I've been casting since the early 80's. The only reason I cast is because I shoot mostly Lee R.E.A.L. bullets, 45 cal. through 58 cal. I don't cast my round balls.
-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Just a show of hands, how many make their own ammution?
- Thread starter Sidney Smith
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
Walkingeagle
54 Cal.
I only just started casting about 2001 or so, so just new to it. Lol
Walk
Walk
rodwha
58 Cal.
I started casting about 8 years ago. At the time I was buying Kaido’s custom Lee bullets for $40/100 + shipping. His were the only wide meplat, ready for cap n ball use out there. It didn’t take much math to figure up that a custom mold getting my own design and mostly Lee equipment paid for itself rather quickly, same with ball and conicals. Thing is I don’t have to concern myself with whether or not it’s in stock or will get here in time...
Another yes ...
If you get lead fumes you are casting way to HOT. Been casting since a teen in the 1960's. Blood level checked every couple of years last year it was at 3. I cast for everything that shoots not just ML.
Lead problems usually come from ingestion not inhalation. Don't eat, drink, smoke or suck your thumb when handling lead. That include handling round balls , minnies, shot or bullets.
In inside ranges lack of ventilation will let you inhale lead mostly from primer residue and next splatter from backstop. Don't shoot on a range with bad ventilation. When you taste sweet in an indoor range ventilation is bad and the sweet is lead.
Lead problems usually come from ingestion not inhalation. Don't eat, drink, smoke or suck your thumb when handling lead. That include handling round balls , minnies, shot or bullets.
In inside ranges lack of ventilation will let you inhale lead mostly from primer residue and next splatter from backstop. Don't shoot on a range with bad ventilation. When you taste sweet in an indoor range ventilation is bad and the sweet is lead.
hanshi
Cannon
Guilty as charged. Been casting for 55 years. I make everything except the black powder and the rifle.
most definitely
try to make the gun as well.
try to make the gun as well.
tnlonghunter
40 Cal.
I cast my own, but only because I already had to get the casting equipment to cast for my BPCR. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been worth the time or money.
T/C Maxi Hunters for Life.....
Been casting, two more molds showed up today. Just need one more for the .62 rifle
Doc Ivory
45 Cal.
Not yet, still have to come to terms with lead vapors
Been casting my own round balls now for 25+years. I have several odd sized calibers that require unique molds to cast balls so i can shoot them. Casting my own lead projectiles is theraputic for me, especially on a cold winters day.
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2013
- Messages
- 1,624
- Reaction score
- 1,268
Probably about the same here Griz. I used to scavenge lead back when it wasn't cool, old window weights, and even wheel weights back in then were almost pure lead. I was always bugging the plumbers for the extra lead, when they used to seal pipes with it.
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2007
- Messages
- 1,159
- Reaction score
- 544
I started casting round ball when I first got involved with muzzleloading about 35 years ago. Work kept me busy so when I had time to cast I made a lot. Now I'm retired and have the time. The joke is at that time I inherited a huge amount of commercial round ball in all the calibers I need. Haven't had to cast for a long time. But I do make my own patches, felt wads, and other gear to the extent I can. The more I do for the BP hobby, the more enjoyment I get.
Jeff
Jeff
You bet. For 50 years. First with 58 minies then into cartridge calibers. I load one thing or another almost daily. Sizing some 44's tonight.
appalichian hunter
75 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2018
- Messages
- 5,828
- Reaction score
- 9,474
As a matter of rule I will buy round ball, but am guilty of running ball around a camp fire especially for the .62 a time or two, just like the nostalgia of doing this.
Mannings
32 Cal
A little off topic but this happened yesterday in my town.
"
VENICE, Fla. — Fire rescue crews in Venice have brought a two-alarm fire under control after a garage became engulfed in flames followed by an "explosion."
Sarasota County Fire Chief Mike Regnier said crews were called out to a fire on Sunset Beach Drive following a report of an "explosion."
Once on scene, Regnier said they came across two people suffering from burns who were airlifted to a local trauma center. The pair are said to have been doing some sort of "refilling of ammo with gun powder" at the time of the fire.
After taking care of the two people injured, Regnier said crews became aware of a large amount of gun powder in the structure, which quickly caught fire.
But things escalated, leading to several neighbors being asked to evacuate the area, with the help of Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, as rounds of ammo began going off around the garage, Regnier said.
Expired cartridges were also found in the roadway.
Crews believe some larger explosions while fighting the fire also came from propane tanks inside the garage as they caught on fire.
To fight the fire, crews had to take a defensive approach and use uncrewed monitors to get water on the flames. Venice Fire Department and Nokomis Fire Department both assisted the more than a dozen SCFD units that responded to the scene.
Regnier said this type of fire is not uncommon, but one of this extent is not normally seen.
"It's not uncommon to go to a structure fire where you have fire inside, with people having weapons of some sort or ammo and coming across that. However, not in this capacity and this amount," he said.
The fire marshal has been contacted to investigate.
"
VENICE, Fla. — Fire rescue crews in Venice have brought a two-alarm fire under control after a garage became engulfed in flames followed by an "explosion."
Sarasota County Fire Chief Mike Regnier said crews were called out to a fire on Sunset Beach Drive following a report of an "explosion."
Once on scene, Regnier said they came across two people suffering from burns who were airlifted to a local trauma center. The pair are said to have been doing some sort of "refilling of ammo with gun powder" at the time of the fire.
After taking care of the two people injured, Regnier said crews became aware of a large amount of gun powder in the structure, which quickly caught fire.
But things escalated, leading to several neighbors being asked to evacuate the area, with the help of Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, as rounds of ammo began going off around the garage, Regnier said.
Expired cartridges were also found in the roadway.
Crews believe some larger explosions while fighting the fire also came from propane tanks inside the garage as they caught on fire.
To fight the fire, crews had to take a defensive approach and use uncrewed monitors to get water on the flames. Venice Fire Department and Nokomis Fire Department both assisted the more than a dozen SCFD units that responded to the scene.
Regnier said this type of fire is not uncommon, but one of this extent is not normally seen.
"It's not uncommon to go to a structure fire where you have fire inside, with people having weapons of some sort or ammo and coming across that. However, not in this capacity and this amount," he said.
The fire marshal has been contacted to investigate.
I'm a caster.
Thomas
Thomas
Tom Compton
54 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2008
- Messages
- 1,893
- Reaction score
- 193
MountainSmoke
40 Cal.
I try to make my own as much as I can but still buy round balls and shot for the smoothie occasionally. I really would like to be able to make my own lead shot but have yet to find a way to make it nice and uniform. Rupert shot is doable but not so much round shot for me yet. One of my favorite things to do is to cast a few balls over the evening camp fire and use them to take game with the following day. It doesn't always happen but it sure is great satisfaction when it does.
