Reliable expanding bullets of all types. And the ability to have a variety from rapid expansion to slower expansion with high weight retention.
A 270 is a far more reliable elk gun today than it was in the 50s largely because of bullet quality.
What is better made, or more useable, now than in the years past?
- Thread starter RicinYakima
- Start date
A 270 is a far more reliable elk gun today than it was in the 50s largely because of bullet quality.
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Cordless tools, medicines certainly, oils and lubes, most farm implements, the better quality hand tools, microwave foods, bearings...lots of stuff. I suppose it depends on what time period you want to compare to and in what fields. Chainsaws of the 90's were on many cases better than what you get today. Tractors of the mid 60's to about 1980 were better built than today, not so many bells and whistles, but better for using even if they didn't have AC and Bluetooth. Computers for me didn't even start till almost Y2K so I'm no expert, but IMO they were easier to use and built better in some whys during 10 years ago or a little more. Yeah, they hold a lot more and are faster now, but a lot of that space is taken up with junk and they watch your every move on line, so I'm not sure how much of an "improvement" that is.
Tires aren't as good, but the availability of odd sizes is better. Moulds are way better, in fact I've been saying for some time this is the Golden Age for casting, or was until they did away with lead alloy wheel weights and US lead mining in general. Some plumbing stuff is way better, PEX vs some of the earlier "plastics" or galvanized. OTOH, whoever thought up having a toilet with nooks and crannies at the base was a freakin' idiot that apparently didn't own a dog or ever miss the bowl for a fraction of a second in the dark of the night when he was a boy.
Some is better, some is worse. Food quality I think has dropped, or maybe I can't afford the better stuff. Fuel quality surely has dropped,but so has the price. Lots of toss ups out there too.
Tires aren't as good, but the availability of odd sizes is better. Moulds are way better, in fact I've been saying for some time this is the Golden Age for casting, or was until they did away with lead alloy wheel weights and US lead mining in general. Some plumbing stuff is way better, PEX vs some of the earlier "plastics" or galvanized. OTOH, whoever thought up having a toilet with nooks and crannies at the base was a freakin' idiot that apparently didn't own a dog or ever miss the bowl for a fraction of a second in the dark of the night when he was a boy.
Some is better, some is worse. Food quality I think has dropped, or maybe I can't afford the better stuff. Fuel quality surely has dropped,but so has the price. Lots of toss ups out there too.
KeithB
Resident Half Fast Machinist
CNC machine tools. Quality is better, prices (adjusted for inflation) are lower, capabilities are greatly increased (better and cheaper electronics). Combine that with way better tooling (carbide and ceramic). And when this stuff gets better for money makers it also gets better for hobbyists.
Yes, I like classic tools but for making money the new tools and machines are the way to go.
Not going to dispute anyone's opinion about food and agriculture but it seems to me that locally we have a larger variety of food available, with specialty/ethnic stores, farmers markets and even mainline groceries stocking more different items. I have a sharecropper's contract with a guy that grows specialty foods for targeted markets - restaurants and ethnic food stores. My father ran a greenhouse for years and I've never even heard of some of the things my sharecropper grows.
Yes, I like classic tools but for making money the new tools and machines are the way to go.
Not going to dispute anyone's opinion about food and agriculture but it seems to me that locally we have a larger variety of food available, with specialty/ethnic stores, farmers markets and even mainline groceries stocking more different items. I have a sharecropper's contract with a guy that grows specialty foods for targeted markets - restaurants and ethnic food stores. My father ran a greenhouse for years and I've never even heard of some of the things my sharecropper grows.
oscarflytyer
Well-Known Member
CNC tools - yes
3D printers - flat out new technology
Military weapons systems and equipment, and subsequently, better survivability. Same for medical advances to keep soldiers alive.
PCs obviously
I am 50-50 on vehicles. Yes, they are better and safer today. BUT flip side is, VERY expensive if something fails
Fishing/Fly rod technology! And fly lines. Waders also
Def color printers
Power tools
3D printers - flat out new technology
Military weapons systems and equipment, and subsequently, better survivability. Same for medical advances to keep soldiers alive.
PCs obviously
I am 50-50 on vehicles. Yes, they are better and safer today. BUT flip side is, VERY expensive if something fails
Fishing/Fly rod technology! And fly lines. Waders also
Def color printers
Power tools
KeithB
Resident Half Fast Machinist
I think you are right about some foods. It doesn't seem like some of the new varieties of common vegetables - tomatoes, cucumbers and such - do have as much flavor as I recall they had 40 years ago. And I have read (and believe but have no way to confirm) that some vegetables such as broccoli do not have the nutritional content that they used to have. I eat a lot less meat now than I used to so I don't notice too many problems there but I will say that it is very difficult to buy certain meat items such as beef hearts and tongues, chicken giblets in bulk, and pork brains. I can get them from a local butcher shop, some only by special order, but I used to be able to get them in the meat department of any major grocery store.
I guess it is reasonable to say that we have a larger variety of many things but not all things we grew up with are still available or of the same quality. Many things are better now but not everything. Some things that didn't exist before I rely on now - a continuous glucose monitoring system for example.
Every time somebody waxes nostalgically about the good old days ad nauseum I remember that I would have been dead before my 30th birthday if I had been born 100 years earlier so screw that line of thought.
I guess it is reasonable to say that we have a larger variety of many things but not all things we grew up with are still available or of the same quality. Many things are better now but not everything. Some things that didn't exist before I rely on now - a continuous glucose monitoring system for example.
Every time somebody waxes nostalgically about the good old days ad nauseum I remember that I would have been dead before my 30th birthday if I had been born 100 years earlier so screw that line of thought.
smokeywolf
Well-Known Member
Not so sure bullet moulds are better now. Pretty hard to better the old Ideal meehanite moulds.
Out-of-the-box firearms? Yes, in some cases. While I don't own a Miroku made Winchester, I've read many comments that say they are at least as good, if not better than an original Winchester.
Computers-Word processing, Internet, CNC machinery
Battery technology
Medical-Knowledge, Technology, Robotics, Imaging
Nutrition
Communication/Cell phones, email, Texting
Mapping/GPS
Transportation-Cars, Planes, Trains
Imaging-Digital Cameras, TVs
Out-of-the-box firearms? Yes, in some cases. While I don't own a Miroku made Winchester, I've read many comments that say they are at least as good, if not better than an original Winchester.
Computers-Word processing, Internet, CNC machinery
Battery technology
Medical-Knowledge, Technology, Robotics, Imaging
Nutrition
Communication/Cell phones, email, Texting
Mapping/GPS
Transportation-Cars, Planes, Trains
Imaging-Digital Cameras, TVs
462
California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
The reason why so many vegetables and fruits are lacking in flavor is because they are picked so very early, particularly if they are grown outside the country.
Strawberries grown in Winter are not as sweet and juicy as those grown in Summer. Tomatoes are almost tasteless, because are picked green so they can ripen somewhat during sorting, transport, and display.
Tasteless fresh fruits and vegetables is the price we pay for being able to eat them year-round.
Strawberries grown in Winter are not as sweet and juicy as those grown in Summer. Tomatoes are almost tasteless, because are picked green so they can ripen somewhat during sorting, transport, and display.
Tasteless fresh fruits and vegetables is the price we pay for being able to eat them year-round.
If they made an ugly, evil, black plastic car today that would run as well and reliably as the attractive and expensive ones, I'd be all over that.
To the point of nostalgia, I really do love traditional revolvers, and that LCRX is butt-ugly, but it comes out of the box with nothing I can see as needed improvements. Except it's ugly.
Mother was from the era that got an orange every year most Christmas's. We can get all kinds of varieties of fruit and vegetables with less flavor than home grown but a lot more choices.
Cartridge brass seems to have less flaws, furnace and appliance efficiency is much greater as is insulation.
As a society we are safer than 50 years ago. IMO, we have paid far too great a cost for "namby pamby idiots" that need to have printed instructions to not stop a moving chain saw blade with their hands. We have lost many personal freedoms but are safer from personal injury in the work force as a result of legislation and legal actions. We may not be better but we are safer.
Handicap access and integration of special needs is better for them, IMO the proliferation of participation awards has dumbed us rather than motivated us.
If this is too political feel free to nuke. Oh yea Microwave ovens are an improvement.
Cartridge brass seems to have less flaws, furnace and appliance efficiency is much greater as is insulation.
As a society we are safer than 50 years ago. IMO, we have paid far too great a cost for "namby pamby idiots" that need to have printed instructions to not stop a moving chain saw blade with their hands. We have lost many personal freedoms but are safer from personal injury in the work force as a result of legislation and legal actions. We may not be better but we are safer.
Handicap access and integration of special needs is better for them, IMO the proliferation of participation awards has dumbed us rather than motivated us.
If this is too political feel free to nuke. Oh yea Microwave ovens are an improvement.
Pistolero
Well-Known Member
Yeah, Keith, a big thumbs up with medical care. I crashed a motorcycle at age 19 and they fixed my
leg (pretty well destroyed the lower part of the femur) up pretty darned good for the early 70s. It has
gotten me nearly 50 years down the line, only getting really problematic in the last few years.
And now - that bum knee can be really fixed up. I know a number of people with new knees who are
quite pleased with them. So as to Keith's last line or two - yep, some things were good 100 years ago,
but medical care was NOT one of them. Heck of a lot of people "just died" and at pretty young ages,
too. Of course, it still happens, but a lot less often. So much more can be fixed or at least fixed up
pretty well. I complain about my eyes - but even 50 years ago, the cataract surgery was pretty primitive.
My grandmother had the lens removed and just thick coke bottle glasses to see, no actual lens in the
eye at all, so see nothing but a very bad blurr without her glasses. It was better than being blind, but
we are so far down the road on that and so many other things in medicine.
Bill
leg (pretty well destroyed the lower part of the femur) up pretty darned good for the early 70s. It has
gotten me nearly 50 years down the line, only getting really problematic in the last few years.
And now - that bum knee can be really fixed up. I know a number of people with new knees who are
quite pleased with them. So as to Keith's last line or two - yep, some things were good 100 years ago,
but medical care was NOT one of them. Heck of a lot of people "just died" and at pretty young ages,
too. Of course, it still happens, but a lot less often. So much more can be fixed or at least fixed up
pretty well. I complain about my eyes - but even 50 years ago, the cataract surgery was pretty primitive.
My grandmother had the lens removed and just thick coke bottle glasses to see, no actual lens in the
eye at all, so see nothing but a very bad blurr without her glasses. It was better than being blind, but
we are so far down the road on that and so many other things in medicine.
Bill
oscarflytyer
Well-Known Member
Molds - I really enjoy getting the older molds. I think they are better, or at least much more fun. Old revolvers same, and old pump shotguns (doubles too, but I can hit a barn with 'em, so pass). I really like the older guns and molds. and a lot of the old reloading press stuff too. Older in that dept is typically heavier/more robust and machining/tolerances are as good and probably better than today
Todd M
Craftsman of metals...always learning.
Agreed. The old Ideal single cav are mucho funno to cast with. They provide a relaxation not available with multi cav molds.
I like to use an old Belding and Mull 28 horizontal press to deprime with. Something about those old tools, just like using my grandpas old tools.
Rally
NC Minnesota
Most anything with a small engine in it. Chainsaws and snowmobiles in particular. Buy a good saw now and it will last many years if you keep good gas and oil in it. Utility type snowmobiles now are nearly bullet proof.
Google Earth is a pure miracle! Can't tell you how many hours of looking around for ponds it saves me since I "discovered" it.
Tires. Remember the 6 ply bias tires on your truck that were so noisy going down the road you couldn't hear the radio, much less your engine.
Four stroke outboard motors. You can run all summer on two tanks of gas and can barely hear them run.
Many of the new adhesives.
Torx head screws.
Any cordless power tool, I hate chasing cords.
Online banking. I can remember as a kid, sitting in the back seat of my Dads Buick, while in line at the drive through bank, cashing his check on Friday night. It was a big deal when the bank got a drive through window and stayed open until 6 Pm!
Google Earth is a pure miracle! Can't tell you how many hours of looking around for ponds it saves me since I "discovered" it.
Tires. Remember the 6 ply bias tires on your truck that were so noisy going down the road you couldn't hear the radio, much less your engine.
Four stroke outboard motors. You can run all summer on two tanks of gas and can barely hear them run.
Many of the new adhesives.
Torx head screws.
Any cordless power tool, I hate chasing cords.
Online banking. I can remember as a kid, sitting in the back seat of my Dads Buick, while in line at the drive through bank, cashing his check on Friday night. It was a big deal when the bank got a drive through window and stayed open until 6 Pm!
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
When I spoke of moulds I was referring to availability and accuracy. Old iron Ideals and Lymans are great, except you often had to go through 3 or 4 to get one that had at least one cavity that would drop an honest .314, .434 or .had a nose larger than .300. We had Lyman, Lee, RCBS and that was pretty much it. Yes, you might be able to find a guy that would order you a SAECO, NEI, B+M or Ohaus, but you never saw one in real life. You didn't know what you were going to get even when you ordered from RCBS or Lyman. And if you wanted something special it took months of writing out letters and begging someone to make you a one off mould, and they all came in one material choice. Now you can design your own bullet mould on line in a bunch of different configurations, with hp or not or both solid and hp, in steel or brass or alum, with 4 different designs in one block...and all for just a little more than an off the shelf Lyman or RCBS! You want a guaranteed .304 nose and .315 body, that's what you get. And every cavity will be the same size! And you how many choices today in maker? No one had ever even heard of LBT until Ross Seyfried started crowing about him in print and no one had heard of Ross until Elmer sort of annoiteed him just before he died. Elmer died in '84, so all this is new in less than 40 years. Thats massive IMO.
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Rally, do they make a snowmobile that isn't designed for groomed trails and going 100 mph? I'd love to find something along the lines of my '72 Olympic or '74 Panther, something that would actually move over 2 feet of fresh powder while running down brush and saplings.
We are truly in the golden years of moulds. We have wonderful quality moulds and they are of the right size. We have mould makes who make moulds for bullets that fit the guns we shoot.
You can design a bullet and Tom will make a top quality mould in well under month. Lyman and Ideal never offered that.
With NOE, Accurate, Arsenal, and MP we have moulds of a quality never seen before.
You can design a bullet and Tom will make a top quality mould in well under month. Lyman and Ideal never offered that.
With NOE, Accurate, Arsenal, and MP we have moulds of a quality never seen before.
RicinYakima
High Steppes of Eastern Washington
On the moulds subject, I would like to add Mountain Molds. You get to design the cavity, choose alloy, materials and every detail (within tooling requirements) all online and then look at diagrams of what you did. Turnaround time is about 3 weeks which is pretty good for one off designs.
RBHarter
West Central AR
A couple of yr ago I ordered a Mountain Molds with a 7-9 week eta , it was 11 days . Every detail was dead on .
My default is that I love forged steel and stuff made out of billets .
1911 vs Glock . FN A5 1974 vs A5 gas 2017 .
Steam locomotive vs diesel electric vs maglev ...... I know of a fairly recent event where an old museum diesel locomotive bailed AmTrak out of a flood zone ..... But as far as service vs servicing no contest .
Bigger , better , faster , stronger , cheaper , lower maintenance , more efficient , ergonomics , comfort , etc , we never had it so good .
I fear we are at the point where there is a great collapse and we loose 1/2-3/4 of our knowledge base and have to start over with and 1810 black smiths forge and bellows for another 1000 years . It's happened a dozen times before ......
My default is that I love forged steel and stuff made out of billets .
1911 vs Glock . FN A5 1974 vs A5 gas 2017 .
Steam locomotive vs diesel electric vs maglev ...... I know of a fairly recent event where an old museum diesel locomotive bailed AmTrak out of a flood zone ..... But as far as service vs servicing no contest .
Bigger , better , faster , stronger , cheaper , lower maintenance , more efficient , ergonomics , comfort , etc , we never had it so good .
I fear we are at the point where there is a great collapse and we loose 1/2-3/4 of our knowledge base and have to start over with and 1810 black smiths forge and bellows for another 1000 years . It's happened a dozen times before ......