Who are the experts here?

[frankenfab]

If you hang around here long enough, or, more correctly, read enough here, I think you will find that when you want information on a particular topic, you will look for posts by a particular member before you even use the search function.

I have always been prouder to be regarded as an "expert" on a topic, than a "professional", as any endeavour in which I've become what I feel I'm an expert as is a result of personal dedication , with no other academic or financial gain other than setting a personal goal and reaching it, or not.

When I want to learn about a particular topic, I read the posts of the following members for specific topics:

Ben: Cast boolit rilfle shooting and accuracy tips

tek4260: Ruger single action mods and shooting them in general

Dale53: cooking, pretty .32's and general wisdom

waksupi: general gunsmithing and delicate stock work

John Taylor: A REAL Gunsmith! (OK, so he's both a professional AND an expert!)

44man and Whitworth: Some guys who really shoot bigbore revolvers, and publish the results. Plus the added value of gratuitous humor and rivalry.


Bret4207: anything that matters....

Mihec and NOE: for taking age old technology, and finally aplying it to boolit molds, why did it take so long? Don't know but I envy you guys for being able to "make it happen".

johnch: cookin, and if I ever need info on loading shotgun shells.

2dogs: perrrrty customs, good boolit designs, and general six or fivegun wisdom.

Boolit Lube: Felix, Recluse, fryboy---LOLZ?-----absolutely!

I apologize to anybody I left out, and I also want to say thanks to everbody who cares about this site like I do.

have a good (cold) one!

Frank

[Heavy lead]

I agree with everything above, and don't forget Ben's infamous stock work, the man sent me a link via pm a few weeks ago that just floored me with the beauty.
What a talent.

[frankenfab]

Forgot:

Gearnasher: anything technical in nature

303guy: paper patch guru

[Kraschenbirn]

Two more missed:

Dutchman: Euro-milsurps

MikeVenturino: U.S. milsurps and full-autos, in general.

Bill

[frankenfab]

Larry Gibson:--a bunch of stuff...

[MT Gianni]

One of the neat things about Cast Boolits is we can all learn something and all have something to give.

[geargnasher]

That's a good list. I'd like to add that Ben is also one of our more clever and resourceful "El Cheapo Supremo" gadgeteers here, his numerous contributions such as home-made Cake Cutters are a good example.

357 Maximum has also been a source of excellent information on boolit lube, he's saved me pounds and pounds of experimentation.

JimInPhx, Patmarlin, Deltaenterprises, Lathesmith, WR Buchanan, and of course Buckshot are always on the ball with machining advice, as are a few others whose handles slip my mind at the moment.

Felix probably knows more about powders than anyone else on this forum, not to mention a few things about boolit lube :-D

Pdawg shooter is always forthcoming with good advice for smokeless paper-patching.

BTSniper and the posts Swagerman left us, enough said.

Cowboy T is the go-to guy for Lee equipment beginners, especially with his videos.

44man also knows a bit about bowhunting and revolver terminal performance on game, and might even be coaxed into giving some tips on machining and beer as well [smilie=1:

CBRick and Bumpo are pretty sharp on their alloys,

And let's not forget Glen Fryxell, the gentleman who, among other things, brought a better understanding of fluxing boolit metal to this forum via CBRick and the LASC site.

On a more specific note, I'd also like to add a big personal thanks to John Taylor for sharing with me the trick to concealing a barrel liner at the muzzle, and to Bret4207 for suggesting the use of cheap chucking reamers as a principle tool for uniforming and enlarging revolver cylinder throats, and to BABore for his timely and detailed instructions for firelapping a rifle. These guys are all a huge benefit to the site.

Gear

[btroj]

But don't ever forget the little guys. You never know who is going to come up with the next "why the heck didn't I think of that" idea.
I find that many here have ideas I agree with yet other times I don't agree with them. I value the collective much more than I do the individual members here. It is the constant discourse, sometimes heated, that pushes the envelope and drives the thirst for knowledge.

[gon2shoot]

And that sirs, is the true beauty of this site. A wealth of knowledge, an eagerness to share, and the thousands of small imputs that make it all come together.

I have thought more than once about saying heck with it, and never coming back ,due to the whining and bickering, but there is an essence here that prevails. It is experience,willingness, eagerness, the joy of discovery, and the satisfacton of a job well done.

Welcome to Cast Boolits and the thousands of members that make it what it is.

[Dean D.]

+1 Jim!

[DAK]

One Forgot


Bullshop

[curiousgeorge]

I would like to add "Pressman"

But, where would we be without everyone putting in there little bit. Something new every day.


Steve

[WILCO]

Don't forget Edsmith! :drinks:

[scrapcan]

and JeffinNZ is the keeper of the purple long johns! And much more knowledge to share. And a bunch more of those blokes down under. Like Four Fingers of Death (Mick) and well they know who they are.

Thanks to all who make this a great place to come and learn and converse.

[BeeMan]

BruceB, for casting productivity, soft nose castings for hunting, and more.

[Bad Water Bill]

MikeVenturino on black powder guns.

The perfessor on a whole bunch of stuff.

The whole crew here for being the most generous crew of caring folks on any site.

[pipehand]

Glad to see everyone's judgement is working well as I didn't see my name thrown out as an expert. BTW, where's Starmetal?:)

[Recluse]

In the gun world, I've broken the group down into the following, in reverse order:

1. Gun owner. Has a gun, not sure where it is in the closet or if it's loaded or who the manufacturer is. If fearful or has reason, will find the gun, clean it, make a trip to the range and ensure they can still handle it.

2. Casual gun owner. Has several guns and they mainly stay in a gun cabinet or closet. Shoots occasionally and enjoys it, but guns are not his/her passion. Sometimes hunts, but not regularly.

3. Serious gun owner. Has multiple guns and can tell you make, model, where they purchased them, etc. Has stock of ammo and a well-stocked cleaning cabinet. Often hunts or participates in competitive shooting. Often member of a pro-gun organization. Seeks out other gun-owners in social forums. Is usually a pretty damn good shot.

4. The reloader. This person is a serious gun owner AND a serious shooter. Reloads to keep his sport/hobby affordable and doable. Often ends up with the progressives because this person shoots a lot of rounds every week.

5. the handloader. This person is the reloader who has graduated to handloading because they have an insatiable quest to "build the perfect round" for each of their firearms under a plethora of shooting conditions. This individual has taken shooting and reloading to new heights.

6. The bullet caster. A handloader on CCI primed steroids. At first, casting was to "save money," (didn't we ALL say that at first? :wink:), but as the addiction grew, the quest to make the perfect cartridge begins and ends with the silver stream we lovingly pour into molds of varying manufacture. The bullet caster is at the pinnacle of the shooting world in terms of knowledge, experience and ability.

7. The benchrest shooter. Only one word describes him. God.

By the time a shooter "graduates" to casting their own bullets, a lot of knowledge and experience has been collected--then at a forum like this one, we share that knowledge and experience.

Everyone benefits and everyone learns, and I honestly think everyone becomes a better shooter, reloader and firearms handler.

"Experts?" Hell, I'm still trying to keep up with most everyone here because it's kinda like we say in the pilot world, "I'm still a student pilot no matter how long I've been flying."

Always learning.

:coffee:

[georgewxxx]

Casting history has to go to Floodgate, then Beagle for all around shooting cast.

[deltaenterprizes]

I would like to add Red River Rick, most probably forgot more about machining than I will ever know!

[bearcove]

I thought everyone could be an expert on the internet!:kidding: