Cast Bullet
A bullet poured from molten lead alloy rather than built with a copper jacket, valued for low cost and for subsonic and reduced loads.
A cast bullet is made by pouring molten lead alloy into a mold, then sizing and lubricating the cooled bullet so it runs cleanly through the bore. Casters adjust the hardness of the alloy by adding tin and antimony, since a harder bullet resists deformation and leading at higher pressure. The appeal is economy and self-sufficiency, because a shooter can recycle scrap lead and turn out bullets at a fraction of the cost of jacketed projectiles.
Cast bullets shine in low-velocity work such as subsonic and reduced loads, where soft lead expands well and the bore stays clean. Pushed too fast, plain lead smears the bore with leading, so a gas-check is fitted to the base to extend the usable velocity range. They are not a lead-free option, so shooters check local rules and ventilation, but for plinking, training, and quiet loads the cast bullet remains a practical choice.