It's getting kind of funny (I think)

[Charlie Two Tracks]

A year ago, I was happy with 300 rounds of factory ammo for my .38 and .357.

Then, after a search, I found Cast Boolits. I read and read and tried to get ahold of what people are talking about here. So, I buy some equipment and away I go. I was just out sorting some WW and looked around. I have about 150 lbs. of cast boolits and about 120 of WW's. I got to thinking of how I have to get a whole bunch more lead and get some more cast up. Then I thought about what I was like a year ago. What a change! I used to read of a guy who talked about having a 1/2 ton or ton of lead and thought he was kind of strange. Now I wonder how much I can get stocked up. Sure is fun.:smile:

[arjacobson]

I feel your pain brother..LOL I started out the same way last year.Now I have 750 loaded 45's-600 loaded 38's-about 800 45 bullets all ready to be loaded..750 38's all ready to be loaded.. Oh yeah...... I cast and loaded 200 380 acp for the wife last week...After all of this I am dying to get in the garage and start casting some of my over 150lbs of lead that I smelted not long ago..... Still scrounging for lead-pewter-solder-tin........etcetcetc.... :)

[beagle]

Not only fun but it's actually addicting./beagle

[sargenv]

Well, I wasn't happy with that low #.. but after all the shortages for components and the fact that I was fed up waiting for certain components to become available... and the seeming lack of specifically what I wanted.. all got me in to the idea that I could likely make what I wanted... and now I do.. and I don't depend on the whims of the somewhat local bullet maker.. What I wanted was a semi pointed RN for 40 S&W for competition and while there was a 200 gr RN, I wasn't about to pay the $100/1000 they wanted for them.. heck.. the 140 RN's were $60/1000.. almost double from the last bulk buy I made just about 3 years ago at $35/1000. Bulk for me at the time was 10,000 or enough to last me at the time about 9 months.

[462]

With 1800-pounds of wheel weight ingots and four 5-gallon buckets of weights waiting to be rendered, I wonder if it's enough.

[corey012778]

about the same way, started with plans just to replace j bullets in my 50cal in line, got my first side lock plans expanded to casting round balls, now I am working on conicals for an 45cal inline, pouring out 54cal round balls. now plans for feeding my 9mm. looking at my stock pile, I know I don't have enough. need more molds,

[southpaw]

2 years ago I started in the madness. I think I started the same way that most did. Figured I would get a couple molds and save some money and shoot lead during the summer. Yeah right. It looked good on paper. So now I have about 30 molds and a couple more on order. I should be fairly set on the lead (made some boxes so I can reclaim them). If some one would have told me that I was gonna spend close to $4k on this little endeavor I probably would have turned and ran the other way. I seriously underestimated how addicting this was gonna be.

Jerry Jr.

[fryboy]

we have seen the enemy ...and he is ..in the mirror lolz , so now just think charlie you have become that "strange one" to the uninitiated and newbies ..well done ;)

[HighRoad]

Hello, my name is HighRoad and I am a boolet caster . . .

[arjacobson]

Hello, my name is HighRoad and I am a boolet caster . . .

LOL- Lord grant me the serenity to accept the mold I cannot change-the courage to change the mold I can-and the wisdom to know the difference...

[Rock]

I've acquired a similar condition. But it is as expensive to pursue this 'hobby' as any other. No, that is not accurate, this is pretty cheap compared to many other hobbies. Wow, I am saving money after all!!!

[home in oz]

I gotta get more lead!

[docone31]

A relapse is getting jacketeds?

[Rangefinder]

Amazing how it all works, isn't it? Once upon a time in a land far, far away..... I started reloading so I could feed my rifles without going broke. That held me pretty good for about a decade. At the time I was paying about $14-$16 for a pound of powder, $1.75 for primers, etc... I knew of guys who had a couple thousand up to ten-thousand primers in each style, 15 or more pounds of powder, etc. I thought they were a little extreme. Before I knew it, I WAS one. Then I turned focus on the ones who loaded handguns. I never really saw the point since I could still go buy a box for my 9mm or .40 for under $10. But I knew guys who would spend a whole weekend reloading for handguns and thought they were a touch toward the extreme. Oops, I tripped and fell into that pit as well. Bullet casting never really appealed to me until I decided it was probably the best and cheapest way to put my old .32 Winchester 94 back in action. One mold turned into a dozen, a few pounds of lead turned into hundreds of pounds and always on the look-out for a new tire shop that might get rid of more on the cheap, appeared were lubrisizers, sizing dies, expanders, checks, more molds, more molds, and that one over there too... Yup--I've effectively become the 'ol quack down the road with enough powder and primers to start a war, reloading components enough to put everyone on my road to work, and enough WW's and ingots to hold the shop firmly on the ground in the event of a wandering tornado. My wife believes I'm a little nuts, and I don't argue (I'm not THAT nuts). Gotta love the addiction, huh guys?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

A relapse is getting jacketeds?

unless you swage them :-D
then it's a new addiction.
Jon

[white eagle]

here here lets just do one more !!

[OldSchool]

I ain't got no molds, and can't afford the lead.

Looks like I can't get hooked! :whistle:

[waksupi]

LOL- Lord grant me the serenity to accept the mold I cannot change-the courage to change the mold I can-and the wisdom to know the difference...

That's durned funny!:castmine:

[Rangefinder]

here here lets just do one more !!
One more.....pot worth? :D One more smelt? One more bucket of WW's? One more coffee can full of .40's? :D Here, here indeed! Another round!


I'm so fortunate!
I ain't got no molds, and can't afford the lead.

Looks like I can't get hooked! :whistle:

That's kinda like hanging around a bunch of 'ol Scotsmen and thinking you're gonna just have water. Eventually you're gonna try the scotch. And, though it's an acquired taste, once you're got it, it just gets better from there. ;) Speaking of, now I'm craving a little nip off The Glenmorange... Good morning for it, too---cold outside. LOL

[mdi]

:drinks:Step 1. Admitted we were powerless over liquid lead...

I too started with just a few lbs. of scrounged wheel weights, a coleman stove, and a teaspoon. Since I reciently moved, I only have about 800 lbs. of alloys left (more, more, more!). I had ot pare it down for the big move. I put ingots in boxes of tools and kitchen stuff and had one box of lead for the movers. They didn't like the box of lead, but I was paying for it!:cool:

[Daddyfixit]

One more.....pot worth? :D One more smelt? One more bucket of WW's? One more coffee can full of .40's? :D Here, here indeed! Another round!



That's kinda like hanging around a bunch of 'ol Scotsmen and thinking you're gonna just have water. Eventually you're gonna try the scotch. And, though it's an acquired taste, once you're got it, it just gets better from there. ;) Speaking of, now I'm craving a little nip off The Glenmorange... Good morning for it, too---cold outside. LOL

I'll drink to that!:drinks: Single Malt Please!

[OldSchool]

That's kinda like hanging around a bunch of 'ol Scotsmen and thinking you're gonna just have water. Eventually you're gonna try the scotch. And, though it's an acquired taste, once you're got it, it just gets better from there. ;) Speaking of, now I'm craving a little nip off The Glenmorange... Good morning for it, too---cold outside. LOL

As an umpteenth-generation Scot, I appreciate the warning! :twisted:

[lastborn]

Not only fun but it's actually addicting./beagle

This is so true.:castmine:

[Jal5]

I am just a newbie caster and already I am hooked: looking for lead, new tire shops to try, mining two range berms. My wife thinks I am nuts I am sure!

Joe

[Markbo]

I feel like the only guy on the block who hasn't stocked up for the coming hurricane. +/- 150 # ingots and 2 buckets of wheel weights and I think every single day where can I get one more little box full to add to them. I first read about the measurements in tons and thought "man.. .those guys have gotten a little carried away!".

Oh would that silver stream carry me away too. When I can't scrounge wheel weights because lead is illegal in them, what am I going to do for cheap (read free) sources of lead???? Woe-is-me

[JJC]

:lovebooliMining the berms with the kids is time well spent. More hands to carry them little lead treasures. I only have about 370 lbs stocked up, I gotta get scroungin

[arjacobson]

Whatever you guys do......Do NOT check out the swaging forum....Now I think I could machine some dies and..............................................

[GRid.1569]

That's kinda like hanging around a bunch of 'ol Scotsmen and thinking you're gonna just have water. Eventually you're gonna try the scotch. And, though it's an acquired taste, once you're got it, it just gets better from there. ;) Speaking of, now I'm craving a little nip off The Glenmorange... Good morning for it, too---cold outside. LOL

and as a Scotsman I say... " if your buying.... make mine a double...." :drinks:

[Rangefinder]

and as a Scotsman I say... " if your buying.... make mine a double...."

You want two good bottles? You're feel'n a wee bit frisky today... :D

[cbunt1]

Hi, my screen name's Cbunt1, and I'm a boolet caster.

I have transformed from the newbie in my shooting circle to the oddball who makes his own.

I gladly accept the moniker "Old Smokey" at my range...and get accused of shooting black powder in IDPA matches.

I drive the highways and byways on the lookout for a "feral" wheelweight

I pester tire shops...I cruise the bad parts of town looking for a new shop...

I have been known to buy my cheese at the grocery store based on the size and thickness of the wax wrapper

I pester my local beekeepers to sell me beeswax while I'm buying their honey.

I have wax blocks in my garage of every conceivable color...some lubes, some relegated to fluxes.

I gladly accept the challenge of pushing lead hammers where jacketed bullets are customary.

I was warned to stay away from the black art of lead pouring, and I didn't heed the warnings...

I was warned to stay away from the custom mould group buys, and I didn't heed the warnings...

I was warned that making my own lube was an adventure all its own, and I didn't heed the warnings...

I was warned that I wouldn't save any money, that I would spend more, chasing the perfection, and that I'd just shoot more.

...and for these things, I am truly greatful. I feel I know more about how my guns work, and how each load works for each gun, and I fear not to tread into "Custom" territory...and every time I have an "ah-ha" moment, I realize that the more I learn the less I know...

...And a nice nip of the Speyburn sure souinds good right now!

So...thanks for my addictions, and thanks to all of you who bear this cross with me!

[Blammer]

you guys are funny, telling of all this loaded ammo you have.

Heck, all I have is empty brass, seems the quicker I fill it, the quicker it gets emptied.

It seems I always seem to only have about 20 rnds of anything loaded. I have to force myself to save those rounds for hunting!

[shoot-n-lead]

Man, I just started this **** about a month ago and I now carry a bucket everywhere I go and I am constantly on the lookout for out of the way tire shops. I have now accumulated 925lbs of ww's.

However, I have yet to smelt even my first batch as I am too busy scrounging. This is a terrible addiction that I see no way to break. I am like a junky needing a fix......

[gray wolf]

All my life I have known people that would get into different hobbies every 6 months.
They were into something different every time I saw them. BUT--with this casting thing there seems to be a special kind of glue that holds you to it. It's like it wont go away, I do it and do it and can't stand it till I do it again. Thank goodness Julie is into what I do and loves to see me having fun and making bullets, and boy do I like shooting them.
My lead supply is low at this time and I am a little nervouse about it but the Lord will provide.
The other day we had to go off the Mountain to get our monthly food shopping done and the one place that gives me a half bucket once a month told me NO MORE got to recycle them.
Men I was in a down/bad mood the rest of the day and a little quiet all the way home.


Sam

[67bear]

I've been casting for 10 or 11 years now. It started with a 40-65 Browning BPCR. Then smokeless pistol stuff, then smokeless rifle. I have no idea how much lead I've sent downrange, but it hasn't been nearly enough yet. I never get tired of seeing those shiny boolits fall from my molds. My wife and some of my friends think I'm crazy. Maybe so. I've got about a thousand pounds of lead, 400-500 pounds of WW ingots, about 600 pounds raw WW's, 50+ pounds of tin, 10-15 pounds of various solder, little bags, boxes, and cans of boolits everywhere and don't think I have nearly enough. I'm always on the lookout for cheap or free lead. It seems like I can burn through a sizeable portion of my stash of lead pretty fast when the weather is nice. Oh yea, I found another rifle I NEED REALLY BAD too.

[OldSchool]

Fortunately, I still prefer unloading my rounds.... :mrgreen:
If I work hard, keep my values intact, and spend copious amounts of money at the local Wally...

OH, HECK, WHERE DO I FIND THESE ELUSIVE Pb WHEEL WEIGHTS, AGAIN???
:cbpour:

[468]

I consider the entire process theraputic. Pulling out the burner and cast iron pot. Heting up the wheel weights..setting up the "cupcake" pans... Its sort of a "ZEN" thing....an activity that requires much attention, but little concentration. However, I don't feel the need to stockpile a thousand pounds, Several hundred is just fine LOL!!!

And not just casting. I often go out into the shop and load 100 or 2 rounds of whatever I have the most empies. I think I almost enjoy reloading more than I enjoy shooting,

[GARCIA]

Wife is putting up with it and prefers it to my going out!!!!

Then again after 30+ years of marriage she still wonders what I am going to get into next!!!

Know if the grand kids were just a little bit older!!

Tom

[Lively Boy]

how about sending the wife to the tire shop that won't sell the lead ww's and have her ask for a box full to make a prank xmas gift......you might be a caster if.....

[Rangefinder]

how about sending the wife to the tire shop that won't sell the lead ww's and have her ask for a box full to make a prank xmas gift......you might be a caster if.....

Holy-hell, I think you may be on to something there! Next time we go for our grocery trip, the wife is gonna have tire shop duty! I like it! :D

[home in oz]

Good luck on the wife smoozing for tire weights, but it does have possibilities....

[fryboy]

only if one has a wife ....and she's willing :-P

[OldSchool]

I ain't got no molds, and can't afford the lead.

Looks like I can't get hooked! :whistle:

Oh, no!! The wife unit (DynaBlue) found a pusher yesterday with 10# of free wheel weights. I didn't know one's own family would help get one hooked. Please send me the phone number of the nearest Wheelweights Anonymous Society ASAP!!
:lovebooli

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Sorry, no cure. All you can do is get in deeper and enjoy. Life is good.