casting season is upon us

[farmbif]

finally the heat of summer is about to break, rain and nights in the 40's are forecast for the weekend here on the edge of the smokies.
for me this is great news I hate to melt lead and cast bullets when sweat is dripping off my brow and It seems I can't stop leaking.
although I took a bit of a dive this summer with some 45 colt, 357 mag and 35 rem casting and loading
I try to make goals, one is to work up 35 whelen loads with 35-250. am I just one of a few that does most of my casting in the cooler fall weather.

[lightman]

Its still hot here although its cooling down and the days are getting shorter. I do most of my casting in the Winter after hunting season closes. Pretty often I have a couple of buddies that come over and we cast together. Two of them leave their casting gear here, everything except their molds. Maybe once a week until it gets hot.

[Mal Paso]

It was in the high 90s here until the last few days, woke up to fog today. I'm out of 125g HPs so I may cast a few today.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

90º and windy as all heck yesterday in Minnesota.
suppose to be another 90º on Sunday.

[gwpercle]

Casting and Football Season ...
...Who Can Ask For Anything More :Luvcastboolits:
Geaux LSU Tigers !
Gary

[Kraschenbirn]

Doesn't look like I'll be doing much casting this winter. Finished powder-coating my most recent batch of RCBS 30-165SIL a couple days ago and, boxing them for storage, was reminded that I've got a lot more boolits on hand than primers. Oh well, I've got a few project that I've been putting off...a #5 RB to complete, an M700 that should be back from JES, in a few weeks, a 70's -vintage Marlin 1894 that needs some work...so I'll keep myself busy.

Bill

[David2011]

On the Gulf Coast. We might see 40s by Christmas; January for sure.

[Handloader109]

Casting and Football Season ...
...Who Can Ask For Anything More :Luvcastboolits:
Geaux LSU Tigers !
Gary

Where you want them to Geaux?
:kidding:
MSU Bulldog here....

[GregLaROCHE]

For me, Fall and Spring are the best times to cast. When I cast in the Winter, my feet always get cold, because I am sitting and not moving around much. Melting scrap to make ingots during winter definitely uses more propane.

[Froogal]

Due to the primer shortage, I have not been shooting very much. I think my casting equipment will just set on the shelf for this winter.

[ACC]

It will be a while before I can cast here in South Texas. Unless the Yankees come down here and tell us Texicans what we can and can't do.

[Finster101]

On the Gulf Coast. We might see 40s by Christmas; January for sure.

Gonna be a while for for me too. low 90's every day. maybe by Nov. or Dec. it will cool off enough in the evenings.

[jimlj]

Mid 70’s here today. I just shut off my Lee pot 10 minutes ago. I like fall and spring casting.

[MUSTANG]

I need to cast a bunch this fall - winter. The wife wanted me to clean out one of the 20 foot storage containers out back - and danggggg. Found thousands and thousands of pieces of brass I had forgotten about (9mm, 38spcl, 357, 41 mag, 44 spill, 44mag, .223, 7mm, 30-30, 308, 30-06, 30-40, 300 win mag, 8mm, 50BMG and who knows what else is hiding in the boxes/ammo cans underneath.

Yep; got to cast a BUNCH this fall and winter. Only have a dozen or so Large Flat Rate boxes full lead - have to consider if I need more of that too. Yep; need to buy more primers or improve my "Primer Rebuild Skills".

[Bullet Caster]

Well, I dunno. I've already got plenty of boolits in multiple calibers. I really enjoy casting in the fall here in eastern TN. I need to shoot up some LP primer .45 acp so I can trade them off for SP brass. I'm in the process of changing all my .45 acp from LP to SP primer brass. Since I reload 9mm also it will benefit me to have all my pistol brass in SP primer configuration. That way when I buy SP primers I'll be buying for both calibers. Only large (LP) primers needed would be for .45 Colt. Everything else is LR primers. Once I get the LP primer brass shot up, anyone wanna trade 1 for 1, SP for LP? Bullet Caster

[GL49]

:twisted:
Where you want them to Geaux?
:kidding:
MSU Bulldog here....

Anywhere except UCLA :twisted:

Sorry about that. Couldn't resist. When the Ducks lose, feel free to bash them. :grin:

[Thin Man]

Yesterday was my day to start the Fall casting sessions. Some time ago I bought a Lyman mold #429625 which is a 2-piece assembly - one mold for the base and another for the nose. The base casts are intended to be dropped with a harder lead to allow higher velocity and the noses with softer lead to allow expansion. Glue a nose cast into a base cast and all is well. However, the seller had only the base mold (the nose mold had been "misplaced") for sale. Not to worry, I will be experimenting with only the base section as a "yawning" HP pattern weighing 175 grains, similar to the weight range of the 180 grain Lyman #429348 WC mold (another of my favorites). Looking forward to group sizes and expansion results.

[Wayne Smith]

Since I still have a 10lb lifting limit I won't be casting this fall. Still can't bend either, which vastly limits what I can do. My surgeon told me one thing that made me sit up and take notice. "Wayne", he said, "If you don't follow my instructions you can literally bend the metal I put in your back." I had never heard that before. Yes, I'm taking it careful.

[FISH4BUGS]

Cooling off here in NH, and I am getting ready to do a smelting session.
I have two sorted FULL 5 gallon buckets to do. That should last me for the winter season and then some.
I did some trading here and wiped out my ingots, so I need to be prepared for winter casting/reloading.

[Finster101]

Wayne I can sympathize with your position, though I only had that for three months it seemed forever. Listen to the Doc. Fortunately there are some good commercially cast boolits available from some venders on the site here. you just have to get someone bring them in when delivered and put them next to the press for you when your ready. A box of 2000 147gr 9mm is WAY OVER your limit right now. Stay healthy.

[Mal Paso]

I ran 2 pots worth of 359-125 HPs yesterday, it was in the 70s here. That was all my left arm was good for with the 4 cavity brass mold but they were 25lb pots. I'm going to have to start exercising in the off season now.

[reloader28]

January to April for me. I dont need much this year but I might add a few to a couple calibers.

[Murphy]

I honestly don't think I've ever cast based on what time of the year it was. Either I need to cast some, or I don't. I guess it varies for a lot of us and what region of the country we live in. I'm not that far geographically located from Lightman over in Arkansas. Heat & humidity can make it mighty rough if you're in an un-airconditioned shop. I use the spring and fall when the temps are in the 70's to render WW's into ingots. When I cast, I tend to cast 3 pound coffee cans full of whatever it is I'm casting. The one exception at this time is the little NOE copy of Lyman's #356242 for my 380 Auto. I'm pretty sure a 3 pound coffee can of those would last a mighty good while. I seldom cast, size and lube then store my bullets. I leave them as cast until needed.

My casting sessions may be several hours long, or until I'm worn out. Why make it a job rather than an pleasurable extension of my shooting hobby? I've a great little shop, a good sound system and never in a hurry. One of the benefits of being retired :)


Murphy

[Finster101]

Murphy I'm like you I enjoy it, just not when it's 93* with 80% humidity or better. I have a nice pole barn with internet and good tunes. I like to be outside most of the time and the barn allows me to do that. I also like to stand when I cast so I have built a taller work bench that puts things at the level I like. I try to cast more than I will use so I just have them on hand when I want them and not forced to cast because I need them. I then powder coat and size to have them ready to go. They won't spoil. So when it cools off I can cast and watch the cows, horses and birds all at the same time. How could you not like that?

[Wayne Smith]

Wayne I can sympathize with your position, though I only had that for three months it seemed forever. Listen to the Doc. Fortunately there are some good commercially cast boolits available from some venders on the site here. you just have to get someone bring them in when delivered and put them next to the press for you when your ready. A box of 2000 147gr 9mm is WAY OVER your limit right now. Stay healthy.

Oh, yeah, WAY over! Since the range is a 50 minute drive and I'm limited to how long I can stay in the car - not a lot of shooting going on either. I have plenty if ammo already made up. That's not a problem - and some brass to load as well.

[Petander]

Winter is good for casting.

I didn't shoot much at all this summer... I figured I better concentrate on motorbikes while I still can @ 58 years, a-fib , stent etc. I'll shoot and cast all winter again.

Trying not to buy more molds but there is this 20 gauge slug mold that keeps calling my name.

[JoeJames]

I've been keeping my eye on the weather. Looks to be in the mid 70's for a few days anyhow. Due to the temps so far just barely been able to dip into the 6 gallon bucket of wheel weights I was given a few weeks ago. 23 pounds smelted into 1 pound ingots.

[Texas by God]

It was 101 degrees here yesterday so I melted a pot full of poached lead eggs.
I'll cast when it cools down which is starting to happen thankfully.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[memtb]

For myself.....not until hunting season is over. However, I “was” multi-tasking.....melting wheel weights and pouring ingots in the pole barn, while I was doing other outside home chores! I got a lot of those much needed steps in preparation for hunting/packing!

As an addendum: we had a low of 32 F here yesterday morning..... wow was it nice! memtb