How Much You Cast Vs Shoot

[Centaur 1]

We go through a lot of peanut butter in my house, and those large clear plastic jars work great for storing boolits. The vast majority of our families handguns are in the 9mm/38spl category. My 2 main bullets are the Lee 105 grain swc, and the Ranch Dog 100 grain fn, both boolits drop at .360". I'll cast those two boolits until I have a full jar of each.

[JIMinPHX]

I used to cast & shoot a lot. I generally tried to cast about a 6-month supply of a given boolit type when I had the pot going. I'd start casting that one again when I got down to a 1-2 month supply.

Since I've moved, I haven't had any time to devote to any of this. I haven't cast a boolit, loaded a cartridge or fired a gun in over a year now.

[Michael J. Spangler]

i've changed around my casting. i used to make a day of it and try to cast straight out for 4 or 5 hours only stopping to let the pot heat back up again

no i'm putting it in between my knife work on a more frequent basis. I fire the pot up every week. sometimes i turn it off without casting anything, sometimes i cast 20# worth.

i find it easier to do it that way. i set the mold corner in the melt and walk away and work on some knives. then i come back and cast until the mold is too hot, and walk away for another few minutes to work on molding a kydex sheath, or sharpening something, then back to the pot again.

it's a little less of a chore, and keeps it fun for me, without getting behind on boolits.

now i need more lead! i only have about 10# of COWW left in the pot, and maybe 20# of pure and i'm out!

[autopilotmp]

Think I fall into the cast for fun, when I sit down to cast I may or may not "need" any boolits. I don't get a whole lot of time to cast usually just 1 evening every now and again. When I do get those evenings I cast until the light is gone (cast outdoors). Really think I need another mold, wich means I need another gun for that mold. I did buy the 9mm mold before the gun this last time, was nice to have boolits ready for loading as soon as the gun came home. My next purchase is going to be an M1 carbine and I am already looking at molds for it, just want to cast a different boolit.

[762sultan]

I cast for fun and being retired gives me the flexibity to spend as much time as I want. This past summer I cast about 7000 bullets from various molds. Its time consuming using a 1 cavity mold.Most of the molds are 2 cavity but it still takes a while to make 5 or 600 but I really have fun doing it. It's almost as addictive as collecting WW.

[Dave C.]

I cast more than i need to keep a given stockpile.
In the summer months I'll cast what I need for the next years competition
and training. Dec-Feb I size and reload for the next year.
My cast bullets are about 2 years old by the time I send them through the x-ring.

Dave C.

[legend 550]

I know I cast for fun. If I'm really bored I'll take my older stock and recast em.

[Wal']

New to casting...six months now, I'm sure I will build up a stockpile, but for now casting what I need.......but still a lot of enjoyment making my own.

[L Erie Caster]

I have over 28,500 cast boolits in my stock pile, 300lbs of lead just asking to be melted.

[HATCH]

I know I cast for fun. If I'm really bored I'll take my older stock and recast em.

Are you afraid they are past their expiration date??

[jethunter]

I cast twice as much as i shoot but i'm still usually short handed. I give away a lot to friends.

[hd09]

I enjoy casting and have enough 9s 38s 40s 44s and 45s for a couple years. Kind of a hoarder.

[Threepersons]

I shoot about 3000 rounds a year. CAS guns,45acp, 45-70 and now a 30-30.
Cast over6000. You see I have girls, son-in-laws, brother-in-law,sisters,
the whole family likes my boolits.

[kweidner]

I generally keep 200-300 of the things i shoot the most plus about 100 of each loaded. Others i cast as I need. Figure if I haven't shot 100 of the others in the given month I can cast and let harden by the time i'm down to a few. Right now it's 41,44,45 and 357 stockpiled all keith style except 44 noe hp keith and my 200 gr swc for 1911. Love my wheel guns and shoot 1911 a bit. It is my home defense nightstand gun. I like to keep my skills sharp with it.

[Balta]

I shoot IPSC and for one seson a shot about 15000 9 mm,2.000 45 Auto and 4,500 45 Colt ...i cast more than 20.000 in one year,mostly 9 mm but also 45 ACP i Colt..

[jdgabbard]

I have to cast whenever I can. As it is nothing for me to go to the range and send 12lbs downrange. But I don't get to go as often as I'd like, so I can usually keep up.

[rb dave]

Icast 6 pistol and 1 rifle bullets. Most casting and reloading done in winter bad weather. Sometimes cast 40# or more pistol bullets at a time while alternating 1 rifle mold to keep molds cool enough.Too much other fun to have in good weather!

[rb dave]

Are you afraid they are past their expiration date??

At the rate I shoot they dont even get stale

[njc110381]

I have enough .357's cast to last several lifetimes and I'm still making more. There's something satisfying about casting, it's nearly as fun as shooting!

[drac0nic]

I would like to think I cast enough to stockpile but I probably barely keep up with shooting at this point. I needed at least another 3-4 casting sessions to get myself set for the next little bit. I suspect I'll be looking for stuff to load up in the next while desperately. Then again if that's the case I can start stacking 243 up since I bought a ton of components for that.

If I can get my .45 sorted out I'll probably be in a lot better shape in terms of casting to shooting ratios. I'm just trying to get rid of surplus powder that I have laying around and consolidate to say 8-10 different kinds.