How many Gun Owners Actually Re-Load/cast?

[UtopiaTexasG19]

I know this is probably a "un-answerable" question. Here on a casting/re-loading forum one could get the impression that everyone that shoots guns casts and re-loads for them selves. The re-loading industry appears to be huge, but just like everyone that owns a automobile does not change their own oil everyone that shoots does not re-load/cast. Has anyone seen any figures as to how many folks re-load/cast their own rounds? I'd bet a lot more re-load factory made bullets than cast their own but I am curious as to some figures. I assume there is no formal way to count the number in this hobby though it is probably a lot. This is a wonderful yet addictive hobby...Thanks...

[zxcvbob]

In my bullseye pistol club (maybe 50 people, mostly middle-aged men) less than half reload, and I might be the only one who casts my own boolits. And this is a group of handgun enthusiasts -- although many of them shoot .22LR only, so that skews the sample group the other way.

[Beau Cassidy]

I would say only about 5 percent or less of handgun owners even shoot more than one box of ammo thru their firearm. Of the remaining 5 percent, I would say less than 2 percent reload. Rifle owners sboot a little more but not much. Probably even fewer reload.

[ku4hx]

castboolits is a great site and caters to a group of people dedicated to a craft. At any one time viewer numbers are usually around 50 or so. Many other gun related forums may have hundreds of viewers. But one thing I've learned over the years is quantity does not necessarily mean quality.

General run-of-the-mill gun forums are seldom dedicated to a specific task but rather exist to provide a place for all sorts of topics and questions. That in and of itself is not a bad thing. It's just what I've observed and frankly there is enormous expertise on all forums I've ever visited.

But if you consider the numbers of forum viewers as a data point that indicates interest and participation, many are "into" guns but few are craftsmen as boollit casters are. I have no idea what the real numbers are but to gun owners I'd allow "many", as to hand loaders/reloaders I'd say "some" and to boolit casters I'd say "few".

[Roundnoser]

I shoot at a local sportsmans club. The outdoor pistol shoots are held every week for novice and experienced shooters alike. Most of the old-timers and some of us in our 40's reload. I'd say its about 50/50. As for bullet casters...only a handful. Many guys these days just buy their lead bullets.

[marvelshooter]

I would say that most Bullseye shooters who shoot CF and .45 are reloaders if not casters. At my home range which is mostly a plinking range I have yet to meet another reloader. A lot of people ask about it when they see me picking up brass. I always offer to help them get started but no takers yet.

[geargnasher]

I'd be surprised if there are more than 50,000 regular boolit casters in the U.S. I know our membership alone is almost half that, but for lots of people it's a "phase" or they try it for a while and lose interest.

There are 43,000 people residing in my county. I've very connected to the gun community here, and know or know of pretty much everyone who casts their own. Counting myself, there are five active or semi-active casters, two are WWII veterans. There's someone who has purchased group-buy moulds before with an in-county zip code, but they keep a very low profile. Even if we assume a couple I missed, thats only about eight out of 43,000. .02% if you round up. If that were indicative of the national average, and I doubt it because this is a rural area full of ranchers, hunters, and craftsmen, that would be ~62,000 nationwide.

In other words, not very many.

As far as reloaders go, probably a million if I had to guess.

Gear

[Cadillo]

I would say only about 5 percent or less of handgun owners even shoot more than one box of ammo thru their firearm. Of the remaining 5 percent, I would say less than 2 percent reload. Rifle owners sboot a little more but not much. Probably even fewer reload.

So, how do you perceive the other 90%?

[Springfield]

I belong to 3 cowboy action shooting clubs. An informal survey showed that about 90% reload their own cowboy ammo, but I only found 2 others who cast, out of about 100 people.

[btroj]

I perceive them as fun owners. I hold no ill will towards those who don't cast or reload.

Actually having a smaller number of casters and reloaders means we have less competition for lead and for range brass.

I think there are many gun owners who own firearms strictly for hunting or something like that. These people don't generally reload, they don't shoot enou to justify it. Their gun is just a hunting tool.

The 2 gun clubs I shoot at have large percentages of reloaders. One even has a fair number of casters. The local indoor range sees far fewer reloaders. I think the clubs are frequented by more hard core shooters, the indoor range sees more casual shooters and mall ninjas.

[Cadillo]

There are over eight hundred members in the rifle and pistol club I belong to. I have met only three other members who cast bullets, but their production is very low. There are, however, quite a number of handloaders, due mainly to the fact that there are monthly competitions in Action Pistol Shooting, Steel Plates, and Cowboy SA shooting, all of which consume a lot of ammo, which is mostly reloaded.

Oddly though, I've not met a competitor who casts, other than a rifle shooter, who loads only rifle bullets for use in the Postal Matches put on by the Cast Bullet Association. That man shoots some astounding one hundred and two hundred yard groups with those cast bullets.

[Kraschenbirn]

If you set aside a few "traditional" ML-shooters, of the (225) or so members of the club where I shoot, I'm only aware of (2) other shooters who cast but, perhaps, half of the guys with whom I'm personally acquainted reload, at least, some of their ammo. From the empties left littering our rifle line, though, it appears that most of the club's AR/H&K/FAL/AK/etc. shooters prefer to shoot low-end milsurp or steel-cased Russian/Chinese ammo.

Bill

[Bwana]

I would say only about 5 percent or less of handgun owners even shoot more than one box of ammo thru their firearm. Of the remaining 5 percent, I would say less than 2 percent reload. Rifle owners sboot a little more but not much. Probably even fewer reload.

About ten years ago, when my son and I had to get parts for our KP95s that we were using in IDPA, I was told by the Ruger Rep at the Arizona plant that Ruger figured that their handguns, on average, only had 1000 thousand rounds fired through them in their lifetime. In my experience dealing with "gun owners" that seems about right. Most people buy a hand gun, shoot a box of rounds through it, buy another box of ammo and then put it on a shelf.
That makes those of us who reload, cast, swage, wildcat, etc. very rare individuals. Our numbers have swelled a bit in the last two years because of the shortages waking up a number of people to the realities of the ammo suppy train. Due to current and future trends I see it staying at it's current level and even getting stronger provided the bottom doesn't drop out of the economy. Along those lines I would recommend the books "One Second After" and "Survivors". http://www.amazon.com/Survivors-ebook/dp/B004T4KXWS
http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-After-William-Forstchen/dp/0765317583

[runfiverun]

i live in a small community @ 2,000 people.
try finding brass on the range or finding a lead supply around here.
the members of the club here number about 75.
and many more just use the range as it's public, and open to use all day.
of the "regulars" there are about 20, all of them cast.
all of them know about this sight also.
many of them reload for others.
the minority of shooters here buy factory ammo.
you can buy reloading supplies at two different places here,two in the town to the south [approx the same size and i know a couple of guy's there that cast and about 5 that reload] and one in the town to the west [pop 900].
the box store and one gas station here sells factory ammo and the local grocery just recently quit selling factory because they didn't sell enough to bother with.
hunting and shooting is not unpopular here.

[geargnasher]

I'll be burglary and armed robbery isn't popular there at all!

Gear

[tuckerdog]

I've been on other sites but this is the only one I keep coming to. Around here about 25% of shooters reload and only about 10% of those cast. Range lead is easy to comeby,just pick a day the range is not busy and take a bucket. deer gun season is the best time because we have to use handguns shotguns or muzzleloaders and the berms are full of lead

[44man]

It is sad but remember, more lead for the rest of us! :bigsmyl2:
All of my friends want my cast or come to cast because that is where accuracy is.
Dirty pool to let some buy boolits to go "bang" but you will get free brass too. :bigsmyl2:

[perotter]

I'd say that 1 out 25 gun owners reload. I base this on some industry info I saw about 10-15 years ago. At that time something like 2.5 million people in the US reloaded ammo. Shotgun, handgun & rifle.

Casting I'd couldn't even guess. Around here almost nobody does it. The competition for WWs comes from those that cast sinkers.

[shotstring]

I have been involved in professionally selling firearms for about 20 years, was licensed to manufacture ammunition and sell it for 5 years including casting our own bullets. Yet in this forum I am a mere novice where casting and firearms expertise are concerned. This forum contains such a large number of people that have "unique knowledge" based on actual experience that it is downright freaky.

I for one, am glad that I can profit from it all and share my own small bit of expertise in a few areas when I can.

But overall, I believe the consensus is correct in saying that there are very few that actually reload anymore let alone cast their own bullets. Much of it has to do with the high price of components for reloading which makes it more a labor of love these days rather than a great cost saving venture.

Couple that with having far less places to shoot than there was 20 years ago or even 10, and you find people that don't shoot much but if they do, they just buy the cheap flavor of practice ammunition offered by the chain stores and leave it at that. Those that actually take their shooting seriously or compete in the shooting sports are the last bastion of reloaders and bullet casters and that number is rather small I would think.

[btroj]

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking everyone thinks and does the way we do. Just because I cast and reload doesn't mean all shooters do. I try my best to always remember that. Many gun owners are just that, gun owners. They are not shooters per se.

I drive a car but I am no far junky or gear head. They are a tool to me. I think most gun owners feel the same way.

Many of us shoot more in 1 year than many gun owners will in their entire lifetime.

[koehlerrk]

From what I've seen, I'd say about 15% of shooters around here reload, but maybe 5% of those reloaders cast or swage their own boolits. The folks here are preserving a dying art, and I'm trying to learn as much as I can.

[white eagle]

have bought Dies and bullets before I even owned the rifle to shoot them out of
have not bought a bullet (ammo)in years

[Shiloh]

Virtually all who shoot cast boolits, reload. That would include just about all who are members of the forum. OF the shooters I know personally, those who shoot centerfire, whether cast or not reload.

I know of one guy only who buys and shoots factory ammo and have got a lot of brass from him.
He shoots 9mm and .38 almost exclusively.

The others fellows shoot .22 rimfire exclusively.

Shiloh

[ku4hx]

have bought Dies and bullets before I even owned the rifle to shoot them out of
have not bought a bullet (ammo)in years

+1 Amen brother! Since I started hand loading in 1970, I guess I've bought less than 200 rounds of pistol ammunition. And that was for the sole reason of having factory for the guns I carry or keep on the night stands. I swap that out about every five years or so.

[Lizard333]

I would have to think that the 2% of the 5% of reloaders is close. I shoot quite a bit at the local range in Phoenix, Ben Avery, and in the last couple of years I have only run into one guy that casts his own. He knew of this web site and has been here quite a bit. I know guys that shoot between 400 to 500 rounds a week that shoot cast, but don't cast themselves. I was told that just reloading, even on a Dillon, was time consuming. They didn't have time cast, reload, and shoot.

I can relate. I find I have a lot more time to cast and reload than I have time shoot!! Casting and reloading I can do anytime, despite the weather or time day. It's tough to get range time with a five year old and a 1 year old and full time job. I can cast and reload as time permits.

[bbs70]

Most of the shooters at the sportsman club I belong to reload.
But I've only run into 1 or 2 who cast.
They say they don't shoot enough to justify the money and time in casting.

I usually tell them if they start casting they can shoot more.
AND they will save money by casting their own.:bigsmyl2: [smilie=l:

[hunter64]

I would have to think that the 2% of the 5% of reloaders is close.

That is about what I have found also. I have a friend that I go to the range with once in a while and he shoots nothing but factory stuff. The benefit is that I get to keep the brass afterwards. They have a 45 gallon barrel to put brass in at the range and it is always full of good hard to find brass for the taking.

The club I go to has over 1000 members now and at the last general meeting I had some of my surplus bullet molds on a table to sell and I only had one guy come up and buy a mold and about maybe 10 others out of about 400 members that kind of just looked at the molds and wondered what they were for.

[Fat-beeman]

I wish I belong to a shooting club but the dues are way too high for a man on fixed income.any you fellas go that wont reload send them here. I like to collect old mil rifles mostly bolt actions. so most the brass is very hard to find. I have collected a large amount of bullet molds over the yrs and 99 % of all my shooting is cast bullets. I am not a fan of max fps. just hunt and punch paper with these old war horses.
Don

[Infidel]

First I want to say that this is a great site! I've already gleaned a bunch of information that I probably wouldn't have ever known had it not been for this site. Some info I learned the hard way prior to learning the easier method.
I've been reloading for about 15-20 years or so. I started small with a handpress from Lee that I carried to work. I was there for 24 hours at a time, and during those "Down Times" learned the basics. I didn't cast back then. Since I've retired and have one grandson that is a shooting machine (I created a monster!), I have come to appreciate casting. I currently work part-time delivering autoparts which has side benefits. My customers know I collect WWs for "Fishin'weights". Be that 9, 357, 40, 44, or 45 fishin'weights. I did run into an interesting twist on this by finding an article on swaged bullets. Of those of us that do cast, how many swage jacketed bullets?? 500-1000 ?


:redneck:

[geargnasher]

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking everyone thinks and does the way we do. Just because I cast and reload doesn't mean all shooters do. I try my best to always remember that. Many gun owners are just that, gun owners. They are not shooters per se.

I drive a car but I am no far junky or gear head. They are a tool to me. I think most gun owners feel the same way.

Many of us shoot more in 1 year than many gun owners will in their entire lifetime.

Good point. Another trap that's easy to fall into is thinking that most gun owners are safe and conciencious (sp?). Many are not, but most true handloaders that I've met are.

Here's another twist: Of the gun owners out there, few reload. Even fewer handload. Even fewer cast and shoot their own boolits. Now what percentage of boolit casters swage their own or make their own paper jackets?

Gear

[casterofboolits]

I started casting in the early 70's and started my cast boolit business in the mid 80's for IPSC shooters. At least twenty guys traded me moulds and casting equipment for boolits.

Casting can be time consuming and they would rather buy boolits than expend time casting them. Especially white collar guys. If five out of a hundred shooters cast thier own, I would be suprised!

I have several Lyman, RCBS, Lachmiller, Lee and NEI moulds I've taken in trade over the last twenty odd years that I have never cast with and even forgot I had! :groner:

[miestro_jerry]

I have been reloading for more than 40 years, casting my own bullets for more than 30 years. I am not sure how much a shoot a year, warmer months it could be a 500 to 600 a week. Maybe 300 rounds of shotshells. Winter maybe 100 to 200 metallic shells. Then hunting season, total for hunting seasons is a couple of boxes of ammo and a couple of box of shotshells.

But I cast for myself, my girlfriend and my brother. My GF sorts and sizes my cast bullets, my brother just buys me the stuff I need in exchange for some of my cast bullets.

If it wasn't for my farm, I would get more shooting done.

Jerry

[Shedhunter]

I can only think of two people that I know who reload, and they don't cast their own. I can't afford to buy factory ammo which is why I started making my own.

[miestro_jerry]

I forgot

Merry Christmas, may you find a new rifle or pistol under your tree and a new Dillon 650 press.

Jerry

[fredj338]

I would say vrey, very few. I am always amazed at the volumn of brass I see every weekend @ one of the clubs I shoot IDPA. Just 1000s of pieces laying around. Maybe 10% of the shooters are reloaders & these are serious pistol shooters, not the casual gun owner.

[shootinxd]

I started casting so I could shoot more.At the three gun shoots I attend only one other guy casts,but more than 3/4 reload.After casting for just over a year,Im still learnin.Thanks to all for the help,and Merry X-mas to ALL.

[Barr]

Most shooters I know do not reload and buy factory ammo. It seems that more people are starting to reload and are finding cast bullets are the economical way to go.

I have been reloading for 7 years myself and am just starting to get into casting my own. Just got a shop that I can work in instead of an apt which really helps. Up till now bulk pack cast bullets from Missouri Bullet Company or Oregon Trail bullets have been the way to go.

[GP100man]

When I finally went for my CCW permit there was some concerns on useing handloads ,but instructor congratulated me on my ammo afterwards , & said there`s very few that reload or cast there own that went thru his class.

I`d hate to know I was dependant on a goverment controlled industry to deliver my ammo !!!

[Kraschenbirn]

About ten years ago...I was told by the Ruger Rep at the Arizona plant that Ruger figured that their handguns, on average, only had 1000 thousand rounds fired through them in their lifetime...

Hmmm...I put at least that many rounds through my original .357 BH the first year I owned it and that was 1964.

Bill

[atr]

the gun club I belong to is small, about 300 members and some of those members ( maybe 50) are primarily shotgun shooters. Of those that shoot pistol and rifle there are ony 2 of us who cast and shoot cast boolits !

[1Shirt]

IMO, there are few pistol shooters who cast, but a fair number who shoot cast, mostly because of cost. However with rifle shooters, the number of casters and shooters is very very minimal. Other than btroj and myself, I know of no others who cast for and shoot rifle blts. I get goofy looks and even more goofy questions and statements about cast rifle blts. That is particularly true when I am on the range with 3-4 rifles all with cast loads, and ranging from K-Hornet, to 45-70.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[primersp]

On m'y club about 800 shooters ,500 reloads and less than 10 cast,i reloads since more than32years and cast 6 months later for an colt trooper ,my first gun
We have access at range lead for free merry christmas at all

[rintinglen]

I shoot lever action silhouette matches at 2 different clubs as job and time permit. Of the hundred odd folks I have met there, most are reloaders, probably around 70 %. Only about 15 are casters. At the indoor range near my home, maybe one person in 10 reloads and there are about 8 total who have ever cast a boolit. I always get looks when shooting my Browning M-53 32-20.
Which makes the difficulty I have finding lead a mystery.

[JesterGrin_1]

It sure seems like BOOLIT Casters are pretty much 1% er of the shooting community.

:CastBoolitsisbest:

[themighty9mm]

As far as reloaders go the overall the number seems to be rising. 4and people are broke, but still want to shoot. Not saying the number is rising a crazy amount. But From what I have seen in my local area. I'd say roughly 10% reload, and maybe 2% cast. I'm my first post I said it was a dying art. After looking around I can see otherwise, however in some ways I still feel its true. Many people in my generation (I'm 26) I feel are unaware you can cast your own bullets. Mostly due to alot of ignorance in my generation (based on what I have seen) Also from my experience getting a signifigant amount of material to cast, is becoming more difficult. Most of the ones that reload fall into 1 of 2 catagories. Either they only reload a few houndred or less a year, and do more hunting than shooting. Or they shoot competitions in one form or another. The number of people that cast. I have meet 2. One only casts (or at least used to) for a muzzle loader, the other is a retired cop. I will make 3, but havnt actually cast anything as of yet. This is based on casual conversation at the ranges around my area, both indoor an outdoor. Reguarding the ones that dont reload it seems many of them are unaware reloading your own ammo is even a option. The ones that know you can mostly blame it on time. With some of the presses out, it usually makes my laugh on the inside Both with reloading and casting you can make the process as fast or slow as you wish.

[sargenv]

I think I can count on one hand how many people I know cast bullets.. I know a lot more people who reload, but mostly due to consuming thousands of bullets per year. They generally reload bear creek, Precision, or other cast bullets, and for the most part load and shoot Montana Gold or Zero's when using jacketed.. I don't know anyone else who swages their own jacketed bullets..

[runfiverun]

there's time for it.
i work in utah,wyoming,montana,north dakota...
and still can get some reloading and or casting done at least once a month.
with a good 4-6 cavity mold, stars, and a dillon 550 i can keep enough handgun rounds on hand that i can do my rifle stuff as needed.

[odis]

I think if there where more people re-loading and casting boolits the gun companies would be making a lot more guns in different calibers. I've always felt that a number of good chamberings fell beside the wayside because of the crummy factory ammo available 32s come to mind and I think the 44spec hangs by the thread perpetually only because of the amount of re-loaders create just enough of a demand. Of course there is always a bright side and if more people re-loaded up where I lived it would ruin one of my wifes and my favorite hobbies, working a series of abandoned gravel pits for brass, we call them our trap line, this last fall we had a banner season.

[Hang Fire]

All I know is that when I tell most gun owners I shoot cast in my smokeless rifles and handgun cartridges, the reactions vary.

Many start right off telling me cast is no good, it will lead the bores, they are not accurate and can't get high velocities. Some look at me strange, others like I am nuts, then occasionally, as in very occasionally, I run into another caster reloader.

[Hang Fire]

I'd be surprised if there are more than 50,000 regular boolit casters in the U.S. I know our membership alone is almost half that, but for lots of people it's a "phase" or they try it for a while and lose interest.

There are 43,000 people residing in my county. I've very connected to the gun community here, and know or know of pretty much everyone who casts their own. Counting myself, there are five active or semi-active casters, two are WWII veterans. There's someone who has purchased group-buy moulds before with an in-county zip code, but they keep a very low profile. Even if we assume a couple I missed, thats only about eight out of 43,000. .02% if you round up. If that were indicative of the national average, and I doubt it because this is a rural area full of ranchers, hunters, and craftsmen, that would be ~62,000 nationwide.

In other words, not very many.

As far as reloaders go, probably a million if I had to guess.

Gear

Not to disparage your conclusion as to number of active casters in the US, but. 50,000 is a very small customer base to support the multiple companies making molds, lube, sizers and other related equipment. Buying molds is not the same as buying hamburgers where after you eat one, you later get hungry and buy another just like it next day.

[geargnasher]

I was just taking a SWAG like everyone else. Seems like everyone else is about like me, knowing none to a few other casters personally. If every person who casts their own knows 1000 people, and only, say two other casters, that's .2 percent, or over half a million people in the US. I really doubt it's that high, but who knows. It would be interesting to get some sales figures from some of the manufacturers and reloading supply houses.

Gear

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Perhaps we are few.
I have scrounged range brass for about 45 yrs. Mostly for what I or family shoot.
But since the Clinton era I have seen more competition for range brass.
Since just before the OBAMINATION won the competition changed to the point of becoming nasty/rude.
So much so that I don't scrounge brass any more.
I think there are are a bigger percentage of reloaders now. Also I think there are a lot more small business re- manufacturing ammo.
The shooting community has changed , a lot of the friendliness I used to see at the range is gone.:Fire::Fire:

[Lizard333]

I think casting is going through a rebirth. I have been reloading for about 12 years and never dreamed about casting until the cost of the components went through the roof!! The knowledge that the government was considering serializing the jacketed rounds, always influenced my decision to start casting. I was under the belief that casting was for the old guys, and was not something a young guy, I'm 31, was supposed to do. This lead stuff plugged up your bore, was inaccurate, and not worth my time.

Castboolits changed all that, and now I can't get enough!! I am now casting for several friends and family members and I am shooting the most accurate ammo of my life!!

Talking to other guys at the range, they are starting to head in the same direction.

[zxcvbob]

HI,
Perhaps we are few.
I have scrounged range brass for about 45 yrs. Mostly for what I or family shoot.
But since the Clinton era I have seen more competition for range brass.
Since just before the OBAMINATION won the competition changed to the point of becoming nasty/rude.
So much so that I don't scrounge brass any more.
I think there are are a bigger percentage of reloaders now. Also I think there are a lot more small business re- manufacturing ammo.
The shooting community has changed , a lot of the friendliness I used to see at the range is gone.:Fire::Fire:

I don't think it's reloaders scrounging all the brass. I think it's tweekers and retirees (I hate to lump those groups together) scrounging the brass and selling it as scrap metal. They could make a lot more money scrounging the brass if they sorted it and sold it to reloaders, but that would take some actual thought...

[tomf52]

UtopiaTexasG19 wrote:

I know this is probably a "un-answerable" question. Here on a casting/re-loading forum one could get the impression that everyone that shoots guns casts and re-loads for them selves. The re-loading industry appears to be huge, but just like everyone that owns a automobile does not change their own oil everyone that shoots does not re-load/cast. Has anyone seen any figures as to how many folks re-load/cast their own rounds? I'd bet a lot more re-load factory made bullets than cast their own but I am curious as to some figures. I assume there is no formal way to count the number in this hobby though it is probably a lot. This is a wonderful yet addictive hobby...Thanks...

Is this phishing by our federal gov't?

[35isit]

I would say the number of casters and hand/reloaders is much much larger than we suspect. I belong to a club with 450 members. I suspect more than 70% reload ammunition. And there are more than the 4 of us that I know that cast boolits.

In the general population those that shoot a couple hundred rounds a year or less. Well, they have no reason to invest in the equipment neccessary.

[frkelly74]

Most people are impressed when I say It costs $.05 or $.06 per shot to shoot my cast loads. They are less impressed when I say plus labor. They want to know how much I charge but I usually say I have neither the license or the insurance necessary. Seems they are too busy to load for themselves.

[UtopiaTexasG19]

I started casting and re-loading back when I was in highschool for
.38 Special and .357 magnum just because the two local tire shops gave the lead away for free. I now cast for 30-30 Winchester and also re-load .223 since jacketed bullets are in order for the AR. All these years I have never met anyone who re-loads but I've also never been to a range where I could meet someone else who casts/re-loads. I live on a farm with plenty of room for my own backstop and range.
PS- I doubt this would be a place to get a accurate count of re-loaders for what ever purpose and personally have no fear of waking up tomorrow with the letters "Pb" spray painted on my front door. "Google" is what I have my concerns about as they have recordes on every web site I have ever been on, everything I have ever bought over the Internet, every web page I have ever visited and a copy of every email I have ever written. Corporate America has been Big Brother for years.

[35remington]

1Shirt, you, me, btroj, and KCSO are the cast bullet rifle shooters from Nebraska who roll our own bullets......that I know of. Of course, Nebraska is not the most populated state, so there are probably a few others, but these are the only ones I know regularly posting on this board who do so.

Only a few at the Columbus, NE Gun club.

[mpmarty]

Buying molds is not the same as buying hamburgers where after you eat one, you later get hungry and buy another just like it next day.

I disagree. It seems I'm always yearning for another in some flavor I think I need.

Right now I'm hankerin' for a heavy 30 caliber mold for my 7.5X55 Swiss and 308.

[fredj338]

Most people are impressed when I say It costs $.05 or $.06 per shot to shoot my cast loads. They are less impressed when I say plus labor. They want to know how much I charge but I usually say I have neither the license or the insurance necessary. Seems they are too busy to load for themselves.
THis is one of those stupid statements that just bugs me. Consider the great progressive equip today, even buying commercial bullets, you can easily save 1/2 the cost of factory ammo +. In some cases, you would be paying yourself to reload.
Consider 45acp. At $40/100, I can reload that for $11/100 w/ commercial cast bullets. On a Dillon 650, I can easily load 700rds/hr. So I am saving say $28/100 or $196/hr! I would have to make $330/hr gross to buy that much ammo or net $196. SO how can one not affor to reload? With that sort of savings, you pay for a Dillon 650 in as little as 3500rds! about 6m of shooting for a dedicated shooter.:veryconfu

[shotstring]

Think your figures are a bit optimistic there. Increased cost of lead coupled with the high cost of shipping has really upped the price of commercial cast bullets. But if you are comparing apples to apples, the figure for loaded 45 acp 230 fmj rounds are available for $32/100. To reload with the same components costs about $22/100. Add to that the hassle of finding your 45 brass (lots of ranges won't let you retrieve it over the line into the target area), the cost of equipment, a place to set it up (not everyone has a garage or basement available) and then the time when you aren't working, spending time with family or pursuing a host of other hobbies, one of which is likely shooting, and you have a host of reasons not to reload.

For me to reload, I have to put my equipment in what would have been the master bedroom. I then had to purchase a shed to set up my casting equipment (in Washington it rains too much of the time to rely on outside - cost $3,000). We love it, but it's not for everyone.

[Lizard333]

I can reload my 45's for 4 cents a piece. Free lead and brass, all my cost is powder and primers. Sure the first 100 cost me 200$, but all the rest are cheap!!!

[Texantothecore]

I am the only caster I know of in my group. The reloading community seems to break down as follows:
1. Those who cast and reload. Rare.
2. Those who reload. I am the only one of only two reloaders I know in my group.
3. Those who own reloading equipment but who have never reloaded. Lots of those.

And one guy who machines his bullets from lead round stock and reloads. Bench rest quality shooting with a .308. Awesome.

[Canuck Bob]

I grew up in a family of hunters and a box of ammo often had a lifespan of years! Among my friends who shoot none reload and I have sure found used casting equipment almost non existent up here. I also live in a hunters paradise for resident hunters from Alberta. There are lots of us.

The local forum has many knowledgeable shooters and reloaders though. Its just not a big percentage of shooters. Also heavy volume handgun shooters are far less common here and I find there are lots of handgun shooters on this site who shoot a lot of lead.

Hanging around here is a bit distorting. Some of you guys have over a ton of lead and are still scavenging wheel weights! Now that is commitment or a mental health issue as a ton yields 70,000 200 grain bullets! :-P

[waksupi]

Hanging around here is a bit distorting. Some of you guys have over a ton of lead and are still scavenging wheel weights! Now that is commitment or a mental health issue as a ton yields 70,000 200 grain bullets! :-P

What's your point? :cbpour::redneck:

[Bwana]

"Hanging around here is a bit distorting. Some of you guys have over a ton of lead and are still scavenging wheel weights! Now that is commitment or a mental health issue as a ton yields 70,000 200 grain bullets!"
Back when I was playing the IDPA game I shot over 15,000 rounds a year out of my IDPA gun alone. So, it's really not that much for a serious shooter. Of course I was shooting 150gr boolits out of my 9mm; but, I cast all of them. The pros shoot in excess of 50,000 a year.

[geargnasher]

When I get down to a ton of lead in my ingot stash I start to get the jitters. I cut back on my shooting until I make another wheel weight score.

Gear

[olafhardt]

I just like to fool arround with guns. I don't compete or collect and hunt very little. I make and mount my own peep and front sigjts, reload, cast and read a few posts and threads. To call me a serious anything denies my true elder flatulance. I think that a very small fraction of shooters cast.

[zxcvbob]

Hanging around here is a bit distorting. Some of you guys have over a ton of lead and are still scavenging wheel weights! Now that is commitment or a mental health issue as a ton yields 70,000 200 grain bullets! :-P

I'm over a half a ton now; can finally relax. I'll feel a lot better when I get to a full ton. At any point the the EPA could make the lead supply vanish overnight, and I want to have a lifetime supply in my stash. It really doesn't take up that much room in the garage when it's all stacked up or in buckets of ingots.

It's really easy to go through 100 pounds of bullets in a year if you do any kind of handgun competition.

Plus, it makes me happy to find a lead wheel weight in the parking lot, and I'm doing my part to "save the planet" by picking it up. Everybody wins. [smilie=l:

[UtopiaTexasG19]

I acquired what I would call my lifetime supply of lead last year and since my shooting backstop is a old refrigerator filled with dirt can recycle any time I need to in the future. It's a win-win situation. Those one ounce Federal TruBall 12 gauge slugs that I do buy in are like finding nuggets of gold when reclaimed! :)

[ColColt]

I only shoot maybe 500 rounds per month and only maybe 50 of those are just hand loads with either a given factory hollow point design(such as the Speer GDHP) I'm trying out for reliability reasons in a 1911 or they're reloads with the 230 gr FMJ.

All others are cast boolits in 44 Mag and 45 ACP mostly. I couldn't shoot as much as I do without casting. At $30/50 for factory ammo 500 rounds/month would be a good chunk of change. I enjoy casting, gives me my sanity back after a work week and I learn a lot in doing it. I never have had a ton of lead and would have no place to store that much. I'm tickled to death if I have a few hundred pounds.

[Dthunter]

I am one of maybe 5 guys I know that cast thier own bullets.
I am one of two guys who cast for rifle shooting in my club.
I am the only caster who really pushes to squeeze for extream accuracy with cast bullets at my club.
And I am still learning, big time! Lol!

I live in a city of 50000+ people. thats not many casters!
Our local hunting/shooting super store(wholesale sports) sells a good selection of casting products.
They seem to sell a little.
It appears to me that like the average gun owner, most casters are just casual.
Few of us really push to reach the next level.

I have casted on/off for over 20 years, but recently got the bug to see how far I can go with it.
I will probably work at it till I plateau my abilities, then taper off to casual use, with the occasional new gun/caliber load development frenzie. Lol!

I really look forward to teaching my son how to do all this stuff!
By the time he is old enough to do it, I hope I will have the "ART" refined enough to save him many years of trial and error.

[Multigunner]

Funny thing, but one major reason I got into casting was theres a bad corner near here where the workers at the industrial parks drive like nascar racers. The corner was always littered with stuff that fell off the old junkers most drove as going to work cars.
When I passed there every day after school I noticed wheel weights among the litter.
Over the years I picked up a few every day, and still have boxes and cans full in the shed.

My older brother had once had a set up for casting tin soldiers. I remember mom going through the roof when she caught him using one of her silver serving ladles to melt a wheel weight to make toy soldiers.

As for reloading in general. In black powder cartridge days almost all serious shooters reloaded, the various armies of the world also reloaded spent cases during peace time. Cleaning and rezinging cartridge cases was a punishment duty same as KP. According to Hiram Maxim the reloaded ammunition was mainly used for practice firing of the hand cranked rapid fire weapons. He blamed the use of reloads for complaints about jamming of his early Machineguns.
Blank ammunition, galery practice, and some proof test rounds were sometimes made up on recycled fired cases.

Once smokeless powders came along there was a sharp drop in reloading, for two reasons. First the consistency of smokelles propellents by lot was all over the map, second mercury primers that had caused no problems with BP loads would embrittle brass cases when used with smokeless loads.
Many a fine old rifle was destroyed by faulty smokeless powder reloads till they got the mass production techniques down pat.
Even then charge weights of factory loads could vary by up to ten percent due to differences between lots of the same powder.

[jonk]

My range has about 1000 members. As I figure it, about 1/4 to 1/3 reload at least one caliber. However, I only know of about half a dozen who cast their own and not one of them casts as much as I do; mostly muzzleloader or handgun only, or 45/70. I get some strange looks when I shoot cast in .30 cal.

[geargnasher]

I'm over a half a ton now; can finally relax. I'll feel a lot better when I get to a full ton. At any point the the EPA could make the lead supply vanish overnight, and I want to have a lifetime supply in my stash. It really doesn't take up that much room in the garage when it's all stacked up or in buckets of ingots.

It's really easy to go through 100 pounds of bullets in a year if you do any kind of handgun competition.

Plus, it makes me happy to find a lead wheel weight in the parking lot, and I'm doing my part to "save the planet" by picking it up. Everybody wins. [smilie=l:

I could be way off here, but I think I remember a statement released by the EPA in response to pressure from various state fish/game agencies to make legislation to help ban lead ammunition, and the statement was something to the effect that they not only have no intention of banning lead on a federal level, but don't have the POWER to do so anyway. I don't remember now why they don't have the power, but I was pretty convinced at the time that it was true. Wish I could remember more about it.

Gear

[zxcvbob]

I remember something like that too. I don't trust 'em. http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/Smileys/default/hat-tin-foil-smiley.gif

It's a good thought, tho'

[geargnasher]

I'm lovin' the tin-foil-hat smiley! But I'm definetely in agreement with you, if they operate on tax dollars, I don't trust them either.

Gear

[DODGEM250]

I started reloading and casting my own 20 & 12 gauge slug loads and I now cast my own Muzzleloader bullets. I am pretty much like everyone else these days, I guess, tired of paying the ridiculous high prices for simple boolits.

$20-$25.00 for a pack of 15-20 lead bullets for a muzzleloader is absolutely ridiculous, especially when the cost is mostly packaging and advertising, now I cast hundreds of bullets for less that what one pack costs me.

I also cast my own 12 / 20 gauge slugs and reload my own rounds. I've already repaid my investments a few times for casting and reloading equipment and I've only been back in the casting and reloading game for about a month.

Another order of five packs of 50 Harvester sabots just showed up in the UPS yesterday. Technically these are already paid for by what I have saved in the cost of casting my own muzzleloader boolits.

[XWrench3]

But if you consider the numbers of forum viewers as a data point that indicates interest and participation, many are "into" guns but few are craftsmen as boollit casters are.

i knew there was a reason i got into this. i just did not realize what it was until i read this statement. as a MECHANIC, not a technician, i always considered myself a craftsman. i was very fortunate that God gave me much of my talent, and my home environment nurtured it. by the time i was 8, i was assembling Briggs and Stratton engines from a pile of parts, and they ran. i wont bore you with the details of my mostly boring life. i am now retired, and i do really enjoy this hobby.
as far as how many people cast vs, reload factory made bullets, i would think that we are in the 2-5% range. the mainstream media does not help our cause any at all, implying to everyone that lead is such a deadly toxic substance, that if you so much as look at it, it will render you blind. the truth is a powerful thing, to bad they do not know what the truth is, so they make it up as they go along.
the awful sad truth is that way to many Americans just follow them blindly. if the media said that tomorrow, 40% of Americans would have a car crash, it would probably come close to that amount. to many people just walk along blindly while being lead to slaughter.

[ku4hx]

Hanging around here is a bit distorting. Some of you guys have over a ton of lead and are still scavenging wheel weights! Now that is commitment or a mental health issue as a ton yields 70,000 200 grain bullets! :-P

I've been loading and casting since 1970. There was a period of maybe four years when I had to let the hobby go but that was just a blip on the scope.

For many years I've fired, on average, 300-500 rounds per week. Many more when I was competing. Call it 400. Take away the four years and that leaves 37 uncontested years filled with shooting. Do the math ... 37*52*400 = 769,600 rounds.

Let's be overly generous and conservative and say my records are only 80% correct. That means I've fired conservatively, 615,680 rounds in my reloading/casting life. Kind of makes 70,000 seem a lot less unreasonable. Actually I didn't fire all of those, I do have a son, daughter, wife and in-laws who are avid shooters too. But then we were talking boolits.

Right at this moment my stores are severly depressed. I have only 15,460 unloaded boolits and only 105 pounds of smelted alloy. Recently I've developed additional interests. My wife suggested we buy motorcycles a few years back but now we're looking at a trike. Things change, but history and math don't lie and a dedicated old fart can rack up the count over 40+ years time.

[Moonman]

70,000 is not a lot to real competition shooters, some shoot 20,000/50,000 rounds a year. Practice sessions of 500 rounds or more a day when nearing a big meet.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have been involved in professionally selling firearms for about 20 years, was licensed to manufacture ammunition and sell it for 5 years including casting our own bullets. Yet in this forum I am a mere novice where casting and firearms expertise are concerned. This forum contains such a large number of people that have "unique knowledge" based on actual experience that it is downright freaky.

Shotstring,
Ain't that the truth !!!

In small town Minnesota, I'm quite sure the gun ownship per capita
is much greater than the US average.
Of all the people I know well enough to know they have guns in the house,
I know of one other who casts...and yet two others who use to cast and
I bought both of their stashes of Lead and equipment for casting boolits.
I know about 20 people who reload ammo.
I think that those 20 are about 2% of the gun owners I know.
Now maybe several of the 98% may also reload or have reloaded ???
Jon

[jlchucker]

Most of the shooters at the sportsman club I belong to reload.
But I've only run into 1 or 2 who cast.
They say they don't shoot enough to justify the money and time in casting.

I usually tell them if they start casting they can shoot more.
AND they will save money by casting their own.:bigsmyl2: [smilie=l:

I suspect that what you say is true at my club as well. And that probably goes for the regulars at the two gunshops that I frequent. I think that most of the guys who handload cast bullets buy them, and they are typically handgun shooters. There are a couple that cast for rifles, but that's about it. I cast for all but one of my firearms, and that one exception is a 7mm-08 that I haven't warmed up to yet. The rest are all leverguns that rarely see j-word projectiles these days.

[Inkman]

I shoot 3 USPSA matches a month and practice almost every saturday. When the days get longer i'll be practicing during the week again. When summer comes there is Steel Challenge on wed nites too :)

Of all the comp shooters i know, i'd say/guesstimate that 80% to 90% reload. It's almost impossible to shoot that much and not reload. The ones who don't are mostly Production shooters who can get 9mm cheap, or peeps who just don't have the time to practice or reload.

Now of all those comp shooters, i think i can count 6 who actually cast boolits. That's 6 out of hundreds!!!! Of those 6, only 3 have been casting for any length of time.

As far as just weekend shooters on the public range side, i don't know of any who cast. Caveat is that i only shoot handguns so i'm sure there are rifle shooters doing it that i just don't know about in my area.

Al

[ku4hx]

70,000 is not a lot to real competition shooters, some shoot 20,000/50,000 rounds a year. Practice sessions of 500 rounds or more a day when nearing a big meet.

I was going to say that but it all sounds so far fetched I almost didn't comment at all. There was a period from 1982 - 1989 where I was in the 20,000 - 50,000 rounds per year. I didn't cast most of what I shot, but when you figure I could easily load 400 rounds per hour on my 550B and even more on my XL 650, 2-3 hours per week loading and one day per week shooting and the numbers just get very high in a relatively short period of time. The only reason I quite competing was because of a divorce in 1989 I had to deal with and recover from. That and it was just time.

Quantity seldom equates to quality, but (right or wrong) I chuckle at people who come to my gun club and think 200 rounds is a lot for four people to shoot. I keep my mouth shut because everybody has their own path to follow but it's still funny to me.

I'll never forget the look on my wife's face the first time she emptied her seventh magazine shooting her Glock 26. For real, her comment was, "Where'd all those empties come from"? She was grinning all the time and then did it all over again. Now she wants an Uplula magazine loading aid. She gets it; I love it.

[Roundball]

In our local club ,with a thousand members, about 10% actually use the club on a regular basis. Judging from the number of steel cases left on the ground a small portion of that group reloads. Even a smaller number cast. Our officers recently sponsored a bullet casting work shop and four people showed up. Three old timers and one new guy who ended up sharing experiences etc. It may help to make three categories. Those who reload and those who both cast an reload and the other cohort seeks best deals on factory ammo. With the cost of ammunition skyrocketing you may see a change in interest.

[odfairfaxsub]

even though the buckets of ww's are getting smaller portions of lead and lots of steel zinc, i still will prob buy buckets when i need em due to the fact if i paid 100 a bucket i will prob still be ahead of buying plated or copper jacketed. until then i will continue to pay no more than 50 for a bucket though. hasn't gotten that bad yet to pay over

[burntpowder]

I'm so greatful to be part of this site. The knowledge available here is astounding. I enjoy the education I continually receive. I've reloaded and cast since the early sixties. I have 14 grand children and three great grand children and all of them kinda end up falling in the mold. The first game they learn to play is pick up your brass. I agree seems not many these days follow what was a necessity not that long ago. I can't recall where I read and old army dispatch that required all 45-70 cases be smashed and made unusable as the American Indians were reloading them.