Shooting cast lead bullets

[DDSBYDAY]

    It can be done.  As long as the pressures are kept in check.  My reloads require a purchase of powder and primers only.  There is a way to re load  primers but it is not worth the time unless you are very desperate.  Hopefully you have been saving your brass.  If you have not been start now.  I am going to walk you through this.  I will post when I can and try to include as many pictures as I can.  This is going to be as simplistic as possible. 


  #1.  Start with  A fired round

[DDSBYDAY]

   This brass has to be cleaned.  There are two ways to do it.  Dry or wet tumble.  I do dry.  In this step no case prep is done .  Simply toss it in the tumbler.  The time to tumble is determined how dirty the brass is.  This stuff in the pictures is nasty.  It will definately have to go overnight and then some.   Which brings us to MUST HAVE ITEM #1.  A tumbler.  There are ways to do without.  This is much simpler.  Throw them in and turn it on.  Cost at this point could be at 70$ with walnut shell media to tumble the casings in.  This thread is about using cast lead bullets so I will get you there as quick as I can.  

[DDSBYDAY]

    The brass is cleaned.  You can see in the picture that not all of them look so good.  No worries.  We will fix that.  Our next step is to re size the case and knock out the primers.  That will be done on our next must have. A press.   We will get to the cast bullets soon.  First we have to make some case lube to re size that case and knock out the primer.  The last pic is what brass looks like when it is cleaned, re sized and had the primer pocket cleaned out.  It is ready to go.  The case length has been addressed.  This thread is about shooting and reloading cast bullets so we are not going into any real detail here about case preparation.  In this demo we will be casting and loading 38 special.  Feel free to ask questions if you have any.

[DDSBYDAY]

   The case is the body.  We have that covered.  Now we address the head.  The cast lead bullet.  Here are some lubed and ready to go.  We have the body and head.  The next step is the organs.  Primers and powder.  This will be the last installment for a while.  Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.  In my day it was called an intermission at the movie.  It was time to go get your  and a drink. 

[DDSBYDAY]

   When casting and shooting your own cast lead bullets you must have a reloading manual.  In it your powder charges and min./max loads will be listed for the different powders.  You do not ever want to exceed the max powder charge.  You don't really want to be below the minimum load either.  Otherwise you will be left with a bullet in your barrel.  This is a very dangerous situation if you are unaware of it.

         We now put the primers in the newly cleaned brass.  The mouth of the case is flaired slighly so that the bullet will just fit inside it.  The case is charged to the suggested load of gunpowder in the manual.  I suggest starting on the low end and working your way up.  Keeping accurate records will be the way you can get these as accurate as factory ammo.  The last step will be seating the bullet.

[DDSBYDAY]

   The cases are charged.  Each case is placed in the press.  The bullet is started into the case.  Because the case is slightly flared at the mouth the lubed bullet should just seat inside it.  The press then seats the bullet to a predetermined depth.  The die also removes the flair at this step.  We now have a live round that is ready to be sent down range.  Now that ammo is so hard to get casting your own bullets allows you to continue shooting.  Even powder and primers are extremely hard to get.  Cost wise you can save money especially today.  With 223's going for 1$/ round I will be working up a load that will allow me to continue shooting.  Mine should come out about 12 cents/round.  The 223s will need a gas check.  Even those can be made in a pinch such as today.  I have some so I have not tried making them yet but unless things change that will be next.