do you enjoy casting?

[troy_mclure]

do you enjoy casting?

or is it just a means to an end?


i enjoy casting, much more than reloading.

reloading is ok, except for brass prep, which i hate.

i just like playing with 500f + molten metals i guess.

[Ole]

I enjoy the experimenting factor of it.

I also greatly appreciate making something useful with my hands from what most would consider junk.

[jimb16]

It depends on how long the casting session is and whether or not I run into problems. What I really enjoy is see the results of the effort I put into the final product. I also tie flys and get the same enjoyment out of catching fish on those flys.

[Casting Timmy]

Some days the reloading and casting are more fun that shooting for me. It's nice to build something wiht your hands.

Don't get me wrong, shooting is still fun....but reloading and casting you don't find the wind so much. Haha

[Bert2368]

I've spent more time casting than shooting and reloading the last month- I tell myself I'm just getting everything cast ahead that I'll need for the year...

I think I have a new addiction.

[frankenfab]

Yes!!

[Goatlips]

When I'm casting, I feel like I'm minting money. [smilie=w:

Goatlips

[bohokii]

if magically all my lead ingots were transformed into bullets i would not be sad in the least

[captaint]

Shootin cast boolits wouldn't be HALF as much fun if I couldn't make my own!!!. It is very similar, in that respect, to tying flies and catching trout on them... enjoy Mike

[RU shooter]

Yep I enjoy it ! Its the transformation of something from nothing so to speak! Its also my "thinking " time when I can relax and just think about making a nice bullet and nothing else.

[captain-03]

if magically all my lead ingots were transformed into bullets i would not be sad in the least


+1!!!!

[Frank46]

I look at it as a form of stress relief, scrounging the wily wheel weight, smelting them down into ingots, then into boolits and finally shooting them. Yep works for me.
Frank

[R.C. Hatter]

:coffeecom I enjoy casting and reloading as well. There is a great sense of satisfaction in creating something useful with your own two hands. I never looked at either one as a chore to be dreaded. There are always problems to be solved, and experiments to be made and learned from. These are the core activities of our hobby, and without them, little shooting would be done.

[BarryinIN]

It's fun for a while, then it can get a little old.
Then in the winter when it's too cold and I haven't done it in a while, I want to get started again.

It's lube-sizing I've yet to enjoy.

Usually how fun casting is depends on how things are going.
If I'm having trouble finding a new mould's ideal casting temp, bullets are sticking in another mould, I keep knocking ingots over, and sweat keeps getting in my eyes, it is lacking some fun.
If everything is clicking and I'm using a mould I have used before and know what it wants, I'm not getting interrupted, and bullets are piling up- I want to keep going and going.
There should be a guide in the Farmer's Almanac for good casting days and bad casting days. Maybe I should keep a watch going to see if it coincides with anything else. "Plant pole beans, castrate bulls, and cast bullets on the following days this month...".

[Blammer]

sometimes I like casting, sometimes it a chore, especially when I'm out of my hunting load and no boolits either and it's 7 days till the season starts. Then it's a chore. (I gotta stop shooting so much or at least save a few rounds for the start of the season.)

[sagacious]

do you enjoy casting?

or is it just a means to an end?

i enjoy casting, much more than reloading.
Many folks enjoy casting because one can immediately see the fruits of one's labor. There it is: a pile of shiny bullets where before there were none.


reloading is ok, except for brass prep, which i hate.
Many people dislike brass prep because you cannot see the fruits of your labor. After the prep work you still have the same pile of brass.

The trick to enjoying every aspect of this passion for shooting, is to be able to make the realization that turning ingots into bullets is exactly the same value-added process as turning raw fired brass into finished/prepped brass.

Whenever you're working for yourself, especially on a cherished pursuit-- enjoy it. Beats the tar out of working for someone else.

Anyway, that's how I see it. Keep on keepin on. :drinks:

[ghh3rd]

When someone asks if my ammo is reloads, I find myself saying (bragging) that those nice shiney boolits used to be old wheel weights that I stuffed into some old brass that I cleaned up :-)

[That'll Do]

I enjoy casting–I get great satisfaction creating my ammo from the bottom up.

[mooman76]

I don't enjoy it as much as I used to but still do at times. When things are going good mostly.

[Valley Forge]

I get a kick out of "recycling" old wheelweights into shiny bullets and the marrying of science and craftsmanship in both casting and reloading. There's a real satisfaction to a tight group knowing you were involved from the get-go.

[hammerhead357]

I look at as therapy (sp) it does me good to get out and cast boolits. I can forget about everything that is going on in the world around me and think about just making good boolits....Wes

[Lead Fred]

do you enjoy casting?

i just like playing with 500f + molten metals .

Get out of that girlie temp

800f will not frost yer cookies

The only thing more fun is recycling them out the end of the barrel, one at a time

[Daddyfixit]

Dare I say somrtimes I enjoy casting & reloading more....maybe more than sometimes!

[BrianB]

The way I look at it, its a lot cheaper than a therapist.

[stubshaft]

I find casting a relaxing pastime. I much prefer it to reloading but I gotta make use of the boolits I make.

[armyrat1970]

I started handloading for one single purpose. When, if, I ever get a chance to retire, I can still shoot at an economic rate. And have a hobby I can enjoy. I love to shoot and really wanted to develop my own cartridges for my given weapons.
I started casting for much the same reason. Only in one caliber, the 8MM, because I knew the surplus was going to run out and I could at least make cheaper boolits for it. I now handload and cast because of the political and economic situation, and never know when or how I may have the money to buy the things I need to shoot, or for other reasons. That is why I have started casting for the 45ACP, 38/357 and 30Carbine also.
I enjoy both handloading and casting, although there are times when I almost pull my hair out. But it was like that when I used to play golf many years back also.
But golf is just a game. The art of casting and handloading is something that may one day help you to survive.

[DLCTEX]

I gave up glolf when I moved here 20 years ago, fishing holes are scarce so I don't do much of that anymore. Gave up wine and women long ago. Quit smoking and chewing when I gave up drinking. Do very little gardening now. Casting, reloading, and shooting are the only things keeping me from going nuts, and yes, I enjoy casting.

[steg]

I sometimes think that I enjoy casting more than shooting, unless it's a shooting session with my Son, and their isn't any way we could afford to have the great sessions we have using Tailor mades, anyone remember that phrase? It referred to factory made cigarettes instead of roll your owns, which I still do......................steg

[parson48]

I enjoy it. I usually cast in short sessions, rarely more than 100 boolits at a time. If I lived closer to a range I'd cast more, but the short sessions keep it fun.

Same with reloading, 100 or so. I rarely switch loads or calibers in a session.

[mpmarty]

I'm retired. I thought before retiring that I'd have lots of time to cast and reload. Wrong! I can't imagine where I found the time to work before. Having my own firing range with plates and target stands I manage to avoid accumulating much ammo. Casting is the best part of the hobby IMHO.

[fredj338]

I look at as therapy (sp) it does me good to get out and cast boolits. I can forget about everything that is going on in the world around me and think about just making good boolits....Wes
Yeah, me too. Reloading requires pretty diligent attention. Bullet casting not so much. I enjoy taking scrap lead & making shiney, useful bullets. The ultimate recycling program.

[20nickels]

I'll admit I've caught a bit of the green thumb of it. But by and large it was done to ease my pistol shooting budget. I don't get too picky about the boolits, I cast as fast as possible and shoot 'em all.

[Shiloh]

I Love It!!

Nothing like a mountain of quality boolits to show for your effort.
I've been striving to keep things simple and yet get good rresults.

Shiloh

[AZ-Stew]

Do I like casting?

Does Howdy Doody have wooden legs?

Regards,

Stew

[osage]

I like casting as I try not to make a big production out of it. Plus I get to slide rejects back in the pot. Unlike some other projects.

[Recluse]

:coffeecom I enjoy casting and reloading as well. There is a great sense of satisfaction in creating something useful with your own two hands. I never looked at either one as a chore to be dreaded. There are always problems to be solved, and experiments to be made and learned from. These are the core activities of our hobby, and without them, little shooting would be done.

We probably share a chromosome somewhere down the ancestral line.

I enjoy casting and reloading more than I do shooting.

:coffee:

[chris in va]

Despite my bare-bones setup, I enjoy casting more than reloading sometimes. Wish I had a few hundred pounds to melt down.

[dragonrider]

I like reloading more than I like casting, but if I can't cast for a particular caliber, I won't shoot it. That is until I get into swaging, hopefully soon.

[BPCR Bill]

I enjoy the whole spectrum of it. Reloading as well as casting. When you can pour perfect boolits, prepare cases just right, and when you do well in matches, (if not win 'em on occasion) it's just satisfying. Pouring and shooting that perfect boolit is alot more rewarding than going out and buying someone elses product, and you get to take the credit.

Regards,
Bill

[Cherokee]

I started reloading and later casting to keep the cost of shooting down. I enjoy it all !!

[462]

I enjoy it all...smelting, sizing and lubing, case prep, loading, shooting.

[mold maker]

The only thing I dislike about casting is the fact that I have to go scrounge more lead. Even that challenge can be fun.

[Firebricker]

I enjoy casting a lot but still like reloading a little more especially when using my cast boolits. FB

[Elkins45]

I enjoy it. I like making things that weren't there before. I spent most of the day today (I'm on vacation) making lube, casting boolits and loading up some .38's.

I really enjoy the experimentation factor of it all. I'm not a big fan of case prep, I must say, but I enjoy all the rest.

[qajaq59]

I do enjoy it and I rarely turn it into hard work. I just wander out to the shop every so often and cast about 4 lbs of .30 or .50 cal and then quit. It's a good excuse to just sit and relax. And if I do it often enough I always have plenty around to load.

[Whistler]

I've come to enjoy it more and more, though I'm still pretty new at it. A good session for me usually ends in 800-1200 boolits. I've had some long runners over the Easter holiday where I cast no less than 1500 per session, that was a good weekend! :)

The only problem with volume casting is that it usually stems from volume shooting; I shot about 200 cartridges on yesterday's practice and a weekend of competition usually runs about 500-800 shots. Then I start to think about what that would cost with bought ammo. I usually cringe a bit, then go out to heat up my casting pot again. :D

[Bob J]

:coffeecom I enjoy casting and reloading as well. There is a great sense of satisfaction in creating something useful with your own two hands. I never looked at either one as a chore to be dreaded. There are always problems to be solved, and experiments to be made and learned from. These are the core activities of our hobby, and without them, little shooting would be done.

Well said my friend..... Exactly the way I see it as well.....:)

[timkelley]

Yes I do.

[testhop]

it is a great way to relax . it takes your mind off your problums

[John Guedry]

A good way to forget your troubles.

[DMCasts]

I feel as if back in a Civil War era supporting a great country. Reliving the historic cause.

[outdoorfan]

Do I enjoy casting? Yes, for the most part. Reloading? NO!!! Reloading for me is a means to an end. But then again, I don't have a quality (or any at all) progressive press, either.

[gray wolf]

I have had many things pass through my life in the last 68 years--some last for a short time but serve there intended need while I have done them.
I have been shooting and re-loading for over 45 years and I always seem to have that INTENDED need, so I have never gotten tired of it.
I love to gather up all my little casting things and set my little area up on the deck, or go out next to the shed and smelt my metal. It's me and my metal Eh.
Get my mold all set up--lube the pins, scrub the inside, warm up the pot and sit there in my own space for a few hours with nothing on my mind but casting bullets, OR shooting and I don't mind reloading.
Yes I love the time I spend --I love it as much now as I did years ago.
At my age there is enough time for the sore hands and hurting back.
Now if I have some down time I can sit and think of all the wonderful people I have met on this forum. People that I will perhaps never get to see face to face.
I am going to try and cast today if the air temp. gets above 50*
I will cast one for me and one for you all.
Thank you for turning what I thought was a great thing to do into a really GREAT thing to do.

SAm

[WILCO]

do you enjoy casting?

or is it just a means to an end?

I love casting boolits! Just the thought of turning range scrap lead into something useful again is so rewarding. When I've done my part and the end result is a shimering silvery cast boolit with crisp, sharp driving bands, flat based shank gas checked, just begging for a moment of flight, it's breathless to behold!

[Thecyberguy]

Gray wolf....very well said. I think that perhaps you just put in words what many, here and on other boards as well, feel.

I too, like casting and reloading and shooting.

I got into reloading to make shooting cheaper....well that didn't work...I just shoot more.

I got into casting to make reloading cheaper......well....LOL , you know how that goes!!

Have a good 'un, Guy

[Pat I.]

I like the shooting and experimenting part but as far as sitting over a pot of hot lead casting bullets there's better things I could think of doing.

[mold maker]

If I didn't enjoy casting, I would never have collected and cast well over a ton of range lead ingots, and 1200 + lbs of WW. Why else would I have 66 molds?
Using free materials and tools to make boolits that equal or surpass what I can buy, gives this old man a smile like nothing else.
Because of the price, my Son and I can't enjoy shooting factory ammo anymore. Casting has allowed us to continue a great Dad and Son pleasure.

[JSAND]

I wish I had taken up this way of life 30 years ago, instead I will be lucky to say that I cast for 30 years. It brings such peace to my soul, I truly believe that it is more in line with the life that God intended for us when He gave us mastery over fire and the metals. It causes me to slow down even though the pace can get hectic, its not like running down to wally world or over to your favorite gun shop and picking up a box of bullets. Its natural, soothing and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have been told wait until you have been doing it for a while; you'll get tired of it. I was told the same thing when I got married, however, some things you know you Love the minute you try it. Thanks for all the help from you experienced guys, keep up the good work and great information, it really helps us newbies.

[wiersy111]

ABSOLUTELY!!!! For me the smelting, casing, lubing, and reloading is as relaxing as shooting. No matter what is going on in life it all just melts away when I sit down in the "Boolit Cave". I just love spending hours rolling my own so I can spend many many hours on the range with my wife and kids.

[XWrench3]

i guess i am lucky. i enjoy casting, reloading, and shooting. about the only part i do not care for is smelting. i could live without that step very easily. but it is part of the deal, so i will have to live with it.

[Jon]

I enjoy it, but sometimes it's a chore. It is nice taking ingots and turning them into bullets for either the 38 or the 45. Between casting and reloading, I can make a day at the range very inexpensive. The only thing I am really paying for is the primers since a pound of bullseye will last and last. It's also a good way to relax and get away from everything for a little while. I have my reloading bench in the basement where I can just turn on a radio and spend a couple of hours cranking out ammo.

I just need to do better about loading up batches of ammo before I run out. It's easy to burn through a couple hundred rounds if they are "cheap" :-)

Berm mining more than covers the cost of my club membership dues.

[WILCO]

Berm mining more than covers the cost of my club membership dues.

I've gotten more than a few pounds of lead from my club since I started looking for it. :mrgreen:

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Do I enjoy casting? Briefly put, no. It is a chore to be endured, like mowing your lawn. If I could entice the casting fairy into my work shop and turn all my lead into bullets, I would be overjoyed. As I have stated many times on this web site, all I want to do is pull the trigger.

[armyrat1970]

If I didn't enjoy casting, I would never have collected and cast well over a ton of range lead ingots, and 1200 + lbs of WW. Why else would I have 66 molds?
Using free materials and tools to make boolits that equal or surpass what I can buy, gives this old man a smile like nothing else.
Because of the price, my Son and I can't enjoy shooting factory ammo anymore. Casting has allowed us to continue a great Dad and Son pleasure.

I envy you mold maker. My son and I have shot together a few times but he has no interest in handloading or casting. I have tried to teach him but, it's just not for him I guess. And as he has grown older, as have I, our interest have grown a little more apart. No time to spend with each other anymore. Hardly ever even see or talk to him lately.
I am so glad for you that you have that bond with your son. That is a real treasure.

[GLynn41]

yes I do --started in the late 70s and never quit