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For it for my birthday so I'm looking to get into casting. Any helpful thoughts ??

My thought is "Go for it!"
I did the same thing with some of my birthday money. Got everything except for the molds (backordered but these days in Barakistan, what shooting supply ISN'T in short supply?). Bought some lead on ebay - and will start scavenging for more till my mold arrives.
Till then - the only advice I'd have is do as much research as possible! Lots of resources out there. Try this forum: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forum.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well...the fun begins now.
Dang dies and top punches are not cheap these days. But what is?
I'm glad when I bought my rcbs lubesizer years ago, I bought all the dies and top punches I needed. Plus bought some for future calibers I knew I was going to get.
They will never get any cheaper than they are now. Well maybe with the crazy buying lately they may go down a tad???

At some point, you may want to get a bottom pour furnace, the Lee Pro4-20 is a great and low priced unit. I have had a couple of them for years with no problems yet...
They use to be around $60 pre-crazy times!!!!
Just looked and they are $64 at Midway, Hmmmm...but OutOfStock..!!!!!!!!!!

You can double or tripple your casting speed with them. Plus its a little easier.
But I used a ladle type for a long time and it works great too.


Barakistan
Thanks for the laugh Grillmark55

Don2

jhutto wrote:For it for my birthday so I'm looking to get into casting. Any helpful thoughts ??

I'm not into casting yet but this gets rave reviews on the Ruger forum. I downloaded it and glanced thru it and it looks to be very informative.

http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm

Larry

jhutto wrote:For it for my birthday so I'm looking to get into casting. Any helpful thoughts ??

Don't get the Lyman's master casting kit.

Several reasons.

First, Lyman was a great brand for generations but their quality has greatly eroded in the last decade. I have had to send more stuff back to Lyman than any other brand and I hear similar cries of dismay on on the castboolits forum.

Second, you can do better than that kit. The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook is a good buy; I own it and recommend it. As far as the Sizer/Lubricator goes, get the RCBS version.

Third, You can get a 4-20 lb Lee bottom pour melter instead of a 10 lb Lyman pot that you have to use a dipper.

Fourth, I see no use for either the ingot mold or the dipper. For ingots, I just use a $0.50 garage sale muffin tin. For a dipper . . . well I bought a really nice one years ago and literally have never used it.

I encourage casting, just not that kit.

Jumping Frog wrote:

jhutto wrote:For it for my birthday so I'm looking to get into casting. Any helpful thoughts ??

Don't get the Lyman's master casting kit.

Several reasons.

First, Lyman was a great brand for generations but their quality has greatly eroded in the last decade. I have had to send more stuff back to Lyman than any other brand and I hear similar cries of dismay on on the castboolits forum.

Second, you can do better than that kit. The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook is a good buy; I own it and recommend it. As far as the Sizer/Lubricator goes, get the RCBS version.

Third, You can get a 4-20 lb Lee bottom pour melter instead of a 10 lb Lyman pot that you have to use a dipper.

Fourth, I see no use for either the ingot mold or the dipper. For ingots, I just use a $0.50 garage sale muffin tin. For a dipper . . . well I bought a really nice one years ago and literally have never used it.

I encourage casting, just not that kit.

All these comments are spot-on!

AndyC wrote:I'll second that

Well, apart from the fact that encouraging folks to get into casting means more competitors for lead...

Dang AndyC, you're correct about the lead.

I retract my previous statements.

Just kidd'n
Good wheel weights are almost imposable to find NOW anyways..!!
The time for free or cheap WW's are gone.

Don2

Don2 wrote:

AndyC wrote:I'll second that

Well, apart from the fact that encouraging folks to get into casting means more competitors for lead...

Dang AndyC, you're correct about the lead.

I retract my previous statements.

Just kidd'n
Good wheel weights are almost imposable to find NOW anyways..!!
The time for free or cheap WW's are gone.

Don2

I've decided to start casting but I haven't tried looking for wheel weights yet (Lee is back ordered on the mold I ordered. Can you imagine?!). I did find lead on eBay but I think that some of those guys think that they are selling gold (well, maybe it is these days). Anyway, there are a lot who sell ingots described as WW lead so there must be some out there somewhere.

I second the motion for a Lee 4-20. You cannot go wrong at that price.

boomstick wrote:I second the motion for a Lee 4-20. You cannot go wrong at that price.

Ya know, I have a neighbor who owns a RCBS bottom pour unit and I have a couple of the Lee 4-20's.
They both work the same way....Put cold lead in, get hot lead out..!!!
No leaks, and no problems I did not create..!

PRICES:
Lee @ $64
RCBS @ $375

Hmmm...I DO NOT buy on price only, it has to work and work pretty well too.
Wonder if Lee needs any Lee 4-20 furnace salesman?

Don2

Don2 wrote:
PRICES:
Lee @ $64
RCBS @ $375

The only real difference is temperature stability, and, frankly, you should have a thermometer anyway (and you'd need it for both furnaces, so it's a wash in cost comparison). There's a few other small differences, but nothing that justifies the price difference.

OldCannon wrote:

Don2 wrote:
PRICES:
Lee @ $64
RCBS @ $375

The only real difference is temperature stability,

And one can easily build a PID temperature controller for under $100 that will control the temperature far better than any stock lead furnance.