Tallbald
10-28-2014, 12:11 AM
Back in the early 1970's, my Daddy and I would travel to our little family farm together each weekend to shoot, "rough it" in our little un-plumbed weekend cabin and just be together. Somewhen, Daddy bought a couple 25 pound bags of 00 buckshot for six dollars each. I loaded 12 gauge at the time and had fun rolling our own buckshot loads, and Daddy thought about using buck for fun .32 ACP loads (which didn't ever happen). I've been packing with me about 20 leftover pounds of the very same buckshot these long years, figuring that one day I'd start loading 12 gauge again. The old Texan FW loader we had is long gone. Even the Lee Loader I started with so many years ago disappeared to time. Back then I was sure proud of each shell I cranked out (grins here). And I sure miss daddy. He passed away when I was twenty, back in 1978. Bless Daddy he was only forty six. His open heart surgery didn't work so well. I think of him when I'm reloading and now casting. We'd have had so much fun doing this together had he survived.....
In the here and now I have happily begun creating my own slugs for .357 , just as Daddy and I had wanted to do. Kindness of folks here has provided me with a springboard to casting skills. This same kindness has also provided me with some alloying components via a generous gentleman who asks only that I pass on his thoughtfulness to another new caster when I am presented the opportunity. And I shall do so.
Today I ran across the partial bag of buckshot to which I've referred. I never expect to reload 12 gauge again. Things change and my body doesn't handle recoil in stride as it used to do. Reading here, I see that bird shot seems to offer some really advantageous character to cast projectiles. I suspect that buck shot would too Since I have not found a use for my vintage buck shot I am seriously contemplating doing what Daddy and I would have done in the same situation had we been presented with it years ago. ...melting it down to improve the characteristics of the slugs I now cast and use.
Thoughts as to percentages of buck to add to a mix of pure lead and WW would be appreciated. I haven't been able to find on the forum whether or not 1970's vintage buck was made with the same components as that available today. And I realize it could make a difference.
Melting Daddy's and my old buck shot and making something I can use will in a manner be completing a goal he and I had set but never realized.
Thanks. Don
In the here and now I have happily begun creating my own slugs for .357 , just as Daddy and I had wanted to do. Kindness of folks here has provided me with a springboard to casting skills. This same kindness has also provided me with some alloying components via a generous gentleman who asks only that I pass on his thoughtfulness to another new caster when I am presented the opportunity. And I shall do so.
Today I ran across the partial bag of buckshot to which I've referred. I never expect to reload 12 gauge again. Things change and my body doesn't handle recoil in stride as it used to do. Reading here, I see that bird shot seems to offer some really advantageous character to cast projectiles. I suspect that buck shot would too Since I have not found a use for my vintage buck shot I am seriously contemplating doing what Daddy and I would have done in the same situation had we been presented with it years ago. ...melting it down to improve the characteristics of the slugs I now cast and use.
Thoughts as to percentages of buck to add to a mix of pure lead and WW would be appreciated. I haven't been able to find on the forum whether or not 1970's vintage buck was made with the same components as that available today. And I realize it could make a difference.
Melting Daddy's and my old buck shot and making something I can use will in a manner be completing a goal he and I had set but never realized.
Thanks. Don