Bullet Casting

I will have to admit, bullet casting has been my downfall. What I have been doing for years has worked, but it is time to learn more and cast better, more consistent bullets in order to try and improve accuracy at longer distances.

What I will be posting here will be details on the lead I will be using, the hardness and casting methods. For casting depth details, it will be best to search youtube, google or whatever other resources for your best results. The following will be what I do to suit my needs.

John Kort proved that the Lyman 427098 would perform well at longer ranges with black powder loads. He redesigned the 427098 by adding a large lube groove and a crimp groove. Accurate Molds made this mold for him, it is the 43-215C. 

I, as John, used the same concept but my change was to be used with smokeless powder Reloder 7 loads. I retained the small double lube groove of the 427098, but smoothed the transition from the forward driving band to the ogive as well as increasing the diameter to drop at .428". Accurate Molds made this mold and offers it as the 43-214A. This will drop a 214gr bullet from wheel weights, and can drop 220gr with a more pure lead mix.

I do not know what lead mix John used, but Winchester advised to use pure lead with black powder loads. However, some dissected Winchester 1914 smokeless loads tested at 10 BNH, and Mark Whyte preferred 9 BNH...and is what I used for the 40 shot target in 2019.

Mark Whyte cast the bullets in the first photo below. I asked him to do this for me so I could get as accurate shots as I could for the Doc Pardee target in 2019. All of my cast bullets since then have been from either wheel weights or scrap lead that are probably in the 12 BNH area.

It is time to progress into better casting!

as of October 16th, 2025

Aside from previous cast, the updates below will be from current progress on trying to cast the best bullets possible.

My current batch of lead consist of the following;

• Pure lead - 4 BNH

• Sailboat lead - 10 to 11 BNH

• Possible wheel weights/hard cast mix - 14 to 14.5 BNH

• Melted hard cast bullets - 16 to 18 BNH

....more to follow!