What’s better, casting or shooting?

[BBerguson]

It’s casting for me. I enjoy making things and casting bullets and then powder coating them is just a very enjoyable experience for me. I also love to reload. Shooting is depleting all my newly “built” cartridges and it bothers me just a little. I know, strange. I’ve always told people that I like the preparation for the hunt more than the hunt itself so I guess it’s the same with the ammo too.

BB

 

[Brad]

Depends?
They each have a different satisfaction for me.
Each can be mindless and enjoyable, each can be like work.

Best to me is shooting with my wife or daughter.

 

[Hawk]

At least you have a wife and daughter that will shoot with you.
My wife has gone to the deer lease exactly 2 times with me in 52 years we've been together.

 

[DHD]

It's a circle for me. I cast so I can shoot, and I shoot so I can cast more. Hopefully it never ends. I don't do volume as I usually only cast 400 - 500 at a time, but I try my best to cast 400 - 500 perfect bullets.

 

[Cherokee]

Shooting, but then I do get to do the other stuff too which has its rewards...shooting.
Hawk - My wife has never been shooting with me in 58 years.

 

[Ian]

It's a circle for me. I cast so I can shoot, and I shoot so I can cast more. Hopefully it never ends. I don't do volume as I usually only cast 400 - 500 at a time, but I try my best to cast 400 - 500 perfect bullets.

It's more like a set of spirals for me. The casting and loading and shooting all lead to machine work, so I include gunsmithing, mould making, die making, building Form 1 suppressors, making targets, and so on. I also have a lead and cartridge brass scrounging habit and maintaining powder and primers satisfies my hoarding urges. Woodworking hobby got turned into stock making and checkering. Shooting shack, backstop, and range building is also a fun, long-term project. Of course bullet lube engineering and powder coating are spin-offs of the shooting and casting hobbies along with stock finishing and leather work. Hunting is sort of the ultimate goal for a lot of what I cast and shoot, so there's that. Then there's trying to become a better shooter, which is a hobby all its own. Guns and shooting provide limitless entertainment and for me, I couldn't say I have a preference for any part of it over any other......except for trimming brass and making ingots out of scrap which are both onerous chores to me.

 

[Rally]

What Ian said, except I'd rather pheasant hunt, but that's a lot to do with the dogs, and then there is trapping, and fishing, and garage sales with the wife and …….……...

 

[waco]

It's more like a set of spirals for me. The casting and loading and shooting all lead to machine work, so I include gunsmithing, mould making, die making, building Form 1 suppressors, making targets, and so on. I also have a lead and cartridge brass scrounging habit and maintaining powder and primers satisfies my hoarding urges. Woodworking hobby got turned into stock making and checkering. Shooting shack, backstop, and range building is also a fun, long-term project. Of course bullet lube engineering and powder coating are spin-offs of the shooting and casting hobbies along with stock finishing and leather work. Hunting is sort of the ultimate goal for a lot of what I cast and shoot, so there's that. Then there's trying to become a better shooter, which is a hobby all its own. Guns and shooting provide limitless entertainment and for me, I couldn't say I have a preference for any part of it over any other......except for trimming brass and making ingots out of scrap which are both onerous chores to me.

You wore me out just reading that...
I love casting and reloading. Shooting as well. It’s all fun.

 

[RicinYakima]

We all have only a very brief time on this earth. Having fun is part of what life is about, and for me that is shooting.

 

[Glaciers]

It's more like a set of spirals for me. The casting and loading and shooting all lead to machine work, so I include gunsmithing, mould making, die making, building Form 1 suppressors, making targets, and so on. I also have a lead and cartridge brass scrounging habit and maintaining powder and primers satisfies my hoarding urges. Woodworking hobby got turned into stock making and checkering. Shooting shack, backstop, and range building is also a fun, long-term project. Of course bullet lube engineering and powder coating are spin-offs of the shooting and casting hobbies along with stock finishing and leather work. Hunting is sort of the ultimate goal for a lot of what I cast and shoot, so there's that. Then there's trying to become a better shooter, which is a hobby all its own. Guns and shooting provide limitless entertainment and for me, I couldn't say I have a preference for any part of it over any other......except for trimming brass and making ingots out of scrap which are both onerous chores to me.

Ian you are one busy guy. You must have the coffee pot full of high test 24/7.

 

[RBHarter]

I find the whole process very soothing whether it's making it , spending it or scrounging it . It loses the fun factors when it has to be done or there are too many busy people around me .

 

[Winelover]

I love it all. Casting, reloading, shooting, hunting, fishing......the reason I moved to rural Arkansas. Ability to do all, just out side my back door. Fishing is a ten minute drive to the Marina. Cindy doesn't cast or reload but participates in the rest. Since the virus hit, she's home more and getting in more trigger time. When we lived in Michigan, she was my hunting partner..............could never count on my friends to go and she didn't want me going alone. Took her share of game with rifle, handgun and bow. Since we're relocated to Arkansas, she pretty much quit hunting. She hunted a bit the first year, but not since. This Winter she expressed interest in hunting this Fall..................we'll see.

I much prefer bow hunting over gun. Arkansas' season is six months long. By the time gun season arrives, I usually have one in the freezer. Then, I get picky and pass on anything smaller than eight points. Retired life is good.

Raining here, currently.......................I've got bullets to run though the Star.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Yup.

CW

 

[BBerguson]

It's more like a set of spirals for me. The casting and loading and shooting all lead to machine work, so I include gunsmithing, mould making, die making, building Form 1 suppressors, making targets, and so on. I also have a lead and cartridge brass scrounging habit and maintaining powder and primers satisfies my hoarding urges. Woodworking hobby got turned into stock making and checkering. Shooting shack, backstop, and range building is also a fun, long-term project. Of course bullet lube engineering and powder coating are spin-offs of the shooting and casting hobbies along with stock finishing and leather work. Hunting is sort of the ultimate goal for a lot of what I cast and shoot, so there's that. Then there's trying to become a better shooter, which is a hobby all its own. Guns and shooting provide limitless entertainment and for me, I couldn't say I have a preference for any part of it over any other......except for trimming brass and making ingots out of scrap which are both onerous chores to me.

I think I found my brother... I cast in my wood shop and wish I had a lathe for some machining. I have a son starting college and can’t afford to expand my hobbies, otherwise I would. Also would love to retire but can’t quite afford that either. Oh well, I’ll just keep playing with the stuff I have and be happy.

BB

 

[Rick H]

Its all part of the whole.....the anticipation, the preparation, the shooting, the hunting. I can't pick out one above the others.

 

[Cadillac Jeff]

HMMM,,,,Yea I guess for me it all goes together.
I kinda have done the same with archery< make my own arrows,strings & small parts... Fishing same there have tyed my own rods,flys,made jigs ect. ect.

so I guess it is just how I roll.

jeff

 

[abj]

For me concocting the loads is first, seeing how they shoot/preform, and then the casting. I'm afraid that I'm a lot like Ben when I look at mold drawings and start thinking " I wonder if this will work." Gets expensive but still fun. And by the way, I'm lucky in that my wife would have me reloading non stop to feed her trigger time habit. LOL
Tony

 

[Ian]

I think I found my brother... I cast in my wood shop and wish I had a lathe for some machining. I have a son starting college and can’t afford to expand my hobbies, otherwise I would. Also would love to retire but can’t quite afford that either. Oh well, I’ll just keep playing with the stuff I have and be happy.

BB

You can get a very capable little benchtop lathe for under a grand. I should have gotten one 20 years ago and would have if I'd realized how much money it would actually save me in reloading tools and gunsmithing fees; the thing paid for itself after threading a couple of muzzles and rebarreling one rifle, now it MAKES me money every time I use it, or expands my handloading capability and convenience every time I make a part that cannot be bought. Next is a benchtop mill so I can actually make guns from scratch.

 

[CZ93X62]

These hobbies feed each other.

 

[popper]

I tend to tinker a lot so reloading, casting and shooting are a good way to spend the day. She says I'm in the garage making bullets when someone asks about me. Not really there that much. I did get her to go shooting once, needs more practice. Actually needs to learn the in-and-out of the different pistols. I'd like to get her to shoot rifle. Her dad was a big pheasant hunter & fisher but none of the 3 girls are.
Legs don't work so well so fly fishing is on hold, hog eradication is fun. Went with GK on deer hunt once, didn't really plan on shooting anything. Don't have a big freezer.