Yippie! Hooray! Can ya see me smile'n?

[mugsie]

I did it finally. Last night I got home from work and fired up my brand spanking new minimag pot, let the shipping oils burn off, loaded it with several ingots of WW's I had smelted down the previous weekend, added about 2% tin and waited for it to come to temp. It did.

I took my brand spanking new casting ladle, dipped it in and got mush. Then I realized I needed to settle the ladle in it for a moment in order for everything to come up to temp. It did.

I took my brand spanking new Lyman mold 429421, 245g SWC 44 mag, put it against the ladle and poured, and poured and poured. I think I had the biggest spru one has ever seen! The first couple of bullets which came out looked like the Olson twins! One kinda anemic and the other not much better. I kept casting until the mold warmed up. It did.

Then the magic started - I started dropping the purdiest boolets I have ever seen. Driving bands were perfect. Shiny in color. It was amazing. I took my place in line with every frontiersman, hunter and soldier who's ever had to cast their own. I didn't want to stop - the bullets kept dropping out one after another just perfectly.

After I don't know how many minutes I had stopped and had 60 perfect bullets. I couldn't wait to try them, so I set up my brand spanking new Lubisizer 4500, proceeded to fill it, my hands, the table, a couple of rags and a little of the floor with Super Moly Lube. Eventually I got it all figured out (it was harder than casting!) and started popping in the bullets and applying perfect lube in the perfect goves. I set the old and well used press up for 44 mag and lo and behold! I had no 44 mag cases! AUGHHH! So tomorrow, I'm going to the range, blasting through a bunch of 44s, take the cases home, tumble them, and load em' up with my brand spanking new purdy boolets! Maybe before the end of the week is out I'll get back to the range and try them - I can't wait.

I can see this getting to be very very addictive!

Thank you folks for all your patience and help in getting me this far. I really appreciate it. Thanks again....

[garandsrus]

Mugsie,

Welcome to the club of folks that have shot up ammo just so they could reload it again

Congratulations on your first boolits...

John

[Ghugly]

Congratulations! How did you manage to stop at 60? When I get into a rhythm, I can't stop 'till the pot runs dry or somebody drags me away (usually the latter, I've got lots of lead).

[Bass Ackward]

See. I told you that you worried too much.

You qualify as an Expert on the subject of "beginning to cast". So now, you get to help the next new guy.

[mugsie]

Back Asswards - I worry that some day I'll have nothing to worry about!

I'd love to help the next new guy but I'll never stop learning either.
Now let me go cast some more....

[Vly]

Mugsie - Very funny description to your first casting experience. The Olson twins reference had me LOL ! Welcome to the club.

[TxGunfighter]

Congrats, You are now hooked!

[xr650]

mugsie,
Feels good don't it.
I have been casting a very short time. I enjoy the feeling it gives me when I squeeze the trigger.

[1Shirt]

Another addict!
1shirt

[snuffy]

Heck, i feel like that each time I try a new mold!

Welcome to the addiction mugsie!

[EMC45]

Mugsie, welcome to the craziness. It never ends!!!!!

[eka]

to Mugsie

Glad to hear you're coming right along. It wasn't that long ago that I was just like you. And like you said, the historical perspective is really great.

Congrats,

Keith

[TCLouis]

Can't think of a better way to get into boolits.

I place my molds flat on top of the pot(sprue plate down) and as the metal come up to temp so does the mold. Sometimes it is ready to go when the melt is, sometimes not, but it reduces the number of rejects bringing mold up to temp.

[Blammer]

well your not an official loonie unless you would have pulled the bullets from your loaded cases dumped the powder and then reloaded them with your cast bullets, instead of waiting...

[beagle]

The first time I cast bullets and turned old nasty wheel weights,battery terminals and fishing sinkers into shiny .30 bullets, I said to myself, "Got to be something illegal about this".

Haven't quit since and that was 1958./beagle

[Blackhawk Convertable]

I, like you, also started recently. I now have about 10,000 bullets cast. You can make a lot in short order. So I ask myself the question, "Why did it take me so long to start?"

Congrats, and happy casting. May the silver shine always be with you.

[montana_charlie]

Do you have a thong...?

[sundog]

cost of a homemade boolit -- pennies

cost of loading equipment -- could be a hundred of dollars, or so

cost of a good rifle -- at least hundreds of dollars (unless you shop garage sales)

cost of a 10-round booger hole at a hunert yards -- priceless