All you really need for a good cast bullet is a mould, a melting pot and a supply of wheel weights to pour. I've probably shot 30 lbs worth of homemade cast bullets through my 1911 so far. Best thing about it is that when you make your own bullets, the bullet shop is never closed.

As far as 'hard cast' goes, I don't know where people get their terminology from. pure lead has a brinnel hardness of 5, wheelweights run about 9-10. Wheelweights are good for velocities up to around 2000 fps with the proper lube and have the added bonus of being soft enough to expand well without shattering and are typically a lot softer than commercially made cast bullets.