Almost like Mel Gibson .............

[Jack Stanley]

I spent some time at the range house today and had a little fire going in the stove to chase the chills with . While changing targets I found slugs from the past like the forty-five round nose Lymans I was shooting yesterday . A few of the RCBS 22-55-SP that have been shot throughout the winter . And just a few of the new RCBS 32-SWC I'm running in the 32-20 Browning rifle .

I had a handfull of bits and pieces of lead and usually take them to the dungeon so they can rejoin their lead brethren . This time though , when I went to the house to get more ammo I grabbed a ladle and an ingot mould . Mel Gibson made it look easy to make bullets by the fire so I just dumped the handfull into the ladle , opened the door of the stove and laid the ladle on the coals . A few minutes later I was stirring it with a handy stick and poured the melt into the ingot mold . Now I have a ingot and the smoke went up the chimney insted of through the vents in the dungeon .

Hmmmm ... new idea for me here ....... maybe I should keep a ladle and mold at the range house during the winter .

Jack

[mpmarty]

Inasmuch as we have had electrical outages here lasting days and nearly weeks I use the wood stove to heat our home. It will cook a meal, boil water and now I think I'll try using it to smelt.

[canyon-ghost]

Anyone that shoots 32-20 WCF is reconnected to the old times.

Flintlock rifle: a rock, steel, gunpowder, not real complicated.
Bullet: molten lead, mold, not real complicated.

But I'm seriously glad you tried it out, I like simple experiences that last.
Ron

[stubshaft]

In my "Mountain Man" days I went as far as ordering a rat tail ladle from Rapine to cast by the fire. Took it to a rendevous once and tried it out. Worked great but was just one more thing to carry around so I sold it.

[Dutchman]

I grabbed a ladle and an ingot mould . Mel Gibson made it look easy to make bullets by the fire so I just dumped the handfull into the ladle , opened the door of the stove and laid the ladle on the coals . A few minutes later I was stirring it with a handy stick and poured the melt into the ingot mold . Now I have a ingot


I think this is the making of a dandy ritual to be played out at midnight of a full moon on the eve of winter solstice while sipping some homebrew and saying a few words in the native tongue of one's ancestors.

Dutch

[geargnasher]

My homebrew makes me forget how to speak in the native tongue of my ancestors....:drinks::2 drunk buddies:

Gear

[reloader28]

My homebrew helps me speak with AUTHORITY, but most people call it slurring.


I've thought of casting this way myself just for a taste of the old ways.

[excess650]

My homebrew makes me forget how to speak in the native tongue of my ancestors....:drinks::2 drunk buddies:

Gear

My homebrew makes me forget how to speak.... :drinks::2 drunk buddies:

[KYCaster]

My homebrew makes me forget how to speak in the native tongue of my ancestors....:drinks::2 drunk buddies:

Gear



You don't really have to say anything...the phrase "Hold my beer and watch this!" will generally be understood by all those present.

It goes without saying. :redneck:

Jerry

[45-70 Chevroner]

I've put away a few home brews, that is my own home brew. I don't remember if I cast any boolits while under the influance of my brew, but I also could not remember where I left my Pickup either, probably a good thing. When I figured out that the brew was doing me instead of me doing it, I quit. I haven't had a drop in about 40 years. I figured out that what I was spending on home brew and bar brew would buy a lot of casting equipment. Oh and yes I have cast a few round balls (while under the influance of my home brew) over my camp fire in my younger years, and it really helps to remember to take some good leather gloves along.

[songdog53]

I fear me and homebrew and hot lead wouldn't work out well, tends to make me one of those people that can't see where much of anything would hurt. I put me and beer under heading of beer and guns...a big no no. Course maybe a few would help me remember how to speak my natve language but then don't think would help southern drawl much. How about just beer under full moon and no hot lead around?

[linotype]

My homebrew makes me forget how to speak in the native tongue of my ancestors....:drinks::2 drunk buddies:

Gear

Enough alcohol of any kind makes me speak in my native language.

Céilí Mór an Béarla!

:drinks:

[NHlever]

One of the first Lyman cast bullet manuals had the picture of a pioneer casting bullets by the fireplace on the cover. I always liked associating with that picture when I was casting. There is a very tactile link between those of us that choose to pour our own bullets, and the substanance of our pioneer forefathers. It was good to see that portrayed in "The Patriot" too, and reminded us all of our own ability to survive, and make what we had work when the chips are down. There is a good link to things that matter in the Silver Stream.

[Jack Stanley]

Yesterday was another chilly morning so I lit a fire and got a bucket of backstop lead a friend gave me from his club . Lots of crud in this stuff so while the ladle was heating , I'd shoot a few rounds from the 32-20 downrange . I managed to recover twenty-eight pounds from that pile of crud .

Got two more buckets to go ................ :castmine:

Jack

[Hang Fire]

This is what I use for running a few balls over open fire. The metal handle on the light weight forged ladle folds over, so takes little room in possibles bag, the wood accoutrements are just cut and whittled in camp.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P1010001-12.jpg

[1Shirt]

Think all of us who spent some time playing with front stuffers, and being part of the Mt. Man group have tried it. Yep, it works, and know how to do it, but don't need to. Good thread.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[montana_charlie]

Mel Gibson made it look easy to make bullets by the fire so I just dumped the handfull into the ladle , opened the door of the stove and laid the ladle on the coals . A few minutes later I was stirring it with a handy stick and poured the melt into the ingot mold.

Jack
I think this is the making of a dandy ritual to be played out at midnight of a full moon on the eve of winter solstice while sipping some homebrew and saying a few words in the native tongue of one's ancestors.

Dutch
My homebrew makes me forget how to speak in the native tongue of my ancestors....:drinks::2 drunk buddies:

Gear
Thanks for that sequence, guys. The laughter feels good in my belly.

CM

[Jack Stanley]

I finished up the last bucket yesterday afternoon and ended up with about eighty ingots at nearly one pound each . They seem to be pretty soft but I expected as much from backstop lead from an indoor range . My guess is there is a lot of rimfies lead and perhaps some thirty-eight wadcutter lead in the mix .

While cooling , the ingots developed a but of a crystiline look to them but when dropped make no ring at all . I set aside a small stash to get my nephew started casting so he can feed his 1903 properly . It should make for good low velocity bullets as it is but we'll see .


I haven't partaken of homebrew or other brews since 1982 , but reading what you guys have written is a bit amusing . I can picture the events in my sometimes over-active imagination .

Jack