It's a sickness!

[armoredman]

I get up in the morning, and say, hmm, would today be a good morning to fire up the pot? Check the weather, pull all the supplies out of the garage, put four ingots in the pot, and let her warm up while I feed the dog and cats. Grab a cup of coffee and a Hormel tray for breakfast, (my boss HATES it when I have the Beef and Beans in Barbeque Sauce before work. [smilie=1: ), and everything is ready outside.
Go outside, put on the gloves and goggles, warm up the mold, and start casting.

Now, I understand many of you cast once every couple of months, or do 800-1000 boolits at a time. I try to fit casting into my lifestyle, and in the AM, for about 2 hours, it's just me, both the wife and child are asleep; the dog does his business outside, and runs back inside. He has NO interest in the weird things Daddy does outside. Smart dog. :)

And after an hour or so with the old two cavity mold, being ruthless on rejects, I have this little box 'o boolits, all 108 of them, ready for sizing and lube. Outside the pot, recast ingots and tools are cooling, almost ready to go back to sleep in the garage.
Maybe this is not nearly as many as the bigtime casters do in half the time, but it's enough for me. And most importantly - it was fun.:-D

[Newtire]

Yup armoredman,
Morning is my favorite time to do my "bullet stuff" or actually just bout anytime when there's nothing else to do. Sometimes I sit down and make 200 or 250 or maybe 108 like your pile or sometimes a whole 350 or only 50. I went out shooting yesterday and ran down my supply of 100 grainers from an old mold they don't make anymore and it's only a single cavity. I like getting the supplies up around 500 at least so I don't have to worry about running out. A little bunch of good ones is always better than a big batch of garbage bullets.

[Typecaster]

armoredman, we're on the same track. Even though the kids are grown and gone--early mornings are usually when I can get a little bit of "fun work" done. Doesn't have to be a big project, maybe just sorting some brass or straightening up--but if it's gun-related, it counts as therapy.

After more than 30 years producing a magazine and newsletters, I've learned that even fitting in 15 minutes or so helps my mental health. I've even been known to just take a cup of coffee--or a martini--to the bench and just sit.

[shotstring]

That's the lifestyle for me as well. I not only enjoy casting a few good bullets rather than buying boxes of them, but I enjoy slow leisurely reloading sessions as well. While some people reload as quickly as possible so they more time to shoot, I actually enjoy the reloading at least as much if not more than the actual shooting. I have 2 dillion progressives including a 1050, but I still prefer to reload with a single stage Rock Chucker press and a little dandy powder measure for pisol if I have my druthers.

[R.M.]

Dan, I've heard it called "A Sickness" and even "An Addiction", but for me, I can quit anytime. Yup, just stop whenever I want. Me addicted, nope. [smilie=1: [smilie=1: [smilie=1:

[Newtire]

Dan, I've heard it called "A Sickness" and even "An Addiction", but for me, I can quit anytime. Yup, just stop whenever I want. Me addicted, nope. [smilie=1: [smilie=1: [smilie=1:

I agree 110%. The first step to recovery is denial!

[jdhenry]

"It's a sickness! "



I wonder how, that would go over at work as a reason to call off:)

I Bet thats one they haven't herd before!!

[UweJ]

Same here,I usually get up at 0500 and take about an hour before I go to work. Since this been going on for a couple of years it`s become a habit even on the weekends.
Early in the mornings when sun is rising heating up the pot and having a cup of coffee can even be some type of meditation,for a moment you can really be at peace with everything and casting on such mornings is really a joy.
The amount of boolits doesn´t really matter then.
Hope I will have much more such moments.
Uwe

[Jon K]

Me too- in the morning, before it gets HOT.

In the morning is the best time to cast- peaceful, quite, nobody asking you to do something(which means stop what you're doing). No matter whether you get a lot done, or just a little, it adds up fast.

And now for the DENIAL part, as long as you're going to deny the sickness or addiction, just think of it as "STRESS MANAGEMENT".

Have Fun Shooting,
Jon

:lovebooli

[Newtire]

And now for the DENIAL part, as long as you're going to deny the sickness or addiction, just think of it as "STRESS MANAGEMENT".

Have Fun Shooting,
Jon

:lovebooli

Jon,
The gal who runs our local coffee shop calls it anger management when I go to the range so Why Not!

[NVcurmudgeon]

armored, 108 good boolits on a peaceful morning sounds like excellent production to me. I try to cast in the morning (retired) also. I cast about 2-3 hours before I get tired or bored, but sometimes it doesn't go right, so I just quit early. Casting should be a fun thing, not a pressing obligation. Now that my wife is working at home I can get up when she does, start the coffee, go for a half hour walk with her, then retire to the peaceful garage for boolit making. Recently there has been nothing to interrupt me, not even the phone.

[Single Shot]

Dan, I've heard it called "A Sickness" and even "An Addiction", but for me, I can quit anytime. Yup, just stop whenever I want. Me addicted, nope. [smilie=1: [smilie=1: [smilie=1:



Casting the God Given Silver Stream is not addictive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nether is the smell of cordite.

By the way, did I mention I have some ocean front property n Arizona for sale?

[mag_01]

:coffee: ---- Good post Guys ---- Old shooters dont die they just keep cranking out (lead) Boolits ---- :castmine:

[gray wolf]

I must admit to it, as much as I am in denial,
I Gray Wolf loves to cast bullets.
I also love the mindless duty of putting each one in the sizer and pulling the handle down and then pushing it up, Then :-D :-D I get to see that little beauty all sized and wearing it's little diaper of green home brew lube.
AHHHHH-- I got a woody just thinking about it.
Now that I have My H/G 4 cavity #68452200 I am thinking of casting on the deck
in front of the cabin AT NIGHT with the deck lights on. [smilie=1: [smilie=1:
Oh I could stop If I wanted to------- But I don't want to, and I will not. :Fire: :Fire:
I can understand all about the therapy. It is like being someplace Else.
Calming, relaxing and just a dam nice thing to do.
Clean the mold, Hold it and look at it for a while, Adjust the temp, heat up the mold, flux the pot, let that silver stream flow, count to 8 and tap the sprue plate with my old hatchet handle and there they are little silver beauties AHHHH.
:castmine: :castmine:
So who cares what they say??
Casting junky and who cares.

[Sundogg1911]

I think most of us enjoy casting. Why else would we do it so much and be here talking about it? :) I enjoy firing up the master caster in the garage when I get home from work. I usually put the local news on, then watch the NBC news while casting. By the time the news is over I usually have between 800 and 1500 boolits ready to crank through the Star. I can't stand to watch TV without doing something else. Always feel like i'm wasting my time. :roll: Usually if i'm hand casting (not using the master caster) I get up early on a Saturday or Sunday and queue up several hours of MP3's and cast for 1/2 day or more. With the hand moulds I tend to not watch TV at the same time because I need to pay closer attention. For some strange reason I stand the whole time as well. I do sit when using the Master Caster though. Sizing/Lubing I usually do in the evenings before getting ready for bed> I guess i'm just a creature of habbit. I do find it relaxing most of the time. Every now and then i'll have a mould give me fits or one of the Stars gets a case of the blobs. Days like that I usually walk away. I treat casting as a way to relieve stress, so if it causes it i'll walk away (for a little while anyway) [smilie=1:

[Sam]

I still remember whan AM didn't even reload, let alone be a casting addict.

Comes a ways ain't ya.

Graduated to a progressive yet?

Sam

[scrapcan]

Armoredman,

That did not take long for you to get to the addiction stage, and an even shorter time for you to admit it.

welcome to the asylum and as a new full time patient, er resident you get to start welcoming others.

[Harpman]

Leadman Walking :drinks:

[armoredman]

Sam, still working with that old single stage. No $ for anything else right now, and that RCBS works like a charm.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/PICT0138-1.jpg

I also enjoy it, and I agree - if it causes stress, time to leave it alone for a while.

[Sam]

Just good to see you progressing.

Are you casting for the 40 yet?

Sam

[armoredman]

No, the Witness 40 went bye-bye some years ago anymore. This is what I carry now.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/silverplatter.jpg
I am waiting for the new CZ PO-6 in 40 to come out, then I'll need to start loading 40. I am assuming I know you from Family Friends and Firearms? Haven't been back there in years.
BTW, yesterday I got creative again with scrap lumber from next door, and built this.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/cheaptargetframe2.jpg

[scrapcan]

When you get ready to load 40 let me know and we will work a deal on brass and dies. I have quite a bit of brass and a like new set of lee 40S&W dies. I don't have a 40 anylonger and have not talked byself into buying a new upper for my sprinfield P9 (cz75 clone made by tanfoglio,is that spelled right I can never tell without looking it up.).

[Sam]

Yep,
I.m the guy from FFF.
Is till stop by there once ort twice a month for political yak.
Sam

[armoredman]

I'll keep that in mind, thanks! I do like Lee dies. I am hoping to work a deal in a month or so, when things should be getting better. BTW, cheeck over at czforum.com, the clone club, for more info on your Tanfolgio.The Tan is an excellent sidearm, and neat in the P9 guise, but a lot of the newer stuff will not fit - Tan went to two frame sizes for thier convertables. Check with Tanfoglio directly to confirm - EAA customer service is bad.
Sam, haven't dropped by in a long time. I do hang out here alot.

[scrapcan]

I hear you on the p9 and fit of parts. I had to do a rebarrel and went through the issues you relay. Springfield was absolutely no help as it is a discontinued gun and had reloads shot thru it. They would not even look at it as told me as much. They did however refer me to EAA. I went straight to their tech/repair department head. Hell of a nice guy and took care of me.

I like the P9 (small frame) that I have. Would like to have the 40 and 22 uppers. Just not talked myself into it yet.