New melting pot

I've been doing a lot of casting recently. Problem is that I've been casting for muzzleloader bullets and for centerfire rifle and pistol bullets. That really gets to be a pain because I have to empty my pot each time by pouring the remaining lead into an ingot mold because I use pure lead for muzzleloader bullets and alloyed for the centerfire.
And a problem with that is you never get all the molten lead out of the pot and it takes quite a bit longer for an empty pot to start melting a new batch of ingots.
Well I solved this problem yesterday. Midway USA has the Lee 20 lb bottom pour elec. pots on sale for $89.99 and free shipping. I ordered one and its on the way. No more switching out pots. BTW my 25 year old Lee pot still is working fine.
The prices on Ebay and Amazon are more than that and in most cases you have to pay shipping. If you need a new pot now is the time.

I just picked up a 20# pot from midway last week except I went the ladle route this time. My old 10# bottom pour leaked so bad I welded the spout shut. Its hard not to buy from midway with that $49 shipping deal I can always add a few more items to get shipping for free.

Dasblanc my old pot still heats up fine and as for leaking, yea it drips a little but I don't find it to be a big deal. When the pile of drips gets 1/2" or so high I just pick it up and put it back in the pan. I can just put a screwdriver onto the adjustment screw and turn it back and forth a little and that stops the dripping.

Mine was much worse it would be 1.5"in 2 pours no matter what I did it was terminal.

You know you could have gotten a new replacement spout? It only c=screws in.
http://www.anglersworkshop.com/Accessories-and-Melting-Pots/5735-Lee-Lead-Melting-Pot-Replacement-Parts

Or you could put a screw in the bottom of the spout, remove the lever mechanism and use a ladle.  That's what I did to my original bottom spout Lee pot.  

After using a bottom pour pot I can't see what the advantages of using a ladle would be. With a properly regulated pour I get full mold and I don't have to worry about slag in the cast bullet.  Once I'm on a roll I know exactly when to stop the pour and get a neat overflow. But I still scrape off the dross on top of molten lead.
If I'm missing something please let me know. Like I said before I use to cast with nothing more than a cast iron melting pot, a ladle and a Coleman camp stove. (which I still have if the SHTF)

No real advantage, it boils down to what you like.  For me, the way I have my bench setup, the bottom pour pot was too low and I always had to bend over.  I tried a chair but found it (for me) cumbersome.  I had to drill the spout out so it filled my 340 and 465s gr molds faster.  I constantly had drips (before and after drilling out the spout), and had to frequently tighten the pole (for a lack of better words) to stop the dripping.  Then I got frustrated in having to insert a large paper clip to clean out the spout.  So I wound up plugging it up and used my ladle.

Now I will say using a ladle takes a little getting use to.  I find it a little messier sometimes as some of the lead may drip over onto the sides of the mold.   But in the end it all boils down as to what method you like.  What counts is getting your lead and mold hot enough.  This way you will get a complete fill out and your bullets should weigh at least 1gr or less between all bullets.  

IF you want to obtain the best accuracy like Lew mentions all the time,  weigh your bullets, make sure the bases are perfect and WEIGH all powder charges.  It all depends on what level of accuracy you want to obtain.  

The main thing is to enjoy casting and take pride in your accomplishments in achieving what you are striving for.

Oh wear protective gloves (Don't ask   )  and cast in a ventilated area.  If possible have a small fan to blow the fumes away from you and wash after casting.

Let us know how you make out and have fun!

Ed I know what you mean about bending over but I solved that problem real quick. The table I cast on is very stable so I put my pot on the solid side of a 8" cinder block. Sitting on a metal folding chair the height is perfect. In fact I have to stand up and see how much lead is still in the pot.
I drop my bullets on a piece of leather which sets on a folded towel and use a 1.5" wooden dowel to knock open the sprue and tap the mold handles if necessary.
BTW 2 more weeks and I'll be back up north. Going to TX on Thurs. to pick up the 2 grandsons then heading back to PA. Drop a prayer for me for travel safety.

Good tip on the cinder blocks.  I'll have to get them if I  try the bottom pour spouts again.

I drop my bullets directly into a shallow small cardboard box.  I use a wooden hammer handle to knock the bullets out of the mold.