in the late seventies you could get a .22 pellet mould called an lem spitzer . Cost of lead is not much as you can scrounge stuff like old pipes etc i use this to cast round ball for my muzzle loader . As for consistancy you can weigh them and batch them by weight any too heavy or light just drop em back in the pot and reuse . The pellet shape was bullet , you could run em through a sizer . I have seen a mould on here for 45 quid only this week