Starting a small casting company - need feedback

[MK20]

My good friend and I are going to start a casting company in the next 3 months. Nothing too big. He has been wanting a side job as he is semi retired and I realized I have all the equipment to run a small casting shop. I can get custom molds and dies easily so the sky is the limit.

I'm looking for feedback from you guys regarding what bullet sizes you would be most interested in. I can do odd stuff like gas checked bullets for 9.3x62, or gas checked .310 bullets for a Finnish Mosin. I can do long range bullets for the BPCR stuff.

We will obviously support things like 45-70, 38-55, 10mm, 44 mag (.430 to .432), 38, and the .510 stuff.

If any of you guys want cast bullets for a .510 Whisper I can get the dies for that.

We don't have the massive industrial machines or volume to compete with HSM or guys like that, so we plan on meeting market demand more in the niche stuff.

Obviously once we actually start the business I'll get a supporter account. This is not a for sale post. I am just gauging interest to know what dies to order beyond what I already have.

I may have the opportunity next year to set up a similar company in Europe due to some unique circumstances. I am checking into the regulations regarding that. Maybe you EU guys will then get to have more options that are actually cost effective, too.

Let me know below what sizes you want and I'll see what we can do.


Thanks.

 

[Western Living]

It sounds more like a hobby than a business. There was a guy local to me that had a reloading shop for a few years. He paid a lease on a commercial space and put all his personal Dillons in there. He had several steel shelving units full of sorted and washed brass. He sold components, bullets, brass, powder, primers, and I think he sold tools like presses, dies, etc. but he didn't have a big inventory of those things. He got tired of paying a big lease, so he moved to a smaller leased spot in a mini mall. Then he didn't want to pay that lease either. He put it up for sale. I think he was asking $80K, which I assume came with some inventory, but it was mostly wishful thinking. He moved online to work out of his house and save the lease entirely. This was all before 2020 so that drama didn't affect it, but I'm sure at some point afterward he must have decided to just enjoy retirement.

 

[Makinchips208]

Man! 10-15 years ago i went through thousands of 44 mag bullets. I don't hardly shoot that any more.

Cool idea though and best of luck to you!

 

[Hoser]

For sure powder coat your bullets. Traditional lube sucks in comparison.

 

[R_A_W]

Hell yeah, best luck to you!

(I don't shoot any cast bullets though)