I talked to my brother last night and he is realizing that cast bullets and reloading is the only way be can afford to shoot these days. Some of his ammo is $3 or $4 a round at the moment and maybe going higher. The last time I bought factory ammo for for my brother as a birthday present and that wasn't cheap.
So we are in the right place at the right time on this forum.
Jerry
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the amount of people getting into reloading,and casting is astronomical lately. can't get a decent mold there ain't no ww's around.
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I am having to make my alloys from scratch these days, it is safer than running in to a lot of bad WWs. Too much zinc floating around at the moment.
Jerry
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With the exception of RF and self defense type ammo, it's been a bunch of years since store bought'n ammo has bit me in the wallet.
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I have to say to see any REAL savings on shooting CB's, you have to shoot a pretty fair amount to recoupe your initial investment. I have found casting to be as muchas a self satisfaction thing as it is to save any $$. Though I still shoot several thousand rounds of various calibers a year. For a newbie to jump head first in, it can be a fairly major investment. Then I always hear, “I don't have time” excuse. Well, imho, if you don't have time you must have the money? I think a lot of folks think they shoot way more than they actually do. Same goes for the distances they shoot, that 400 yard shot/group actually is closer to 150ish,lol. jeff
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Same goes for the distances they shoot, that 400 yard shot/group actually is closer to 150ish,lol.
jeff
I know that is true with a lot of deer hunters.
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As that I have been casting since the early 80s, I have probably recouped my investment many times over. I still have my first Lee 10 pounder, I have 20 pounder from the last couple of years and got a RCBS pot recently. My total number of mold is probably well over 250. I have many no long made molds, like a 223 or 224 mold in 45 grains that forks well in the Hornet, a 357. 214 grain mold for the 357 Max and many others.
There has been a lot of water under the bridge on the issue of shooting cast in AR15, M1A and other gas operated rifles, I do not shoot CBs in those, but the last time I bought match bullets, I think I paid $60 per thousand.
I have taken deer out to 200 yards in recent times with my high powered rifles using CBs, I cast my own mini balls, RBs and shotgun slugs. This has saved me a lot of money and actually time is not that big an issue.
My brother on the other hand doesn't cast but does reload, but he only loaded match quality ammo for years, now that he is retired and his income has gone down, bullets have gone up. So I mailed him some CBs for his M1 Carbine and gave him a box of Carbine ammo for Christmas.
Other than my recent purchases of Lee Luber/sizers, I am using a Star sizer that I bought at an estate sale. My Rock Chucker is over 30 years old, I have two Dillon 550Bs from the late 80s and a SDB I bought when they came out.
It takes a life time to gather this much, but I hunt for my food ever year, so I need quality and dependable ammo. My presses are high quality and with the Dillon stuff there is a No BS warranty on that equipment.
From this forum, I figured out a high quality bullet lube, this is from the time before money vanished. This is the most excellent place to learn about CBs and to figure out different situations.
Powder isn't as big a challenge as primers, but I tend to stay well stocked.
So yes the initial lay out can be high, but spread the expense over 5 or 10 or 20 years and you come out a head even with todays prices. Plus Katie tells me that if I need it, and we have the money, go buy it. And she cooks and sews.
Jerry
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I shoot Highpower and practice. I shoot more than most but still its only 2 to 4 hundred rounds per month.
When Clinton was elected and the rumor was going around about reloading components being outlawed I bought 10,000 22 cal 55 grain Sierra's and 10,000 155 grian 30 cal bullets. I thought these would last me the rest of my life. They lasted from 1994 to 2001 and those weren't the only bullets I was shooting.
That is why I try to cast in 1000 bullet lots.
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Most people don't see this from our perspective, we are about par on rounds shot a month. The cost can be staggering.
I still have a 1K pack of primers that has the Klinton era price sticker still on it, $12.95, an outragerous price for the times, then the fear got worse, primers jumped up to $16.95 a thousand.
So I spend a couple days a month casting for my self.
Jerry
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Jerry, sounds like we are both on the same track as far as supplies. I hate to pass up a good deal,lol. I have a few progressives myself. Though I will admit to not trusting them 100%. I have had the wants for a Star and passed one up that again I may regret in the future. Price was good as it came with six dies and nose punches, but there were only two that I had use for and the investment at this time I couldn't justify. I am still on a search for what I would consider the perfect lube sizer. The Star is right there, but I will have to develop my lathe skills a bit more. I have to many milsurps that demand a non standard size. So, I guess I will stick with my Lyman/RCBS type for now. I do have a nephew of a friend that is shooting store bought cast and running into a lot of issues. I have tried to guide him the best I can. He is wanting to start casting his own, but he is tighter than the bark on a tree. So, rather than buy one of the casting kits that are available, and save $ imho, he is opting to do the chase thing. One piece at a time, just like the Johnny Cash song,lol. I have tried to clue him in on mold prices and remind him that they are good trading stock. He also is of the mind to purchase quality stuff, but gets a little confused when it looks old. Trying to get him through that. He missed an older Saeco pot luber sizer and about 30 dies and punches for $50 because it was “old". After shooting me an email and my response with some links, he was a day late, hindsight is always 20x20. jeff
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Jeff,
Some people are just penny wise and too cheap to see what it really costs to buy store bought cast bullets.
When Grainger had a blow out with Lead Free Solder, I bought up a bunch. $6 a pound is nothing to sneeze at these days. Sometimes I buy range lead, some time I find lead counter balance weights.
For every rifle and pistol I have, I have molds and empty cartridge cases put away. The people who don't have a lot of money to spend, they should just buy one or two Lee molds a month or save up and buy a Lyman or RCBS, if they can stand the wait time to save up the money they can buy a LBT mold.
I look around for stuff, but I try never to get the point I don't have what I need on hand. Now after 40 some years, I don't worry too much about running out.
Jerry
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its not that expensive to start if you buy Lee.and the lee turret will do for ever.Lee 6 cavity molds are as good as any just have to learn to use them.I have cast since 1937,and still have all my molds.I started with a win tong tool and mold.and a win73.
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