How devoted (addicted ) to casting/reloading are you ?

[Digger]

Just dropped a note earlier on my sinking shed (mancave) and on the way out the door to take the truck to the car wash , stopped by the loose change bowl to pick out the proverbial quarters , we all have a loose change bowl/piggy bank , right ? ....
As I was moving the change around .... and moving the loose .40 s+w shells out of the way ..... just a couple ......
The light bulb went on ,,, I think I am a bit off the deep end , the shells sitting in the change because I was to lazy .... com'on now , they were in my pocket with the change a few months back ..[smilie=1:
Any takers out there .... any one just a bit more than me ....?
The wife thinks nothing of it as she just ignores them ...:coffee:

digger

[JeffinNZ]

The way the USD is going down and the way scrap metal is going up the .40 S&W case is probably worth more than the quarter.

[Jailer]

Hardly a room in my house that doesn't have a gun, ammo or some sort of reloading supply in it. This includes my garage and pole barn.

[Lead Fred]

Cant remember the last time I bought jacketed bullets for 30 cal or 45/70.

I have a bucket of wheel wieghts primed for smelting now, and another on the way from my daughter. Life is good

[canyon-ghost]

Kitchen table: computer monitor, .357 S&W 19-3 and an H&R 32 mag handguns, one round of 44 magnum I was given (I don't own a 44 magnum), one 30-30 case, 2 9mm cases and two 7.62x39s . There's two bullet molds, one in 32 and one in 41 magnum. Let's see, keyboard, webcam, mag light, and a million address labels from various shooting sport enterprises! Lol, I think you get the picture.... wait, you haven't see the list for the other rooms too!

Oh, there's a air rifle and 22lr rifle leaning on the microwave counter too.

[Calamity Jake]

I use the kitchen oven to heat treat/anneal boolits. Have used the clothes washer to clean muddy shot gun hulls after a rainy CA shoot.
Have loaded guns in every room of the house, try to keep all of the spare/loaded ammo and brass in one location though.

[GRUMPA]

Oh Boy......Addicted/ devoted? Well I'll let someone else call it. I have a 10x10 room with nothing but reloading gear and ammo along with the gun cabinet. Then we move out back to the screened in patio, that's where my smelting/casting set up is, along with about 600lbs of lead. Then take a stroll to the 12x10 shop, that's where I do my conversion into 300 Blackout, 222 Rem, 221 Fireball, 7mm TCU.

I don't think I have a problem, my "better half" well she just likes it when I'm not in the house bothering her.

[WILCO]

I'm all in! Yeah, I have a change jar too! Just wish I had more time to devote to it though......

[429421Cowboy]

Beyond addicted!

Too many examples to list but the one i will give is being 19 and not having a Facebook account and using this place as my social network instead...

[Digger]

The way the USD is going down and the way scrap metal is going up the .40 S&W case is probably worth more than the quarter.

Unfortunately Jeff , you are very close to the truth ! .....

[Thumbcocker]

I have taken a mould and my furnace on vacation to Florida and cast in my inlaws driveway in a gated community.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

i should probably just put the sorting cans on my dresser there must be 20 peices of brass or loaded rounds sitting on my dresser - (where i empty my pockets)

i did just get a new storage location , and moved a number of magazines , and boxes of ammo from my dresser , along with the half a drawer of holsters

what do you know i can get socks in my sock drawer again

[375RUGER]

Where to even begin with a question like that?
I have had a room in the house devoted to reloading for the past 20 years. I take guns to work just to clean them so that time at home is put to more productive use.
I have countless .22 and .223 s that have ejected and fallen in to the defroster of the truck.
I've been introduced in business meetings as "This is Tom, he's our......and if you want to shoot something a long ways off, he's your man.
That's just a scratch on the surface.
I have an addictive obsession.

[bearcove]

Very casual hobby less than $10,000 in components and tools.

[Digger]

These are great responses .... keep them coming ....... and here I thought I might be a little over the edge ...
bearcove ..... "casual" ?

[Wal']

Sheeeeez, now I'm getting worried, just starting with this casting game, is this the future for me...........

[Alchemist]

Sheeeeez, now I'm getting worried, just starting with this casting game, is this the future for me...........

More than likely...

[bearcove]

Well that doesn't include the lathe and milling machine that are a side effect of this.

[bearcove]

These are great responses .... keep them coming ....... and here I thought I might be a little over the edge ...
bearcove ..... "casual" ?

Yeah I got rid of a lot of stuff. Cut back on the # of calibers I deal with also. Now I'm at less than all of them by a few.[smilie=l:

[runfiverun]

i don't even wanna get started on the $$$$.
the wife has her own account here.
as do all the kids.

i do have a reloading "room" that spills out into the basement ,garage,bedroom,front/dining room.
i guess you could call it spilled there's a 6' deep freezer full of shotgun wads,,, and a 3'x3' one with food in it.

the garage was closed in for the casting area, and has carpeting,heat,cooling, a fridge, and cable t.v.
4 different stacks of lead,plus a shelf for small amonts of boolits in boxes and under that is the 5 and 7 gallon buckets full of cast and lubed/waiting to be lubed boolits.
plus 4 of the 6 shotshell reloaders.
if i could get all 6 in there i could set up the third dillon in the reloading room.
looks like more stuff is gonna have to go downstairs so i can revamp the reloading room. :lol:

what's bad is when you find brass in the kids change jar.
or they/the wife brings home found ww['s] and don't ask where you want them.
and you don't have to ask if it's lead or zinc.

[Freischütz]

Jacketed bullets have become so expensive that I'd be lucky to get to the range once every two weeks if I had to rely on them. With cast I go to the range three or four times a week. The range is a ten minute drive from home.

[gofastman]

I work at the largest VW repair shop in the country and have trouble finding enough lead

[6.5 mike]

Does taking 250 30 cal boolits & pre cut patchs or a reciever to polish to SWMBO daughters house at x-mas count ? :Fire:

[Four-Sixty]

I had a dream last night (again) where I had my own land with my own shooting range and my wife was mad at me "again" for being gone from the house to go shooting again.

[292]

Ya'll are scaring me, I thought turkey hunting was bad. My wife complains about my diaphragm calls in the refrigerator. I only cast and load for 44 mag right now, I will give 9mm a try soon. Whats next!

[Digger]

Okay there , some of you taking your practice over to your relatives house .... bet you get some strange looks with that one .
292 ..... diaphragm calls in the refrigerator ? .. :rolleyes:

[kopperl]

I was feelin' really non-addicted until Bearcove mentioned the mill and lathe.
They don't count do they?
Gettin really nervous!

[41 mag fan]

Okay there , some of you taking your practice over to your relatives house .... bet you get some strange looks with that one .
292 ..... diaphragm calls in the refrigerator ? .. :rolleyes:

Nope no strange looks on my side of the family. It's a ritual, sees whose got what they just bought.

I used to have a container...milkcan actually, that i used to put money in for the kids college fund.
About a decade ago, I lost 5k of 44 mag brass. I searched high and low for it....nowhere to be found. I was literally asking friends that was acting normally but in my mind were acting suspicious, thinking they'd stole it.
8 yrs ago we moved and I moved the milkcan. Guess where the brass was with a note of IOU!!
I guess i needed to borrow and I forgot and never replaced.......:groner:

Oh and there was a whopping $10 in change in that milkcan with the brass

[RugerFan]

How addicted? Well let’s see….

When walking across a street, I’m constantly scanning for wheel weights.

I’m in Afghanistan as I write this, yet I found a used battery terminal connector that will be coming home with me.

I’m participating in more GB mold buys than I care to admit.

When we were looking to buy a house last year, sufficient area for casting/reloading was considered mandatory rather than a luxury.

Years ago, reloading was done on a tiny bench in the master bedroom (much to the chagrin of SWMBO).

A rather inordinate amount of my spare time is spent
casting/reloading/shooting/hunting/gun tinkering.

Of all online forums, this one gets 99% of my focus

[WILCO]

I’m in Afghanistan as I write this, yet I found a used battery terminal connector that will be coming home with me.

"If you didn't drop it, don't pick it up." [smilie=1:

[MBTcustom]

For me, Castboolits gets more time than e-mail or Google combined.....
My mouse pad is cast boolits
My favorite coffee cup says Castboolits (great coffee cups by the way, you should all try it)

I guess the most effective way to describe the level of my depravity is to describe what you would find if you emptied my truck. The other day, I cleaned out the truck and was surprised to find:
1 1/2 boxes of .22 LR
about 2Lb ingot of WW lead.
2.5Lb ingot of 63/37 solder
a pile of silhouette targets
a reloading press with a Lee pushthrough sizer still attached (how about that!)
paper patches
black powder #11 caps (wondered where those went)
Shotgun shells
a .22 cricket buried under the targets.
a roll of solder wire.
earplugs swinging from the rear-view mirror (hey you never know when the mood might strike) along with some safety glasses.

Aside from the lead ingots its a typical Arkansas truck as far as I know.

[Doc_Stihl]

I shoot to support my reloading addiction.

[FISH4BUGS]

How addicted?
I had over 2000 lbs of wheel weights at my girlfriend's house, along with my reloading and casting bench in the shed. She was renting the house and was sweet enough to let me set up my stuff there. Smelting, casting and reloading was done in the shed which was heated by a propane heater.
I was living in a 540 square foot condo in downtown, and she lived out in the country. Always had a cheap excuse to drive 45 minutes to go out and see her.
Because she was renting, I prayed that I would never have to move any of this stuff. I was right. The owners of the house offered it to her, and she asked me if I would be interested in buying it with her, and so we did.
I bought a house so I wouldn't have to move all my lead.....well, that is sort of true anyway. I did not have to move anything other than the furniture in my condo.

[Harter66]

The wife and I are not getting along separating at the moment. 2 months ago my 5yo grandaughter and I moved int what is evolving nicely into a 1475sf 3 bed 1 bath 1 car attached casting room mancave. We still talk civil her kids hate me I guess ,the last time she was by she brought an ancient tarpaper car battery and a coffee can of sinkersinkers and WW from a friend of hers uncles garage. A gal at work says to me I bought a truck you want the shells rattling in the door pocket?

The Army closed the public range , it is an innconvenance for shooting we only have a million acres of BLM . I'm mad as well you know,there won't be any more berm mining. Them bass turds cited environmental issues 4-5of us have hauled a ton or more out of the hill side in the last 2 yr.

The LZ on the trap range is looking pretty good to me rt now. My dentist sent me home from the last visit w/4 approns and put a note on my file next to the NO EPIE save aprons. And lastly my grandaughter brought me 2 omm,a 45 ACP, and a 30-30 found in the new back yard.

The key bowl has more cases than keys,cartridges of the world and long gun exploded diagrams are on the coffee table and my best friend was actually suprized by the lack of a visable gun in the living room.

Nope no addiction here.

I miss the Mrs but it sure is nice to be able to spend a whole Saturday w/fire forming ,case prep,rolling patches,sizing/lubing boolits or going out to the desert to bang a few off .

[Longwood]

My reloading and shooting is nothing more than an enjoyable hobby.
Enjoying something is one thing but, people that call it an addiction, don't have a very good understanding of the word.

[RugerFan]

"If you didn't drop it, don't pick it up." [smilie=1:

Sorry, but its an involuntary response. I'm like a drug addict. :mrgreen:

[GRUMPA]

My reloading and shooting is nothing more than an enjoyable hobby.
Enjoying something is one thing but, people that call it an addiction, don't have a very good understanding of the word.

I've had a couple of neighbors in my room and 1 of them looked around and said "man your OBSESSED" I looked him right in the eye and told him the word I believe your looking for is I have a PASSION for it. Boy I do know how you feel.

[Digger]

Definitely some interesting descriptions and layouts here in this thread ....all the different situations.
We all go about it how ever we can to enjoy such a great hobby , the one common denominator .....
We do it our selves ,, ... we seem to enjoy being independent of others , .. taking pride in what we can accomplish with our own hands ....
Please correct me if I am wrong but I consider myself lucky to be associated with this fine group of individuals here at Cast Boolits.
(okay , lighten up there Digger !) .....:drinks:

[GARCIA]

My wife understands the economics of my addiction.
She prefers that I have this "Hobby" rather than doing other things that could get me into trouble.

Tom

[casterofboolits]

Addicted???

Sitting at my "puter" desk, I spy an H&G #68 four cavity mould, an H&G six cavity sprue plate, a Lyman four cavity sprue plate, a 35mm film cannister with H&G and Lyman mould screws in it, An H&G 10 cavity sprue plate on top of my small organizer with a box of PMC Starfire 45 ACP, two loose rounds of 45 ACP and one of 9mm. A bag of 9mm once fired brass and a bag of 40 S&W from last Thursdays trip to the range.Behind those bags I find two, two cavity Magma 38/158SWCB and a 44/240/SWCBB moulds. To top it off, an eight round 45 ACP 1911 magizine. All his without moving any papers.

I won't even begin to list what is on the table or filing cabinet to my left. I have a 19' X 16' loading room in the basement with six preses. and over 50,000 pieces of assorted brass.

My casting area is a former food service building in my back yard with commercial exhaust fans. I smelt under one and cast under the other. I have a Magma Lube Master. A left over from when I had my Casting business.

Addicted or just lucky? You decide.

Oh, there's a couple tons of lead in there too!

[Light attack]

Hummmm, I thought all this was normal. This isn't a social networking site? I am using an M-1 winchester action for a paperweight on my desk and I absolutely have more empty shells and or reloads in my change pile than coins.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

yeah, I thought the ammo in every thing that will hold ammo, guns in drawers all over to the point I have to go look for one in particular cause I cant remember which hidy hole I stuck it in.
NORMAL! Nothing weird about me. I mean, if I cant reach a firearm and ammo when i need it, might as well have rocks, which would be a lot cheaper :)

[fatelk]

I was going through all my stuff and reorganizing my garage recently, and realized just how much stuff I have. Back when I was young and single, my place (single-wide in the woods) sounded like the most extreme of the descriptions here. I even had a 100 yard range literally outside my front door.

When my wife and I were first married a decade ago, I had a whole room for my stuff, and plenty of storage in the garage.

Now, three kids later and another on the way, I have some room in a closet, she tolerates occasional reloading on the kitchen counter as long as it's temporary, and I have a wall in the garage. I still have enough tools, gear, components, and projects to last a couple lifetimes, but I've been seriously contemplating thinning it out and selling a bunch.

All the guns are locked in the safe. I'm training my kids well and am confident they won't touch a gun without me right there, but they do have friends over and you just don't know what kids will do. I'm even thinking about getting rid of a bunch of guns.

Reloading, casting, and tinkering with old guns is still my thing, but life and my priorities have changed. To be honest I wouldn't go back for all the guns in the world.:)

[PAI-Scott]

Other than 22LR, I haven't purchased a cartridge or a shot shell in years.

[**oneshot**]

I'm addicted to shooting. All the rest is just side effects.

Bought guns to shoot every distance across our shooting field. Joined a few monthly shoots just to try other peoples guns. Reloading to save money turned into reloading Custom ammo for every gun. Casting to save money turned into casting Custom projectiles that will hit what I'm aiming at in the eyeball at 100yds.

Of course when you shoot alot, you reload alot, and cast alot. This lead to the 2part mancaves. I have a section of my basement for reloading and storing all my "supplies", It is so full that I had to go more vertical with shelving and even have items tucked into the joists above me. Since I cast quite a bit more now, I have a dedicated casting table and supplies that take up 1/4 of my 1 car shed.

I really need to clean both my mancaves, but that seriously cuts into my shooting, casting, and reloading time. Last time I cleaned them was during a power outage in the middle of a really bad icestorm, Found a few items with the headlamp that I couldnt remember missing or replacing.


Did I mention that I started all this to save money?? It WAS a good plan.

[bearcove]

I was feelin' really non-addicted until Bearcove mentioned the mill and lathe.
They don't count do they?
Gettin really nervous!

NO, not really I'm just gonna start making allthread and square nuts.[smilie=1:

[FISH4BUGS]

My reloading and shooting is nothing more than an enjoyable hobby.
Enjoying something is one thing but, people that call it an addiction, don't have a very good understanding of the word.

I think we all know what we meant by the word addicted. That was not meant to be used as a technical term rather a descriptive term. This is not a psychiatric oriented site you know.....although one might argue that.
The DSM IV proves you correct of course. The DSM V is to be published in 2013....maybe they will have a better definition more suited to your liking.

[badbob454]

emptyed my pockets today had a 311041 boolit in my change and i have a 11x16 reloading shedplus outside 2 truck tool boxes full of lead, lino,tin etc .. a garage 1/4 full of my casting junk im kinda a horder ,,,... yeah im sick ....got it bad.. I wont even go into loaded rounds, and guns, rifles, shotshells ....

[Longwood]

I think we all know what we meant by the word addicted. That was not meant to be used as a technical term rather a descriptive term. This is not a psychiatric oriented site you know.....although one might argue that.
The DSM IV proves you correct of course. The DSM V is to be published in 2013....maybe they will have a better definition more suited to your liking.

Unfortunately, I have seen too many lives totally destroyed because of addiction.
I don't think lead casting kills very many people or totally destroys them and their relation with their friends and family.
A lot of my friends that know how many guns I have owned and know how much reloading gear I have would say I am a little crazy,,, but not addicted.

[Longwood]

NO, not really I'm just gonna start making allthread and square nuts.[smilie=1:

I need a nice period looking brass bolt and knob for the shooting sticks I am making.
I sure am glad I have a lathe.
The only thing I could find in town was a screw with both the Phillips and flat slot and the knobs I found were plated with something that does not even look like brass.

Crazy, ,, Addicted,,,:veryconfu
Not sure, but I do enjoy the shooting, reloading, casting, and experimenting in the shop.
I need to make a mold for my cannon projectiles next. They should also work well for ball mill balls for the black powder mill.:shock:

[RugerFan]

Unfortunately, I have seen too many lives totally destroyed because of addiction.
I don't think lead casting kills very many people or totally destroys them and their relation with their friends and family.
A lot of my friends that know how many guns I have owned and know how much reloading gear I have would say I am a little crazy,,, but not addicted.

Addiction to certain things (like drugs, alcohol, child porn, etc.) can certainly destroy lives. Can someone not be addicted to something positive? A more appropriate term is probably “obsessed”, but I think it’s certainly possible for people to be physiologically addicted to a hobby or activity.

[Recluse]

Addicted/devoted/dedicated/obsessed/fascinated. . .

Semantics.

I have a stand-alone 12 x 24 insulated, air-conditioned, shop almost exclusively for reloading and casting--and I'm running out of both room and space.

Honestly, I'm at the point to where I enjoy casting and reloading more than I do shooting.

:coffee:

[Digger]

Same here Recluse .....getting to enjoy the process almost as much as the results ..

[kenyerian]

It's a good thing that I enjoy the process because my Grand Kids do a lot of shooting. I've taught both of them the Basics and they love to help but I'm not ready to turn them loose yet

[Staestc]

I've only been shooting again for about 8 months. I've been reloading for maybe 4 months. And I just started casting a month or so ago. I love it all, but am spending more time casting and reloading now! My shooting lately has pretty much been limited to testing of various cast boolits and powder combinations, but I'm having a great time at it! :)

P.S. and going to mix up some 45/45/10 tonight for the first time!

[bearcove]

Same here Recluse .....getting to enjoy the process almost as much as the results ..

I hate to admit this but...

I had a cool old NEI mold. So, I fired up the pot and cast a 100 or so. Culled some bad ones then weighed some to see how consistant the weights were. Put a few of the nicest up on the little display shelf. Then I dumped the rest back in the pot.

I didn't have a gun to shoot those with. Just goofing off.:mrgreen:

Rod

[Digger]

Addicted/devoted/dedicated/obsessed/fascinated. . .

Semantics.

I have a stand-alone 12 x 24 insulated, air-conditioned, shop almost exclusively for reloading and casting--and I'm running out of both room and space.:

Think maybe if you keep throw'in those Lee press's in the lake ..... ya'll might still have a spot or two on the bench ..... :kidding:

I am with ya there Bearcove ..... got a lyman 429215 two holer , picked up a while back ...will have some 44 boolits laying around the shed ..... one small problem ... ain't got no gun to fit ! ...[smilie=b:.

another clue as to how far into this I am.

[sharps4590]

Whew....reading this thread has been a great relief to me. I feel so much better! I was wondering if there was a 12 step program for casters/reloaders/shooters. Now I see I really don't need one and am in good company!

I truly don't know how much loaded ammo I have or empty brass.....or bullets already cast....or anything else, powder, primers etc. Just that I won't have to buy any for quite a while if something should occur that we can't. I do know there's still over 400 lbs. of X-ray room sheet lead cast into ingots and about 80 lbs of linotype in the stash. I suppose I should inventory my equipment but I know where it is.

When we moved back to Missouri from Wyoming we had already bought 36 acres to build on. I had a 100 yard rifle range with bench and target frames before we got a hole in the ground for the basement. We built a 16 X 8 vault into the house and it's full. I built a 32 X 20 garage in the basement, ostensibly for lawn mowers and the like.....and it's pretty full of firearm/reloading/casting/shooting stuff. Oh it is so good to know there are others out there just like me!!

[1Shirt]

Over 50 years and counting! Hope for another 50!
1Shirt!

[latesvak]

went to get in the truck the other day and noticed 4 22lr casings on the floor board and i have not been shooting in over a month. sometimes i go out to the garage just to see if i can better organize my shooting/reloading area.


latesvak

[Digger]

Wellllll , another clue hit me just this morning while reading on this site .........
While walking by the wife says ... . "on your way to the range , could you stop by the store for ....." , I didn't mention anything about using the guns today .....

Talk about being predictable ! .........:roll:

[MajorDude]

My wife thinks it's funny that I have a range hood over my workbench in the garage.

[bob208]

i have a set of dies and atleast one bullet mould for every gun i own. some times the deciding factor to buy a dun or not is i already hve a mould for this gun.

when ever i go to a muzzleloading match i come home with range brass in my shooting box

[FISH4BUGS]

i have a set of dies and atleast one bullet mould for every gun i own. some times the deciding factor to buy a dun or not is i already hve a mould for this gun.

when ever i go to a muzzleloading match i come home with range brass in my shooting box

I have moulds for calibers I don't own a gun for.
I collect H&G moulds (thanks Tom) so I buy them regardless of caliber or bullet style. If they are in good shape, I'll buy them if reasonably priced....but that is getting harder and harder to do.

[Jamesconn]

Y'all are so lucky to have people that support you. I'm 17 my whole family thinks I'm crazy. I had to pack my reloading/casting room I just got started and it took a week under the cushions I find boolits not change. My dad said I'm buyin guns too fast. I try to get my friends to help me find lead I get no response just your crazy, that's unhealthy, and wow or shutup.

[1Shirt]

I am a studio potter, hunter, shooter, and reloader! Any day that my hands are not in clay and fail to touch a reloading press/or lube sizer is a day I sort of feel as waisted! Usually manage both the majority of time.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[pipehand]

Bought my first home because it was next door to my gun club. Bought current home partially because, with a little terraforming, I should be able to shoot 600 yards (current measured range is 100 yards).
There are primers, boolits, brass, loaded ammo, dies, firearms, cleaning gear squirreled away in every part of the house, garage and camper. That is not the problem. That is wealth! The problem is that I need more room for my hobby.