Welp, I'm screwed. [Archive]

44Blam

10-17-2017, 01:22 AM

I cast my first boolits out of wheel weight alloy and linotype (4:1) and it was pretty fun... I got 58 good ones. They are 240 gn swc that I'm gonna load up with trail boss for my redhawk.
All I can think about is pouring more lead into my mold and what new molds I can buy...

206037

coloraydo

10-17-2017, 01:26 AM

Yep, you've gone and done it now. Turn back, before it's too late!:drinks:
Just kidding, welcome aboard.

runfiverun

10-17-2017, 01:27 AM

your done for.
I could write a list of what casting stuff I got and you could shoot for that, but 10 other guy's would just write a bigger one.

so i'll go with welcome to the site.

RobS

10-17-2017, 02:00 AM

It will only get worse from here.................life as you know it is over. Welcome to a new beginning! :-D

Grmps

10-17-2017, 02:31 AM

Beagle333

10-17-2017, 04:44 AM

Welcome to the addiction. Try to control yourself and remind yourself that you only need a couple of molds for each caliber. Learn different loads and applications for those and keep your head about you and you can afford and enjoy this greatly. Also, you don't need to collect enough lead to ballast an aircraft carrier. Figure out how much you are shooting and how much you are recovering and make a plan to cover only those needs.
:coffeecom

(didn't use any of this advice.
have about 200 molds and am still in new group buys.
have enough lead to make my subdivision lean to the East.
still buy molds for calibers I don't even own or really want.
have casting pots and molds still new-in-box and might never open them.) [smilie=1::wink:

CASTER OF LEAD

10-17-2017, 05:16 AM

First off , welcome to the forum and the addiction that has absorbed us all in here. Just remember we do this to save money. Lol yeah right.
As was stated in earlier posts, start with only a mold or two per caliber, and work with those to start. Work at learning all you can about those molds and loads to use with them. Sooner or later you will settle in on a few accurate loads for the mold. Then either branch off with a different mold ,or move onto a different caliber, or a new mold. May I suggest if your casting for multiple weapons in the same caliber select a mold that you can use for all said weapons. Example you may have a .44 levergun and a .44 pistol . One mold may work very well in both. Hope I helped you some.
Above all else be safe . When I doubt research, ask questions , and read ,read,read. Tons of knowledge to be had in here and most are more than willing to answer questions, or point you where to find the knowledge that you seek.
Once again welcome aboard.- CASTER

PbHurler

10-17-2017, 06:46 AM

For the love of God, don't go to the Group Buy threads!!!!!!!!!

:kidding:

Welcome aboard.

Finster101

10-17-2017, 06:56 AM

Resistance is futile.

Beerd

10-17-2017, 07:16 AM

Come on fellers, you trying to scare him off?
Welcome to the board 44Blam!

richhodg66

10-17-2017, 07:33 AM

Congratulations.

Nothing is more fun to a caster and tinkerer than a big bore revolver. A lot more forgiving than an auto loader and with that Red Hawk, you can really load her up, or you can make it into a big kitten for plinking all day long comfortably and accurately.

nagantguy

10-17-2017, 07:54 AM

This is more than a hobby ;.its part of a self reliance life style; you do for yourself with your own hands and tools ;solve problems do not experiments .become a better shooter.
This Thing Of Ours is also a identifier ;as in hello my name is....I'm a bullet caster

GhostHawk

10-17-2017, 08:43 AM

Welcome to the addiction!

Watch out for warning signs.

Like

Converting space into a casting/reloading area.
Selling other stuff, other hobby's for melting pots, molds, ladles, etc.
Buying a turkey fryer and big cast iron dutch oven so you can start smelting your own. Playing with alloys.
Melting down Pewter!

Your on the high road to hell buddy, enjoy the trip, your in good company.

WFO2

10-17-2017, 08:47 AM

Welcome to the board pretty new at this myself entering my second year casting .

brass410

10-17-2017, 08:55 AM

HA HA HA there's another one heh heh heh as you know misery loves company. welcome to the galena hoarders association. my names is (insert here) I have a problem......

lightman

10-17-2017, 09:48 AM

Welcome Aboard, and Welcome to the Casting Hobby! Good Job on your first attempt! Wheelweights often make good pistol bullets without adding anything to them. You might try them straight or with even less Linotype. Linotype and other type metals are getting harder to find and you could stretch what you have even further by going from 4 to 1 to maybe 10 to 1.

Don't let the Guys scare you off, although the hobby is addicting! You will find yourself looking out of the car window at intersections searching for that stray wheelwright. You will find yourself looking at piles of scrap hoping to find a piece of sheet lead. It don't matter how many tons you manage to stockpile, you never quit looking! When we travel for vacation I refer to it as "Virgin Territory"! I'll hop out at stop lights or exit ramps and "Rescue" that stray wheelwright, even though I'm probably sitting on 3 tons of lead. My Wife says I'm crazy! I have even got a few friends that pick them up for me!

bedbugbilly

10-17-2017, 11:39 AM

As someone who has been afflicted with this dreaded disorder for 55 years, I can only offer you four words - "THERE IS NO HOPE". :-)

Looks like you made some pretty nice looking boolits - congrats and now you can have the fun of shooting them and then making more! Good luck and enjoy!

Preacher Jim

10-17-2017, 11:48 AM

As someone who has been afflicted with this dreaded disorder for 55 years, I can only offer you four words - "THERE IS NO HOPE".
that is a true statement, but it sure is fun and satisfying to say I made it.

.45Cole

10-17-2017, 12:18 PM

Nothing better on a fall rainy day than casting boolits, fluxing with pine jointer shavings, and a good beer. +1 on the pencil hardness tester and cast em soft for low vel pistols (>~950fps)

FISH4BUGS

10-17-2017, 12:24 PM

DerekP Houston

10-17-2017, 12:47 PM

For the love of God, don't go to the Group Buy threads!!!!!!!!!

:kidding:

Welcome aboard.

I'll 2nd this advice lol, I tried to stay simple but I still have 6 molds just for my 38s...... welcome to the club, it's fun when the weathers cold! Nothing like a hot pot of lead to keep you warm ;).

daloper

10-17-2017, 01:21 PM

Welcome to the group. And another one is falling down the rabbit hole.

Tom W.

10-17-2017, 01:27 PM

Welcome to the darkside.......

Smoke4320

10-17-2017, 02:33 PM

you have be assimilated.. you will never look at a stop light the same again ( how many wheel weights can I find at THAT corner)

edler7

10-17-2017, 04:59 PM

Start saving coffee cans, cookie tins, plastic jars....anything that will hold 10+ pounds of boolits...and learn to build sturdy shelves !

Welcome aboard.

Rcmaveric

10-17-2017, 05:24 PM

Welcome aboard. So if this is madness, does that make our bullets the crazy pills? Would the obsession then be the cure or the cause?

William Yanda

10-17-2017, 06:57 PM

You didn't step over the edge of the slope, you jumped.

Harter66

10-17-2017, 10:21 PM

Welcome aboard . Now go lock up your CC , bank card and mad money .....

Really only 5 moulds for 38,357 ?
I must have about 6-7 for 45 ACP , Schofield , Colts which lead to 45 Raptor and 45-70 .

Don't start paper patch . Too soon you'll be buying moulds that will feed 2 calibers then of course you'll need a gun to use the unpatched bullet .....

Bzcraig

10-17-2017, 10:43 PM

Enjoy all the money you'll save!

Kosh75287

10-17-2017, 11:23 PM

All I can think about is pouring more lead into my mold and what new molds I can buy... Yup, I THOUGHT it was you I saw at them support meetings!

44Blam

10-18-2017, 12:20 AM

Thanks!
I loaded these guys up with 7 gn of TrailBoss. Gonna go see how they go Thursday. :)
Most of my shooting with that redhawk has been with jacketed rounds under 23-24gn of W296. I think it'll be a fun plinking session.

206092

44Blam

10-18-2017, 12:45 AM

Welcome to the madness. Nice job for your first cast.

this will help calculate hardness
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators&p=2883499&viewfull=1#post2883499

Testing hardness with pencils
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?75455-Testing-hardness-with-pencils
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?75455-Testing-hardness-with-pencils&p=3554910&viewfull=1#post3554910

there is a wealth of information here
http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

there is a large source of free load data here
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?337910-CB-load-data-online-sources

This is great information! I read the "From Ingot to Target" before I bought any casting stuff. It was actually one of the reasons why I've started. I love loading my own rounds and I really like the control that you get. I also REALLY like a full house magnum load and you simply cannot get that if you just buy ammo.

The mold I bought was from Accurate Molds and it is a four cavity mold and 2 of them are 240 gn swc and the other two are 240 gn swc with a gas check... I got 52 of those gc rounds in my first session, but I'm not quite ready to go there...

So far, I've made 110 boolits (58 / 52 gc) and probably threw back at least half of the ones I made but it was fun. I'm looking forward to casting more - maybe do just a 10lb session.... Ok - I can see how this gets expensive. ;) But cheap! I get to shoot more!

Lloyd Smale

10-18-2017, 05:06 AM

I can remember the first cast bullets I shot. I had a co worker who casted and he gave me 25 320 grain swcs for the 44 mag. I took them out with some of the hp jacketed stuff I had and was shooting at an old wood stove someone threw in the woods. The jackted stuff put a smear or the steal and the cast shot right through the far side of the stove. I was sold right there. The next day I ordered my first mold. that was about 35 years ago and I still get a bit of a thrill shooting a bullet I made myself.

44Blam

10-20-2017, 12:13 AM

I shot my first cast boolits today and I am hooked!

I loaded them with 7gn of Trail Boss, so they were little plinkers.

I showed my friend and when I told him I cast them he said "WHAT?!? You make this out of a chunk of lead? Can I come next time you do it?"

Now all I have to do is figure out how to load these suckers as full house magnum rounds!

Kaiser Mike

09-15-2018, 02:57 PM

227199

Welcome to the disease lol!

RED BEAR

09-20-2018, 08:14 AM

well caster of lead has it right thats why i got into casting. TO SAVE MONEY wife keeps asking where are the savings? i just tell her it will save money in the long run. i do feel kinda bad every time i say that.

rockrat

09-20-2018, 09:15 PM

I never used a gas check in my 44 super blackhawk, even with 21gr 296 and the lyman 429421 boolit. No leading

Welcome to the fire. Would tell you to run, but its too late:twisted:. I think the amount of moulds I have nowadays has grown by a factor of 10 since finding this site. Bunch of enablers here, I tell you, but you won't find a better bunch.

I got the bug casting lead soldiers when I was about 10. I can remember when I considered 200 lbs of ww ingots a huge stash, nowadays, a pittance.

Dieselhorses

09-20-2018, 09:38 PM

I don't think this subject will ever become "over rated"! Many of us didn't think we had it in us. Some didn't feel the need to surpass factory accuracy, and some really didn't see the "big picture". But now we do. As a carpentry instructor, I finally get to share all the knowledge I've learned from the 34 years as being a builder. As a reloader/caster I can share "some" or "some ideas" as I've only been at it for a few years. Honestly it's addictive to say the least. I try to remember to give God "a big thank you" because I have all my faculties to get the job done. We have the ability to think things out, make notes, hit our heads like "I could have had a V-8" and adapt to an attitude wherein those "mistakes" we make are actually "valuable lessons"! Lord knows my attitude in the past had a BHN of about 500! Anyway, sorry to rant on!