ordered my first "Custom Mold"

[randy_68]

I have only been casting for 1 year. I now have 11 molds, 7 of which my uncle gave me and 1 more on the way. I have ordered 4 new molds from Lee and have been pretty pleased and not had any issues with them. I recently ordered some 180 wfngc boolits from Cast Perf and they shoot great in my Marlin 1894 .357 so I took the plunge and just ordered a NOE 360-180 wfngc 4 hole mold[smilie=w:, a set of handles and a thermometer. I also have a Lyman 148wc, a RCBS 358-150 swc and a LEE c358-158swcgc mold so I think I have the .357 covered.
I also just aquired a new Ruger SBH Hunter and a Henry .44 BB plus a couple of Lee molds-tl430.240swc and the C429-240swcgc. Down the road I will be looking to get the RD432-265 for them.
I thought I got in to casting to save money but it hasn't really turned out that way:???: Why is that?

[RobS]

Congrats.......the Henry 44mag takes a shorter nose to cycle correctly so when the time comes the RD432-265 design with it's shorter nose length works quite well.

[randy_68]

Thanks for that bit of info on the Henry. I haven't tried any cast in it yet just some 240XTP's and they shoot great so I will probably use those this fall.

[GLL]

I thought I got in to casting to save money but it hasn't really turned out that way:???: Why is that?

Casting your own to save money !
When I first started I fell for that line as well ! ;) ;)

Jerry

[Beagle333]

It's true! I can save all this money back, by making my own boolits with my nifty molds...... provided that I outlive Tom, Al, and Miha by about 450 years. :|

[Huvius]

Yeah, fell for that too...
My take is that there is some enjoyment in casting your own but no real cost savings and certainly the time involved is a huge factor to consider.
If I could simply buy the bullets I need (some paper patch and in proper weights/hardness etc.) I don't think I would have any need to plug in the pot ever again!

[BruceB]

To dedicated shooters, handloading is the route that allows us to shoot more for the same dollar input. Casting our own bullets just furthers that concept.... for an equal amount we can handload a lot more rounds than we could by buying commercial bullets to load the ammo. Custom moulds are a natural development in our personal devotion to the hobby.

Saving money? Nope.... but shooting a whole lot more for the SAME amount.... that's what handloading and casting does for us. As a true shooting addict even in my youthful days, there was no doubt that the hobby was going to cost me a lot of my disposable income. Therefore, I began handloading as soon as my lifestyle permitted, when I first had a house and a stable base to support the activity.

A few years ago, I attempted an inventory to get an idea of how much was tied-up in handloading tooling and components...... I quit when I reached twenty thousand dollars and hadn't really scratched the surface! BUT....every time my .416 Rigby fires, I've "saved" about TEN DOLLARS over the cost of a factory cartridge! (I choose not to admit, even to myself, that I wouldn't even OWN that rifle if I hadn't already been a handloader.... gotta have SOME illusions.)

Well... a man gas to have SOMETHING to occupy his time, n'est ce pas? I don't gamble, or smoke, or do drugs, or chase fast women.... so I handload and cast and shoot. The dollars have been invested over a period of forty-odd years and much of that money is recoverable if I so choose. The entertainment value has been beyond estimation. The experiences gained and the friends discovered are simply priceless. It's a wonderful hobby/sport/pursuit/addiction.... you name it!