Do top shooters cast their own boolits?

[dragon813gt]

I cast, therefore I am top shooter??????

[Beerd]

I shot a top once, but I didn't inhale.
..

[Dave C.]

Yes, I cast for matches.

[9.3X62AL]

Michigan Mike summed up the whole Cast Boolits rationale pretty succinctly. I am not a match shooter of any sort, and even a week in a Howard Johnson's Extended Stay lodging wouldn't improve that condition. I'm a hunter, though I can get a little particular about the bullets I hunt with and prep for hunting with.

[BruceB]

All I would add to Mike's well-expressed opinion is this:

Casting gives a handloader INDEPENDENCE to a very large degree. With a reasonable supply of bullet metal on hand, he can load and fire without resorting to the uncertain lines of supply that plague us so frequently.

[Blackwater]

Many top shooters don't cast their own for a good reason - TIME! To reach the very top levels of shooting, one must practice, and practice a LOT! Do that, and take care of all the other business a top shooter will have to handle, and there just isn't much time left for casting. However, those that really know shooting and ballistics, and aren't just trained performers, WILL likely cast their own, or get someone with more time to do so, because you just can't buy some of the very best bullets. As was already mentioned, most commercial cast bullets are designed to drop from the mould reliably, and have beveled bases for that reason. The very BEST bullets have flat bases, especially for any high pressure loadings. It's hard to get a machine to tap the blocks to get the bullet to fall out, and it holds up production. We all know and must appreciate the value of production ability in a Wal Mart oriented economy, right? Anyway, for shooting masses of ammo, I think one MUST use commercial cast, and some of them ARE very, very good. However, for the very BEST, I think having control over alloy, harndess, heat treat (if any), diameter, fit to throat, and general bullet design and consistency, ya' gotta' cast yer own if ya' wanna' shoot for CLASS vs. masses. Just MHO, but based on a lot of shooting over a lot of years.

[quasi]

All I would add to Mike's well-expressed opinion is this:

Casting gives a handloader INDEPENDENCE to a very large degree. With a reasonable supply of bullet metal on hand, he can load and fire without resorting to the uncertain lines of supply that plague us so frequently.

Right on!

[Forgetful]

This independence also helps stabilize the price of factory ammo. When there's a supply problem, more people get into loading, lessening the demand of factory ammo.

[Shiloh]

Did you hear that? Lee makes a good pot. That's going to strike a nerve w/ some people :laugh:

I like mine.

Shiloh

[dragon813gt]

I like mine.

Shiloh

I like mine as well. But we know how some people are

[cbrick]

I like mine as well. But we know how some people are

I resemble that remark.

It's extremely doubtful he either casts or reloads for anything except a hobby. He gets his guns & ammo from sponsors, all he can shoot. He also gives such credit in his videos such as this one even though it is a casting video. The S&W shirt he was wearing wasn't an accident.

Rick

[slughammer]

Jerry is just like us except he has a gift! I've smelted many a bucket and casted many pots with wax as my flux. Jerry seems like an experienced smelter and caster (20-30yrs). He says in the video he is casting shotgun slugs. I imagine he is justifying it the same as we do vs buying commercial. He doesn't mention pistol bullets, but I imagine he has done it in the past. Looks like his biggest payback is the shotgun slugs and he gets to enjoy the same hobby as the rest of us.