Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting cast booits forum

Anyone having any problems getting on the cast booits forum??

Hah! I just came over here to ask the same question. Yes - I can't get it to pull up. Fatal error: Memcache is not installed in ..../includes/class_datastore.php on line 185 This shows up in my browser window. It must be a formatting thing, because everything works fine on my phone through Tapatalk app. Breathe, relax, patience - everything will be okay.

Same here. Keep getting a 504 error (or something like that). Tried several times last night and this morning. I tried the Tapatalk app too but I couldn't connect to the server. I am sure they are all over it though.

yep, it's hit or miss on it lately.

NOE has a forum to chat about bullets and casting, although it's primarily for customers of his bullet moulds.

I haven't had any problems with the website since about midday yesterday.

I will have to check out NOE's forum. I really like the mold I got from you and I seriously intend on purchasing more from them.

NOE has all you'd ever want!

oh yea,

Glad you like it!

Did ownership of the cast boolits forum change within the past six months?

I have heard this too on other forums. Blammer, do you know who owns it now? It was Ken right?

Works for me. Curious site in many ways, also a wealth of info after separating wheat from chaff.

I asked because one of the mods there started deleting posts with no explanation or warning. Several people PMed me and said this happened because of new ownership.

We were discussing the troubles a few people had receiving their bullet dies from one particular maker. The posts weren't offensive. No one was trolling, calling people out or using unpleasant names. Pix were shared showing the poor quality. Polite suggestions were made, on how to get your money back or reporting him to the police. Others testified that they had similar problems.

Another die maker piped up and offered his advice on how to pick who to do business with. This precipitated what became the deleted posts several entries later.

The entry that started the deletions was made by a person who suggested that there was some "self-aggrandizement" in the thread. I agreed with a one word reply "Aye..."

His post and mine "went away". Immediately, I started receiving PMs from people wondering why they were deleted.

'Oh, the Internet drama!' I thought.



At any rate, I suspect one of the die makers who posts there a lot thought he was the one referred to as the "self-aggrandizer", and alerted a mod. That's when the two posts were pulled. Other entries were pulled as well. There's been no activity in that particular sub-forum in 15 hrs.

That's the background for my question. The mood there has changed. To quote Obi Wan Kenobi, "There is a disturbance in the Force."

We now return you to the afternoon movie, "Arguing over 0.1 of a Grain of Propellant Powder and Why It Matters in a 30-06", already in progress.

The former moderator "No 1" (Robert) took over the site in December. Willy is gone now. The place seemed to start spiraling downward almost immediately when the original moderators all resigned. Things started really getting out of hand after that, and now most of the older, more experienced posters started leaving, most notable among them were the "plank owners", the guys who helped start the boards originally. I left in early March, and the rest of my peer group are all pretty much gone now too. I requested that Robert remove my login, but he refused to do it, so I'm still registered, but have no intention of returning. Most of the billions of user names on the member list have seemingly never posted, or have long since quit posting. I don't believe they have even half the membership they claim to have.

I thought that something was up. Thanks for the explanation.

Anachronism, can you tell us where those knowledgeable guys are gathering now? Have they found a new home on the web or have they mostly scattered? I didn't spend a lot of time there, but it was always nice to know that if I had a question I could almost certainly find several threads on the topic with some experienced casters willing to share what they knew.

We've got a small, but sharp group of casters here and it would be nice to get some more posting here regularly to increase traffic and base of knowledge.

I agree. That site has gone downhill a bit in terms of the quality of the postings. One might also try looking at the Cast Bullet Association website, which is backed by the Association and generally presents a more scholarly approach to the subject (for lack of a better term). There are still nuggets of info to be found on the Cast B**lits website (sorry, I just can't bring myself to use that pseudo Bubba-cool "word") but one has to dig for them a bit. I'm thinking the little forum we have going on here is pretty good.

I think you're right, gnoahhh. This place works for me. You can get the inofrmation you need, chat with others that share your interests and avoid the drama of other sites.


Life is too short to develop worry lines.

The guys I usually worked with are somewhat scattered, and we communicate mostly by email. NOE moulds has opened a forum at their website, and some are there. Some are also at the Ruger Forum boards. A couple are here, and some are just plain missing at this point. There's talk of a new board being planned, but at this point it's just talk.

Interesting how the websites that are governed least are governed best, and in the long run are the most successful.



Hmmm, I wonder if we should notify Washington of this concept...

Amen to that.

LOL, I suspect many are hanging out at NOE's forum and some here.

Don't know who "owns" the site, as it was convoluted to begin with.

One person owned the domain, another owen the site, another hosted the site, etc.... I just didn't bother to care.

It starting spiraling down a few years ago when the founder "Ken" stopped being a part of it or didn't want anything to do with it anymore.

I'm set up to run a website just haven't yet. Could be the "next" CB site, but... I'll wait an see.

I can say I'd definitely run things a bit differently.

By all means, please let us know if you decide to move forward with this. Especially appreciated would be some sort of "advanced" area where some of the more technical minded guys could collaborate. I don't mean this to sound snobbish, but one of the biggest complaints I saw about CB was the number of people asking the same entry level questions over and over. There has to be a better way to handle this situation, I just don't know what it might be. Some of the advanced guys would get upset about needing to try explaining over and over that you can shoot many bullets successfully without gaschecks as long as you do your load development properly and start low. Perhaps we should start a new thread somewhere about what people would like to see in a cast bullet forum. I know the IPSC guys, and the speed shooters have all sorts of questions regarding action shooting.

How about a part of the forum that is only accessible to certain people? Like you have to be invited or you have to show that you have proven you know what you are doing.

That sounds elitist to me. "You're not good enough to sit and talk with us.". Not a good way to encourage folks or make them feel welcome, is it?

How about a "New Guy Question" forum with the basics covered there and if some new guy bothers you with a question you can tell them to go there.

After all, the old guys with all the experience and knowledge can't be bothered with mentoring new casters as folks did with them.

Don't like answering questions or helping folks? Don't respond to the question.

Sarcastic rant off.

As a new caster, I am extremely greatful for the experience and willingness to share that experience with a rookie.
As a person who trains other adults for a living, I recognize the benefits of having a place for complete rookies and another for "The Old Guys", but not forbidding the rookies from the other area, just self-policing the conversations there.
As a little kid, I remember what it was like to go with my Dad and hang out while he visited with his adult friends, soaking in every word. That is what the rookies are doing, hanging out with folks such as gnoaah, blammer, anachronism, creeker, and many others I haven't mentioned.
There are many, many questions that I have regarding casting, most I probably haven't thought of yet, and hope that there will be a knowledgeable, willing "Master Caster" to help me on my journey.

Ed

^^^^^^^ +1

I am very thankful for all the help I have received from the
'fire in my late in life shooting sport journey.

Lead prep and casting is next on the journey.

Sure hope folks here don't ever tire of teaching / mentoring newbies.

I blush to be included with the likes of Creeker, Blammer, et al but I see what you mean. It is a bit tiresome to wade through the newbie questions. I respond to them cheerfully but there are times when I have to take a deep breath first. Let's face it, in this digital age, fewer people can be bothered with reading basic reference works (loading manuals, old books, etc.) and go straight to the forum for an answer. I fear it is something we need to resign ourselves to.

That said, I was a newbie once myself and I would rather spare a current newbie the horrid mistakes I made early on.

A beginners Q&A forum is a great idea, as well as a forum for the technical minded folks. For example, I sure would like to learn how to lathe bore some new moulds with some plain base target bullet designs I have in mind, but I know enough about metal lathes to get by only and would need tutoring.

As an aside, for anyone wanting to read the collected columns of Frank Marshall, who wrote in the early issues of the Cast Bullet Association newsletter, they are available in CD form for around $10 on the CBA website. He was a friendly curmudgeon whose columns addressed many newbie questions, contained much practical technical info, and a lot of sage hunting advice and humor from his life of cast bullet shooting. He would be 100 years old were he alive today. I met him 30 years ago and wished I had known him longer. If I taught a college level class in bullet casting (ha!!) this CD would be on the required reading list.

I recently found the CBA website and have not fully explored it yet. Thanks for the tip on the CD. That's the kind of material I look for.

I know what you mean about the newer folks, they are part of the "now" generation. They CAN be taught by peer pressure, for that is something they thrive on.

Patience is the key. Yes, the questions get asked over and over, but hopefully not by the same person.
When training someone, I have all the patience in the world for someone who is willing to put in the time, but I don't suffer fools nor those who would take shortcuts, for the world of firearms, explosives, molten metal, and moving machinery has no mercy.

They didn't pop into this world knowing how to walk, talk, and dress themselves, so they should be reminded that there are steps to take before they blast off.(pun intended).

A "rookie" forum would be a great place for FAQ's. It also never hurts to go back over the basics for those who step away from the game for a while.

The "expert" forum would be where the Masters could share their projects, advanced techniques, and sort out the big questions with folks who are on the same level, but not make it like the "Ask The Gunwriters" forum here. That's what the "rookie" forum is for.
For us rookies, that place would be like hanging out with my Dad again. Shut up, keep your eyes and ears open and learn something.

Ed

I think all parts of a forum should be accessible, but I do like the idea of an area for those who are just starting out, mainly so the flow of ideas from the guys who discuss things like throat angle and meplat design aren't bogged down. Also, a beginners area would encourage them to chat among themselves, even though some of the more advanced guys would be more than happy to help them with their questions. But it would need to be a classless society.

Some folks say I have no class, so I guess I'd fit right in.

Ed

If there is something you guys want done here, let me know. I can put out the welcome mat and ust things off if you guys need a place.

Indeed. Having a Bullet Casting 101 forum has merit as a learning center for newcomers. Trouble is, who would want to devote their time to being the proctor for said forum? Old hands would tend to stay away and mind their own business or converse with like minded fellows, leaving the newbies to fend for themselves and swap erroneous info and perpetuate old wive's tales. It's an age old problem.

I guess we have to be gracious enough to share our knowledge with all comers. Thinking about this since this morning, I reminded myself of the thrill I experienced when the Cast Bullet Association started up and I immediately jumped on the wagon- thus gaining access to minds that had wrestled with and solved the problems I had struggled with for the 15 years or so I had been casting solo beforehand. I was fortunate in having copies of (or access to) the old classics by Mann, Sharpe, Naramore, etc. and those books were (and remain) my primers- but it took real conversations with real "experts" like Ed Harris, Sid Musselman, and all the rest, to set my course.

What I really miss is having bullet casting compadres who live close by with whom I could chat with, have friendly shooting matches with, and (gasp!) enjoy a cold adult beverage while telling stories/lies/tales of derring-do after a casting session or after a match. Lacking that, the internet forums will have to do, as I soldier on solitarily enjoying this fascinating hobby.

In all my years of hunting in this state I have never met one guy amongst that countless number I met in the woods who was hunting with cast bullets. Rather, I got some pretty strange looks from seemingly knowledgable hunters when I showed them what I was using. That's illustrative of the general lack of knowledge/interest in this, in this neck of the woods. Good or bad? Who can say. But it does get lonely at times! (And may be why I sometimes run on at the mouth here!)

Truly a kind offer, Rick. Perhaps we should kick this around and try to achieve a consensus- a stated purpose/table of contents that we agree would benefit we cast shooters (and by extension, the whole 24HR. Campfire- not to mention being able to attract advertisers from the bullet casting industry). Keep the discussion rolling!

I agree, the offer from Rick is indeed gracious but I wonder if further dilineation of the casting sub-forum here is justified. The majority of the traffic on this site is really focused elsewhere...be it the campfire, optics, rifles, handguns and other such sub-forums.

I just took a quick count of the topics in this casting sub-forum to get an idea of the traffic here...we have had only 50 topics since sometime in January. While a few of those have had some good discussion I don't think we would see a lot of benefit here to sub-forums for noobs, experienced, rifle, handgun etc. And as one poster already mentioned, I like the little forum here. I have occasionally posted some minor questions here as well as some so-so technical meplat queries. My questions got answered and if I felt I needed more info I went searching through the myriad other specialized sites.

Cast-boolits is a great resource and I think they tried to address all the "noob" questions with the sometimes seemingly endless stickies at the top of each sub-forum...the problem with that though is the people that needed those stickies eventually get tired of seeing those stickies or having to scroll past them...so they start whining about the stickies or want them removed, sorted to other areas, etc.

Do I have a solution to propose, no. The biggest concern I believe we would have on this site is traffic to this specific sub-forum. The mention of getting more attention and possibly casting related sponsors would be a huge bonus but I wonder if it would be noticed on the Fire when the roar seems to always be arguing about B.C. of the newest wonder bullet or the virtues of .270 vs .30-06. I won't even delve into the constant viciousness of the optics crowd...those dudes are a whole other class.

I have been casting bullets for over 35 years but I am still a new guy when reading what was on the CastBullet forum.

My question is, how would the forum be structured?

In order to keep things straight, a mod would have to move questions around to ensure they were in the right area. That would be necessary because of perception. What one person thought was an intermediate or advanced question may be something a newbie would ask.

It would be interesting to see how everything is laid out.

I wonder if the casting section here has enough traffic to warrant expansion. Maybe start with a few stickies and see if the number of people reading them increases.

It's very easy to learn new things there.

Yep.

I think this forum is fine the way it is. Do a few stickies & let her ride for now. Guess I'm going against the grain but I for one don't care for sub-forums. I like everything concerning casting on the same page.

Maybe a sticky that's a basic equipment list including safety reminders ( #1 would be to show up with brain engaged) with the most common accessories and supplies. Another primer that walks the rookie through the process of raw materials through the finished bullet with words on the difference between fluxing and reducing, common alloys used in the different disciplines, basic lubes, gas checks-why & how, and sizer diameter choices.
After that, the rest can just be conversations, even musings by some of the Masters on specific issues that have come up in their journeys and how they addressed them.

Just my $0.02

Ed

Tip number 1: I do my casting outside. I find it best to cast when it is not raining.

Some things work better in the dry.

Aw, where's your sense of adventure?!

Only problem I have when it starts raining is my lead disappears and everybody standing around start jumping around and yelling.

Not able to get on the site again. Anyone else??

I haven't been able to get on since about 8 am this morning. More site troubles?
Rick

Same here

yep, still off.

It just came up for me.

try it now

No problem here.

working now, they are on their "fundraiser" bit again.

I don't understand why they don't use the advertising they get to pay the bill.

Come visit us at WDIL http://www.wedealinlead.net/forum/index.php
But read this as a welcome message. This is our ethos.

Welcome sir. Glad to meet you. I truly hope you find what you're needing right here.
If you don't find it, we could sure use the help making the place even better.

Each member here is offered old fashioned "Growed up" Respect. And respect is expected in return.

This is NOT a for profit site, nobody is making a living with this place.

This is NOT a family oriented site either. Don't be fearful of being jumped on for being a Man with a Chest!!! Just do it with respect.

We ARE a "Free Zone" for ideas and opinions as long as they are offered as such and not "handed down as by God himself".

If you like to color outside the lines, or experiment with "what will this do?" and such, use this place as a "Diary" of sorts to record your progress and discussions on it.

Any info found on this site is only a record, not a recommendation or suggestion.

Being grown-ass men we expect each other to do their own research and take full responsibility for their own actions. Don't be blaming anyone but yourself if you blow up your gun or bleed out on the range.

If you disagree with someone, it's ok to say so, with respect. If you don't care for the direction of topic, then skip it and move on to another one. Around here, Bad topics (or my uninteresting topics zlol ) soon die as others with better content are created.

I really like and enjoy this site and hope you give the place a good solid chance.

I don't understand why the sponsorships and other types of patrons support is not used to pay it. People do auctions and donations all the time for the site but it is not used either. I love the site and have a sponsorship but certain things are not right.

The advertising and donations money is "their" loot. I've only seen a couple of sites that panhandle for server fees, and the Boo-Boo board has it down to an art form.

tomme boy and anachronism, I have been asking that very question from since the first time they asked for money.

they just ignore it or any other questions that will bring down their house of cards.

yes they have it down to an art form, someday they (the members) will wise up. Until then, the gravy train rides again.
and they seem to do it more than once a year.

dang tempting to get the list of who donated from one of the threads and send them a PM asking some good questions about where the money goes.

I downloaded his book a while back and forgot that I had it on my computer until I saw your question. I just got back from an eight day business trip and read Mr. Fryxell's book at night, before going to bed.

His book covers everything you could want to know as a beginner and then some.

IMHO, the link to his online book (which is free) should be a sticky at the beginning of this forum.

Thanks for the reminder!

Ed

There are many sites that ask for contributions and are not pushing one optics dealer and the owners rifle stock company as done here.

NOE molds are excellent, right up there with NEI in quality.
A lot of each send boolits downrange for me.

Never seen any "drama" on that site as is all too common here.

If you don't find that site of any value, just change the channel.

Many of us did. If you missed the CB drama, you weren't paying attention closely, or you just recently started there.

If you missed the drama then you didn't look very hard, it was pretty obvious.

That site has a few members who are untouchable and arguing with them isn't permitted.

Give them money? Why?

Sometimes on that site u cant avoid the know it alls. Most of the guys who have been there think they are gods

I've been there since 2006, at least on this version of the site. I think I actually joined somewhere around 2002 when it was hosted by a different place.

Some know it also actually do know a bunch. Most do not. I trust the info given there by only a handful of people.

I seen some of it, but it was more my thinking is better than yours. Some of the recent ones that left were ones that caused a lot of the bickering. I asked a simple ? to "JIM" and he jumped down my throat one day.

I don't go there anymore. Not a forum I can enjoy as much as the Campfire for me anyway.......

I just look at the group buy section .