What a great time for casters

[Iwsbull]

I have to say that there has never been a better time for us. I ordered a mold from the comfort of my own home on Monday night and it was waiting for me at home this afternoon. It was in stock, but it made it all the way from Slovenia to Alabama that fast and it is gorgeous and being cycled as I write. Then you have Tom at accurate molds if you can think it up he will make it and have to your house in under a week most times. Great craftsmen putting out superb quality and more choices than we know what to do with. No doubt it is great to be enjoying our hobby at this time.

[murf205]

AND.....more different powders than anybody could try in a lifetime.

[Wally]

I always got the same feeling when I received a new Lee bullet mold...

[Iwsbull]

I agree any mold I get tickles me to death, I mentioned those two because of distance and speed I received the mold and the other because you are not limited to just a few choices and as soon as you decide on a totally custom design he whips it out and ships it and they are both master craftsmen.
I almost forgot to mention the new coatings also.

[Texas by God]

And SFRB’s hold a lot of bullets. Cheap shipping! Good times.

[Land Owner]

Same as it ever was.

Soon, and very soon, the dew dries off of the lily. The lifetime of a flower is brief, forming seeds to return to the Earth. Another Spring brings Hope Eternal.

All of these opportunities, investigations, variables, choices, and accumulations shift in focus over the course of time from red hot, gotta have it now, straight to the firing line, to a favored few, these make me happy, and in time to perhaps the one most comfortable, interspersed with a healthy heaping of LIFE. So much to do. So little time.

Evolution started at the very beginning. The time is now. It will never be the same. Seize the Day.

Ramblings from an Old Guy.

[StuBach]

Not gonna lie, whole reason I joined CB was to be able to get in on a group buy with Miha. Came for Miha, stayed for the knowledge and insight. His molds are works of art.

Now if I could just settle my dad on what 44 he likes best I would commission one from Tom to give his molds a try (on the list just haven’t found the right design to invest yet and I’m planning on going straight to iron cause I do love me some Iron molds).

[georgerkahn]

I have to say that there has never been a better time for us. I ordered a mold from the comfort of my own home on Monday night and it was waiting for me at home this afternoon. It was in stock, but it made it all the way from Slovenia to Alabama that fast and it is gorgeous and being cycled as I write. Then you have Tom at accurate molds if you can think it up he will make it and have to your house in under a week most times. Great craftsmen putting out superb quality and more choices than we know what to do with. No doubt it is great to be enjoying our hobby at this time.

I wish to add that what truly positively amazes me, while not mentioned, is the Internet which no doubt enable it all to happen! From a wonderful seller on the site I purchased a no-longer-made .45 Colt RCBS mould -- click (to buy), click (to pay), and a few days later it is in my mailbox. Bad news? I do not have a corresponding top punch, so a few more clicks to find one (hey -- I have lots of hot glue if unable to) -- and I have the choices of a global site (starting with Ama), three dedicated shooting houses, and an auction site. Spending less than five minutes to find several sellers of the RCBS #190 top punch -- the least expensive to me was on an auction site "buy it now" -- and, God willing, it will be here in just a few days.
In my most rural area, pretty much anything such as purveyed at, say, Wal*Mart, is at least a 72 miles drive! While, as stated, I can sip coffee while sitting in front of computer -- and the whole casting/reloading universe is but "clicks away"!
geo

[gwpercle]

The only down side is my free unlimited supplier of wheel weights retired from the Tire Business and his son went to college and became a Engineer instead of taking over his Dad's Tire shop.

On the upside is this site . I don't know any other person who cast or reloads any longer, they have all moved , died or no longer shoot cast & reload. I didn't have anyone to talk to for a long time...
Thanks to the internet and this PC ... now I do ! :lovebooli

Gary

[fredj338]

The only down side is my free unlimited supplier of wheel weights retired from the Tire Business and his son went to college and became a Engineer instead of taking over his Dad's Tire shop.

On the upside is this site . I don't know any other person who cast or reloads any longer, they have all moved , died or no longer shoot cast & reload. I didn't have anyone to talk to for a long time...
Thanks to the internet and this PC ... now I do ! :lovebooli

Gary
^^THIS^^
WHile we have greater access to quality, affordable molds, the free alloy we all used to get via WW is nearly gone, already gone in most states. I used to buy lino in 22.5# pigs for 25c/#. It was so cheap & so easy to cast with I didn't bother much with ww unless I just wanted to. Now much of my alloy is berm mining. So it's a good time, bad time sort of times.

[Winger Ed.]

[QUOTE=Land Owner;4 So little time. The time is now. It will never be the same. Seize the Day.
Ramblings from an Old Guy.[/QUOTE]

Well said. I try to never fall into that pit of 'Ya don't know how good something was---- until its gone'.

[dverna]

I suspect that in the next ten years there will be many great deals on casting and reloading stuff. I know more people downsizing or stopping than those starting.

I am one of those. Half the presses I used to have, half the guns, twice the components.

[StuBach]

I suspect that in the next ten years there will be many great deals on casting and reloading stuff. I know more people downsizing or stopping than those starting.

A very good point. Only reason I’m in this hobby now is cause when my grandpa died a few years back I insisted on his reloading equipment and supplies staying in family, no one else wanted so two trips from Michigan to Texas to pick up stuff and back I ended up with his casting stuff too curious to try to learn on my own, after almost tragic first attempt without help, I sought out instructions online but really wish I’d had this resource sooner than I did.

May I propose a challenge to any and all who read this: At some point in your enjoyment of this hobby (Casting), you need to enlighten and mentor at least two individuals so that they can continue the hobby safely. Be them children, friends, or strangers met on this forum. It is our duty to ensure the tricks and techniques we have learned from each other don’t get lost to time. The internet makes a great archive of data but nothing compares to someone mentoring you in person.

[Land Owner]

Three boys here, two of whom reload, one who casts. My next-door neighbor is my current Mentee who is just learning to reload. I will introduce him to casting in due time. My BIL and his son reload, his son casts. I introduced and mentored them.

Through luck, fate, or the alignment of planets, I was thoroughly mentored in reloading, hunting, and shooting opportunities. I learned about casting while sitting on the fence for a long-long time reading this site's threads, then went ALL IN, by myself, trial and error, with constant help from this site. I am STILL learning that what I know is a teeny-tiny part of the casting knowledge that is collected here. WHAT A RESOURCE IS CAST BOOLITS DOT COM, eh?!

As a personal choice, and in my nearly 40-year career as a Leader of Professional Engineers (now retired), mentoring new engineers was always my First Priority. Get them up and running. Pour into them the wisdom and lessons learned over a lifetime of prior experience as they start their careers. Steer them away from the Pitfalls. Help them grow in confidence. Invest in them and instill in them the good experience that was earned by me and others through past experience. Teach and Lead by example. Mentoring came easy for me. Perhaps it is this "Gift of Gab" passed on from my Mother's genes.

I have introduced, reconnected, and sponsored countless friends, friends of my children, fathers of friends of my children, grandfathers of friends of my children, nephews, nieces, work associates, work associate's spouses, to reloading, hunts, target practice, plinking shoots, and just plain shooting fun. Having LAND for this combined effort has been a HUGE part of giving back. I don't have much of it, but what I have is all I need and is well situated.

The trigger time in hunting and shooting we have collectively experienced through my years of land ownership is in part thanks to the over abundance of hogs - though at times they are awful. Sharing the hunting and shooting experience far and wide has been an easy street for me. The land and game provides opportunities too abundant for me to be greedy.

Mentoring in reloading and casting though is a "different animal". By offering opportunities on my land, I have connected with a lot of people - a lot. Relatively, few of them have had a "belly full of fire" or any continuing interest in reloading or casting. Sure, they like to hunt and shoot. Who doesn't?

Finding someone that is AWAKE to the possibilities of redefining their personal capabilities and increasing confidence in shooting through reloading and casting has not been fruitful. They have to WANT IT first. I cannot give that to someone who isn't interested.

This isn't a career choice - it's a hobby. This isn't a 9 to 5 job that has to be tolerated at worst and for some of us it is the best darn reason to wake up in the morning. In an oceanside/riverside world (Florida) full of opportunities to fill leisure time, there are many "advertised and mainstream" recreational activities and few grounded and fundamental activities.

In Florida, development has been pretty good at raping the land to "farm" tourists. The General Population has been turned away from the importance of and interest in heritage and Earth-based activities that are a part of the land. Perhaps the loss of a "rural presence" along the highly populated periphery of this state has precipitated these changed perceptions. That's a lot of "p's".

We do what we can...

[barnabus]

I wish to add that what truly positively amazes me, while not mentioned, is the Internet which no doubt enable it all to happen! From a wonderful seller on the site I purchased a no-longer-made .45 Colt RCBS mould -- click (to buy), click (to pay), and a few days later it is in my mailbox. Bad news? I do not have a corresponding top punch, so a few more clicks to find one (hey -- I have lots of hot glue if unable to) -- and I have the choices of a global site (starting with Ama), three dedicated shooting houses, and an auction site. Spending less than five minutes to find several sellers of the RCBS #190 top punch -- the least expensive to me was on an auction site "buy it now" -- and, God willing, it will be here in just a few days.
In my most rural area, pretty much anything such as purveyed at, say, Wal*Mart, is at least a 72 miles drive! While, as stated, I can sip coffee while sitting in front of computer -- and the whole casting/reloading universe is but "clicks away"!
geo

you can thank Al Gore for the internet....

[Thumbcocker]

Miss free wheel weights though.

[Leoparddog]

Yes, it really is amazing of the resources we have available to us now. I haven't bought a mold from Miha yet but have been looking seriously. Not sure about brass molds which many of his are. One area I find a gap though is with round ball molds. I got started in casting for my flintlock .54 cal rifle. Lee .530 RB molds, or both of mine, throw .532" balls. For accuracy and easy loading I need about .527 or .528. I finally found an old used .527 single mold that works. I spent numerous hours searching the net for a mold maker who could make a 2 or 3 gang .528" RB mold.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Never could have done it without you fella's! Would have given up.

I think coatings are the next horizon. It'll be interesting to see where we are with them in 10-20 years...