Are cast bullets and casting a growing or shrinking market

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I expect there was a surge in casting because of the Pandemic but other than that I'm going to say that casting is a shrinking market. Between the fears of lead poisoning and difficulty finding free or cheap lead I'm personally not seeing a lot of new casters. Most of my regular shooting buddies do cast but none of our offspring have gotten into it.

I see casting as an extension of reloading much like tying flies is to a fisherman.
 
AJC1 said:
What's the rate when you throw them all back...View attachment 1084653
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This Salman cost me $500.00 for the charter and drive up to Niagara Falls to get him but the experience was well worth it to me and I will be going back up.
salmon from Niagara - 2016.jpg
But I will definitely say that the fresh Salmon have a lot better taste then the pen raised salmon do. Especially cooked on a smoker over hickory.
Casting bullets, reloading, shooting, hunting, fishing, golf, what ever, we do for the enjoyment of it. I can't put a price on that.
I just don't have a pension for casting bullets much anymore as much as some people do.
But I certainly won't speak down on it because I can surely relate to those that really enjoy it. I get it.
 
lightman said:
I expect there was a surge in casting because of the Pandemic but other than that I'm going to say that casting is a shrinking market. Between the fears of lead poisoning and difficulty finding free or cheap lead I'm personally not seeing a lot of new casters. Most of my regular shooting buddies do cast but none of our offspring have gotten into it.

I see casting as an extension of reloading much like tying flies is to a fisherman.
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I think this lead poisoning thing is exaggerated. Let's put this out there. How many bullet casters have suffered from lead poisoning outside of being negligent and eating food with lead contaminated hands or breathing the fumes? I remember when lead was taken out of paint because poor kids were eating it. So, why would you want to eat paint? Even as a kid a I knew that paint wasn't something to be eaten. Then here in CA the argument was to ban lead bullets to save the Condor that probably lives in 1/20th of the State.
 
tightgroup tiger said:
This Salman cost me $500.00 for the charter and drive up to Niagara Falls to get him but the experience was well worth it to me and I will be going back up.
View attachment 1084807
But I will definitely say that the fresh Salmon have a lot better taste then the pen raised salmon do. Especially cooked on a smoker over hickory.
Casting bullets, reloading, shooting, hunting, fishing, golf, what ever, we do for the enjoyment of it. I can't put a price on that.
I just don't have a pension for casting bullets much anymore as much as some people do.
But I certainly won't speak down on it because I can surely relate to those that really enjoy it. I get it.
Click to expand...

Lots of people here opt to fly to AK and charter a boat. Or you can just charter a boat on the OR or WA coast and catch fish. I'm not sure what a charter costs these days but it's probably less than $200. I've done that and caught a limit of Coho in one day. Used to be real popular here when there were yuge runs of fish.
 
CoalTrain49 said:
Lots of people here opt to fly to AK and charter a boat. Or you can just charter a boat on the OR or WA coast and catch fish. I'm not sure what a charter costs these days but it's probably less than $200. I've done that and caught a limit of Coho in one day. Used to be real popular here when there were yuge runs of fish.
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What has this to do with casting unless you're talking about casting sinkers. I casted about 5 ingots at my mom's while doing yard work for her. I left the ingots there. Talking to my oldest brother later, he told me how he made all these great lead sinkers with ingots found at my moms. At worse, I'll make bullets with those sinkers just like in the movie Patriot when bullets were made with the Hero's son's toy lead soldiers.
 
BJung said:
So, why would you want to eat paint? Even as a kid a I knew that paint wasn't something to be eaten. Then here in CA the argument was to ban lead bullets to save the Condor that probably lives in 1/20th of the State.
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Don't want to get off topic, but couldn't help myself. Been casting for over 35 years. Get tested every few years and it is always negative and normal. Not even elevated. Wash hands and face afterwards. No drinking, eating, smoking while casting and clothes are washed the next day. Cast in garage with cross ventilation.
I think casting is coming back. Lipstick bullets are dirt cheap, which means I can shoot more often. I cast fishing weights, .357 and 9mm, and muzzle loading .45, .50, .54.
Babies chew on paint chips and window blinds while teething in inner city housing. Children under the age of 6 are most vulnerable to lead while their bodies are forming and growing.
Don Zutz did a lot of research on the subject before steel shot came about. Commercial bullets use a specific alloy of lead in manufacture. No one has ever tested for that alloy. They only say, it's carcass lead. Condors population will come back. When? How long ago was lead banned in areas of California? And the Calif. DNR can't understand why hunting licenses took a big drop after the ban. Really?
 
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I was thinking about much of this while reading the other thread re: lead poisoning…

When I was a kid, up until very early teens and discovered girls & cars, I cast and painted lead soldiers with a kit I received for my birthday or Christmas. Probably using lead-based paint.

What damage was done, hard to say. I’m 70 now and wonder when the last of these kits was sold.

Of course the cars of my youth used leaded gas and brake pads were partly asbestos…hard to believe I’m still mostly alive…so any lingering health problems could be attributed to those sources too.

On the topic though, no business is likely willing to reveal their sales figures on anything we do here whether it’s casting or just basic reloading. Maybe getting stats on lead poisoning in adults is the best source.
 
CQB45ACP said:
I was thinking about much of this while reading the other thread re: lead poisoning…

When I was a kid, up until very early teens and discovered girls & cars, I cast and painted lead soldiers with a kit I received for my birthday or Christmas. Probably using lead-based paint.

What damage was done, hard to say. I’m 70 now and wonder when the last of these kits was sold.

Of course the cars of my youth used leaded gas and brake pads were partly asbestos…hard to believe I’m still mostly alive…so any lingering health problems could be attributed to those sources too.

On the topic though, no business is likely willing to reveal their sales figures on anything we do here whether it’s casting or just basic reloading. Maybe getting stats on lead poisoning in adults is the best source.
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You can buy kits like this from Prince August in Ireland. I purchased a chess mold for my daughter and nephew who was visiting from Japan. Both helped pour the lead into the mold and I did the rest. They washed their hands and ventilation was good.. When my nephew returned home my wife asked him, "..do you really want that chess set?". His reply was, "Yes Auntie because those were made from bullets!"
 
BJung said:
You can buy kits like this from Prince August in Ireland. I purchased a chess mold for my daughter and nephew who was visiting from Japan. Both helped pour the lead into the mold and I did the rest. They washed their hands and ventilation was good.. When my nephew returned home my wife asked him, "..do you really want that chess set?". His reply was, "Yes Auntie because those were made from bullets!"
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Great story!
 
AJC1 said:
I ask because every day the people around me seem less and less capable of doing anything... I pride myself in my skills and I pray more people seek out knowledge and skills.
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This is the world we live in sadly on many levels. In 45 years of home ownership I’ve never paid anyone to mow my lawn, perform basic plumbing or electrical repairs, nor any thing of the sort. My 35ish and above neighbors have never done anything for themselves.
 
CQB45ACP said:
This is the world we live in sadly on many levels. In 45 years of home ownership I’ve never paid anyone to mow my lawn, perform basic plumbing or electrical repairs, nor any thing of the sort. My 35ish and above neighbors have never done anything for themselves.
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I agree 100%. Save your money for more important things........it's not rocket science to maintain your home, or reload. Car repairs are getting harder because the car dealerships want it that way. You Tube is your friend.....makes things you're not so familiar with easy or at least easier.

Harder to find lead these days tho....or any other component.....but that's happened before....be patient, and vote down liberals.
 
  • Regular shooters are a small fraction of gun owners.
  • Reloaders are a small fraction of regular shooters.
  • Cast bullet shooters are a small fraction of reloaders.
  • Bullet casters are a small fraction of cast bullet shooters.
  • Bullet casters that gather and process range lead are a small fraction of casters
  • Reloaders that purchase powder in volume (multiple 8# jugs per order) for pistol and mil surp for rifle are also a small subset.
  • Primer reloaders are an even smaller fraction than casters.
For me, powder coat has been a game changer. The ability to load full power for handguns (including magnums and TC Contender bottleneck rounds) made it to where I load 100% cast in everything except 223 and 300 BO for one finicky gun.

I have invested in the tools and supplies for all of the items at the top of this post. I am still using pre-pandemic powder. Not all of my lead is range lead, and when I buy lead it is around $1.10 per lb. My cost per 100 rounds for my higher volume loads is from $1.50 to $3.50 with reloaded primers and scrap yard lead. My most expensive ammo is still being assembled with mil surp powder and factory primers at less than $12 per 100 rounds. When I am at the range, I like to shoot what guns I want to for as long as I want to without needing to be concerned about ammo costs.
 
I like to use Hi-tek powdered coating. But I like to use lube on some bullets. Just for fun, I have some 175 gr. loaded up using old Unique that came in the square can. Should put off a fair amount of smoke. :D
 
I don’t mine for lead, in the excavation sense of the word but I rarely miss a chance to stop by after a rain. All the little white dots sitting on top of the dirt ready for pick up, always puts a smile on my face.
 
jmorris said:
I don’t mine for lead, in the excavation sense of the word but I rarely miss a chance to stop by after a rain. All the little white dots sitting on top of the dirt ready for pick up, always puts a smile on my face.
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I much prefer being at the range when the dirt is dry. I sift the dirt out and pour the lead bullets in a sack. I plan to buy a portable dolly so I can haul the sack from the berm to the car.
 
P Flados said:
  • Regular shooters are a small fraction of gun owners.
  • Reloaders are a small fraction of regular shooters.
  • Cast bullet shooters are a small fraction of reloaders.
  • Bullet casters are a small fraction of cast bullet shooters.
  • Bullet casters that gather and process range lead are a small fraction of casters
  • Reloaders that purchase powder in volume (multiple 8# jugs per order) for pistol and mil surp for rifle are also a small subset.
  • Primer reloaders are an even smaller fraction than casters.
I think Shooters do in different directions. Young shooters can become hunters that become BP Hunters to Archery. Other Shooters become gunsmiths. Other Shooters become reloaders, then casters. To me, it's nice to be a part of a niche. At the range, a lot of Shooters don't know reloading and casting and I'm happy to explain the benefits of both. I should improve my shooting skills because a lot of shooters need improvement.
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