Nothing quite as satisfying as...

[Silent]

spending the day at the range sending rounds you made down range :bigsmyl2:

Fired my first cast boolits, and my first reloads through my Firestar 9mm. I sent 50 rounds of 356-125-R and 20 rounds of 35?-125-RF (all sized to .358), and 30 rounds of factory ammo down range. I pulled and checked the barrel intermittently and had almost 0 residue in the barrel. I think I might try a different lube to see if I can make the barrel a tad cleaner tho. My reloads out shot factory ammo by far too! Love it when a plan comes together! [smilie=w:


:cbpour:

[geargnasher]

Welcome to the beginning of what promises to be a long, incurable addiction!

We hooked another one, guys! :kidding:

Gear

[chris in va]

Yup, I also use the Lee 358-125-RF in my CZ. Curious what your OAL is on those...mine won't chamber until 1.01.

[Doc Highwall]

Silent, before you change lube remember that lube also affects accuracy so a bore that is not as clean but shoots real accurate would be my first choice. Congratulations on success and the addiction that will last a lifetime.

[Silent]

Yup, I also use the Lee 358-125-RF in my CZ. Curious what your OAL is on those...mine won't chamber until 1.01.

358-125-RF (WCWW +1% tin) sized to .358, 4.9 grn Unique, and 1.110 OAL. Chambers great in my 9mm. I only had one stove pipe, and that was using factory ammo.

I'm using Lee Alox lube at the moment, but I want to try the 45/45/10 lube.

I about dropped a gold twinkie when I keyholed 3 rounds at 25 yards, hadda be luck tho, I'm not that good

[Blammer]

FISHIN', FISHIN'... he's hooked!

[6.5 mike]

Get the net, ya'll hooked another one, LOL.

[qajaq59]

The reason casting bullets is so addictive is they work so good!!!!

[cajun shooter]

When you go past that age that your mind thinks in different wave lengths, casting is still there.

[captain-03]

Welcome to the addiction!! We all got it!!

[Jack Stanley]

I started in the late seventies with a LEE ten pound pot a 311466 mold and a Remington 788 rifle . Then I slipped into loading for handguns , then shotguns . The only thing I was able to resist was the urge to get a cannon .

I still have and use the pot from way back then though I welded the hole shut to stop the drip and I still use it . I'd hate to inventory all the rest of the stuff that keeps me going now .......... turn back while you still can Silent !! 8-)

Jack :Fire:

[Silent]

And to think, all this started because of my .44 cap and ball revolvers. I picked up a Lee 20lb bottom pour for casting .454 round balls. Then I landed 4 buckets of wheel weights, and all was lost. I wound up with a Challenger breach lock single stage press, and dies and molds for both the 30-30 and the 9mm. I'm trying to hold off there, although I may have to get .357 dies, maybe a hollow point mold... turret press... progressive press... 30-06 dies.... .... .... .... .... ....

I'm doomed :groner:

[mdi]

Reloading is very satisfying, but it is just assembling various parts. But casting, you actually take some scrap metal, clean it, alloy it, melt it, and MAKE bullets out of it! Then you get to make up some secret formula lube and apply it to your hand made bullets. Then you get to shoot your bullets and they are more accurate than store bought! Don't get much better than that...

[rintinglen]

I love this site. Its almost like walking into a swell neighbor hood bar back in th 60"s or 70's "where everybody knows your name." And your addictions. And they share them...

[captaint]

My wife keeps asking me "I thought you were done buying boolit molds?". And, of course I say,I am, I am.........right enjoy Mike

[Silent]

I'm trying to talk myself out of spending $80 for a Lyman 356637 9mm hollow point mold. :mrgreen:

[qajaq59]

I've had a lot of time on my hands this week and so far I've gone thru 200, 30-30 cast bullets. I like reloading and casting, and my Winchester 30-30 loves cast bullets. Plus, if I average the lead I buy with what I can scrounge, it comes to less then a quarter a pound. And I get lots of Lyman #311041 bullets out of a pound. If someone likes to shoot a lot and is planning on retiring, I'd definitely recommend learning to both load and cast before you do. Otherwise you're going to need one heck of a big pension! [smilie=l:

[ghh3rd]

Wish I had started before I was 56 yrs old! It is a very gratifying feeling to craft a boolit, whip up some homemade lube, recycle some brass, put it all together and use it with great results. Especially nice hearing "I can't even do that well with my factory ammo!"

[NSP64]

I'm trying to talk myself out of spending $80 for a Lyman 356637 9mm hollow point mold. :mrgreen:

I belive they are only $61.00 at midway. I have been talking myself out of one in .430, .45 for a while.

I had bought a .40S&W and some factory for it. It shot like ****. I miked the barrel (.403) Pulled a bullet (.399) No wonder it shot that bad. Cast up some Lee 170gr TC boolits. shot them unsized.405 and it was like a different gun.

Sold it to buy a 1911 .45ACP! LOL It loves my 155gr boolits.

[Silent]

I sent 250 rounds of my custom made boolits down range yesterday with my 9mm. It was grouping well at 25 yards. I also ran a box of variable grain bullets to find the break point for cycling the slide. I ran 10 rounds each of 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, and 2.5 grains of Unique. Starting load was 5.2 grains. Turns out I can cut my powder by 20% and still maintain accuracy and have everything work properly. I started getting intermittent loading issues at 3.5 grains, so 4.0 it is for this pistol. At the end of the range session, the barrel was almost clean, so I'm happy with the overall results. Nice when you know exactly what your firearm likes to send down range :)

At 44, I'm still young enough to enjoy this for a few years, and I think I just might be addicted!

[JSAND]

Glad you are enjoying your success. Nothing like the feeling of sending your own hand made boolits downrange. It is a lot of fun finding out exactly what your weapon wants to feed on and what it doesn't like as well. It is amazing what a little Black Powder shooting can lead to, I came into reloading the same way and even though I have only been doing this for a short time, I know there is no hope for me, I am hooked and love it. This is absolutely the best site for learning and sharing information and am so glad I found it. Welcome to the life of casting.
John

[WHITETAIL]

Silent, Welcome to the forum!
As been said it is very addicting.
When you shoot your first target
and get good groups.:redneck:
Or take your first deer with Your
own boolit. WOoooooooooo!:cbpour:

[pls1911]

Giggle factor... that's what keeps us coming back.
Without cast bullets and old guns, I'd not have nearly as much fun each season.

Those who have not used cast bullets will never understand the potential for devestating accuracy and terminal performance....and giggle factor.

I'm serious about my pranking, and this one always works.
I quietly endure annual harrassment at camp when I bring out the old beater ugly rust bucket Marlin with bent sights and home rolled cartidges with cast bullets. I just let the Marlin and cast bullets do what come naturally and enjoy the guffaws from others.
The bigger the ego, the more expensive the gun rig, the harder the "expert woodsmen" fall... and it's so easy!!!

I really appreciate the silence when I return to camp with first kill, and best kill...and some folks don't see the humor at all!!!

I'll match any of many very nice old levers in my closet to this $75 old piece of iron that looks like it was used as a fence post... It's a hunting tool plane and simple, and doesn't know how to miss a bullseye.

Often I'll find beaters are actually hunted hardest, shot the least, and cared for best.
UGLY outside, with a heart of gold and dirt cheap (aka Lots of giggle potential)

An old cajun guide with a rust bucket single barrel shotgun told my Grandad: "It ain't the gun, it's the way you point it".

Hail to home rolled cartidges and cast boolits!

[qajaq59]

I used to get remarks at the public range about my cast bullets. And there was a lot of them until we all went out to check the targets. Then it would get strangely quiet. [smilie=l:

[Silent]

Dangit, just bought a 30-30 mold. Ordered up a Lyman 311041 for the Mossberg, and 1k gas checks to go with it.

The obsession continues...