Is Casting an "Old Mans" GIG?

[archmaker]

Started casting when I was 19, I remember that because I had to have my Mom buy me a TC 30-30, and I read a lot. I read an article or two about casting, and the idea of making my own bullets seemed cool.

Still doing it in my mid, soon to be late 40's.

You have to understand, and I imagine it is true for a lot of us that cast, but we enjoy making things. I would be a framing carpenter instead of what I do know, except it is fun most of the time and the money is better. I do volunteer with Habitat and Rebuilding Together Houston (Fixing fixed income individuals houses of minor issues). Also build my own bows and furniture.

For me it has always been immensely enjoyable to take raw materials, that are just laying there, shape them, mold them, and manipulate them into something that usable, and contains it's own energy. (bow, ammunition, boolits, etc).

[Caster Blaster]

I'm 30, I just started casting last year, been shooting since I was 10, mostly BB guns in the Republik of Taxachusetts, it wasn't till I moved to the free country of FL that I could own a real gun. I had no one to teach me so I learned on Youtube how to cast and reload, I made model rockets as a kid and this seemed like a natural progression. My buddy who owns a tire shop (how lucky am I !!! ) calls me "the Patriot" after the Mel Gibson movie. I am so happy I found this site, I've gotten so much info and great stories and photos from everyone.

[Bladeforger]

You're calling me old? I don't feel old. But today I made two ingot moulds and did some other welding and organized some of the loading accoutrements and sprayed the yard front and back. I'm bushed and feelin' my age tonight.

I'll hopefully do my first smelting next weekend. Cheers!

Old? Nay.

[82nd airborne]

im 23 and my father guided my starting at age 12ish and i started casting on my own at 15. ive watched him cast and reload ever since i can remember. im definitely not experienced but i enjoy it and it feeds my appetite for calibers that are not as readily available as some. Im also a state certified machinist, maybe not a good one, but a machinist none the less. im willing to take any and all factual advice available, and this site is loaded with vast amounts of knowlege!!!! thanks to all

[lawboy]

I am 40. I started reloading at 27. I started casting at age 35. I don't understand people who don't do this stuff. It is amazing fun and amazing knowledge and amazing people do it.

[JeffinNZ]

I think casting might be a factor of shooting maturity. Most young shooters start off with a rimfire then centerfire all factory ammo. They will try this, try that and decide which path they want to follow. Hunter, shooter, experimenter etc. That's how it was for me. Sort of a path of discovery.

Muzzle loader shooting is generally old guys too from my experience and I believe the same theory applies. It just takes a while for some folk to find out where the best hobbies are at.

[tmanbuckhunter]

I'm 18 and I cast boolits. I've been reloading since I was 17 and started seriously collecting my own and using my own money in purchaes at about 15. Now I have more guns than anyone in the house, and I'm the first of my family to reload and cast. It's not an old mans gig.

[Landric]

I started handloading when I was 21, but I didn't start casting until last year, at 36. I missed out on growing up with shooting, handloading, and casting because I didn't grow up with guns or shooters. I fired my first guns around 11 years old at camp, and didn't fire any again until I was 19. By the time I was 21 I was a shooting nut, and that hasn't changed.

Should things go as planned my sons (and daughters if I have any) will grow up with shooting, handloading, and casting. I don't want them to miss out.

[selmerfan]

I'm 30 now and have been casting for two years and will continue to cast for as long as I can get lead and it's legal!

[Gun-adian]

Got my first gun at 18. I started reloading at 23. I'm 44 now and casting started for me 10 years ago. I kicked myself for not starting earlier.

I think I enjoy making boolits more than shooting them....(That's what my wife says, anyway)

Hell, just buying up moulds has turned into a hobby all on its own!!!!!

Thanks.

Mike.

[qajaq59]

'Is Casting an "Old Mans" GIG?'

Yup it is, so all you young fellas should pack up your lead and ship it to us old geezers.

[jlchucker]

Yup it is, so all you young fellas should pack up your lead and ship it to us old geezers.

Yep! That would give us geezers something to do instead of wheeling our chairs up and down the halls of our nursing homes while we're waiting for our young whippersnapper relatives to come and visit.

[sheepdog]

yup you be an old man now

[Valley Forge]

Progressed to casting for my reloads in '81 when I was 27 years old and I'm approaching my 56th birthday.

[.22-10-45]

Hello, I'm 56 and have been casting since 15. Even over twenty years ago at local range, if when asked what I was shooting, if I said "cast" whether in a revolver or rifle, I would always get this pitied look from them as if I didn,t know or couldn,t afford the "good stuff" everyone else was using. Heck, I still get "the look" today! It usually lasts until we go down range to
check targets. Then they either pack up right away and leave or start asking questions.

[Hometek]

When I was 15 I was trying to get my dad to let me buy a rifle. I wanted a lever action 30-30. I had rifles I could borrow but I wanted a "cowboy" rifle. He didn't feel comfortable with that but he did let me order a Lyman trade rifle from Dixie Gun Works. I didn't have much money back then so I started casting round ball from a Lee SC mold. Used a ss kettle on a fish fryer burner with a dipper that was in a pile of junk my dad bought in an auction. I remember the first time my dad saw me shooting the smoke pole. I was shooting at a 12 inch hedge chunk of wood and hit it a bit high. Slammed it over. From the look on his face I don't think he had a clue before how potent a ml was.

Started reloading 30-06 and 223 at 17. I'm 32 now and only started casting for modern cartridges about 1 year ago. If I had known how fun it was I would have started 15 years ago. If I had known how addictive it was I probably would have never started. I already had the 10lb lee bottom pour pot my wife gave me on my first birthday after we were married. But it has lead to me buying a Hornady l-n-l progressive, l-n-l single stage, small cement mixer for tumbling brass, more guns so I can shoot different calibers, and fixing up a 16 by 32 shed for doing all this. Now I dream of bullet feeders and case feeders for my press, a star sizer, and so on. May need to check into rehab or the poor house soon.

[closebutnocigar]

I started to cast my own when I was 18. I bought my first galagher percussion brechloader replica then which was made by ERMA.