The joys of casting and reloading...

Hmm..I have a 5 gal pail nearly full of rimfire brass I intended to take to the salvage yard. Maybe not now. :wink:

Jimbo , I`ll think of ya `bout 10 pm tonite.

GP100man said:

Jimbo , I`ll think of ya `bout 10 pm tonite.

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Sounds good to me...no sympathy needed. :lol:

Just got back from shooting at dark...so I have a little to do as I "try" to organize my empties after each time I shoot...although this does not always happen.

I did have a pretty good shooting session (not that I shot that great) 'cause I learned some things that I did not know about shooting from a Trigger Stick Monopod , even though I have been used it for a couple of years. DUH!

Only trouble is keeping enough lead-w/w to cast.

I just got done running a batch of 429421 through a 4 holer...not too many though, only 200. I sized them, lubed and put them out to dry. I plan to perhaps shoot a few of them in the morning to see how my guns like them. This is the first batch with this mold and I hope these do as well as all others of this type that I have used...have no reason to suspect that they won't, but sometimes it doesn't work that way...just have to wait and see. If they are not up to par, I will run another batch through it as this alloy was not really properly fluxed and I will do better next time...just got in a hurry today.

Good luck with 'em.

Just shot the bullets from the new 429421 mold and they did pretty good...so, it is keeper...not that I had any real doubts. And, it is a pleasure to cast with this mold...it dropped good bullets right out of the gate and was easy to maintain temp with. The bullets averaged about 247grs and went through the sizer with just a slight bump. All good... :lol:

Just got through running a few through a new NOE 358429 mold. I think they turned out alright, even though that mold likes it a little hotter than I typically run them. I got 300 and will get them sized and lubed to run them through the guns and see how THEY like them. Hopefully, that will go as well as the casting.

I'd rather have a sharp stick in the eye than have to scrounge for lead and cast my own bullets. Reloading has always been simply a necessary chore to do the shooting I wanted to do. Doesn't give me any enjoyment. I wish it did, I'm truly envious of those who love it.

CraigC said:

I'd rather have a sharp stick in the eye than have to scrounge for lead and cast my own bullets. Reloading has always been simply a necessary chore to do the shooting I wanted to do. Doesn't give me any enjoyment. I wish it did, I'm truly envious of those who love it.

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over 40 years reloading and loving it. I even worked in a lab with a tunnel for a couple of those loading/testing/shooting/conversing with techs from powder and bullet companies/and shooting all day....I would do it again. You keep your sharp stick CraigC.

Handloading and shooting for a living is quite different. Finding time to handload around a full time, 7-day a week job, along with all the other responsibilities, so you can go shoot is something else entirely. I'm sure that if anyone was willing to pay me what I make at my regular business for spending the day shooting, handloading and testing, I'd certainly enjoy the handloading process a lot more. Guaranteed. As it is, there are only so many hours in the day and lots of things I'd rather be doing than loading.

We shoot a pretty good bit and I think that I am getting paid, at least a pittance, for my time casting and reloading. And, I really like the options that casting provides...kind of make a bullet to fit whatever need I think I have.

However, I can certainly see your point Craig.

Hi,

Craig, don't go poking any eyes out yet! Like you, there was a time in my life when reloading was just something that had to be done, one more chore for the week as it were, if I was going to continue shooting at the level I was doing. I had customers at the range who talked about how relaxing it was, and so forth: never did understand them on that issue!

Over the years, though, my shooting's diminished a lot, as has my income. So while I still need to reload for economic reasons, there's the added advantage that now I DO find it's kinda fun once in a while to just sit down at the bench and leisurely make 25-50 rounds instead of pushing to crank out 250-500. Perhaps your time will come, too? And if it does, you're gonna want two good eyes!

Rick C

bulllet casting adds as much of a new dimension and enjoyment to shooting as reloading does in the first place. I rarely shoot a jacketed pistol bullet anymore and also enjoy cast bullets for my Marlin .45-70 and Sharps replica .40-65.

.44 magnum 429244 Thompson-style gas check hollow-point


my favorite .38/.357 bullet the 358429 Keith-style, just cast and ready to size/lube:


Cast hollow-points and 7 1/2" flattop .44:


...and regarding the time involved, I think it's like I heard said about fishing one time; that the time spent so doing is not subtracted from your alotted time on earth. Well, I like to think that anyway...

CraigC said:

I'd rather have a sharp stick in the eye than have to scrounge for lead and cast my own bullets. Reloading has always been simply a necessary chore to do the shooting I wanted to do. Doesn't give me any enjoyment. I wish it did, I'm truly envious of those who love it.

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Clearly, you've never had an eye injury.

For many years I purchased cast bullets. What a pain. Not only are they expensive, but you often find yourself receiving similar, but different designs requiring different load data, and seating depth adjustments.

Now that I cast, I can afford to shoot several times more for even less cash outlay. I get the same bullet each time I load, so I can use the same seating depth and load data until I think it prudent to change. I can even cast the Lyman 358156, which has two seating grooves, so I can load it in either .38 Special or .357 Magnum, and seat it to be just at the mouth of the throats in the cylinders.

I started casting just a few years ago, and I don't even know how many moulds I own. Perhaps one day I may count them.

cadillo said:

For many years I purchased cast bullets. What a pain. Not only are they expensive, but you often find yourself receiving similar, but different designs requiring different load data, and seating depth adjustments.

Now that I cast, I can afford to shoot several times more for even less cash outlay. I get the same bullet each time I load, so I can use the same seating depth and load data until I think it prudent to change. I can even cast the Lyman 358156, which has two seating grooves, so I can load it in either .38 Special or .357 Magnum, and seat it to be just at the mouth of the throats in the cylinders.

I started casting just a few years ago, and I don't even know how many moulds I own. Perhaps one day I may count them.

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I know what you mean.... The flexibility of casting is one of the things that appeals the most to me...and the ability to shoot as much as I want or have time to, is an added bonus. I also like the ability, as you mention, to make the same bullets repeatedly as I have several fixed sighted revolvers that I load for and I only shoot one load in them...meaning the same bullet all of the time. With the others that have adjustable sights, I can try different bullets if I choose...and I do that a lot, especially when getting a new mold.

cadillo said:

Clearly, you've never had an eye injury.

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Actually yes, I have but please try not to take tongue-in-cheek expressions literally. Thanks.

cadillo said:

For many years I purchased cast bullets. What a pain. Not only are they expensive, but you often find yourself receiving similar, but different designs requiring different load data, and seating depth adjustments.

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Don't agree with that at all. Most are pretty standardized. How is scrounging for lead, processing it, separating it from whatever it's attached to, melting it, pouring it into molds, sizing and lubing before it can be loaded easier than buying them ready to go??? Casting might be cheaper if you don't value your time and have plenty of it but you'll have a hard time convincing most folks that it's "less of a pain".

I have wanted to get into reloading for the last couple of years, I have even bought most of the equipment but then I wish some one was there to guide me through the steps. Now all the demand for reloading supplies are limited with the panic of ammo shortage going on.I enjoy and envy these post on reloading

D_Gunner said:

I have wanted to get into reloading for the last couple of years, I have even bought most of the equipment but then I wish some one was there to guide me through the steps. Now all the demand for reloading supplies are limited with the panic of ammo shortage going on.I enjoy and envy these post on reloading

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I started without help, no one in my family reloaded and not many folks around my area that reloaded. There was no internet...only books, but it was not really difficult...just went slow and checked everything many times.

I know some will come along and challenge this suggestion, but they are wrong and I would ignore them. With that said, there are some very good videos on youtube that pretty much walk you through beginning reloading. It is worth watching them, if for no other reason, you actually get to see rounds being made.
I am sure that if I did it from reading books, you can do it with the books and actually getting to see someone go through the process on a video. Go ahead, give it a try...just remember, be careful and if you have questions, you can ask a lot of folks on this forum to help you through something.