An Introduction to Bullet Casting: How to Make Your Own Ammunition

Series Summary

The term bullet is often mistakenly used to describe a round of ammunition as a whole, but in fact the actual “bullet” is only one component of the cartridge. The bullet is the metal projectile, usually made of lead, at the end of the round. It is sometimes referred to as a slug. While the vast majority of ammunition is manufactured in factories, many people choose to make their own. Casting your own ammunition has long been a tradition practiced by hunters and gamekeepers, and it’s a great way to save money.

In this series of free video clips you’ll learn how to safely cast your own ammunition. Expert hunter John Borg takes you through the process step-by-step, showing you what equipment you’ll need to get started, how to prepare the jacket for reloading, and how to cast different types of rounds for various guns. John also offers tips and techniques for creating efficient workflow, cleaning the workspace and how to deal with dud rounds.

Video Transcript

"Hi! This is John. Today we’re going to be talking about a fascinating hobby. It’s for people who will reload their ammunition for their particular firearm that they’ll be using. What I’ll be talking about today is bullet casting. This has been around for hundreds of years. Back to the revolutionary war, people went to the campsites, had camp stoves, and cooked lead in a pot. They had a mold and made the musket balls for their muskets. What I’ll be taking today and showing you is taking this wheel weight, that is on everyone’s vehicle that they’re driving around in. I’m taking and showing to you how to turn this wheel weight into his lead slog."