Newbie from New Mexico

[RMK79]

Hi everyone, just wanted to introduce myself. I found this site yesterday while doing research. I am just starting to gather gear for reloading and casting. Due to budget constraints I'm taking it slow. I've got a reloading press, dies, Lymans Cast Bullet Handbook and Reloading Handbook. I also got 1k of each LR and SP primers before the recent shortage. I'm planning on starting to cast and load for 7.62x39, 7.62x54r, and 38 Special. Lol I'm starting to realize finding the brass for my rifles is the tuff thing at this point. Anyway I look forward to a world class education from this site!

[**oneshot**]

Welcome!!! A lot to learn from the members here. Might want to check out lasc.us also. Lots of good reading there.

[starmac]

Welcome, if you don't mind my asking, what part of NM?

[nhrifle]

Welcome to the family. You have excellent cast shooters, and very easy to load for. Take things one step at a time, read everything you can, and ask all the questions you have no matter how silly they may seem. In this game, better to be safe than sorry. You will be amazed at everything there is to learn, and all of it is fun (except case trimming and deburring!). The knowledge that the members on this site have accumulated over the years amazes me every day and has kept me out of trouble more than once.

[TCLouis]

Welcome aboard the Cast Boolit Express.

Good thing is one can start on a very low budget and work up to big bucks if they chose.

I started with a WWII canteen cup and a modified 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to cast. Cast many a thousand boolits that way. lubed and sized in a push through Lyman Tong Tool, not unlike the Lee sizer dies of today.

Several members here from NM.

[RMK79]

Thanks for the warm welcomes guys. I'm from the Rio Rancho area

[zadeda]

I just found this forum yesterday and also a newbie from San Diego, A wealth of info from those with the experience. Spent a many of time in Carlsbad NM on my fathers ranch. Just was back last April to visit family.

[starmac]

There is at least one more member here from Rio Rancho, and a few within just a few miles of you. I used to live east of you a couple hundred miles.

[RMK79]

I just found this forum yesterday and also a newbie from San Diego, A wealth of info from those with the experience. Spent a many of time in Carlsbad NM on my fathers ranch. Just was back last April to visit family.

Small world, we have family in Chula Vista that we visit every couple years. We took the kids down to Carlsbad Caverns a couple of years ago and it was a blast. But we normally don't make it any further south than Ruidoso.

[RMK79]

There is at least one more member here from Rio Rancho, and a few within just a few miles of you. I used to live east of you a couple hundred miles.

I grew up north of Edgewood but moved to the big city about 12 years ago to start a family. I dream of moving back to the country but the wife is only half way on board with that one lol. The Ruidoso area is where I would love to call home. Glad to hear there are others on this board close to me. I'm sure that will provide some great opportunities in the future!

[Wayne Smith]

Brass for the 7.62x54R shouldn't be too hard. Remington/UMC has only been making it since, oh, about 1889! The 38 Special should be easy. I'll bet you can find brass for both of those at a local range. There is lots of boxer brass for the '39 as well but it tends to get lost in the milsurp stuff. Buy good brass and treat it right and it will last you for years. Ditto on molds. They should be seen as an investment - care for them and you can often sell them for what you paid or more if no longer made.

[jmsj]

RMK79,
Welcome to Castboolits!
Good to see another NM caster sign up here. oneshot gave some good advice about the www.lasc.us website
Check out Glen Fryxell's articles, he is also a member here. He and cbrick put together a great work - http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?110212-From-Ingot-to-Target-A-Cast-Bullet-Guide-for-Handgunners
I'm up in northeast NM.
Good luck, jmsj

[drklynoon]

Welcome, RMK. Rolling your own is a labor of love.

[farmallcrew]

There are a lot of great reads this on this sight. I still find good reads all the time. Enjoy your stay at cast boolits, I enjoy every minute of it.

[astroskg]

welcome fellow New Mexican ,i am a little over an hour north of you, have spent countless hours at this site and have to say for the most part the info and support from fellow bloggers is second to none. with a little time and patience you can find the answer to almost any question you may have, just remember as with most things any one thing can be done a dozen different ways, so pick what fits for you and give it a try, if you don't like the results try another way.

welcome to the addiction

[Beau Cassidy]

Thanks for the warm welcomes guys. I'm from the Rio Rancho area

Cool. My mother and step-father live there. I have been out that way several times.

[Thumbcocker]

An M die is your friend. Welcome aboard.

[RMK79]

welcome fellow New Mexican ,i am a little over an hour north of you, have spent countless hours at this site and have to say for the most part the info and support from fellow bloggers is second to none. with a little time and patience you can find the answer to almost any question you may have, just remember as with most things any one thing can be done a dozen different ways, so pick what fits for you and give it a try, if you don't like the results try another way.

welcome to the addiction

Thanks for the tip! I've been reading posts for hours and can tell already that I'm going to be hooked.

[Dean D.]

Welcome RMK79!

[375RUGER]

Welcome. If it wasn't for the incessant bitter cold wind and 50 mile one-way through ABQ drive(with their finest drivers) to work every day, I'd probably still live in Edgewood. In RR now.
Where have you been shooting?
I think I might have picked up a small handfull of the brass you seek at the range a few months ago, I'll check when I can remember to do so.

[375RUGER]

Actually just got back from Sportsmans, they have about 5-600 762x39.

[RMK79]

Welcome. If it wasn't for the incessant bitter cold wind and 50 mile one-way through ABQ drive(with their finest drivers) to work every day, I'd probably still live in Edgewood. In RR now.
Where have you been shooting?
I think I might have picked up a small handfull of the brass you seek at the range a few months ago, I'll check when I can remember to do so.

Well I grew up in the East Mountains so the drive and the cold never bothered me, it was all I knew. However I will admit that Rio Rancho has citified me with all the modern conveniences like natural gas and all. It's been a long time since I've had to chop firewood. Currently I do all of my shooting at a private ranch in the East Mountains. My work and family life doesn't allow me to shoot near as often as I would like. I am seriously considering joining the Del Norte Gun Club this year though. Where do you shoot?

[375RUGER]

del norte, it's quite convenient especially with the only 1000yd range around. It would be perfect if they had an underground tunnel like zia

[Beau Cassidy]

Is Zia still open? I shot there once. I was under the impression that encroachment by city-folk closed it.

[375RUGER]

It's still open. I don't know the status of how long though, I changed my membership when I moved out of the south valley.

[TCLouis]

With all these folks close to ABQ I oughta be able to find an answer.

Who owns, what is the name of that really kewl range complex out on Torcido Road NW of Rio Rancho.

Looks like quite a complex.

Then I need an egspurt to figger out something my brother and I spotted the other day on Google maps between Gallina and Abiqui.

I grew up on Gun Club Rd, way back when we kids walked around going west to the mesa or east to the river with a shotgun over our shoulders

[RMK79]

The complex NW of Rio Rancho is the Del Norte Gun Club.
What did you spot on Google maps? I think that's too far north for UFO's.
It might still be a good idea to carry a shotgun with you today if you are strolling down Gun Club Rd.

[TCLouis]

RMK79
That was over40 years ago and the area has certainly changed. Housing on the west end of Gun Club certainly "helped" speed things along.

Family friends lived further south on Isleta and it got to where they were afraid to check the orchard along the drainage ditch (next to the river).

Thanx for the Del Norte info. Looks to be a nice range complex. Of course the "Park" complex down by Double Eagle is a nice range to my way of thinking.

We were looking to see if there were any indications of the fires in the area when we spotted this.
The area up by Abiqui was interesting pattern of roads apparently on the contours and pretty extensive.

We wondered if they were left over from the old days of uranium exploration.

Maybe from the "Heat Recovery" studies by Los Alamos way back when.

Thanx to Google I can sit here in middle TN and check it out.

Unfortunately no dates on Google's stuff.

[Nobade]

In the middle of Albuquerque here, welcome to the forum!

I primarily shoot at Zia and run the cast bullet rifle silhouette match there so am somewhat familiar with the place. If anyone is interested in participating in any of the sil. matches there and is not a member just let me know.

For TCLouis, if you are looking at Google Earth there is a tab on top called "history" or something similar. It lets you look at their archived photos of the same place over the years and will tell you what year the photo was taken. It is sometimes very instructive to roll over the different years to see when things were built.

[375RUGER]

RMK79
The area up by Abiqui was interesting pattern of roads apparently on the contours and pretty extensive.

We wondered if they were left over from the old days of uranium exploration.



Don't know about the uranium in that area but south of Gallina there were some discoveries, but then it's everywhere since NM has the second largest ore reserve in the US.
Those may be old logging roads. I've been in that particlar area once, and didn't really get off the main roads. There use to be some old timers around here that told stories of some really big forest that was cut in that area.
There is also oil and gas in the vicinity.

[RMK79]

Nobade, Thanks for the welcome. I may have to take you up on that offer later this summer.

[fouronesix]

Spent quite a bit of time in that area. I think what shows up on the Google earth maps in the area just WNW of Abiquiu are superimposed lines representing existing roads on contour (the lines likely added by USFS). A little farther NW much of the spider web road network, as shown by actual sat imaging, are oil and gas well service roads. If not frozen or dry, it can get muddy out there :)