Is it just me hopefully I'm not the only one

[Mwilson0173]

Any of you get on here and read the awesome posts and then think darn i gotta do that? Like trying to have a mold for every caliber you own? Or see something that worked great for another and hope it works for you the same or even better. I haven't been a member long but I can already tell I'm gonna need a second job lol hope everyone has a great weekend.

[dverna]

I am a believer in the KISS principle. Nobody "needs" dozens of calibers and three or four bullets for each one. If that is what turns your crank, have lots of money to "invest"

The other "rule" is the 80-20 rule. It will be applicable to most things in life.

I am selling a few molds that I got when I was in your current state of mind.

Casting can be a hobby in itself and the nice aspect is that molds last a lifetime and most will retain a lot of value if you do not abuse them. If that is what you want to do, go for it.

For a few of us, it is drudgery and a means to an end....that end being primarily shooting more inexpensively. The other "end" is self reliance so we will remain armed if the SHTF, or when the government inflicts controls on our rights...and they will.

It is a big tent. You can keep casting affordable, go crazy with fulfilling "wants", or collect stuff for the sake of having it.

[BJK]

Yeah, I started to think that Mw'. But there are only so many hours in the day to cast and just so many calibers that I actually shoot alot of. So the thought of I need, this, this, this, this, and also this and... well you get the idea, has mostly passed. Now I try to get bullets that will work in a few firearms (as I started out) and if I get to the others OK. If not I probably won't miss them. If I wasn't as old as I am I could get to them, but at my age and the state of the nation, I'm doing what I can for my most used cartridges.

[gwpercle]

Any of you get on here and read the awesome posts and then think darn i gotta do that? Like trying to have a mold for every caliber you own? Or see something that worked great for another and hope it works for you the same or even better. I haven't been a member long but I can already tell I'm gonna need a second job lol hope everyone has a great weekend.

Welcome to the Addiction !
And no , you aren't the only one !

You will soon understand why we say ... welcome to the addiction ...
This hobby is ...sorta habit forming and the forum inspires us to greater things !

Gary :lovebooli
Addicted since 1967

[762sultan]

I have over 60 molds.. all NOE, Mihec, Arsenal, Accurate . Includes both rifle and pistol over 7 calibers. More than I need and more than I can utilize. I should downsize the collection and buy a new gun or two. Only problem is that I am 72 and have all the guns I want or need.

[dverna]

I have over 60 molds.. all NOE, Mihec, Arsenal, Accurate . Includes both rifle and pistol over 7 calibers. More than I need and more than I can utilize. I should downsize the collection and buy a new gun or two. Only problem is that I am 72 and have all the guns I want or need.

Sell them NOW when people are paying stupid prices and buy primers, powder and .22 LRs when this panic ends. Even if you do not need anymore components/ammo you will make a tidy profit during the next panic.

My "Shooting IRA" has been outperforming my IRA for many years.

[country gent]

Start slow and work with one mould and purchased alloy. Learn and experiment then start adding moulds. You will get better and better results and gain confidence, then as you add moulds things go a lot easier. Start with a caliber weight you use a lot as you get more use from it.

The same with reloading start with your most popular round and learn then add dies and equipment as you go. There are some excellent "starter " kits available that have all you need to start less a bench to mount them on

[richhodg66]

Well, I like guns, and I like reloading tools and a lot of other things that go with them. I may never really get around to some of them, but I enjoy playing around with all this stuff and I can afford it so why not?

If I ever move again, there will be some pretty serious downsizing, though.

I don't sit around fantasizing about a SHTF scenario, if the situation gets worse than what I can handle with a lever gun and pump 12 gauge, I guess I'm screwed, but I don't want to live in a world like that anyway so there it is. Won't be buying a bunch of ARs and stock piling ammunition for them against that possibility. If ARs are your thing, more power to you, I just find them boring in the extreme.

I'm still a few years out from being able to retire completely, but getting close enough that I can begin to smell it. One of the problems people talk about is being bored in retirement, I don't think I'll have that problem.

[Rcmaveric]

While i do cast for every caliber. Its fun hobby and labor of love. I just tinker until i find what works for me. The only caliber that took more than first mold to find a bullet that worked was my 260 Rem.

Experimenting us fun. Its cool to try new things. Money can be an issue. But once you find what works write it down.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[Good Cheer]

Got my first molds in the 70's to feed my Security Six rabbit hunting habit. Started rolling with papers for rifles and and then it happened; I was hooked and started wildcatting for cast. It's been downhill ever since.
Buddy, can you spare a pound of lead?

[Mk42gunner]

Well, I like guns, and I like reloading tools and a lot of other things that go with them. I may never really get around to some of them, but I enjoy playing around with all this stuff and I can afford it so why not?

If I ever move again, there will be some pretty serious downsizing, though.

I don't sit around fantasizing about a SHTF scenario, if the situation gets worse than what I can handle with a lever gun and pump 12 gauge, I guess I'm screwed, but I don't want to live in a world like that anyway so there it is. Won't be buying a bunch of ARs and stock piling ammunition for them against that possibility. If ARs are your thing, more power to you, I just find them boring in the extreme.

I'm still a few years out from being able to retire completely, but getting close enough that I can begin to smell it. One of the problems people talk about is being bored in retirement, I don't think I'll have that problem.
Those people must not own anything. I have so many projects going that I cannot do them all...

I am seriously considering getting a job, not for more money (which would be nice), but so I can rest.

Robert

[MrWolf]

Those people must not own anything. I have so many projects going that I cannot do them all...

I am seriously considering getting a job, not for more money (which would be nice), but so I can rest.

Robert

Bingo. Being on a disability retirement does limit what I can do and for how long but I have years worth of projects that need to be done. I basically backed off on my reloading and such for now to get caught up some. Been using up my reloaded ammo to keep my sanity. Keep saying next year will be 50% work around here and 50% play - yea, right.

[almar]

I am a believer in the KISS principle. Nobody "needs" dozens of calibers and three or four bullets for each one. If that is what turns your crank, have lots of money to "invest"

The other "rule" is the 80-20 rule. It will be applicable to most things in life.

I am selling a few molds that I got when I was in your current state of mind.

Casting can be a hobby in itself and the nice aspect is that molds last a lifetime and most will retain a lot of value if you do not abuse them. If that is what you want to do, go for it.

For a few of us, it is drudgery and a means to an end....that end being primarily shooting more inexpensively. The other "end" is self reliance so we will remain armed if the SHTF, or when the government inflicts controls on our rights...and they will.

It is a big tent. You can keep casting affordable, go crazy with fulfilling "wants", or collect stuff for the sake of having it.

I like this advice because it rings true to me although i don't think anyone taken with passion can follow it. Its more like what it finally boils down to after a life of experience. I am no stranger to the frivolous spending caused by "needs" to get the latest "new shiny thing". You end up with a ton of stuff collecting dust that you got bored with almost immediately after purchasing it, and on to the next thing. I now give myself a month of wait time before pulling the trigger on another big purchase, or at least I try to. There I another person I know who spends like mad on anything firearm or tactical related, he earns a six figure salary but his house has no furniture, he spends it all on firearms and accessories from the latest and greatest suppressor and HK's to 1000$ ear pro. You can argue that's its an investment all you want but it is somewhat imbalanced. Seeing this imbalance in someone else made me think a bit.

[Triggerfinger]

I guess it's several thing for me. One, I like to try different bullets in my guns. That's probably the biggest draw. Two, I like to have the ability to load my guns if anything does happen. Three, they are an investment not only for me, but to hand down to my daughter and my three grandsons.
Finally, if I hadn't lived in a world and time that made sense in comparison to today I probably would be less inclined to prepare for times to get worse.

[Cast10]

Yes!

I was told/read early on “Read and Search all you can.”
I DID.

I asked a few questions along the way, but really tried to ‘dig in’ and learn all I could. When it came time to melt my wheel weights into ingots, I was nervously SCARED.
ALL WENT WELL.

When it came time to arrive at the correct alloy to attempt my first boolits……
I DID.

When it came time to cast my first boolits, 10mm, I was very SCARED. What if I mess up? What if I can’t fill out the mold properly, what if my pot won’t hold a true temp, What IF?
All went JUST AS THE GOOD FOLKS HERE TOLD ME!

READ, STUDY, AND THEN ASK, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN.

So glad I did, and can tell you I made a very good friend along the way!

This so called Rabbit Hole, is one of intrigue, one of many questions, one of failures, and one of accomplishments.
LEARNING, DESIRE, SATISFACTION

I’m still pretty new, too. I love it!

[Mk42gunner]

To actually answer the first question, I think we as modern boolit casters tend to make it more complicated than it needs to be. The simple fact is that lead alloys have been cast into projectiles since Roman times (Shot for the Sling) by people casting over coals from a wood fire.

Do the electric (or gas) casting pots make it easier? I will say yes.

Does everyone need to have ninety three molds for eleven different calibers? Not really. If they want to that's fine, but not really needed.

Same with a thermometer, hotplate, or a PID. Helpful, but not absolutely necessary.

I don't hunt much anymore, and I'm not into any of the competition games, so I mainly plink or punch holes in paper. I don't need to try five different boolits for each rifle I own, although sometimes it is nice to have an option.

Truth is I'm mostly a one gun, one load type of shooter. Once I find the load that works for me, I pretty much quit looking for the next tenth of an inch.

Robert

[358429]

Any of you get on here and read the awesome posts and then think darn i gotta do that? Like trying to have a mold for every caliber you own? Or see something that worked great for another and hope it works for you the same or even better. I haven't been a member long but I can already tell I'm gonna need a second job lol hope everyone has a great weekend.[emoji3] hello welcome

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[lightman]

Try to remember that most of us have been in the game for years. We didn't buy all of our stuff at once. At least I didn't! :-(

[Mwilson0173]

Welcome to the Addiction !
And no , you aren't the only one !

You will soon understand why we say ... welcome to the addiction ...
This hobby is ...sorta habit forming and the forum inspires us to greater things !

Gary :lovebooli
Addicted since 1967

Yes sir it has become addictive. Especially when I read a post like the pill bottle glued to the Frankfort arsenal deprimer and I'm thinking man that is a great ideal. So when I deprime my next batch guess what I'm gonna have to try it. The knowledge here is just outstanding. I dont have enough good words in my vocabulary to express it lol.

[GregLaROCHE]

Casting is one of my favorite things to do. More than a mould for each caliber, I have several. I even buy moulds for calibers I don’t shoot, so I can make boolits for my friends. There are a lot of other things to spend my money on, but I choose to spend it on guns, casting and reloading, rather than other things. We all have choices to make.

[GhostHawk]

Back in 2014 I started here. Was shooting (and casting, reloading) for the first time in 20 years.

I invested in a pair of Mosin's, an SKS, then caught the single shot Handi Rifle H&R/NEF bug.

Advice

A don't try to do it all at once. Take your time, enjoy the journey!

B Read, read, and read some more. IMO this place is the equivlent of a Masters Degree in casting, reloading.
But it is up to you. Pace yourself. If you find yourself wondering what to read next, read the stickies!

C Then one step at a time start putting that new knowledge to work. Carefully, cautiously, referring back here when necessary.

D Don't RUSH it.

E Each new caliber will teach you something, if you let it.

[JimB..]

It’s like any hobby, build the tool collection slowly to avoid wasteful spending. Except for group buys, jump on those ASAP!

[Petander]

Any of you get on here and read the awesome posts and then think darn i gotta do that? Like trying to have a mold for every caliber you own? Or see something that worked great for another and hope it works for you the same or even better. I haven't been a member long but I can already tell I'm gonna need a second job lol hope everyone has a great weekend.

That would be me.

Welcome to the addiction. I do much of this "just because I still can", leaving more rational thinking to other parts of life.

[sharps4590]

Firearms, and especially those chambered in unusual, uncommon and/or obsolete cartridges, are a hobby of mine. Once I get the current one figured out I'm on the lookout for the next. Consequently I have a lot of molds in a lot of different calibers and weights. To be redundant, it's a hobby of mine and I've never finished a hobby. Are they "needed", no. However, I enjoy working with them immensely and enjoy the education derived from working with them.

I bet there isn't a person here who only has precisely what they need. A Volkswagen Beetle will get you from place to place as will other cars....so no one needs an SUV or luxury or semi-luxury car or a factory hot Camaro, Challenger or Mustang. A used pick-up will haul a 4 X 8 sheet of plywood so a $60,000, 4 door, loaded pick-up isn't needed either. Those 4 door sided by sides aren't "needed" either as more economical means are available.

Point being, if you can afford it and enjoy it, since when did need have anything to do with it? I don't "need" three vintage MG's and one vintage Morris Minor but I enjoy them all immensely, as well as the firearms.