My Very First Cast Boolit from 1959

[don45]

125303
While rummaging thru some old stuff I found the very first loads I cast when I first started reloading back in 1959.
At the top is the first box of 348 Winchester ammo I purchased, and in this box was just one loaded round, loaded with my cast 350447 bullet. I know this load is either from 1959 or the very early '60s since I only used the Model 71 Winchester until I purchased a new Model 70 243 in 1961 or 62.
This round was loaded using a Lyman Ammunition Maker kit in 348 Win purchased directly from Lyman. On an old thread here I've seen discussion of the Ammo Kit and a listing of available calibers. Even though 348 Win was not listed in their ads I know that my kit was 348 Win and ordered directly from Lyman. It included a plated powder measure for 41 or 42 grains of 3031. This round was almost certainly loaded with IMR 3031 but probably using a Herters powder scale and the bullet was probably sized and lubed with a 45 sizer. I purchased both of these within a month or two, after learning the pan lubed / cake-cutter approach was much too slow.
I shot my very first deer with the Winchester 71 and with these loads, possibly a round from this very box. The Cast Bullet Handbook on the right is my original 'Handbook of Cast Bullets' purchased along with the Ammo Maker. I think the only remaining items for the Ammo Maker kit are the mold handles, the 350447 mold and the lead dipper. I am still using my original 45 lubsizer. Too bad I never kept the Model 71...But that's another story.
Don

[bigjake]

I was in my momma's tummy that year...:-D

[w5pv]

I am a couple of years behind Don unless you want to count a few loads that I made with black powder which didn't shoot verywell.I used the old formula of 1/3 sulphur,1/3 salt peter and 1/3 charcoal.I dumped the smokeless powder out of a 16ga shot shell and loaded the componets back in the hull and shot it out of my single shot gun.It was a wonder that we didn't get hurt or hurt some one.I think the reason we stopped fooling around this kid was opening up firecrackers to get powder for a cannon he had made and it went off prematureley and blew part of his hand away.Thumb and two fingers if I remember correctley.We had these 2inch long red firecrackers that we use to shoot marbles out of a pipe pistol that almost all the boys had.Consisted of a pipe about 6 nches long for the barrel ,a ninety and a shorter pipe with a cap for the handle.No one got hurt with these but the chance was there.

[Treetop]

Thanks for sharing the memories, don45! Tt.

[303Guy]

We had these 2inch long red firecrackers that we use to shoot marbles out of a pipe pistol that almost all the boys had.Consisted of a pipe about 6 nches long for the barrel ,a ninety and a shorter pipe with a cap for the handle.No one got hurt with these but the chance was there.We made long guns using those two inch red fire crackers. I once made shot by cutting roofing lead into little squares and shot some bird or other with it. I later shot a rat in a tree using course sand as shot. I recall we had to peel some of the card off to get them to fit into the water pipe we used. I later made a pistol using a pipe and a screw on end cap as a breach. I shot used AA batteries out of it. Memories. But in 1959 I was still in primary school watching the older boys making cracker guns.