I have some friends who are seriously considering starting a new bullet casting board, similar to "Cast Boolits". CB just isn't working out for us, and we feel it may be time for a change. We did look at simply moving to other sites, already existing, but there are various issues that can take place when you invade somebody elses boards with perhaps a dozen or more really active posters. So we're soliciting opinions from experienced casters and shooters to see what they would like to see, and equally importantly, what you would not like to see. Your opinions are important to our decision, and we appreciate all input. I must add that I'm not trying to start a "trash CB" kind of thread. We're just looking for suggestions on what you might find interesting.

Thank you!

My first reaction is "what is wrong with the CB forum"? What need is not being met by the forum ? I'm reasonably active on that forum and have found it very helpful. What would you do differently ?

CB has lost a lot of older, original members in the last few years. We want to try to give the old crew a comfortable place to meet and visit, while making accommodations for the needs of newer casters, swagers and shooters. We do not want to close CB down, or cause them any trouble. There are just some things we'd like to do differently. This concept, by the way, is why CB came to exist in the first place.

I could share some thoughts if you want to email me.

Message sent.
Thanks!

You wanna spell the stupid name right.

You want to spell the stupid name right......

Now that there's funny! I let out a good belly laugh over that one. The people in the office next to mine are questioning if I am REALLY working or not.

but that does get under my skin a bit. :)

ntxt

Cast Bullets has run it's course for many and that includes myself. A new board would be welcome, but here are my two suggestions;

1. Do not allow any political discussions.

2. Do no allow any religious discussions.

ntxt

Cherokee...All I can do is speak for myself. When the board was started in it's original form in the late 1990s it consisted of a handful of people who were dedicated to finding out how to make cast bullets shoot in rifles and were willing to question every myth and established practice in the doing of it. The result was a quantum leap forward in the knowledge and science of shooting cast bullets in rifles.

When the original host folded the group went through several other hosts but found none satisfactory until on of the members started one, just for the purpose of having a place to gather as we had once did. This is the current board.

The board grew quickly with a flood of new people joining in the tens of thousands. The original people were overwhelmed with trying to get the new people up to speed. The old myths and old wives tales began to reappear and when the old hands tried to correct that, they found themselves often under attack for having to continually say "No that is not right. That is not the way it is done.". The net result was an exodus of the original and knowledgably people.

Today the board is much much larger yet and bad information and misinformation is rampant. Attempts to correct it are still met with resistance from many. Those who try and correct are often given suspensions for being "Offensive, arrogant and elitist". There are still some good people there, but they are few and far between and as a rule it is the blind leading the blind.

Ed Harris, who I think knows more about cast bullets in rifles and fire arms in general has begun to try and insert some sanity there, but he does so under a different name. I find it amusing that folks still call him out for being wrong not knowing who they are talking too.

The bottom line is that board has become a victim of it's own success with more and diverse people that it can handle in a constructive and peaceful manner. It can be very chaotic. To keep some kind of order the moderating has become very heavy handed and that is also a problem for many.

In short a new board is needed and I just hope it does not become a victim of it's own success somewhere down the line. Again this is just my take on the situation as one who has watched the board since the very early days.

the interest in a new CB forum.

I still drop by there, once a month or so, but I don't interact much, simply because I got tired of being called a variety of names by people who were more interested in flaming than in shooting cast bullets or learning. A more moderately sized discussion board that had effective oversight would be welcomed.

drop me a line. I'll be accessible via AmBraCol using gmail over the next few days instead of my usual contact. I can give you some ideas as to what a PHP type bulletin board requires as to space, etc.

We just need to get a board on track. We certainly hope that Cast Boolits continues to flourish and thrive. Sometimes it just seems like we speak two different languages, and then frustration creeps in, and things simply go to hell.

I would be interested in a new casting board, I am a long time member on Castboolets but seldom post.

Not much I can add to what Charles and Glen have said already.

Communication has already started among several other long-time CB members regarding finding or creating a new bullet casting board, so there are a few others who I didn't see post here yet who are of exactly the same mind. You all are in good company and I'd like to see us work together to find a solution.

Charles post pretty well sums it up, a little mild in the descriptions possibly but polite. Many of the old long time moderators have resigned over management issues. Many of the new moderators have a strong interest in protecting "friends" and correcting these "friends" will get you sanctions or banned. Many if not most of the original members have left & several have been banned. Most of the ones that remain either don't post much or are very careful in what they say. In short it's just not the same old CastBoolits forum, far from it. It's a shame, sad actually but it is what it is.

A new forum without 100 sub-forums, where casting can be discussed without trying to out shout the friends of moderators or old wives tales. Where the moderators are more interested in civil discourse rather than who their friends are. Much as CastBoolits started out, it could be a home for many knowledgeable experienced people that have been leaving CastBoolits for years.

Lots of good ideas. I just have a few questions.
Whar defines good moderators?
I agree entirely on politics or religion. What areas of discussion are needed?
For those who visit but don't post on CB, what can we do to change that on a new site? I want a place where we can have people openly and actively discuss casting and shooting. Disagreements are inevitable but can be handled properly.

What I want to know is what people are looking for in a site. What would you make it look like?

Oh, and what would you call it?

Lots of good ideas. I just have a few questions.
Whar defines good moderators?
I agree entirely on politics or religion. What areas of discussion are needed?
For those who visit but don't post on CB, what can we do to change that on a new site? I want a place where we can have people openly and actively discuss casting and shooting. Disagreements are inevitable but can be handled properly.

What I want to know is what people are looking for in a site. What would you make it look like?

Oh, and what would you call it?

I'd like to see the usual suspects open for discussion: Alloy, lube, brass, moulds, reloading and casting equipment, gunsmithing, shooting, paper-patching, swaging, black powder, maybe a little swap/sell, and a general section for things not fitting specific categories but still related directly to cast bullets like hunting, bullet traps, tool making, etc. If it is built, "they" will come, and having been involved with the founding of the bullet casting subsections of several discussion boards, these things tend to be self evident once the first topic is opened.

A group of gentlemen discussing a common interest will naturally attract more of the same, I think all that is necessary to encourage the silenced to contribute is to be polite to them and stay out of their way. Some specific invitations would be in order here....and of course careful moderation. It doesn't take long to judge a person's on-line character or motivations, and those which are inflammatory, posturing, or self-aggrandizing should be made unwelcome by staff and members alike. How I do tire of logging on and feeling the need to "yell" over the din of instant experts (and those who post more for their own mischievous entertainment than to make a valuable contribution) simply to share some of my own experiences in a discussion.

Appearance matters little to me, it's the content that interests me. Discussions can have vivid color and contrast yet still be displayed black and white, like a good book.

Site name? Nothing with "boolit" in it, how about that?

but I want to be. I registered over on CB and introduced myself, poked around a bit, learned some but never got that "warm and fuzzy" so I don't go there much. I would welcome a place where a fella could learn. Who knows? You might even get me off the dime and start pouring metal.

In setting up a new board, here is what I can contribute to the subject.

1. Keep religion and politics out. Nothing will set people against each other quicker than those two subject.

2. Invite a core of level headed people to join and form the nucleus.

3. Set an upper limit on the number of members and stick with that. Once the limit is reached, new folks will have to stand in line until an opening appears. Set up some system like many clubs use, if you don't post anything in six months or a year your membership is deleted to make room for somebody who will.

4. The original board was unmoderated and that is how they wanted it. I would try and operate with a statement of principals and boundaries and not have a moderator until and unless the members felt the need.

5. There should be no "owner" of the board. Costs should be shared by all. More than anything else the concept of "we are in the owners house and he makes the rules" has been the death of the Cast Boolit board.

6. Ban the use of the word "boolit".

When boards become large, then they start to be money making deals. Companies buy ads, and folks selling stuff pay for the privilege. The cast boolit board has become a business for the owner and therein is found many of the problems. Bigness invites profit for the owner. Two things to avoid.

I signed onto CB 9 years ago. It has now reached 37,000+ members. In my first 18 months on that site, I learned more about bullet casting than I had in the previous 25 years of casting on my own.

Over the years, I have watched it grow into something far from what it once was. Charles brought up many excellent points in regards as to what has happened to that board. The first major wave of members came on the heals of the current president being elected in 2008. After that, with every new threatening piece of federal legislation or tragic shooting, more would join by the thousands.

I tend to agree that there is room for another cast bullet forum. I will never abandon CB, it has been far too good to me and allowed me to help others whenever I can.

Good luck and I'll be watching for an update.

Murphy

Good points Charles....

I like the Cast Boolit site. There's enough knowledge there that one could never soak it in. Alloy, lube, bullet design, loading & shooting procedures that IMHO would be difficult if not impossible to duplicate. That said there is plenty there I don't care for.

New board? Bring it on. I was new to the net about 2000. With the help of Cas I learned to get around the web on a webtv setup. Of all the sites visited there was none to compare with the old sixgunner board.

Why did it do so well? I think because of the format. Like this one the subject comes up, is discussed & after a few days it's buried way down at the bottom. I like that but maybe sub forms would be better for a Casting Board.

I will say this: I don't like forms which try to cover it all. Those places like 24hr. CF or Greybread have way too many forms for me & don't follow those forms because of that. The Cast Boolit board is about as bad in that respect.

And while I'm at it I don't like running past a bunch of stickies in order to find the discussion. All stickies should be in a sub form of their own & other sub forms should have no more than one sticky perhaps to explain the contents of said form.

If it's a casting board that's wanted keep it about casting & shooting cast. If you want to be sure the guys on the board "want" to be there charge 50.00 to join & 25.00 per year to stay. I know that will be unpopular with many so like has been said, if you can't post at least once a month, pull their membership & let them register again with a new user name.

Enough said. Hope I didn't step on any toes & if I did please forgive me it wasn't done in malice. God Bless........Creeker

I have been on the cast boolits board since 2005,And before that it was sixguns, I learned a lot about casting ,Lead, and bullet fit . have spent $1,000`s on custom molds and made a lot of friends. If there was another casting type board I would join (if they let me)

A new bullet casting forum has opened. Still much setting up and software tweaking to do but it is now there and functioning. It's only been up and running for two days now. The name the forum contest was won by Glen E. Fryxell.

The Art And Science of Bullet Casting

What it needs most right now is members to start contributing. All efforts will be made to keep this a place for the civil discourse of bullet casting. No political forum etc.

Rick