Trad,

Considering a high percentage of folks here swear by cast, and another high percentage swear at cast, if you get posts specifically answering whether to avoid, this will become a VERY long thread.

With that said, I'll off my opinions which are hopefully void of any fanaticism. Cast are the cheapest in terms of actual cost of projectile. If you cast your own at some point, the cost can become really cheap. Cast can be a little harder to find an accurate combination. Not always but for me generally. But, it is a snap to find an accurate load with a bullet like LaserCast. Cast are somewhat smokey when shot, and will lead to more fouling on the exterior of the gun. Even if you get some leading in your barrel it is generally easy to remove. Once you get a system, you will find it takes less work to remove a little lead from your barrel than to remove all copper traces.

Cast can be a little tricker to reload, as you have to watch your flaring and seating, as you can get lube build-up in your dies. Cast requires a bit more hygene when reloading, as you will get lead on your fingers (gotta keep them outta your nose and mouth ;^) ).

I actually prefer, for plinking, plated bullets from Ranier. They are only a little more than Lasercast, and behave like jacketed bullets on all of the points above. None of the "messiness" listed above. I have found XTP's to be the most accurate jacketed bullet across the boards for me. Easy to find a combination that will shoot to the gun's potential.

But, when it comes to hunting, you would be doing yourself a large disservice to dismiss cast all together, for any reason. I would say the same about jacketed, to not even try would be doing yourself the same disservice. My reccomendation to a new shooter/reloader would be to start with jacketed bullets because these will get you to potential faster. Then if willing, try the proven cast bullets for lighter loads, like a lasercast or other reputable source. Then if you decide that cast "ain't so bad" try moving up to the premium for hunting. These will likley take the most amount of effort to get the right combination of pressure/hardness, but by then you will know if the joys of handloading are indeed joys, and you will be happy with your results.

And by all means set some time aside and go through the back pages here. You will soon learn the major points about cast, from folks who will give you both sides to help make a formative decision. If you hop on a cast board, you will find some folks who think you a moron for even questioning cast use, let alone not already casting for yourself. Not so much here. And if you broaden your purchasing locations some, you will soon find that from time to time you can get the cost of jacketed, plated and cast to be very competitive, by catching bulk specials and sales.

Craig