Cheap lead and no skill at casting, but they worked great

I went out yesterday to burn a little powder. I had bought a conical mold over a year ago and never had a chance to use it until last week.
Very primitive outside turkey cooker and thrift store pot melter using old wheel weights I got for free AND it was about 38F outside while I was doing it. I had a couple of short pours until the mold heated up then they just started falling in place.
Yesterday I fired about 30 of them range about 35 yards, target a 6 inch steel disk. 23 of them hit. I'm pretty sure the misses were my fault and not the bullet.

Overall I'm pretty happy. They were every bit as accurate as the expensive sabot / 45 cal poly point bullets but only cost pennies each. In the ziplock bag I had a scrap of Teak that I drilled out and used as a lubed bullet carrier.

Nice.

I've cast a boatload of both round balls and bullets for modern rifles and handguns. If you can walk upright and chew gum at the same time you can cast good bullets and balls. It ain't rocket science although some people in the modern side of things want you to believe it is. Good job by the way.

That is a very hard bullet. If I want to try that, what are you doing for wad/lube/patch if any. Which mold and what caliber? Curious, I no longer have access to free weights. Well maybe. I though that was supposed to be a problem?

Thanks,

Wheel weights pretty hard. Can do for a patched ball but can be rough with contact to bore bullets.

I use recovered range lead . The club shoots centerfire pistol indoors and clean the backstop once a year. I buy it cleaned and cast in ingots. I was picking it off the outdoor range. Plenty hard for 45 auto and with a patch shouldn’t touch the barrel of a muzzleloader

VADSLRAM said:

I went out yesterday to burn a little powder. I had bought a conical mold over a year ago and never had a chance to use it until last week.
Very primitive outside turkey cooker and thrift store pot melter using old wheel weights I got for free AND it was about 38F outside while I was doing it. I had a couple of short pours until the mold heated up then they just started falling in place.
Yesterday I fired about 30 of them range about 35 yards, target a 6 inch steel disk. 23 of them hit. I'm pretty sure the misses were my fault and not the bullet.

Overall I'm pretty happy. They were every bit as accurate as the expensive sabot / 45 cal poly point bullets but only cost pennies each. In the ziplock bag I had a scrap of Teak that I drilled out and used as a lubed bullet carrier.View attachment 24768 View attachment 24769

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Hi,
You're off to a good start.
When shooting a bullet like the one above, for best results you would like the bullet to be about .001" less in size than the bore. Try and get a sizing die.
Some say pure lead is the only way to go, but with a bullet, .001" less in diameter, I have had excellent results.
You must put lots of soft lube on the bullet, to keep fouling soft, or it will be difficult to get several shots off, and accuracy will go for a walk.
Also for best results with a hollow base bullet like the one posted above, keep away from the MAGNUM loads, you will only blow the skirt away, and the bullet will tumble, destroying accuracy.
For casting your own bullets, you can't beat the Lee lead furnaces, they are inexpensive, work well, are safe ( preventing burns to you )
The bigger the better ( 10-15 .lbs ) makes it easier to get the ladle in and out of the furnace, and you are not always adding lead to the pot.
One important bit of information is to be sure your lead supply is bone dry.
If it is wet, your will get a steam explosion, blowing molten lead every where.
Make sure you have safety glasses and a good leather gloves are of great help.
I have been casting for over fifty years, I enjoy it, save money, always have lots of round balls, and bullets ready for the next shooting.
Check your local plumbing shop for scrap lead ( they often have some ) also check the telephone line men for lead.
Scarp lead is getting harder and harder to get, so when you find a supplier, bring him some donuts & coffee.
Best regards!
Fred

Barrel steel is exponentially harder than the hardest lead; notice jacketed bullets hurt nothing. Keep experimenting and good luck.

Soft lead is the recommendation for muzzleloaders. There is a reason they state Black Powder of equivalent substitutes only. The metallurgy of the barrels are not like high pressure modern barrels.