Just a show of hands, how many make their own ammution?

[Mknight702]

I started casting muzzle loading bullets as a 15 year old in 1972. I brother taught me how to reload modern center fire ammo even earlier. I enjoy the ammo making as much as the shooting. The quest for finding period correct percussion bullets led me to start my own bullet mold company in 2017.

And very good molds they are!

 

[Treestalker]

I have just started, for the first time, to make paper cartridges. Made my own former, using end-papers. Very fiddly, especially getting the wad and ball to seat on the powder. Then a thought occurred, what if I just made paper charges then lubed the packet. On the firing point, tear open, pour powder, stuff in lubed paper as a wad, shove the projectile on top and Bob might just be my uncle perhaps? I'm talking pistol here, I don't use a wad for my rifle.

Bob's your Uncle! Miniature musket loads!

 

[Treestalker]

I cast outside on a bench that I have behind my shed, with a small fan blowing over the pot and away from me. I have never been effected by the fumes regardless of what my family members claim. <G>

Thanks
OR

My bride claims licking the glue on all those S&H green stamps my mother used to save when I was a kid has finally done something to my brain!

 

[bgeipel]

I cast all my black powder balls and bullets and many of my smokeless.

 

[toot]

I started casting muzzle loading bullets as a 15 year old in 1972. I brother taught me how to reload modern center fire ammo even earlier. I enjoy the ammo making as much as the shooting. The quest for finding period correct percussion bullets led me to start my own bullet mold company in 2017.

KUDDOS, to you!!

 

[toot]

did I miss it, an answer to my question, what was the under hammer in the photo?

 

[GomezMunoz1951]

I have about 800 pounds of raw lead sitting out in my garage right now that needs melting down. I built a wooden crate on wheels that is half full of one pound ingots that I have ready to cast. My only regret is I should have bought the biggest electric melting pot I could get instead I bought a smaller one...

 

[mooman76]

When casting I wear prescription glasses, and that’s it.
No gloves, or face shield. Do it outside or in a garage with the door open, sometimes with a fan on.
Occasionally get a painful little piece or two of lead spatter on my arm or the back of my hand, but it is no big deal. Just peel off the spatter, and drive on. Been doing it for over 50 years.
Had a big splatter/ small explosion a few years ago when a big brown flying bug flew into the top of the lead pot and it’s body juices cooked off. Lead spatter everywhere and on everything. Spent an hour cleaning it up. I now cover the top of the pot with a piece of thin sheet metal in bug season.
Eye protection of some sort is a must.

It’s not nuclear waste, or high- explosives, people.

I seen pictures of a guy that posted on another board that I kid you not, was in a full HazMat suit. His reasoning was if a bird flew over and dropped a nasty. Anyway I do wear safety glasses and thin gloves and of coarse am very careful. I'm sure most of us have used a deep fryer and it spits very hot grease. I have more chance of getting burned by it than lead but caution is needed of coarse and good common sense. Welders gloves are thick and heavy and I could never get anything done wearing those.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Only time I wear heavy gloves is when I have smelted a big batch on the turkey burner and am dipping it off into Lee and Lyman molds.
Glasses of some type are a must. Good ventilation is a must.
Other than that, like stated above - frying bacon is more hazardous than casting....

 

[Eddie2002]

Been casting for both muzzle loaders and modern center fire guns for years. Also have been making my own black powder just to prove I can.

 

[Sun City]

I let Hornady swage my PRB! I've cast enough since 1948 I think!

 

[Kansas Jake]

I started casting with a coleman gas stove, a steel sauce pan, and a soup spoon with a pour lip on the side bent there with a pliers. I still use a pan and the coleman stove to clean up dirty lead and save my Lyman electric pot for clean lead. I use a wood down or hammer handle to tap open the sprue cutter on my mold.

I wear a long sleeve heavy cotton shirt, blue jeans, leather boots or shoes, safety or prescription glasses and heavy leather gloves when casting. Usually welding gloves these days but lined leather gloves will work. If it is colder I also wear a denim coat. If I'm casting when it is hot out I have a hat on or a headband to keep any sweat from dropping into the pot. Also, if I have a drinking water etc. around I set it away from my casting area so I have to get up to leave the area to get a drink. I don't want to accidentally spill it into the pot. Absolutely don't wear any polyester, nylon, or other man made materials around a casting area. If you get a splash or spill that stuff just melts and makes a bad situation worse.

 

[MC One Shot]

I have been casting and rolling my own for 50 or more years. Started at the age of 7 with my father and in my early teens on my own. Taught my kids how to now teaching grand kids who all want to help. The only thing I do not get them to do is handle molten lead. They all wear PPE and my welding jacket when watching lead melt out side.

 

[Essayons!]

I cast my bullets. I started when I was shooting my BPCR. Kinda hard finding 500 gr Postells!

 

[Col. Batguano]

Some calibers I cast (like my 2-groove gun that needs belted balls), and some I don't. I figure the break-even (to pay for the mould for smooth ball calibers) is around 300-400 balls, but the convenience of being able to make them when I need them (rather than running to a store to see if they have what I need) is worth something too.

Once I get going making them I usually wind up making a few hundred too. If I buy the swaged ones I usually only get 1-2 boxes. Going with the swaged ones makes sense if you are trying to figure out what size a gun likes though . Ex.; .490 vs .495.

 

[Intosomthin]

Is a strange question as i have never once fired a rb i dinnt make... .600 or .615. Well i have shot a few speer .440s. But aye, prefer to make my own for several reasons. Quality control being number 1. I weigh each n every one n only keep + or - 1 gram diffy... prolly overkill but i know there all the same...

 

[Sun City]

Most folks that 'make' their own ammunition....hmmm....think that's called RELOADING...are mostly working with metallic cases which isn't kosher to this forum! If those that cast their own PRB had cast as much as I have over many years....they'd really be glad to kiss ole man Hornadys' behind because Hornady supplies me with very precision swaged round balls! Not much 'making' to shooting REAL ML with REAL BLACKPOWDER!!

 

[bisleyjohn]

Most folks that 'make' their own ammunition....hmmm....think that's called RELOADING...are mostly working with metallic cases which isn't kosher to this forum! If those that cast their own PRB had cast as much as I have over many years....they'd really be glad to kiss ole man Hornadys' behind because Hornady supplies me with very precision swaged round balls! Not much 'making' to shooting REAL ML with REAL BLACKPOWDER!!

NOT reloading! Manufacturing possibly, but how can I reload black powder paper cartridges? And, good buddy my balls are cheaper than your balls! All good wishes from the Eastern side of the pond.

 

[hawkeye2]

Most folks that 'make' their own ammunition....hmmm....think that's called RELOADING...are mostly working with metallic cases which isn't kosher to this forum! If those that cast their own PRB had cast as much as I have over many years....they'd really be glad to kiss ole man Hornadys' behind because Hornady supplies me with very precision swaged round balls! Not much 'making' to shooting REAL ML with REAL BLACKPOWDER!!

I made my ammo, paper cartridges, for my Bess when I shot it in competition.

I make my ammo for my musket and revolver in N-SSA competition reusing plastic tubes to hold the powder and projectile or is that reloading?

I make my ammo for my Sharps using cardboard tubes rather than paper or linen.

I reload brass cases for my Maynard carbine, very "kosher" to this forum. BTW Smith, Galliger, Burnside and other carbines use reloadable metallic cartridges too.

I cast all my projectiles.

I do agree shooting a rifle or rifled single shot pistol doesn't require much "making".

 

[tenngun]

Well I call my self a reloader I just reload one shot at a time