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lead casting
i have many older rifles that i wish to shoot using reduced loads and cast bullets
several indian era trap door carbines
4 digit rod bayonet springfield
WWI issue 03's
lever action from black powder era
civil war 58 cal
the question is, (predicated on the fact i have some dies) lyman dies for older calibers , i will need a lyman die for heavier 45 70 load and 44 load,
in my limited experience i would need round nose, and do i need to invest in sizing the cast bullet? i have a fairly good supply of lead wheel wts.
do not want to make this a life endeavor but just some casual shooting with reduced loads at 100-200 yards against gongs,,, kinda fun hearing the bang then the ping i have several ten inch steel plates and at 200 yards gets interesting
i used to have a fellow that cast bullets and i could get 30 cal from him and these had gas checks on them,, are these really critical??
educate me. i am thinking lead pot, ladle, molds, what else
regards
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If you keep the velocities low and the bullets as cast aren't more than .003 over bore size, all you need is either spray or liquid lube for the bullets. If you are looking for traditional loads, round nose is correct. But if you are looking for best accuracy, any type will serve.
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I an using 400gr Lyman round-nose cast in my 1873 trapdoor. Good groups at 200 yd.
You will need to play with different loads, but then that is part of the fun.
I have Lyman moulds and Lee production pot. Any good reloading book will get you started.
I found that putting the mold blocks on my kerosene heater - before lighting - and then letting them heat up as heater lights pre heats the blocks to a perfect heat.
Good luck. You will get a lot of satisfaction out of shooting home-made bullets.
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for the 45-70, you need ONLY the following to start
Lee Lead Melter 50.00
Lee 457125 RN 500 grain mold and handles (in fact, if you buy TWO molds, you can alternate and not worry about mold temperture).
Pick the best looking bullets and lube em up.
Get some SPG lube, soft and works fine (and don't run these bullets through a sizer!) and you can fill the grooves by hand/fingers.
