# Another bullet I can now make.



## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

With increasing talk about gun and ammunition restrictions, and also the lead bullet ban now in effect in California, I thought that it would be a good idea to expand the number of bullets I could make myself. Here is my latest success, making .357 bullets from used .380 Auto cases.


----------



## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

That is so cool. How do you make the lead core?


----------



## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

Hi BD
I have an Ideal mold that casts cores instead of bullets. It looks just like a regular bullet mold, but it has a .315" cylindrical cavity that has a piston that raises and lowers with a set screw. You decide what weight core you want, then screw the piston up or down inside the mold. You then pour in lead just like casting regular bullets. It's actually easier than regular casting because there are no grease grooves and the cylindrical cores just drop out as soon as you open the mold.
Michael


----------



## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

I like that... great idea.. I have plenty of 380's to do that with....


----------



## Sandspider (Feb 12, 2008)

Most impressive. What did you use to swage the bullet?


----------



## VarmitSniper (Apr 2, 2008)

Nice! I have to wonder too, how do you swage it?


----------



## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

You can buy bullet swaging dies from different companies. I bought mine from www.ch4d.com. They are about the same size as a full-length resizing die, and have the same threads as a regular reloading press. You need something with a compound linkage like an RCBS RockChucker because of the amount of force involved. With the press, and the dies, anyone who does reloading can also make swaged bullets.


----------



## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

That is cool-In one of my reload catalogs,I remember a swage unit that uses .22 brass to make bullets-anyone heard of it?I gave my BIL about1500-.380 brass last month-don't have a .380.....


----------



## FB.Ironworker (Feb 27, 2009)

I WISH I KNEW HOW TO ROLL MY OWN AMMO. I WAS LOOKING AT A 460, BUT THE AMMO FOR IT WAS SKY HIGH, $50-60 A BOX OF 20. i KNOW THAT THE 460 IS ABLE TO USE THE 454 AMMO , AND THE 45 LONG COLT. I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO SETTLE FOR A 44MAG . SAW A NICE TARUS AT OUT LOCAL GUN DEALER. IT WAS WAY CHEAPER THAN THE S&W..


----------



## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

Zant, the swager for 22 bullets I believe was made by Corbin? I used some on a prarie dog trip many years ago. They were accurate to about 150 yds, after that it was best to use factory bullets. Why that was I don't know.


----------



## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

zant said:


> That is cool-In one of my reload catalogs,I remember a swage unit that uses .22 brass to make bullets-anyone heard of it?I gave my BIL about1500-.380 brass last month-don't have a .380.....


I make .224 also. I use a die set made by a company called SportFlite. The second from the right bullet is my own 55 grain hollow point. Bullet on the far right is a Sierra 55 grain soft point.









Ironworker
Have you ever looked into bullet casting? Dean Grennell's book "ABC's of reloading" got me started into reloading, casting, and finally swaging. I calculated that you could make could make 20 rounds of .460 for about 3.50$ if you picked up fired brass at the range. Figuring 200 shoots per pound of H110 (25$/lb), 2.5cents for each primer (25$/1000), and throw in another 2.5cents for homemade bullets made of free wheelweights and tin solder.


----------



## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

Unfortunately CH4d no longer sells the lead wire and I didn't see a core mold on their website. But we will see if I can get a catalog.. I already have about 400 lbs of lead around.. So we are going to see what we can come up with..

I've reloaded for years but never did the bullet swaging. Time to learn something new..


----------



## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

Now ya gone an done it.:grit: Gots me visualizing my 45lc buffalo classic rechambered to 460 s&w..even went and looked up loads.:walk:can you imagine touchin off 46 gr of H110 and a 300 grn bullet in that little carbine  :stars:


----------



## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

poorboy said:


> Now ya gone an done it.:grit: Gots me visualizing my 45lc buffalo classic rechambered to 460 s&w..even went and looked up loads.:walk:can you imagine touchin off 46 gr of H110 and a 300 grn bullet in that little carbine  :stars:


Uhh, you might want to reconsider that idea. That gun might be designed to withstand the 15,000 PSI of the .45 Colt, but the .460 is loaded around 55,000 PSI. Might be a walking bomb ready to take off your head. Here's an alternative that might work for you.
http://www.notpurfect.com/main/puma.html 

If you don't mind shooting just a wimpy .454 that only generates 2800 foot pounds per bullet, then the .454 rifle might give you what you want. By the way, if I get one, I'll try to make jacketed 45 caliber bullets for it out of .45 ACP cases.
Michael


----------



## tn_junk (Nov 28, 2006)

poorboy said:


> Now ya gone an done it.:grit: Gots me visualizing my 45lc buffalo classic rechambered to 460 s&w..even went and looked up loads.:walk:can you imagine touchin off 46 gr of H110 and a 300 grn bullet in that little carbine  :stars:


If that gun is on the late model (post 1999) SB2 Frame, (which it almost certainly is) it will take the .460. NEF sells rifles based on that action which are factory loaded up to 62,000 PSI (.270, .30-06, etc.). I reamed mine to 454 Casull and never had even a little problem with it, other than a sore shoulder. 
Might want to go to graybeard outdoors (www.go2gbo.com) and check it out. A bunch of us over there do some really wild things with our Handi Rifles.

alan


----------



## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

galump said:


> If that gun is on the late model (post 1999) SB2 Frame, (which it almost certainly is) it will take the .460. NEF sells rifles based on that action which are factory loaded up to 62,000 PSI (.270, .30-06, etc.). I reamed mine to 454 Casull and never had even a little problem with it, other than a sore shoulder.
> Might want to go to graybeard outdoors (www.go2gbo.com) and check it out. A bunch of us over there do some really wild things with our Handi Rifles.
> 
> alan


Yowser i follow youse guys antics over there regularly, I'm a resident lurker there, since the days of Big Mortie..I think the buff classic could stand more pressure than I could..


----------



## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

poorboy said:


> Yowser i follow youse guys antics over there regularly, I'm a resident lurker there, since the days of Big Mortie..I think the buff classic could stand more pressure than I could..


Ok, never heard of that forum before.. 
But I went there and registered.. I need to learn more about casting and swagging cast bullets... I've reloaded since I was a teenager, but never cast my own bullets. I've always bought them, but the prices are going up and then some of what I want and need I can't find. So! Now it's time to learn... 

Thanks I registered but will have to wait till I get home to log on to that site..

Looks like an informative site..


----------



## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

beowoulf90 said:


> Unfortunately CH4d no longer sells the lead wire and I didn't see a core mold on their website. But we will see if I can get a catalog.. I already have about 400 lbs of lead around.. So we are going to see what we can come up with..
> 
> I've reloaded for years but never did the bullet swaging. Time to learn something new..


Around here they sell lead wire for steelhead fishing weight. And in the past I've made core molds. You could make one as simple as a hole drilled in a hunk of steel, then run a bolt in the hole from the bottom with a nut for an adjustable stop. It's crude but works and will get you by in a pinch.


----------



## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

I've done it 4 different ways. One is a dedicated core mold. Mine is nice in that is has pistons that can be screwed up and down to adjust the weight of the core. The problem is that I only have one diameter of core mold. A second is cutting lengths of lead wire, and I have heard that some people substitute lead solder for wire. Third, you can use a smaller diameter cast lead bullet as your core. To make my .44 Mag bullets I used a 175 grain .40 caliber bullet as the core. With a .40S&W case as the jacket, the finished bullet comes out weighing 245 grains. Lastly, you can just dip each case in molten lead to fill them. I find this works well for making "heavy for caliber" bullets.

Here's one other method I can try but haven't yet. I could take a cheap Lee aluminum mold and drill out the bullet cavity with a slightly larger drill. I would then just cast cores in the fixed cavity I drilled out. That would limit you to just one or two different core weights, but how many different bullets do you need to make?
Michael


----------



## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

I might have to try some of those ideas and see what I can come up with...

I reload for quite a few different calibers so I think I would need different sizes for cores if I choose to make my own bullets... Either way just learning the info from you guys and gals is worth it.. 

Just a though I have a bunch of alum heat sinks that may work to make core molds.. I will have to check the scrap pile and see if they are heavy enough..


Thank you!


----------

