Some Thoughts on Starting Over After 20 Years

[Treetop]

As I was happily casting beautiful boolits from my 311291 and 311041 molds today, I couldn't help but notice some changes in casting technology that have taken place during my untimely absence:

1) The internet! What resource we have now!

2) Casting with two molds simultaneously, this technique may have been around back then, but I never tried it until today. It's great!

3) Bull Shop sprue plate lube! Remarkable stuff.

4) Casting frosted bullets. That used to be frowned upon, "your mold is too hot!" My bullets fill out better now that I'm casting slightly hotter.

5) Gas check prices.:( Holy cow! I'm still using out of a box that I bought back in the 80s or early 90s. The price on the box? $9.40.

6) The term "boolit". I love it.

7) Paying for wheel weights. Used to get 'em for free, now I'm lucky if they will sell 'em to me.

8) Water quenching straight from the mold.

I'm sure there are other changes that will occur to me, as I continue my "rebirth". One thing that hasn't changed is the thrill I get watching those shiny bullets tumble out of the mold!:mrgreen: Thanks to all the members here who have taught an old dog new tricks!

[docone31]

Jus wait untill you roll em in paper!
Forget gas checks, paper patch.

[nicholst55]

I have to agree about what an absolutely incredible resource the Internet is! Information that used to require months or years of research is now available at our fingertips. I think we all take it for granted - especially youngsters who have never had to r... r... r... READ a book!!

Hell, libraries hardly have any books in them these days... and the world is a sadder place because of it. :neutral:

[Leftoverdj]

I have to agree about what an absolutely incredible resource the Internet is! Information that used to require months or years of research is now available at our fingertips. I think we all take it for granted - especially youngsters who have never had to r... r... r... READ a book!!

Hell, libraries hardly have any books in them these days... and the world is a sadder place because of it. :neutral:


Nichols, you might not see as many books on the shelves, but you can get many MORE books from the library. From my computer, I can order any book from any branch of a rather large regional system and pick it up at my local branch in 2-3 days. If that fails, my local branch will put in a request into the immense interlibrary loan system.

On top of that, we have the Guttenberg Project and some similar organizations putting public domain stuff on the internet as fast as their busy little fingers can fly.

[mooman76]

I also agree. If it wasn't for the internet for us to compare thoughts, ideas, successes as well as failures we would not have advanced like we have the past few years and maybe never. We have way more knowledge on this site and any pile if you can find enought casting books to make a pile)of casting books you can find put together.
Lets not forget the old myth that if you are having leading problems your lead isn't hard enough. Harder lead helps in some cases but if the size is not right you are going to get leading no matter what.

[Treetop]

Jus wait untill you roll em in paper!
Forget gas checks, paper patch.

docone31, I plan on attempting that next. I'm gonna need some help, I think...

[Bret4207]

You are living in "The Golden Age" of casting and reloading, we just don't realize it.

[Dollar Bill]

Treetop,
I'm basically in the same position, maybe a year or so ahead of you on the restarting. Unfortunately, there's alot of youngsters around who think all the answers are here, and that a few lines in a post are an acceptable substitute for years of experience as well as gaining knowledge the old fashioned way - by reading a book. Even though what was accepted wisdom 20 years ago has, at times proven to be untrue, many are still re-learning the lessons of the past that are still valid.

Everyone here has been great in answering questions, but beware of answering some of the new guy's questions. I've seen that things taken for granted, what we would consider the obvious, such as cases are sized and trimmed, they actually have a loading manual, etc can lead to mass confusion.

Overall, this is a great forum and the experience available here is priceless. As someone else stated, we truly are in the Golden Age of casting.
,:cbpour:

[Char-Gar]

In the days of yore, there was not much communication between bullet casters accross the country, save for The Fouling Shot. When the internet came along, things took a quantum leap as folks were able to share what they had learned. It was ten years ago, when I stumbled accross the core group of hardcore casters on shooters.com. They made this board what it is today, and that is, the greatest case bullet resource in history.

I learned about anealing gas checks, nose first sizing, the use of kitty litter on a bottom draw furnace, proper bullet fit and many more things from this group. Even though I had been casting since 1958, these are among the many things I learned. It was here that I learned the why and the how of cast bullet shooting. I am very grateful to those guys.

When bull-plate spru lube came along, it was another jump in casting.

With the hords of new folks that have come on this board, the old comradarie is gone and that is a shame. But on the other hand, the world of cast bullet has been opened to many, many new folks, and that is a very good thing.

Dollar Bill--- I agree with you 100% percent. The newer generation doens't seem to have the patience to root out the answer by research and experience. They want others to do their thinking and studying for them.

It is a shame that more folks don't fully appreciate the early days of this board and those ground breakers who dared to challenge the old wives tales of cast bullet shooting and move the craft to where it is today. It really chaps my %&& when one of the planks from back then posts something and some newbie challenges it with uninformed opinion and ignorance. But such is life. There are still some of those folks still around, but their number get fewer with the passage of time.

[Treetop]

Addendum to original post:

9) Fluxing with a layer of sawdust on top of my RCBS furnace. Back then, everybody used paraffin. The inside of my pot is truly clean for the first time ever!

[HangFireW8]

Dollar Bill--- I agree with you 100% percent. The newer generation doens't seem to have the patience to root out the answer by research and experience. They want others to do their thinking and studying for them.

Youth and patience have never gone hand in hand.

I solved some problems in my youth by not bothering with them until I was patient enough to deal with them- in other words, when I was older. :)

-HF

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Welcom back brother, yes times have changed the game, but the rewards are still good, makes the time fly waiting to go shoot again..it's still -0 up here in the far North...lots of boolits made so far this winter.

It is good for the soul and what ails you, cast boolits and you don't have to watch the tv and the liberal idiots. Good luck:lovebooli
Semper Fi ,Slow Elk 45/70
SGT
3rd Marines
NAM 66-69

[qajaq59]

5) Gas check prices. Holy cow! I'm still using out of a box that I bought back in the 80s or early 90s. The price on the box? $9.40. My old tin of gas checks has a $4.50 tag on it, so it is easy to see I stopped casting for quite a while before I started again a few weeks ago. And it was easy enough. I reread the Lyman casting hand book, and spent some time getting info by reading both old and new forum questions. There is a LOT if info available in here, for which I will gladly say thank you.
Qajaq

[leadeye]

I got back in this game after a 25 year hiatus, things could not be better.:-D

[HangFireW8]

One thing that hasn't changed is the thrill I get watching those shiny bullets tumble out of the mold!:mrgreen: Thanks to all the members here who have taught an old dog new tricks!

Another thing that hasn't changed in the past 20 years is the Lyman cast bullet handbook. Still a reprint of their 1980 effort.

-HF

[Jaybird62]

Treetop,
This site has been a real boost to my enthusiasm for casting. I got into it about 8 years ago, but put it on hold due to my work schedule and a major move. The past 2 months I've had quite a bit of spare time, so I finished out my garage reloading setup and my casting equipment setup. I did quite a bit of reading when I began casting, but my time surfing this site has taught me that I was blissfully ignorant. It's a hoot to learn something new every day.

[Treetop]

Another thing that hasn't changed in the past 20 years is the Lyman cast bullet handbook. Still a reprint of their 1980 effort.

-HF

Yes, I was surprised that Lyman hasn't brought out a new casting manual since 1980. Fortunately I still have almost all of the older Lyman reloading and casting manuals dating from the mid 50s. My Dad was an avid handloader from the mid 50s until his death in 1987.

He bought me my first press ( a Lyman Spar T) in 1962 when I was 15 years old. I still have it and still use it occasionally!