Noob checking in.

[lemeatm]

I have recently come into the realm of cast bullets by loosing my dad to cancer. I remember growing up helping him gather wheel weights and digging fired bullets out of a sand trap behind our shooting range. As I was going through his "stuff" I came accross a mountain of ingots and a box of moulds. I have cast a few .45 rn, basic stuff but am still at the way beginner stage.

Hoping your insight will help get things rolling.

BTW, if anyone is interested in wheel weight ingots and is in the Yakima/Goldendale, WA/Hood River/Dalls, OR area I have more than I will ever use.

[Wayne Smith]

Don't assume you will never use them. Once you get started this tneds to become addictive and to spread to other guns, calibers, etc. After ten or so years you will look at your decreasing pile of "infinite" ingots and wonder if they will last another year or two!

Read here, read the stickies, get the new Lyman Cast manual when it comes out and read that. When your wife complains about all your molds and you defend the necessity and how much money you are saving you know you are addicted. From at least that point, and probably well before, you are hopeless.

[Char-Gar]

FIRST...By a copy of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. Read it cover to cover. Only after you have read it, ask questions here. Having digested the Lyman book, you will have a basis to evaluate the advise and counsel you get from a bunch of strangers, who may or may not know what they are talking about.

[Down South]

When your wife complains about all your molds and you defend the necessity and how much money you are saving you know you are addicted. Huh, I thought that I was the only one that used that line.

Welcome aboard and enjoy the ride. Like said above, hang on to those ingots. Get the book and read a bunch here.

[ghh3rd]

Welcome to the forum!

Sorry that you came into casting after losing your dad, but it's nice that you'll be using stuff that gave him pleasure, and will hopefully it will do the same for you.

Randy

[Crash_Corrigan]

Just remember that this is a lifetime addiction and there is no cure. You will meet and correspond with many very experienced loaders, casters and shooters on this site. Do not get thin skinned and do not take everything to heart. There are some newer members who like to flex their muscles and spew when they should remain silent.

So do not get bent out of shape. If you need a die opened up or a mold HP'd then get a hold of Buckshot. If you need to learn about shooting a M-14 or a Garand or pretty much any military rifle round then Bruce B is your mentor. Larry Gibson and Bob S also have much to learn from in this area.

Do not be afraid to ask questions but before you do.....absorb the Lyman Casting Handbook completely and read up on old posts and such before you ask a question. It is likely that that same question has been asked and answered many times before and it can be found by using the search feature on this site.

303 guy and Doccone31 are our resident experts in the .303 British round. Paper Patching is coming along nicely and it is a lot of work but the results are outstanding.

We have some resident grumps and naysayers whom I will not name but you will be able to figure out the players as time goes on.

We are blessed with a group of lovers of the 6.5 x 55 MM Sweed round and some of them have achieved outstanding results with cast boolits at high velocities. This is a very contentious subject so sit back and read up on it.

We have an excellent group of guys who are working on bullet trap ideas using crumb rubber and steel plates etc. This appeals to my Scottish soul.

I pretty much am across the board as I load and shoot:
.380 ACP, 327 Federal Magnum, .38/357, 9 MM, .30 Carbine, 6.5x55MM Sweede, 45 Colt, .45 ACP, .44 spcl, 30-30, 303 Brit, 30-06 Garand and 7.92x57 MM Mausers.

So in 13 calibers I have over 20 weapons...my carry gun is a .44 spcl revolver by CA. The truck gun is a 12 Gauge double barrelled shotgun and my go to fun gun is my Garand. For that I load pp boolits with a filler. It is a lot of work but I have a lot of time as I am retired and I am only responsible for myself and my beloved Sgt. Rambo (Chiweenie or Mexican Hot Dog butt dragger) and a Triumph Motorcycle.

I am still working on getting some accuracy out of the 303 Brit but I have the time.

This is a wonderful place to learn and when I joined there were about 1,500 members now there are over 14,000 members and we are still growing.

However do be careful about what you say here as big brother is always watching and ATF is very serious about enforcing their silly laws on the legal gun owner but not too interested in the run of the mill street thugs.

[qajaq59]

My condolances on your Dad. But I'm glad you'll be using his equipment.


I have more than I will ever use. I remember sayng that. Now I stop weekly at the scrap yard and buy every ounce they have. Don't sell it.

[Echo]

Welcome to the addiction. Condolences re your Dad - I'm glad you are using his stuff. I'm sure my son will get use from my stuff when I advance to a higher plane, and hope he thinks of me then.

I reload for .38/,357, .40S&W, .44/.44M, .45ACP, .30 Carbine, .30-06 (4 guns),and .223. I have over a ton of alloy, and am looking for more, especially base metal (WW's, Pure) as I have a LOT of type metal to mix with. If you cast to shoot, you will be going through the alloy pretty fast. If you shoot to cast, maybe not so fast, but the pile will diminish nonetheless.

And Read The Stickies! Every One!

[Dannix]

get the new Lyman Cast manual when it comes out ETA?

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