You do the leg work, not me !!!!!

[462]

I've offered to help several local shooters who asked casting or reloading questions enough that they seemed to be interested, but there have not been any takers. Could be that what I perceived to be interest was only their curiosity. The last guy, less than two months ago, said he'd be afraid he'd hurt himself. Hmmm . . . so much for the image of all those who wear biker club leathers as being tough guys.

 

[Ian]

"A man has got to know his limitations".

Could be that what I perceived to be interest was only their curiosity

Well put, I'm positive that I've had that misperception as well both in person and on the internet.

 

[Jeff H]

...Could be that what I perceived to be interest was only their curiosity...

Could be that what you perceived as interest WAS interest - in some of those bullets you were getting for "free" from scrounged lead.

Not to be too cynical, but I've had that happen. Once, a BIL stated some astronomical number of how many "he'd take" as if I'd offered a bunch by explaining how I came up with mine after he'd asked. I think he missed the whole part about how much work and time was involved. I didn't bother to offer a reply and he never got a single bullet. I've given a lot of 'em away, but only to people who respect the effort that goes into it.

 

[fiver]

look i got no problem showing you, telling you, letting you watch, help, or try for yourself.
if someone knocked on my door right now and wanted to learn how to cast or reload, i'd go plug in the pot and walk them through the heating up process all the way through what they are looking for as the bullets cool from the mold.

the problem is you/they've only learned a few hours of the whole process, you might be able to make some decent bullets after going home and burning your fingers a few times with your new pot.
but you got no idea about diameters,time,lube sizing,loading techniques etc.

there is no now.
it's just like changing a tire, you can take one off and put one on ,but i bet 95+% of the guys that can change one have zero idea on how a tire is made.
anymore i bet near 50% of the dudes out there [under a certain age] got no idea how to put air in one, without looking it up on a cell phone,
and i'd bet a lot more money on them having never ever pumped a tire up with a manual operated bike pump.

 

[462]

Funny story about a flat tire. The local grandson is a right smart guy. While attending college, in Pennsylvania, his car had a flat tire. He called his dad and asked how to change it. He graduated with some sort of finance degree, but has zero mechanical knowledge or skill. I know where that fault lies, but in the keeping of family harmony have remained mum.

 

[RicinYakima]

My older brother has two MS from MIT and a PhD from Cal Tech. He spent most of his life a JPL designing "space stuff". While visiting him 20 years ago, he had a flat tire. I had to drive 20 miles in LA traffic to change the tire for him. AAA was stating help was 6 hours away.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

People, even very smart people, have different skills and possess different fields of knowledge.

I have a brother-in-law that is a mechanical engineer. He is scary smart with design and theory but probably should never touch an actual tool or machine. He is only one of many examples I could give.

We all have different talents.

I don't think it's a current generation problem. I am certain that every generation, going back thousands of years, believes the younger generations are inferior. It's natural, it existed 100 years ago, a thousand years ago and will likely exist in the future.

 

[Bret4207]

Ya know, a lot of us laugh at the crazy warnings or the stuff in owners manuals- "Do not drink contents of battery!", "Do not immerse appliance in liquid while plugged in!", "Do not open radiator cap if engine is warm!", "How to change tire", "How to replace fuse", "Take pizza out of box before eating". Seriously, every one of those came from some dope suing someone or from a company lawyer who saw not explaining the obvious as a potential liablility because there are mouth breathing idiots out there in great numbers- and they breed like rabbits!

 

[Jeff H]

Flat tire stories - Went to the car to go to work one morning and had a flat. I called the office and advised I had a flat tire and wouldn't be in the morning meeting, but to tell the engineers on my project to keep moving and Id line them up for the day when I got in.

When I got to work an hour late, I went to line up our brightest ME (mechanical engineer) and he was grinning slyly and obviously not listening. I asked why he wasn't listening. "I thought you had a flat tire this morning," he replies. He thought he'd busted me using a bogus excuse for being late and that I'd outed myself by even showing up that day.

After a brief discussion, I discovered that he had no idea you could buy a tire plug kit at WM for under three bucks and fix your own tires. He was incredulous at the idea. I explained the whole process of removing the tire, spitting on any suspect area, detecting bubbles, pulling the offending foreign object, plugging and airing up. Replace the tire on the vehicle and back in business.

As he described the "normal process" for "fixing a flat tire," one would call off for the day, call someone to come get the tire, take t somewhere and fix it, bring it back and put it on the car, while he sat home and watched cartoons or played iwth his new iphone, of which he was quite proud, because he was the only one who had one in the whole engineering department at the time.

Poor guy thought he was going to work in peace for a day and not have me making sure he did things correctly, but a cheap tire plug kit spoiled his fun. I felt badly for him. Not because I spoiled his "easy day," but because he was so genuinely helpless.

 

[oscarflytyer]

Late to the party, but... I DO occasionally ask for reloading data on the 'net - AND here! It is mostly in the form of 'what is working for you,' or your Pet Load (and gotten a lot of VERY good ones here for 'your' Pet Load! - and every one has been a one and done - they just plain work!) - to get a starting idea for some of my off the wall/odd stuff.

Only advice I really like to offer is something that is in Waters Pet Loads (and I reference it). Will offer my Pet Load that works for me/my particular gun/set up, but other than that, get a manual.

I also am an old book/manual guy. And even tho someone gives me info, I still triple check it. I like all my bugger pickers to stay attached!

Also offered to mentor/help people get started reloading. Also no takers to date.

 

[Ben]

A lot of these guys can't " cross match " your info. you've provided to them because they have stated they have no manuals and have no plans to buy any.

Ben

 

[Mitty38]

Lately load data period, is just not a desire for me, accept as a safety check. As I am to the point of working with things that others just do not generally do. Out of the box.
The AR-15 adds a Voodoo factor to a lot of cast bullet loads.Powder coating and slick sides, even more. Seams often I am going where very few have gone.
But the experiance and reward is way better then if I just been given a load.
However some of the gift loads have helped me understand things enough to do what I am doing.

 

[L Ross]

All of my loading manuals are old, like 1970's and older, with the exception being a Lyman something or other, 45 maybe? The guys in the deer camp across the road want to learn to reload. I need recommendations on a good, solid reloading manual. Should I tell them to get the latest iteration from Lyman?

My plan is to loan them one of my extra single stage presses, a set of dies, and have them start processing cases. While they are doing that I can explain the reasons behind each step. I also told them to hunt up some large rifle primers. They probably won't even have sticker shock because they don't know how things used to be.

 

[Tom]

You guys are discouraging me. I was about to ask for load data for what I have available.
30 30 marlin and wcc860, cci450, and some bullets that I found. They are about 30 caliber, not sure if they're lubed or not, but there is some brownish looking stuff flaking off. They weigh about 1/2 ounces. Can you provide data to get me to 2500 fps?

 

[fiver]

well yeah.
your probably not gonna like the direction all the parts of your rifle take,,, but of course we got all sorts.

 

[462]

I need recommendations on a good, solid reloading manual. Should I tell them to get the latest iteration from Lyman?

For an all-round manual, with both jacketed and cast data, and bullets and powder from all the various manufacturers, my recommendation would be Lymans 50th edition.

According to CW Longshot, Lyman's 51st -- their latest -- has deleted some older cartridges, but added some newer ones.

 

[RicinYakima]

You guys are discouraging me. I was about to ask for load data for what I have available.
30 30 marlin and wcc860, cci450, and some bullets that I found. They are about 30 caliber, not sure if they're lubed or not, but there is some brownish looking stuff flaking off. They weigh about 1/2 ounces. Can you provide data to get me to 2500 fps?

Put in ten grains of Bullseye and top off the case with WCC860 and your primers. Stop at your life insurance agent before going to the range and increase your policy.

 

[RicinYakima]

According to CW Longshot, Lyman's 51st -- their latest -- has deleted some older cartridges, but added some newer ones.

That is correct, the editor, Tom, as said that they will not in the future have data for "old" cartridges or powder, but only for their most popular die sets and current powders.

 

[Mitty38]

I have made it thru for now, using the following.
Hodgon web sight. A powder comparison chart, Lee manual, the 49th edition of Lyman cast, a down load of Western powder loads, and a Sierra load manual.
Along with the Info that sometimes comes with the powder.
Oh and help from you guys.
Plus math, ye a lot of math.

 

[Bret4207]

The Lyman 46th is more or less where I got started along with the 2nd edition of the Sierra manual. You can actually get the older Lymans in PDF form free now.