swaged vs cast

[b52fizzle]

Does anybody swage their own bullets? Pros and cons over casting?

 

[HiPower]

Swaging must be done with dead soft lead...no alloys. Casting can be tailored to velocity (within limits) by varying the alloy.

 

[oneof79]

Look up posts by Blitzfike. I think he is the one that makes his own jacketed bullets, which involves a lot of swaging.
I think if you can find a way to make your bullets fit really good in the bore of a pistol you don't have to worry about hardness as much.

 

[Old Fart]

Cost, casting can be done realtively cheap, swaging not so much.

 

[Blitzfike]

I cast a large variety of bullets, both pistol and rifle, and even have a mold for casting buckshot. I install gas checks on many of the rifle bullets and some of the pistol bullets that I cast and others I shoot plain base. I make some jacketed bullets by swaging and a few pistol bullets by swaging, but it is much easier to cast and size/lube the bullets than it is to swage them. I make most of the target 22 cal jacketed bullets I shoot by making the jackets from 22 rimfire cases. Much easier to buy factory bullets, but mine are more accurate. I make copper tubing jackets for both pistol and rifle bullets, but again, much easier to buy them. Most of the copper tubing stuff I make is for the tougher jackets. They hold together better than the thin commercial jackets. Again, its a matter of what I'm using them for. Blitzfike