Making your own ammunition can save you money and provide you with an unusual hobby and marketable skill. This process should only be done by an adult and only while using the most extreme caution. Only skilled people with knowledge of all of the components of ammunition should attempt this process.
Instructions
1. Understand the difference between a cast bullet and a jacketed bullet. The term jacketed bullet means a jacket around the bullet. You will find this on rifle bullets with the copper jacket around it. Jacketed bullets can be driven at a high velocity, about three-thousand feet per second with no changes to the barrel of the rifle.
2. Know the purpose of casting a bullet. Cast bullets are generally made for handguns, such as pistols and semi-automatics. Cast bullets have a lower velocity, around sixteen to seventeen hundred feet per second. These are easier to make yourself as well.
3. Purchase or collect some of the lead wheel weights that can be found on any vehicle. These can be purchased at an auto parts store or salvaged from a junk yard.
4. Gather and set up the equipment you will need. Put on the appropriate safety gear, including goggles, a respirator and clothing that is not loose or baggy.
5. Turn the furnace on to number six on the dial--a medium-high heat. Allow the wheel weights to melt completely, add a piece of ingot, which is blended lead alloy. Allow the two to melt together and mix. Pour the lead into the molds using the small ladle. It is a good idea to wear fire-resistant gloves while doing this.
6. Allow the lead to cool and set in the molds. To take them out, turn the mold upside down and use a piece of wood or rubber mallet to pound on the bottom of the mold and loosen them.
