are talking about is a very fast shooting load and that cast bullets can only be pushed to about 2200-2400 FPS in ideal conditions.

[kaptainkashstacka]

To kool ur mold off faster, u can wet a sponge and just barely touch it, on the sponge, let it sizzle for about 2-3 seconds, remove then sizzle again for about 3-5 seconds. It will really help u control the heat if u r doing allot bullets, without slowing ur rythym.

[1guncrazy1]

Do you have any videos one how to swaging bullets?

[Iraqveteran8888]

No, but I can tell you that for what the Lee bullet sizing dies are, they are damn hard to beat. You can size jacket bullets with them unlike the more expensive offerings from Lyman, RCBS, etc.

For instance, you could use a Lee bullet sizer die in .308 to size down .311 bullets pulled from say Surplus Russian 147 grain light ball.

You have to use a gracious coat of lube on the bullets, but it works great, and at 15 dollars per die they are a steel.

The dies may require lapping.

[brychevy]

What are the advantages of Quenching? Thanks for your informative vidieos,,

[Iraqveteran8888]

Makes the bullet much harder and frangible for use on steel plates.

[ramv36]

Do you have any experience with, or advice about using a lee 6 cavity mold...i've seen a few on sale lately and was wondering if it complicated things...thanks for the help!

[Iraqveteran8888]

The Lee 6 cavity molds are great for the money and can produce some very good bullets if used properly.

The 6 cavity molds are just a little bit of a pain to keep heated up properly if you do not have experience using bullet molds.

I would start off with a 2 cavity until you get the hang of it, then upgrade to a 6 cavity later.

[ELITEHAMSTER123]

how much do you expect to pay for lead wheel weights?

[Iraqveteran8888]

I pay around 10 bucks for a 5 gallon bucket.

[stainless1911]

I have a very old bag of fine birdshot, 25 lbs. It looks darker in color than lead, but I was wondering if it could be used. a 25 lb. bag would make a lot of .40 cal bullets.

[Iraqveteran8888]

Make sure it isn't steel shot.

Also, with shot, it is likely going to be pure lead. I would add about a pound of tin to 5 pounds of pure lead.

It will help your mold fillout and should make them a bit harder.

What type of .40 caliber are you loading for?

[stainless1911]

thanks. Its not steel. that would be hard to cast, and would be an illegal round hahaha

Anyways, I havent done any reloading yet, I have only just begun to look into it. Im trying to make a tools list.

I will be reloading .40 cal S&W rounds for a Springfeild Armory XD .40 Subcompact.

Is there a way to make your own copper jacketed rounds, Im concerned about the lead building up in the barrel

[Iraqveteran8888]

With the Springfield XD, you should not have the slightest bit of problems shooting cast bullets through it as long as you use a good lube and size them properly.

Casting steel shot would be impossible in a lead pot. They only get up to about 850 degrees.

You can get swaging equipment that will allow you to create custom bullets, but for a beginner, I would recommend you start out small and work your way up.

[stainless1911]

I was only kidding about the steel rounds. I weld a bit, so I do know it wont melt in a lead pot. What is swaging?

[Iraqveteran8888]

Swaging is a process in which you form various alloys into finished bullets using a special press along with dies designed for the applications you are looking for.

For instance, Corbin makes a die that turns spent .22 rimfire casings into jackets for .224" bullets like you use in the .223 REM and similar.

They also make a die that allows you to turn spent .50 BMG primers into jackets for 9mm Lugers.

[1guncrazy1]

Is that a fact...damn so all the spent .22 LR brass that I and other people toss out as worthless could indeed be used

[scsapper]

nice videos man thanks. I want to get into casting and handloading even more now

[Iraqveteran8888]

Glad you enjoy them. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

[Wireman134]

U shouldn't be removin the metal that is floating on top, this needs to stay or be fluxed back into the lead. You are removing antimony which allows the boolit to harden when water dropped or air cooled. Leave the oxidized metal on top to seal the alloy.

[Iraqveteran8888]

I've never been told that at all. I generally just keep the dross skimmed off and if the surface of the lead gets that warm milk looking layer, I generally do not mess with it, unless I see chunks of crap float to the surface.

I generally stir the lead about every 5 minutes during casting.

My bullets turn out great and shoot good too.

[1bad65truck]

Rest the mould on top on the furnace with the edge resting in the hot lead ,,,in a few minutes mould is up to temperature

[Iraqveteran8888]

like i did in the video? lol

[QuagmiresGiggity]

The most important question I have is, how much beer did it take? We need to know these things before we start.

[Iraqveteran8888]

The amount of beer you need will depend on several factors. If you weigh around 200 like me, you should ingest at least 6 beers before starting, otherwise, you risk serious injury.

[QuagmiresGiggity]

Ok cool I'm about 220 so I guess I have to give myself about a 2 beer curve.

[Iraqveteran8888]

That's correct. I think you'll be okay, but just to be safe, you'll probably want to get at least a 3 beer curve in you....lol

[TheChero6]

get a thermometer!!! It'll save u a lot of time compared to the spoon/lead technique. Save u time too from producing frosted bullet due to the temperature of your liquid lead being too cool.

[Iraqveteran8888]

I don't use the "spoon/lead" method as a means to guess temperature, I just used it here to help explain what I was trying to get across.

Ultimately, a good lead thermometer is going to be the best bet to keep ther alloy temp consistant and where you want it.

Frosted bullets come from the alloy being too hot.

[Ryan56765]

lol!! throw ur titties back in the pot... ouch!! (i know he does not mean that...)

[Iraqveteran8888]

That's right man....have to be careful with any titties you handle...lol

[silver760]

Nice job,thankyou for taking the time to show others the process.I have done it slightly differently in the past,only in that the set up I used had a firebrick hearth and a blowlamp to heat the molds,only difference.

[Iraqveteran8888]

Thats a good idea.

[Wireman134]

Keep a wet towel on the table to keep the mold from staying to hot, if boolits are not dropping easily without beating on your mold try cooling in between pours

[Iraqveteran8888]

Good idea...Never thought of doing that. Have to make sure it's not too dang wet though...it would suck to crack the mold blocks or something weird like that.

[Wireman134]

Good show, put some blocks of 2x4 and ply wood under mold, for easier pouring

[Iraqveteran8888]

With the heavier Lyman or RCBS molds, I can see where that would help for extended casting sessions, but me personally, the light weight of the Lee molds makes it unneccessary.

[solstice70]

Thanks for the video, I just started reloading about a month ago and now this looks like an even better way to help me afford shooting again. I have a source of wheelweights down the street as well.

[Iraqveteran8888]

Good stuff...Any questions just hit me up.

[fineshooter]

if you hold your mold up close to spout even up on it then you don't get splashes.

[Iraqveteran8888]

I like to leave some room between the spout and the sprue plate so I can control how much spill I get over the sprue. The random dripping isnt an issue to me.

[chandler49]

nooo! I burnt my titties!

[Psion63]

Sehr schönes Video.

[Iraqveteran8888]

danke!

[bapabob]

I've been to every tire center around me and none will give me or sell me the old wheel weights. They all say they sell them to recycle centers. Where do you guys get your lead from?

[Iraqveteran8888]

All I can tell you brother is that you have to bug the crap out of them. The absolute best thing you can do is go to a big tire place and tell them that you will give them all your business if they agree to give you WWs in return. 9 times out of 10 they will want your business and agree. WWs don't bring them shit anyways, it just gives them a marginal discount off new ones.

Also try recycling centers, car dealerships, your local plumbers, and elevator repairmen.

[mulnir]

How did you get your lead so clean? I flux, and skim, flux and scim, and always seem to have a nasty scab floating on top.

[Iraqveteran8888]

How are you initially processing the lead? Are you using ingots?

What are you using to flux?

[mulnir]

I am using ingots cast from wheel weights, and flux using candle wax. Let me guess, I should use a real fluxing agent?

[Iraqveteran8888]

No...Just use some beeswax or parrafin wax. Get your pot pretty hot and drop in about 2 dimes sized chunks and let it burn off. Let it form a crust, then scrape the sides of the pot gently with your spoon...The mix should generally be free of any dross.

One note, the antimony in the lead will begin to oxidize on the surface forming a layer similar to microwaved milk...this is normal and unavoidable.

[AA550cord]

Use seperate pan for your scraps and your good titties.

[Iraqveteran8888]

I just throw the scrapes to the back of the pan and the titties in the front...LOL

titties....

[suprhandyman]

Great video, thanks.

[chodge90]

lmao did ya drink to many beers before ya started editing...i seen the same clip twice....but good job on the two cameras after it had already played once!

[Iraqveteran8888]

LOL...no. Its just that I'm not used to having like a million freaking tiny little slices on Windows Movies Maker....Ahhhhhhh....

I need my damn copy of Sony Movie Maker back....that program is awesome.

I'm looking to upgrade before long.

[batbawls]

Eric, you are a gold mine.

[Iraqveteran8888]

Thanks, I'm trying to make the videos better and better. I'm almosgt to the point where the equipment I have is limiting me. Thanks for the support.

[ECTBWHO]

Again, thanks for posting this. It was really helpful to me.