Anyone Cast There Own Bullets?

I picked up a mold for my 8mm's a few months ago and havent done any casting just smelting and making ingots out of range scrap I find at the pistol targets, and I have made some outta wheel weights too..gunna goto range tomarrow with my 8's I worked up a few loads tonite with 170grn speer hot-cor semi spitzers sitting over 45.5 grn of Reloader 15, interested to see how they do in each rifle...any one else handload?

My modest reloading station...it is actually quite relaxing...eventually want to get dies for the 30-30 and the 762x54r, but my Yugos have an appetite for lead......and all the US manufacture 8mm ammo is underloaded I like that PRVI Partizan 8mm good stuff and potent

The locals in my town have opinions on casting bullets, basically they say cast bullets foul your barrel and you need to clean it more often.

My nefew claims this is true, but pistols don't generate the same velocities and will not have any problems, he also is a fan of using wheel weights, somthing about the antimony in them or somthing makes them a little harder than pure lead, might have even said somthing about heat treating them in an oven, I see that is discussed on shooting fourms, just searched it.

I seem to remember you drive trucks, we are looking for driver/ equipment operators in Alaska, if you know anyone looking see viewforum.php?f=108

You don't want to push lead bullets out of a rifle too fast, try to stay with a slower powder and at the lower end of the velocity scale. Slug your barrel and you might find it is slightly oversize .323 if it was a military issue. All my reloading stuff has 15 years worth of moving and dust. Somewhere I have a few A2'S, rockchuckers and lubrasizers stashed away. I remember having a 98 mauser 8x57(sold) and a Lyman mold but I am thinking it was a lighter weight, maybe 120-130,140gr? You want anything harder than pure lead, wheel weights are good. You can weigh them after they come from the mold with the sprues cut off, heavier ones are softer. Geeze, my digital scale was one of the last things I remember buying, it was made in USA, been awhile. Going deer hunting for first time in 12 years, 308 handloads, 165 grain Nosler, no idea what powder, benchrest primers, load was mild but shot good, I have 8 rounds left, either I start reloading again or go buy factory rounds(most of my rifles have never seen). I haven't searched yet, but I bet there are a few good reloading website or forums out there.

well my results are in with the reloader 15 powder and 170 grn speer bullets...i loaded some between 40.5 grn, then stepped up to 45.5 grn, then 49 grn witch is the max loading I have been a Mauser enthusiast for a good few years just started to load for it bc ammo is rediculously priced for em...If you load 8mm I strongly suggest this book it has info to load this caliber to full potential as done in Europe (not the sissy loads over here for it, my shoulder is feelin it after 45 rds) 45 grn is suggested starting load in this book w Rel15..Im happy w 45.5grn

I have learned a TON of info from this guy, check him out, very good info and he is very descriptive started watching his stuff 2 years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lyor1EmgbHU&featu ... E785620399

I like your scale mozz, I have one of the tiny ones from Smart Relaoder co.

and short bus..I would be packing my things and be on my way up if things would have went a little different a few years back...

I've been casting .45 ACP for a while, but my Warthog doesn't like them at all. Sometimes they don't come out super smooth, so they catch the feed ramp instead of sliding along it, causing failure-to-feed/ejects. I've got that new Hornady getup with all the bells & whistles (except the bullet feeder). I can bang out almost 1,000 rounds an hour with the thing.

No rifle ones yet. Just picked up a used Rockchucker on eBay a while back. Still haven't set it up yet - been super busy. That'll be a wintertime project. I plan to reload .338 Marlin Express for my lever gun. I don't have the correct powder, but what I have will work - it'll have to. Getting powder in MA is a pain in the ass. Every shooter in the union can just go in the internet & order it ..... but in MA you get to fight *censored* in traffic for an hour, one way, to get 5 miles down the road to a gun shop.

I used to cast my own bullets for many years, but I haven't done so for about the past 15 years. 45, 38/357, 9mm, 44 mag

I cast bullets for my muzzle loaders I just use pure lead for them. My father casts 9mm bullets and he uses a mixture of wheel weights and 95/5 lead less solder. He clames pure led bullets fill the rifling on his handguns but a mixture of the two alloys does not.

Yeah we always cast 100% pure for black powder. No rifling to foul, and the softness of the pure lead is a benefit -- the bullet deforms slightly to seal perfectly to the bore, giving max power. Makes a damn mess of pistol barrels like you mentioned .... and I HATE scrubbing lead from rifled bores.

My completely unscientific method of casting is not ideal. WAY too many variables. I toss lead in while casting all the time. Wheel weights, sinkers, scrap range lead, diving weights, ricochets I find - you name it. Whatever I can get my hands on goes in the pot. I'm more after cheap, than perfection.

I'm more after cheap, than perfection. [/quote]
agreed SMITTY, I like finding the range scrap at pistol targets...heck ya get 5lbs in about 10min its kinda fun too, but I will b using gas checks in my 8mm and a reduced load, I have 3 load manuals and an infinate supply of info on the net

so far I like the way these fly...I would like to see what the do on deer...might try casting some bullets this weekend if weather will co operate..im interested to see how it will go, still need some ALOX, mold release spray of some sort...not sure what I can get locally closest gun shop that sells componets is 50 mile round trip been ordering stuff through Midway, and odds n ends on ebay

anyone load for 8mm?

got these today in mail from midway....I loaded some up w Varget 41.3 grains n love the way they fly