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yamoon
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I hate casting
May 12th, 2026 at 1:11pm
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There, I’ve come clean, I’ve been casting since 1968 and have never enjoyed it. I’m thinking of swaging and paper patching. Does anyone on the forum use Corbin dies designed for a reloading press, what is your experience and/or thoughts?
Thanks Mike
  
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oneatatime
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Re: I hate casting
Reply #1 - May 12th, 2026 at 3:39pm
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Where are you going to get the rough blanks to swage? Hint - you will probably cast them. How long will it take you to get tired of making paper patches? Hint - probably not too long. If you have been casting that long, you're probably good and efficient doing it.
  
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marlinguy
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Re: I hate casting
Reply #2 - May 12th, 2026 at 3:43pm
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oneatatime wrote on May 12th, 2026 at 3:39pm:
Where are you going to get the rough blanks to swage? Hint - you will probably cast them. How long will it take you to get tired of making paper patches? Hint - probably not too long. If you have been casting that long, you're probably good and efficient doing it.


I have an old cardboard tube of Lyman rods for swaging. It's the typical old Lyman-Ideal orange with black lettering and rods are 1/4" diameter. I think the weight is something like 10 lbs.? I bought it just because it was cheaper than lead, and thought it was cool. Planned to melt the lead down, but still haven't used it after a decade or more.
  

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frnkeore
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Re: I hate casting
Reply #3 - May 12th, 2026 at 7:21pm
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Cobin's stuff, for jacketed bullets is made to use with pure lead wire. 1/4" spools.
  

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YIMAIM  
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GT
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Re: I hate casting
Reply #4 - May 13th, 2026 at 1:34am
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Mike,
Oneatatime isn't far off, I slipped down this slope once.  I made numerous types of molds, several swaging dies, and I paper patched more than I care to mention or remember... 

What caliber are you thinking of? I did 50's, 45's, 44's, 40's and then jumped down to 28's.  Casting greasers and pan lubing, or using a lube pump like a Pope or a Dell is really hard to beat.  Keep telling yourself - it's not that bad or beg JasonB to sell you one of his Pope auto eject mold setups, it'll change your thoughts on casting for a little while... it's a novel process.

My casting didn't begin until the late 70's but I know a little about how you feel.  I know for certain I won't go back to the swaging and PP unless more spare time and energy miraculously appears in my life.  Wink
Greg
  

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sharps4590
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Re: I hate casting
Reply #5 - Today at 11:26am
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As with yourself I was becoming weary with casting bullets.

I had an opportunity to buy a fairly large tote of Corbin presses, (3), a slug of jackets of various sizes, several swaging dies and I honestly can't remember what else, for $500.  I ended up buying a Corbin slug cutter and a CH-4D cannelure tool.  NONE of the dies were marked but after buying Corbin's little manual and a LOT of measuring I figured out what was what.

I had always been curious about the process and wanted to learn more about it.  I had to jump through several hoops but got the process down.  I manufactured a few hundred 44 and 357 caliber bullets and they shot well.  After several months of making jacketed bullets I came to the conclusion it is a LOT less work to just cast them.  I came to the same conclusion about rifle bullets but it didn't take almost 1,000 bullets.  

I also paper patched a few hundred bullets for my E.M. Reilly double rifle in 500 BP Express with Henry rifling and for use with BP loads because I could not get the rifle to regulate with naked cast bullets over BP.  Two things, I will NEVER own another rifle with Henry rifling and I hated PP'ing bullets.

All that was definitely educational but, I'd sell the swaging stuff, with the core cutter and cannelure tool, for what I have in it.  There's also parts of coils of lead wire for 44 and 357 cores.  I'll never PP another bullet as long as I live.

I am not nearly so weary of casting bullets as I was.  I also don't shoot but a fraction of what I used to.

Sooo...do what trips your trigger, you'll never know until you try.  No one could have talked me out of trying swaging bullets, especially not for pennies on the dollar for what all that equipment would have cost.
  
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JHand
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Re: I hate casting
Reply #6 - Today at 11:37am
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No suggestions,  but i think this thought is a large rason the sport is diminishing.  The expense of casting equipment,  and the time it takes stops younger, new shooters from getting in the sport. We might be larger if there was a place that sold quality bullets at a good price, but its impossible to commercially cast custom bullets for every rifle
  
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Schutzenbob
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Re: I hate casting
Reply #7 - Today at 11:58am
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I've been casting my own bullets from a young age, my brother and I started out collecting spent bullets from a National Guard Range as well as tire weights to cast 38 pistol bullets. I've always considered casting to be a meditative practice. This is from an old magazine article "The Zen practice of bullet casting refers to a meditative and precise nature of crafting your own lead alloy bullets, a hobby that blends manual skill with scientific accuracy. For many, it's not just about saving money or ensuring a supply during shortages, but about the satisfaction of mastering a complex, multi-step process from molten metal to a finished projectile."
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bpjack
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Re: I hate casting
Reply #8 - Today at 12:57pm
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I don’t mind casting about 60 bullets per session. I used to listen to music from my iPod and had the songs set up so that when the playlist was over my session was as done. As for pre-cast bullets try the Bullshop. 
As for costs, a Lyman Big Dipper is adequate and can be purchased for under $100. Accurate sells moulds for just over $100. Add a ladle and some heavy duty gloves and you are all set. I don’t the cost of casting as any detergent to someone really wanting to participate in our sport. Finding a competitive rifle and scope can be an issue. Too many shooters seem happy to blast away with a cheap black gun and bargain ammo.
  

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