Where are you going to get the rough blanks to swage? Hint - you will probably cast them. How long will it take you to get tired of making paper patches? Hint - probably not too long. If you have been casting that long, you're probably good and efficient doing it.

Cobin's stuff, for jacketed bullets is made to use with pure lead wire. 1/4" spools.

As with yourself I was becoming weary with casting bullets.

I had an opportunity to buy a fairly large tote of Corbin presses, (3), a slug of jackets of various sizes, several swaging dies and I honestly can't remember what else, for $500.  I ended up buying a Corbin slug cutter and a CH-4D cannelure tool.  NONE of the dies were marked but after buying Corbin's little manual and a LOT of measuring I figured out what was what.

I had always been curious about the process and wanted to learn more about it.  I had to jump through several hoops but got the process down.  I manufactured a few hundred 44 and 357 caliber bullets and they shot well.  After several months of making jacketed bullets I came to the conclusion it is a LOT less work to just cast them.  I came to the same conclusion about rifle bullets but it didn't take almost 1,000 bullets.  

I also paper patched a few hundred bullets for my E.M. Reilly double rifle in 500 BP Express with Henry rifling and for use with BP loads because I could not get the rifle to regulate with naked cast bullets over BP.  Two things, I will NEVER own another rifle with Henry rifling and I hated PP'ing bullets.

All that was definitely educational but, I'd sell the swaging stuff, with the core cutter and cannelure tool, for what I have in it.  There's also parts of coils of lead wire for 44 and 357 cores.  I'll never PP another bullet as long as I live.

I am not nearly so weary of casting bullets as I was.  I also don't shoot but a fraction of what I used to.

Sooo...do what trips your trigger, you'll never know until you try.  No one could have talked me out of trying swaging bullets, especially not for pennies on the dollar for what all that equipment would have cost.

I've been casting my own bullets from a young age, my brother and I started out collecting spent bullets from a National Guard Range as well as tire weights to cast 38 pistol bullets. I've always considered casting to be a meditative practice. This is from an old magazine article "The Zen practice of bullet casting refers to a meditative and precise nature of crafting your own lead alloy bullets, a hobby that blends manual skill with scientific accuracy. For many, it's not just about saving money or ensuring a supply during shortages, but about the satisfaction of mastering a complex, multi-step process from molten metal to a finished projectile."

I generally cast my bullets early in the morning before it gets too hot. These are some I casted this morning for the upcoming Raton match.

Thumbs up for Bull Shop.  I cast quite a bit. but have purchased some from them for bullets I do not have a mould for.  Service was quick and painless.

My knowledge of swaging is strictly superficial but it seems like a very expensive and labor intensive way to produce bullets??

I do agree about casting, and I've been doing it since 1970. Several improvements have helped me along with it.
Bottom pour furnace
Big molds, 4 cavity or more.
Quality molds, avoiding my cheapo side
Alloys that cast easily

Casting bullets became IMMENSELY easier when I read in some magazines to get the &(#&!! mold HOT. Prior to that I followed Lyman's advice to lay the mold on the top of the pot or cast many bullets quickly,,, baloney! Now I use a propane torch, open the mold and heat it evenly, close it and heat it more. Now I cast good bullets from cast #1 until I'm done instead of casting bad ones until I'm tired of casting before any good ones drop. 

It still all.boils down to (for me) a cost savings when only punching holes in paper anyway. And if I could duplicate the cost buying same bullets all my casting gear would be for sale. 

Here's my casting setup.  You'll note that the mould is setting on a small heat plate, coming up to temperature with a thermocouple probe inserted in the bullet cavity.  Once the temp. reaches at least 400 degrees I start casting.  When in rhythm I typically cast 60 bullets per hour.  I really like the RCBS pot with the built-in PID

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And here's an older photo of the RCBS bottom pour pot being used with a separate PID.  I don't use the bottom pour, preferring to dip cast with a ladle. Note the PID temp is 751 degrees.  I normally cast at 750 degrees.  If you look closely you can spot the PID thermocouple probe sticking out the top of the pot.

Wayne

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oneatatime wrote Today at 11:25am:


The fan is for cooling the mould and pot after finishing a casting session.  One of these days I plan to install an exhaust hood, but until then I open both doors & window in my separate workshop & let the breeze remove any fumes or smoke.  The casting station is located between both doors.

Wayne