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#1
03-16-2008, 02:48 AM
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Is it worth it?
Ok since I've never seen how bullets are made but have an idea is it really worth it? I'm not trying to be negative or anything just really curious about makeing bullets (mostly like the 308 SMK's) but would just like to know if the investment in equipment and what you get is worth it? I'm on the fence here fella's since bullets are up to dang near $30 a hundred and I like to practice my LR shooting so I don't loose it. Let me know your opinions and see if you can't push me one way or the other so I can get off this fence. Later,
Kirk 
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#2
03-16-2008, 06:03 AM
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Here is a link to Corbin's web site you might check the prices on their equipment and components while you wait for some mentor to clue you in.
Corbin's I've made a few 17's but the equipment sits in the garage waiting for my next inspiration. 
__________________
A17Shooter Calaveras County, California, USA 
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#3
03-16-2008, 06:47 AM
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A17: want to part with it?? send me a pm/em about it. I'd like to get into .17's before long.
Ksmirk: Depends on how deep your pockets are, time you have to spend working at making things. Whether it means anything to you to get decent results from something you've made from scratch or not. Corbins has always been about five time's the price I've been willing to pay. That's why I dont' have them yet. Yrs ago they were $90, 160 a set. Now they're crowding a grand for the same thing. Hey what??? NFW for me. But, yet, I've shot a few thousand from others that came from their dies and was satisfied with the results. Mostly I burn thousands every summer on p/dogs. IF I'm using homemade bullets, at least I've got an excuse when I miss. Right? but, they're good enough a man shouldn't miss to at least 300 yds or more just because of the bullets. I cast by the buckets full for the wheel guns. Spend about three weeks casting in the late fall and winter before it turns cold. THat way I've got a winters loading I can do inside. They'll then last all summer jsut about no matter how much shooting I get done. For a long time I was shooting three nights a week and 300-500 rnds a night. So yes, it paid off there, especially as it was indoors and only 50ft range handguns. Winters here in CO keep us off the range for months, so don't get as much burned up as I'd like. Then in the summer, life is happening and it's hard to get away very much, or for long. SO when I do get to go, it's long hard days of shooting. To me, Iv'e got more time to make them than I do the money to spend on factory. I also get a big boost of pleasure out of good results from something I've made. I just refuse to shoot factory ammo. Trade it in for loading supplies when it comes in. Hope this gives you something to consider.
__________________
George "Gun Control is NOT about guns, it's about CONTROL!!"
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#4
03-16-2008, 07:08 AM
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Well here's a little more info, I would be making bullets for my 17 Rem, 223, 243, and 308. the 17 and 223 would be strickly p-dog bullets the 243 and 308 are for my LR rigs and yes they would have to be very good! my job would not allow me to do it any different I'm in Quality Control so I'm way to picky by nature
 the 243 would be in weights of 105-115 and the 308 I'd be looking at 155-168. Spare time I have some and my loading stuff is inside the house so weather is not all that bad here in Oklahoma pretty much get to shoot all the year and have been looking at the ft matches. AnywayI've been loading for to long and it's late catch you guys later. Kirk
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#6
03-17-2008, 04:46 PM
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Quote:
17 and .224 and .243 could be made from rimfire jackets at smaller costs. (Not .243 in 105, probably...) There are two corbins, brothers who don't agree completely (surprise)... Dave, corbins.com and Richard, rceco.com. Richard had dies for use in the heavy reloading press like Rockchucker for $225. per set/caliber. Another set for making the rimfire case into a jacket, $65.00 I think. So if you have a Rockchucker press... Many don't know that RCBS stands for Rock Chucker Bullet Swage. Mr. Huntington got his start making dies to make bullets... Might want to price jackets at brunoshooters.com. J-4s. Corbin has dies to make a .30 in the heavy press. Corbin, dave also sells jackets. If you "like it" you can be happy and save. If you bore easily... Thorazine, straight jackets, etc. Your call. luck.
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#7
03-18-2008, 12:32 AM
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georgeld I live in the thriving metropolis of OKC you close around?
iiranger, yes sir I am one of those guys that will find the most tidious thing and play with it for hours! where I work we have a mess of scrap lead from some gaskets we make for a customer :-) and jackets from 22 rimfire cases? never heard of that but hey if it works a couple of trips to the range and wow all the stuff I could pick up! I'd kinda like to actually see someone that has the stuff and the process that is involved I can get a good idea from reading but if I can SEE it I normally figure it out PDQ! anyone in Oklahoma that makes bullets wanna show me how? one thing I was thinking is that can you get a 22 rimfire case to stretch out far enough to make a 30 cal bullet that is 1.230-1.250"? Later, Kirk
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#8
03-18-2008, 05:48 AM
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Kirk:
nah, I'm in Pueblo. Go to: www.castboolits.gunloads.com/swaging, there's a bunch of threads there with quite a few pictures of the stages and tooling. Oh man, gather up that soft lead! Form/melt it into 3/4"x4" round plugs and you'll have it made for making lead wire to produce the cores from. Then just clip off to length is the way it looks. Corbins dies have a bleed hole the excess exits out from. Those are supposed to make bullets to desired wts. The way I read it at least. Simple pin, push thru die set for a loading press to swage the rim off the l/r cases. Lube, and push 'em, wash the lube off, bake 'em in the oven to soften. Then swage the cores in, last step is pointing them up. After that, it's polishing. That's the way I read it. One of the guys there sent me a few samples of each step a couple weeks ago. Slick and easy, don't look any harder to do than reloading. Soon as I can, intend to make the dies to do it all with on this sorry lathe I have. Taking it easy, I can produce some amazing items even though it won't turn a length straight.
__________________
George "Gun Control is NOT about guns, it's about CONTROL!!"
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#9
03-19-2008, 07:46 PM
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[ and jackets from 22 rimfire cases? never heard of that but hey if it works a couple of trips to the range and wow all the stuff I could pick up!
Where you been all your life??? Two men in Lincoln NE got their start making bullets from rimfire jackets WW II and after. You may have heard of them. Joyce Hornady and Vern Speer. Joyce moved to Grand Island, NE and Vern moved farther west. Point, this was common. Harv Donaldson wrote of making bullets in dies he made and an arbor press... Mr. Corbin, Dave at corbins.com has online his books without pictures where you can read of the process, download for study, etc. , step by step. BIGGIE! You need to hold velocity down to about 3200 or less or the jackets come apart, and supposedly the fast twist .223 barrels are hard on them too. 222 works great. No, I doubt you can get a 1.2 jacket for a .30 from a long rifle case, but .22 Magnum cases have been used, Dave says, for up to 7mm. Awful thin. Target bullet at .308 velocity? Maybe. .300 Winchester mag? Doubt it. luck.
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