I was checking inventory of factory loads last night. They are now boring....

[Tallbald]

Factory loads are useful but don't have soul. I checked for full boxes of the .357 and .44 Magnums as well as other standard fare. Yeah they're shiny sorta pretty and have been in the cabinet since they were still relatively cheap (boxes of 50,.44 Magnum 240 grain jacketed soft point for $18.50). But the ones that excite me are the home rolled cast .357. Followed by the commercial cast home load .44 Magnum. I need a good Lee 6 cavity .44 mold to keep my .357 mold company. .. Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts. Don

[CGT80]

I know what you mean. I have a few boxes of factory ammo and a shelf full of jwords and thousands of plated and cast bullets. It seems like a waste to use jwords for target ammo or competitions (I don't hunt) and I get more enjoyment from shooting ammo that I have made with my own boolits. Even though I have about 2800 commercially produced bullets left for my 40 cal competition pistol, I went ahead and bought an NOE 5 cavity mold. Within a week of getting the mold, I had cast over 1000 boolits and PC'd more than half of them.

On one hand, it is great to have a good supply of components, but on the other hand, I want them to be of my favorite design. The other problem is that my favorites tend to change I really liked the TC profile pistol bullets that I got from Bear Creek, and I thought about a mold like that. Semiwadcutters seemed a bit pointless, but that was all I could get a year or so ago for 40 cal, and the 155 lswc ended up feeding great, makes nice big holes in cardboard, shoots accurately, and I grew to like the looks. Round nose boolits looked borring, but after PCing some of the NOE sample boolits from another member and shooting them, I changed my mind. The PC is cleaner than lubed boolits and easier to hang onto than moly coated lead, and cheaper than copper plated or anything else I would buy.

My favorite load is a 45 270 SAA from MP molds in a hollow point, PC'd, and loaded over trail boss in the 460 mag revolver. People don't know what to think when the see the giant pink, red, green, and blue boolits hanging out of a case that they think goes to a rifle. One guy thought it was a stout load by the sound of it, until I lit off a mid powered load, then a hot load. He really liked the low recoil and inexpensive ammo. He actually has a 460 and 500 Smith, but has never fired them because he thought they might be too much to handle. He had so much fun with mine, that he said he is going to load up some ammo for them and bring them out next match.

Yes, factory ammo is boring and has no personality. I also like my 79 and 88 year Chevy trucks because they are different than most on the road. New and factory stock can be nice, but it isn't always note worthy.

[35 shooter]

LOL, i've followed some of your posts lately, and yep, you have caught the cast bug!
I understand completely as i went to cast boolits in rifles about 2 years ago. With all the info and cast knowledge here on this site, things went rather quickly as far as accuracy and no leading.
I haven't fired another jacketed round through my rifle since...they don't even look right to me any more lol.
I've got nothing against jacketed bullets, but they're just not as much FUN as cast to me. It's much more fun trying to shoot 1 1/2" or less groups @ 100 yds. with cast than 1/2" or better with jacketed.
Not saying i always manage to do that, but that's always the goal.
Hoping to get my first deer this year with cast in my rifle.

[Love Life]

I understand exactly what you are saying...but I shoot them up anyway!!!

During my recent move I bought a boat load of plated boolits on sale. I have a couple thousand of each pistol caliber I shoot loaded up wtih plated bullets. Well, except my 38 special because no plated boolit can compare with the 358429 as cast by me for accuracy from 10 to 75 yds in my Model 28.


I agree that there really is no soul or pride in the rds loaded with plated. They are quality and look pretty, but all I did was put the bullet over 'splody powder.

Now my cast loads...I am always proud of those because I literally made them. Winter is here so I expect the casting pot and moulds to get a solid work out!

Thanks for your thoughts!

[Bigslug]

Factory loads are useful but don't have soul.

Save them for the zombie apocalypse. Zombies don't have soul either, so factory loads are perfect.

[texassako]

I know what you mean about boring. My preferred hunting rifle shoots boring old factory Remington .25-06 120 gr Core-Lokt ammo so well we bought a bunch back in the '90s that I am still shooting. Boring can be good sometimes when it means boringly accurate and boringly successful at getting game.

[Harter66]

About the only factory ammo I have around is a couple of 50 cal cans of GI open base 308 fmj and odd counts of HP for uninvited house guests.

Until about 3 weeks ago I hadn't bought a jacketed bullet in 8 yr and only about 150 loaded rounds in over 10 including steel 12ga. Imagine Kent Fasteel marked at $12/box.

I am not an addict I can quit any time I want to,
Attachment 120558
Attachment 120559
and I put the wheel face back after I took the wheel weight, it wouldn't have lined back up anyway.

[dh2]

Can any of my guns even shoot factory ammo?

[Bzcraig]

Before I started casting, I had loaded up on factory ammo. I would love to shoot the stuff up but I can't make myself stop shooting my cast boolits.

[Pinsnscrews]

One of my barrels never HAD a factory loading, and the other is cut deep requiring the shoulder be moved forward .003 to get proper headspace, so reloading is the only options for those two. I don't like any of the Factory offerings for my 10mm. I am not talking EDC, but Hunting loads.

I am having so much fun figuring out boolit designs, my wife thinks I have gone insane...then she remembers me drawing up wiring diagrams for motorcycles and just smiles

[GhostHawk]

I feel guilty because I just bought a Handi rifle in .223 and I am not casting for it, yet.

"What are you doing, they say that thing is terrible to cast for, you know your going to have trouble trying to shoot cast 3k fps."

The thoughts endlessly roll and repeat in my head.

"Shut up!" "I cast enough now, I will be casting .357 in the very near future. I can buy enough Jwords to keep that .223 itch scratched. Heck I can buy cheap Tulammo to shoot in it. "Be patient, the .358 mold will be here next week. Then we'll see if we can use them in my buddy's 9mm."

In fact I do have 300 rounds for the poor .223, he feels like a second class citizen. So at some point I am sure I'll have to try casting for him.
I have to be able to say I made an honest try with a straight face.

No, I'm not hooked, naw

[USAFrox]

Semiwadcutters seemed a bit pointless...

Aren't semiwadcutters SUPPOSED to be "point"-less?

[Harter66]

Damn Air Force you're blunt.......

[USAFrox]

Just like a semi-wadcutter.

[1Shirt]

Have few factory loads for any of my cals that I shoot. Was told long ago that "unless you cast, and shoot what you cast, you are just an assembler, and not a reloader!" Can't buy the statement, but can understand the pride of accomplishment in shooting what you have made and loaded.
1Shirt!

[MBTcustom]

Ju want to see my semee wad cottors?
Ju got to have big cajones to chute these whans amigo:
Accurate 46-405K press it down over 24gr of 2400 and make big holes in.....well, anything. It's just a really big Keith style boolit that drops .461. Sweet.
Attachment 120621
Attachment 120622

[Pinsnscrews]

Goodsteel, I want THAT mold, sized down to use in .401 for my 10mm...somewhere in the 220-240gr range loaded over 8-8.5gr of Longshot

Ghosthawk, you can easily shoot cast out of that Handi, just take a walk through the Singleshot section of the forum.