Newby on the block... well, to casting anyways.

[Wayne52]

OK
I got onto casting because .457 was so expensive.
Now Ya'll got me wanting a mold on .22
Wayne traded me a tin of his cast NOE 217-24-RF 23g "Magnum Hunters" and they shoot awesome!

I need to start researching "pins"

Scott the magnum hunters always were my favorite pellets for long distance shooting, they're really nice in 25 cal too, I head shot a raccoon with one@40yds at the beginning of
the season with my semi auto Carbine.  I also got a crow with one at 70 yards about 4 years ago with my Airmax Dominator, they're really awesome pellets in my opinion

[Spacebus]

I don't think I want to fool with HP.. I really have no use for them Mplat and dome/diabolo is good.

HP is just for slugs, since they cast with the nose down. You can't make HP pellets in a mold since the base as to be hollow. HP pellets are made in a multi-step swaging process.

When I talk about economics of casting pellets, I'm comparing that to how many pellets I can cast in an hour vs buying pellets with money I earn or doing something else with that time. The return on investment of time doesn't pencil out casting pellets when I can buy them very inexpensively and use that time I was going to spend casting doing something more profitable, like milling lumber, splitting wood, working for money, etc. I do also enjoy casting, so there's some enjoyment to factor into the "profit". I'm also getting better at casting, so the ROI gets better every casting session. I could barely cast 100 pellet in an hour when I first started a year ago, but now I'm able to crank out over 300. There is of course the idea that I'm fairly self sustainable in 22 cal and 45 cal, and immune to ammo shortages, real or perceived. A pellet mold costs around $130-150, and that could buy you about 2,500-3,000 pellets assuming a cost of $0.05/pellet, for some perspective. Then you have to figure out what your time is worth.

Assuming you could make at least $15/hr, you have to make at least 300 .22 ca hunter pellets an hour to make it even out, and that's assuming lead is free and the mold and casting gear have already hit their own ROI. This is the worst case scenario as ammo costs go up significantly as you go up in caliber.

[avator]

One word comes to mind...  retired.

As I said way back there someplace... I will continue to purchase .177 and .20. And if I find .22 is too big of a hassle as some have suggested... I will purchase those as well. But I have all the time in the World and I enjoy casting... I don't need to be fast.. just consistent. Most anything you do in life that is enjoyable has a level of cost. I like shooting airguns so I need pellets. I recently found out I like casting and I am fortunate to have plenty of time to do both. I have a source for free lead... all I want. Some prefer only to use 100% pure. That's all good. If what I use makes good pellets, hits where I aim and don't cost me anything, why not?
I can't put a price per hour on what I enjoy doing.... it's priceless.
As it is right now... I sit and cast for 20 minutes or so, then do something else.

Thanks for explaining that hollow points are swagged... I had forgotten all about swagging.
I was goiiung crazy trying to figure out how to get a skirt, of sorts, at both ends.... 

[Wayne52]

Bill I don't think the .22's are any more of a hassle than the .25's, the wad cutters can be a little tricky in .22 because of such a small sprue plate hole.

[avator]

Wayne... Insanity (Matt) is sending me a few .22 molds on loan so I can sample before I decide what to buy.

[Firewalker]

Wayne... Insanity (Matt) is sending me a few .22 molds on loan so I can sample before I decide what to buy.

That's a nice way to do it! Before 'rona, cast boolits had a group of us lending/borrowing molds to see if they worked in our guns.

It worked fine with a few hiccups here and there.

I bet we could do the same here?

[avator]

In the meantime, I'm having very good results with the .25 and the reclaimed pellet lead. I'm using the long pins and weights are pretty much staying before 26.85 and 27.10. The few that are above and below that are getting tossed back. All said and done, I'm probably having 90% + success.

[avator]

Our regular mail girl is back from vacation... she just dropped off the 20# of Lyman ingots.

[triggertreat]

In the meantime, I'm having very good results with the .25 and the reclaimed pellet lead. I'm using the long pins and weights are pretty much staying before 26.85 and 27.10. The few that are above and below that are getting tossed back. All said and done, I'm probably having 90% + success.

That's a tight spread being well under a 0.5gr.  JSBs are typically around a 2gr spread per tin on a good day.  You'll have some higher spreads on start up before the mold gets hot enough which I consider to be normal.  Those get recycled back into the pot when I am casting.  I typically start checking weights after about the fifth mold dump.  I use a hot plate and have the NOE holes drilled in each mold I order, so I can use the NOE thermometer to check mold temps.  The hot plate is typically good to get the molds up to around 350° so that's about where I start using the mold.  I build the melt up on top of the sprue plate to bring the mold temp up more.  I use a torch to heat the pins up more initially as well.  I don't want to have to beat the HPs out.  If they don't just fall out when opened or require just a small tap the mold is too cold still.  pellets are much easier, but you still have to watch the skirts to make sure the ends are fully filled out.  If not, the mold is still too cold.

[avator]

Thanks Keith..
I let the mold sit on top of the pot while it's melting the lead left in it to start a new day's casting. I also leave the mold on top of the pot during breaks.
Virtually every thing I've pour weighs between 26.50 and 27.35. I split those in 3 groups according to weight and shot 5 of each from my Avenger regged at 2000ish. At my normal 35yds. everything stayed in a 1/2" group. I am golden with that.
I will perform the same tests when I get into the reclaimed tire weight lead and again with the Lyman ingot lead.
That said.. I am not so naive to believe any ingot that says Lyman on it is quality lead considering anyone can buy Lyman ingot molds. Pellets and bullets are not the only thing cast of lead... I hear the fishing industry is pretty big  and they measure sinkers in ounces, not gr.  Pretty sure Fred the fisherman don't really care if his sinkers are 100% pure lead or not.

[avator]

Got lead?

I couldn't believe how much bubble wrap this guys used. I got bubble wrap for days... 

[maraudinglizard]

Be careful, lead acquisition it is just as bad as air airgun acquisition. I myself probably have close to 70 lbs of the stuff here at the house. Enough for airguns, sinkers, and cast nets. 

[avator]

I hear ya, by the looks of things, I won't need to be buying any soon. I've still got a boatload of trash pellets around here that can be melted down.
Before I get back into shooting alot, I need to get my trap done so I can reclaim a bunch of this.

[Spacebus]

Wayne... Insanity (Matt) is sending me a few .22 molds on loan so I can sample before I decide what to buy.

That's a nice way to do it! Before 'rona, cast boolits had a group of us lending/borrowing molds to see if they worked in our guns.

It worked fine with a few hiccups here and there.

I bet we could do the same here?

That would be amazing. This could really help me avoid molds that won't work in my gun without spending $100+ before hand. That being said I could also lend out molds that don't work for me.

[Spacebus]

In the meantime, I'm having very good results with the .25 and the reclaimed pellet lead. I'm using the long pins and weights are pretty much staying before 26.85 and 27.10. The few that are above and below that are getting tossed back. All said and done, I'm probably having 90% + success.

There is some room for adjustments on the pins to get all the cavities closer together in weight. My standard deviation is 0.5 grains after getting my pins set up.

[NHGuide]

about the lead acquisition part.
 I ended up with a 70lb roll of roof flashing from a friend needing to downsize. It should last me for a bit.

 I have no idea if it's 'pure lead' or not, but it casts my .25 pellets quite well, and they seem soft enough. I use it for casting several types of projectiles...PB and air.

 If you're looking for other sources in the future, I believe roof flashing...scraps or complete rolls...might not be a bad thing to utilize.
just yet another idea for (if) when you run out.

[avator]

Thanks Will, I'll have to befriend a roofer.... 


Better yet, a sample pack of pellets from one of our forum casters. That is how Matt and I started this thing... He sent me 8 samples of 25 or so pellets each... 6 in .25 and 2 in .22. I got lucky with the .25 because another member had an extra NIB mold of the pellet that all 3 of my .25 cal guns shot very well... I'm talking 1/2" groups at 35yds. I have several .22 guns but I know 4 or 5 of them shoot the 19gr Crosman dome really well. One of the molds coming on loan is the exact one I have in my box at NOE except it's brass.
My Urban also likes a particular slug... when I say likes, I mean dead nut stacker. I've shot it out to 45yds with the same accuracy. I call 'pester'.  That is one of the other molds coming.

The point is.. one lost or stolen mold is enough to wreak havoc in the forum. Case in point... there is supposed to be a Sheridan valve tool floating around the forum... has anyone seen it?

[Nvreloader]

Bill,
FWIW, I bought a cheap one of this type for a lead storage mold,

https://www.ebay.com/itm/195470421740?

1" dia x 7" long, fits very nice into my smelter and slides down as it heats up,
very easy to store in a plastic milk crate/ammo box etc.

YMMV,
Tia,
Don

[avator]

Don, I've seen those at second hand stores. We have a ton of those type stores around here.. I'll keep my eyes open. These muffins are working pretty good 2 at a time they fit one on each side of the pour tube and slide in to melt. I ease them in with a pair of channel locks so they don't splash. I've also seen ear of corn shaped corn bread molds.

[avator]

Here ya go....

https://www.hardwareworld.com/pgjxg1a/Cast-Iron-Cornbread-Pan-12-L-x-5-W


 Do ya think it would be too corny?