Casters are a dying breed!

[nekshot]

I don't see casting a dying breed but it is an older persons hobby. Many fellas I know are tired of shooting and hunting but the thought of casting your own boolit and shooting with less recoil and bang is more than appealing. If the casting community is dying than why the wait and price for molds on internet? Lee's seemed swamped a couple years ago and new business's have opened making molds and such. Naaa, the shooting community is getting stronger, different than 20 years ago but it is increasing and I am glad!!

[RogerDat]

I think that the surge of new in a panic "roll my own" ammo folks might have gone by the wayside (or not) No longer seeing a 6 month back order for a reloading press. Just makes sense that some folks would start a new hobby and decide to move on to something else. During the post Sandy Hook period an awful lot of folks decided reloading was a good insurance policy against the stupidity of Congress. Now some of those folks will cast and some won't, some will give it a try and find it too much of a hassle. Others however will find a lifelong hobby, one that they may well pass on to the younger generation of their family. The parable of the sower and all that. Not every seed falls on good soil, but the one that does returns many times the original seed that was planted.

I figure my casting has exposed at least 3 family members to it enough that they could conceivably take it up themselves at some point in the future. Get them reloading your cast and eventually casting their own seems like a natural thing to do. If not today, then maybe when they get older.

Casting for just the deer hunting season makes no sense. For many hunting season means a few sighting in rounds, a little practice, maybe a couple of rounds in the field. If your entire consumption of 30-06 or 12 gauge slug ammo is less than 50 rounds per year why take up casting... True more practice would probably improve accuracy, always a good thing, but monthly range time is probably the exception rather than the rule for a majority of hunters. Some folks cast because they like casting but have a desire to shoot a lot at a reduced price as a major motivation.

[Elkins45]

Casting has really only had a large 'community' since the advent of cheap internet access. Prior to that I think the only casting community was probably the CBA, of which I was not a member.

I think it's fair to say that casting is an older person's hobby simply because most reloaders acquire guns and gear gradually over their lives. Buying a press, different guns, dies, a supply of brass, etc. often takes precedence over bullet making stuff since bulk commercial cast are readily available. I think I was an exception because I started casting when I was about 25 when I accidentally stumbled across the opportunity to pick up a few hundred pounds of real linotype for free. I'm 51 now, so I guess it's reasonable to say I've been casting for half my life.

[frkelly74]

Every once in a while someone I meet knows what I am talking about, but not very often, except on this site. Most think it is very dangerous and probably will kill you just to be looking at hot nasty poison lead.

[mold maker]

Every once in a while someone I meet knows what I am talking about, but not very often, except on this site. Most think it is very dangerous and probably will kill you just to be looking at hot nasty poison lead.

Most folks that know me have no idea that I've cast for over 50 years.
Even more would be terrified if they knew I make black Powder. I'm sure my neighbor is curious about what I deep fry out back, that smokes, and smells so rotten.
If I drop a hint in conversation that causes them to question, I will give a small amount of info to see if the interest is genuine, or just being nosy.
My close friends, mostly have like interests and are not just aware of my habits/hobbies but share them.
With the current state of affairs you have to be careful what personal info you broadcast.

[myg30]

Every once in a while someone I meet knows what I am talking about, but not very often, except on this site. Most think it is very dangerous and probably will kill you just to be looking at hot nasty poison lead.

Correcto !! My co-worker heard me talking about casting lead boolits and got all bent out of shape because he's originally from Cal a fon ya and brought up the whole shot gun lead killing condors. I asked him if he ever heard about windmills killing birds and he just went off about how it's not right to "Slow poison" the birds ! I told him I try to catch and reclaim my lead but then it's about how much still goes into the ground.
I heard he had past bad history a can not legally own a firearm !

I really enjoy casting and try to interest other reloaders but the lead shortage and extra time issues come up. Everyone wants fast n easy these days.
Same guys won't even change their own motor oil !
I'm here for the long haul folks !
Mike

[Mytmousemalibu]

I started casting & reloading about 8-9 years ago and have no inclination of quitting! In fact, I plan on investing on a larger scale of reloading & casting in general. More equipment, components and guns to be fed! Not a dying breed over here!

My only regret..... Not getting involved sooner! I missed out on some killer stashes of COWW

[Taylor]

I have always been a person who has,if at all possible made my own tools or what ever else was needed.Maybe it was from growing up poor.

When I started reloading,making my own boolits seemed to be the natural thing to do.I do not buy store bought rounds,unless maybe I need the brass.I'm here and not going anywhere.Thank you Cast Boolits folks for being here.

[Denny303]

I also believe the social nature of the internet.. with all the forums and especially cast boolits, has done wonders.. absolute wonders to advance casting, shooting and reloading in general. Don't underestimate the inspiration that this site has given to members as well as the public. I don't think casting will be going anywhere soon, short of a ban on lead etc.

[dtknowles]

I think if they banned lead even more would take up casting. The U.S. is full of contrarians theses days maybe have always been. Look at what happened with they wanted people to take down the Confederate Battle flag. Now more people flying it.

Tim

[PatMarlin]

I think part of the solution is introducing more people to shooting. The next natural progression is the cost of shooting. Casting and reloading enhances the sport and saves money allowing folks to shoot more.

The ability to handload reduced accurate loads, specially for your wife or girlfriend or kids is a great motivator. When I take my girl to the range, she can shoot all types of firearms and have a lot of fun with reduced loads.

That is a huge selling point and benefit of casting.

... Pat

[MBTcustom]

I'd say the post sighted by the OP was incorrect. Just judging by the membership growth of our fine forum in the past 5 years, I'd say bullet casting is alive and well.

[perotter]

There are a lot more guys doing around here now than there was 10-15 years ago. It used to be the only guys looking for scrap lead was the one making fishing jigs and I was the only guy wanting it for bullets. Now there are dozens of guys trying to buy the scrap lead for bullets.

[mold maker]

The day we were born we became a dying breed. Every day we live, we are one day closer to the other end. No escaping reality. Just a few of us have used more of our past in the hobby. There's lots of new casters taking the place of the older ones that either quit or build a new bench in heaven.
We each have a responsibility, to introduce and mentor young folks.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Another aspect of our fine endeavor is the feeding of "unique" firearms chambered with unique calibers. Those "golden age of shooting" rifles and hand guns are one of the reasons I happily search about out of the way places to find them and get them belching fire and lead again. Have seen men older than me standing close by like little boys watching as another round goes down range. And then turn to them and ask if they would like to shoot it... What a chance to explain the simple method of producing those odd diameter boolits.
Mike in Peru

[country gent]

Casting is sometimes the only option for old firearms and aso certain matches. Some old original barrels are soft nd Jwords are very hard on them. Some matches specify lea bullets only swaged or caast, BPCR shillouettes is one. So just for these reasons casting will not completely disappear. Buying the big lead slugs for the old black powder buffalo guns is expensive to do. A pot of lead alloied and some time is much more cost effective.

[Pee Wee]

I have taught 3 people how to cast in the last 3 mo. Paying it forward.