Encyclopedia Of Bullet Casting

[klw]

I'm not sure how this ended up at the end of a long, old thread. I wanted it to be a new topic. So I put it in again, a second time.

***********************8

A time or two in the last couple of years I've mentioned that I've been working on an article entitled "The Encyclopedia Of Bullet Casting." Took me over 20 years of casting studies, 10+ tons of bullet alloy, 650,000+ cast bullets... I submitted it to Gun Digest back in July not knowing that its long time editor, Ken Ramage, was just about to retire. I've known Ken forever.

If this had gone as most articles do it would take a year or two to hear back as to whether or not the article had been accepted. I heard today. Once accepted it can take a decade literally for an article to see print. This one will be in the next Gun Digest. That was fast. It is even more unusual given that I don't know the editor at all.

The e-mail I got and the phone call message left on my answering machine have to rate as the most positive acceptance I've ever got. Given that I haven't been writing much in the last 15 years that was even more unusual.

This is unusual for another reason. The table of casting results was 13+ pages long, single spaced. I never thought that anyone would print that much. And the text is that long again. This is, by far, the longest article I ever wrote.

I guess this qualifies as self-promotion but, well, I'm thrilled!

[runfiverun]

you earned it, anyone who can stay with a project that long and compile that much info.
let alone be able to present it in a viably printable way.
deserves credit........ and a bit of crowing.

[klw]

I was stunned that this was accepted. It took me years, literally, to figure out how to make it interesting. I just love massive spreadsheets full of numbers but most don't. And, in truth, I thought that this would fail because it was so long and, probably, boring. I've learned over the decades that the more I like a manuscript the more unlikely it is to get accepted. So I was amazed. This was the most positive acceptance, by far, I've ever gotten and the shortest time ever between submission and acceptance.

It will be interesting to see what the reader reaction is. That is not going to be dull. I'm not a fan of all current casting practices and I'm pretty straight forward about what I do and don't believe in. That's going to get me in trouble for sure.

It is also surprising that an editor I don't know liked something that I wrote. Usually you have to know these people for some time before you get an acceptance letter.

This turned out far better than I expected!

[The Nyack Kid]

So..... what you are saying is ,the next edition of Gun Digest will be worth going out to buy , at the new hot-off-the-presses , price ? Instead of my usual purchase method of ,wait-till-it-shows-up-at-a-gunshow-three-years-later-and-buy-it-at-used-price ?

Boy, you guys aint cheap to hang out with !

[klw]

Well maybe not. This article will be in the next one that they work up. That might well NOT be the next one to hit the bookstores. Then too, I too, wait until the price drops.

[randyrat]

Please keep us informed because, we can't possibly keep up with all the gun articles. Yours could be very interesting being a fellow from Cast Boolits and having so very much experience. Please let us know when this is printed. If we like it we could even give you kudos by writing letters or contacting the editor.

[klw]

When I know, you'll know. But I'm now pretty sure that it will be the 2010 edition.

[Buckshot]

................Congratulations Ken. Time to start on the next article.

..................Buckshot

[klw]

It was amazing how much of a relief it was to finish this one. And how much of a surprise that it got accepted. Hopefully the next one will not take 22 years to finish. Well it cann't. I would be 87 if that were true and I'd be lucky to be doing anything then.

[afish4570]

Did a serach on FINDERS CHEAPERS and they listed a 2009 Gun Digest for 13.59 new from Amazon...been buying my missing copies too from the 80's and early 90's. afish4570:drinks::drinks: Looking forward to the 2010 with the great sounding Cast Bullet article.:Fire::Fire:

[Bret4207]

This gives me hope Ken. As much as I admire some of the choices Mr. Ramage made in editing the Digest books, he's no John Amber. Maybe the new editor will put some life back in that fine publication. Same for Handloader/Rifle and the comparison between Scoville and Ken Howell. I wish they'd go just a bit more for the gun geek and not so much for the "Look at the pictures" crowd.

I look forward to your article. Good for you!:drinks:

[Nueces]

It'll be great to read a research article by an old pro. And it'll be the first GD I'll have bought in many moons.

I've a stack of unread print mags about 4 feet high (well, two stacks, two feet high). Congratulations, Ken, and I look forward to reading your results.

Mark

[pjh421]

Way to go! I look forward to reading your article.

Paul