...and when did you start casting?

[Hickok]

1973. My first casting was lead round balls for a percussion .44 revolver. Soon obtained my first cartridge revolver , a Ruger BH .357 magnum, bought a Lee 150 gr. swc mold, (which I still have and it makes great boolits after 40 years), some 2400 powder, and a bucket full of COWW, melted in a pot over a Coleman stove.

[Certaindeaf]

Around sixteen.. well over thirty years ago. Odd bird that I was, started loading (casting my own) heavy and medium weight SWC's for my beautiful target sighted Hi-Power (9mm Luger) with a Lee Loader.. moved on to a Rockchucker within months or so though.

[gbrown]

I started casting when I was 18-19 years old and cast for about 4 years. Went into the military and when I came back, got a job with the local SO. Didn't need to reload or cast, as we were given all we needed/wanted. Left there, around 40 yoa and wanted to get back in reloading--2 buddies cast, so I didn't really need to, but did sit in and help on casting sessions with them. Got back in it about age 60--still had some old molds and then stumbled on a trove of them. Kept some, sold the others off.

[Swede 45]

Gave castin a first try in my late 20`s.. borrowed a pot, a rcbs sizer and a mold from my brother. Casted up about 20 lbs of lead WW I got from the nearby tireshop.. It was a pain to do all the processing in a small 1 room apartment, so I returned the gear and shot the boolits.. Stuck to commercial thereafter. During 2014 I picked up casting again, and now cast all my boolits for my 38spl/357 mag and 45acp and some for my 9mm.. plan to also do .40S&W and an odd bird I got, the 401WSL.

[trapper9260]

I first started to cast fishing sinkers with my dad and brother when I was about 8 or 9 years old, but to cast boolits is about 23 years old.now I am 54.

[BrassMagnet]

Kindergarten!

Daddy, Daddy, can I make bullets?
My Dad would fire up a Coleman white gas stove and I would dipper cast 148 grain wadcutters with a single cavity mould. I made so many of them I was still shooting them in my early twenties.

[robg]

my wife bought me an rcbs 158lswcgc mold for my birthday in98 .shes a keeper,thats when i started.

[Gelandangan]

In October 2003 on a whim I purchased a secondhand bottom pour Lee 10 lbs pot, a secondhand .358 BNWC steel mold and a pair of mold handle.
When I gone home, I melt all my fishing sinkers and attempted my first casting.
Failed miserably, wrinkled every boolits due to (I think) the zinc contents on the sinkers.

Learned a lot since and the majority is from this forum.. You guys rocks!!

[leebuilder]

I started casting tin solders when i was 8, still have the moulds. Cast babbit bearings and such in my twentys when i worked as a machinist. Started casting boolits in 09. Hooked now, always liked to pour molten metal. Learned so much here, thanks to all!!!

[country gent]

Started casting round balls, Maxi balls and a minnie for a 50cal TC Renegade. Started out casting enough for deer season and sighting in plus a little plinking once or twice a year. Dang has that changed A session now is 400-600 bullets for the BPCRS more in 1 session than the first 5-6 years when I started. I was 18 and bought the rifle round ball mould and accesories in one purchase.

[TXGunNut]

Only been casting a few years, wasted quite a few (OK 30 or so) loading J-words. But they were really GOOD J-words. Guess that's why it took me so long.

[35 shooter]

Started in the 70's casting for a 44 mag. hand gun and a 54 and 50 cal. muzzleloader.
Only been casting for modern rifles for about 2 years now after a 30 odd year lay-off from the others. Don't know why i wasted all that time on those old j-thingy's....oh well...having fun now!

[tygar]

I did a little with my uncle in the 50s & early 60s until graduated from HS & went in Marines. After 1st hitch ended in 69, stayed in reserves & went to college & was in Lacey PD in Washington & they had free reloading components for pistols, so I would load tons of stuff. The chief would use another guy as an example since he had spider webs in his holster as not shooting enough & me who would shoot at least 100 rds a day as the other end of the spectrum.

Using their equipment got me to get my own pot & molds for my guns 38, 41, 44, 45 & start making my own. So been making a lot since 70 but "helped" in late 50s.

So I guess it's been a dam long time. But on rifle I'm a relative nebie! When I popped my cherry I guess I was about 10 or 12.

[Silfield]

I shamefully didnt start casting until I was in my 40's but now cast for .577, .451, .44, 2 different 8mm's and .308.
Recently got my son to start helping me (he was 8 at the time) so hopefully he will be showing me what to do in a few years time.

[rking22]

Started casting in my mid teens to shoot a friends 38 and my cap locks. Still have those molds and lots more. Never really took a break but slowed down for quite a while, just casting for my rifles. Got serious again about 10 years ago. I spent something like 10 years as a controls engineer in an automotive foundry. Love the hot/molten metal, forging too! If you count pouring plastic worms I was probably about 10 years old