[Beladran]

talking about time in the casting process....
most people cast to save money the rest do it because they enjoy it. My question is are you really saving money? Lets use market price for straight lead at .50cents per lb
1000-115gr 9mm bullets weighs 16.5lbs which means you have $8.25 invested in lead. you can cast at a cozzy rate of 500 per hour so it takes you two hours to cast the bullets and you can size them in two hours and one stick of $2 lube
so you have
$10.25 invested in material
and four hours of labor @$15/hour=$60
total investment $70.25 so is it really cheaper? Now toss in $5 if you want 2%tin and another $5 for 6% antimony to put you at 12BHN. I didnt factor in the fuel and time cost of melting the lead down into ingots, or how much power your melting pot uses. whats your time worth to you?
missouri bullet can sell you those bullets for $55+10 shipping and all you had to do was point and click

 

[SubGunFan]

OK...... Grab a fresh beer, run to the john, light another smoke.... whatever you need to do. This might take a while.

I voted "save money" over "enjoy it" because..... I am guessing I shoot much more than the average shooter.

As for saving $$$.... Part of bullet casting is try to get "free lead". Or at least cheap lead. Depends on how much you cast as to when cheap lead starts to cost more.

Your time vs $$$..... This area varies greatly with the individual. If you vote "enjoy it", then you need to take your time out of the equation. I enjoy casting, but admit.... I must be in the mood first (then find the time).

To save time, I invested in big pots, gang molds, and Star lubesizers many years ago. The way I looked at it was, if I am going to stand over the pot, I wanted the "bullets/hour" number to be as high as possible. True, new casters should start with smaller equipment to both learn and see if they enjoy casting.

If you already have the equipment and can get your hands on some free or cheap lead, and don't consider your time. With today's commercial cast bullet prices, you can save A LOT.

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