How often do you cast boolits?

[Idaho45guy]

I was thinking I was getting low on some .452 300 grain boolits, as well as .401 175 grain and should fire up the pot and crank out a few hundred of each.

I then thought about the last time I did that and I couldn't remember when it was. At least a year! I use my cast boolits mainly for woods defense loads in .45 Colt and 10mm, so I don't do much shooting of those loads. With Hornady XTPs now going for $.35 a bullet, plus shipping, I am considering using cast boolits much more often.

Pretty sure I am the lowest volume caster on the site. Was curious as to what the "norm" was for casting.

[Winger Ed.]

I cast & size up about 1500-2000 .38WC & .45SWC at a time.
It'll tie up the shop for 2-3 evenings each. I make what I think I'll shoot in about a year or so.

Then, later on, it'll take another 2-3 evenings to run them through the press.

Same amount for .30 caliber. But that is usually enough for about 2-3 years.
I load them a couple hundred or so at a time when I get around to it on the single stage.

I could make a run of any of them in a shorter time, but I'm in no big hurry,
and usually sit out there doing reloader stuff 2-3 hours at a time.

[Idaho45guy]

I cast & size up about 1500-2000 .38WC & .45SWC at a time.
It'll tie up the shop for 2-3 evenings each. I make what I think I'll shoot in about a year or so.

Then, later on, it'll take another 2-3 evenings to run them through the press.

Same amount for .30 caliber. But that is usually enough for about 2-3 years.
I load them a couple hundred or so at a time when I get around to it on the single stage.

I could make a run of any of them in a shorter time, but I'm in no big hurry,
and usually sit out there doing reloader stuff 2-3 hours at a time.

So your're not too far from what I do as well; large batches about once a year or so.

It's too bad, since I really do love casting and find it relaxing and fun.

When I used to help out my dad with his bullet subcontracting business, I would cast every couple of weeks at his shop and work for about 5-6 hours at a time, doing about 200 boolits an hour.

He is getting out of it due to health reasons and offered to let me take over the business. But, I just don't have the room at my place for that kind of volume, plus, lead is ordered at $5,000 at a time, and you never know how many bullet orders you will get each month. Could be $1500 worth, or $100 worth.

After a few sessions of 5-6 hours of solid casting, I am a little sick of it.

Sitting in my little gun room and cranking out a few hundred is relaxing. More than that and it gets to be work.

[Winger Ed.]

Sitting in my little gun room and cranking out a few hundred is relaxing.

That's where I'm at.
The Mrs. is very supportive of my hobby. Sometimes, I'll tell here I'm going out to do a bunch of casting for the evening.
Its as much to get out of the house and away from the TV as much as anything.
I'll cast a few pounds of something, unplug the pot, and kick back with a glass of cactus Whisky
and just listen to the sounds of the night.

(I'll have a couple hundred on the bottom of the bucket so I feel like I actually did something)

[Bad Ass Wallace]

At least once per week, I give a lot away to friends so always replentishing stocks!

[TjB101]

I try to do most of my casting in the winter or during other crappy weather. The rest of the seasons I’m at the range, during household fixit stuff.

When cooking down range scrap I’m absolutely doing that on colder days to avoid the drop ‘o sweat in the pot thing.

[DHDeal]

I cast in batches during the cooler months. As far as numbers of bullets cast per session, I will cast 300 - 400 at a time depending on the mold. When the mood hits me, I may cast for 2 or 3 days in a row.

[farmerjim]

I go in spurts. I will do 5 to 10 thousand over a week then nothing for several months. I have bins of boolits in all the calibers I shoot in all stages from just cast to ready to load. I powder coat some, and Hi-Tek others.

[OS OK]

Casting is relaxing & enjoyable but that's not the end of it...I have to PC and size them also & in the same day so I limit it to one full pot or about 600 45 cal., more of the .38 or 9mm.
I just keep my stock up to levels so I can load whatever I want without casting first.

[sharps4590]

I have to say I' a "cast as needed" guy which might be a couple times a week or not for months. I cannot sit or stand long enough to cast a few hundred or as some guys do, a thousand or more. Single cavity I'm self limited to 50-75. Double cavity I can do a hundred or so. I enjoy casting but I don't keep much of a stockpile of any bullet.

[Zingger]

I try to dedicate some time each weekend, turn the pot on and do a couple of chores around the yard, cast for a bit while listening to the radio. Sundays up here are the "polka happy hour" which gives some relaxing music in this day/age of bad/worse/worst/cancel culture. Will have a couple of molds to use each time. This last weekend was 45-70 and 44 mag.

[dahermit]

I am sitting on at least 7,000 Lee 130 grain RNFP, powder coated and sized bullets for my most shot gun... an old K38. I shoot mostly in my back yard on my "falling plate" (swinging actually) range. However, when primers dissapeared last Summer, shooting and casting came to a halt. I also have about 4,000 RCBS 201 bullets, 2,000 or so 250 grain .44 Keith Type, and about 1500 RCBS 125 grain gas checked R.N. (for .38 Super), 4,000 Lee 2R 120 grain 9mm. I pretty much stopped casting when the primers dried-up. Nevertheless, I normally cast in the Fall-Winter, enough to shoot all Summer.

I have approximately 3,000 Federal S.P. primers that I am working through very slowly (I used to shoot 96 rounds, seven days a week) inasmuch as I don't know when affordable primers will return... or if they ever return.

In short, I consider myself a high-volume caster (use two Lee Six-cavity molds at a time), when I do cast. I do not ever use one mold... always two, all with at least two cavities each (mostly six) for volume.

[GhostHawk]

As needed. With the Covid my shooting has been cut back a lot, so has my casting as I don't have any ammo I need to replace.

I like to keep a loaded stock of around 300 rounds for most calibers. For some like 9mm that I have a pistol, a semi auto carbine, and a single shot rifle I keep more.

Talking about going to the range today to check out a new H&R Sportsman in .22lr that I acquired very reasonably.
Not sure what else I might want to shoot.

Not sure I want to shoot up a lot of anything that takes primers, but .22lr and .22wmr are both kinda scary high prices at this point. Maybe I'll just take the old SKS for a few fun rounds and call it good.

Most of my casting sessions are 50 to 150. Generally speaking most of those will be loaded within 24 hours.

Anything I do plan on leaving as cast for long term gets lubed with BLL and stacked into an airtight food storage container. Keep the oxygen locked out.

[robg]

i will cast for a few hours over a few days 800+ boolits in several calibers. then when the mood takes me.

[CastingFool]

my long casting session was about 2 yrs ago. I was using a 452-200-RF 6 cavity mold I bought off a member here. First time using a 6 cavity mold, but it was well seasoned and watching the pile of boolits grow was a joy. Don't remember how long it took but I ended up with 480 good boolits. When used in my Hipoint 45 they fed well without hickups and they worked great in my Henry BBS 45 long colt, good enough to kill two woodchucks at 65 yards. I did cast a few 454-255-RF for the Henry, and I was able to get my 1st cast boolit doe with those.

[oley55]

Sundays up here are the "polka happy hour" which gives some relaxing music...

I vividly remember visiting my Grandparents home on winter Sundays in the mid 60's and about the only TV station with a descent signal was showing 'Polka Variety', and then later it was the 'Lawrence Welk Show'. I can say with some certainty, neither Polka or big band music are my favored listening music. I'll take 60's country western any time. Different strokes....for different folks.

As to frequency of casting, I have not been casting long enough to have a routine. Perhaps only because it is new to me, but I really enjoy casting. To the point I have been tempted to recycle the couple thousand of mixed variety first cast bullets just so I can practice casting them again.

Clearly, I need to get back to shooting more...

[Soundguy]

I try to get out weekly.

[BC17A]

I'll try to cast once a month to keep all calibers stocked and ready to load when the need arises.

[rintinglen]

I cast every couple of months, though with the need to ration my primers, I am casting less. Usually, I will cast a pot or so, 300-600 boolits, at a time. I don't have the stamina anymore for a six hour marathon. One to two hours is my limit these days.

[Burnt Fingers]

I go in spurts. I will do 5 to 10 thousand over a week then nothing for several months. I have bins of boolits in all the calibers I shoot in all stages from just cast to ready to load. I powder coat some, and Hi-Tek others.

This right here. I try and keep around 5K of 9mm boolits on hand and about 3K of 45 ACP boolits on hand. Everything else I cast as needed when I feel the urge.