Has Anyone Decided When They'll Call It Quits?

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otisrush

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I recently struck up a conversation at the range with someone I didn't know. He told me he'd recently had a gun blow up. He said he hadn't been seriously hurt.....but there was a good amount of blood. He told me the details of what happened, but I don't want to share them here in case anyone can triangulate and figure out who it was. (I have no reason to believe he is or is not a High Road member.) The bottom line is it was operator (reloading) error - and he knows it.

This caused me to recall an older friend of mine who used to have his private pilot's license. When he turned 70 he took himself out of the hobby. "I don't want someone else telling me I can't do it any more. I want to end on my terms." I have another friend who is (was?) a reloader. But he has suffered some eyesight issues and, although he hasn't said it to me directly, he hasn't loaded any ammo in a number of years I think because he knows his eyesight isn't very good.

So all of this got me thinking: Are there objective events around which anyone has "pre-decided" that, if they happen, by definition they will close the reloading bench? I'm not asking this in the context of a universal set of events. I'm just wondering if anyone here has said to themselves "If <x> ever happens I'm going to decide that's an indicator I shouldn't be doing this any more."

I have not made any decisions like that. But the severity of the opening story, along with people I know in my life who have been on the proactive side of things, have gotten me wondering about what things might be early indicators of me maybe not being as much on my game as I might need to to handle propellants that burn REALLY fast under pressure in a confined space. :)

OR
 
40 years ago I began the hobby of hang-gliding. getting taught by a very good pilot who happened to be a long time friend. I was having a great time in the air, with only a couple minor arguments with the ground. One day my friend/instructor was showing me how to improve my basic turning skills, when a breath of air pushed him into the mountain. His back was broken and he's paraplegic to this day. That was my last minute logged on a kite.

That didn't end my fascination with the sky, though. 6 years ago I started taking private pilot lessons. The day after my 2nd lesson I woke up with pain in my chest. Yep, a heart attack. I had to give up ever becoming a pilot.

The Universe sends us messages, both for encouragement and for discouragement in a particular venture. It's up to us to learn to listen. Hopefully, I'll get the point before a catastrophic incident causes severe damage to me or an innocent bystander.
 
I have had some issues since I started reloading. Rounds not chambering, light loads, brass not surviving more than one mid-level firing, etc. So far, I have been able to figure out what went wrong, and what steps to take to prevent it from happening again. If anything catastrophic ever happened (assuming I survive it), or something potentially dangerous that I can't figure out how and why, that would be my sign. Until then, I am as cautious as I can be, especially since my wife and sons also use my reloads (after I have thoroughly tested them).
 
When I can no longer shoot, I’ll stop reloading. The danger in shooting is as severe as reloading. If I’m not steady enough or have eyesight too poor to shoot, then I have no business reloading either. If I can’t be trusted to reload properly, I probably would not be a good risk to handle a firearm as well.

It’s not a fun prospect, but most of us will live long enough to reach that limit.
 
Slamfire said:
I figure when I have severe dementia I will be forced to quit reloading. Till then, I don't have any established criteria for an end date.
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That’s a scary scenario. I hope my family would stop me long before dementia gets really dangerous. I hope I escape dementia— my mom has it and it’s terrible.
Maybe if memory issues become severe...
 
I can think of lots of ways to back-off in the reloading game to lesson/minimize the risks.
Simple stuff like:
Not loading with a progressive and switch back to single stage
Stop loading small bottleneck/high pressure calibers that are difficult to see the powder inside the case.
No need to go above mid-range loads...ever
Don't load any powder that would NOT overflow with a double charge
Switch to an electronic scale with a large/easy to read digital display
Stop shooting autos and shoot only revolvers/bolt actions to minimize the risk of NDs.

I can think of more but have to confess to recently quitting off-road dirt bikes because of my slow healing injuries from more and more frequent dirt naps.:uhoh:
I could have easily bought a smaller/slower bike to mitigate the risk but chose not to and just quit.
So it happens...
:scrutiny:
edit: that and your shooting does not need to end when your reloading does as there are always rimfire, again with single/double action revolvers and bolt action rifles.
 
That would depend on unpredictable circumstances, so it's not easy to answer. But I can recommend some safeguards. First, load with slower, bulky powders that fill the case without exceeding pressure. Second, if using a progressive press, use an RCBS lock-out die to halt progress in case of a double-charge or empty case.

What I'm saying is, there are ways to greatly lower the risk involved. If you reloaded with nothing but Trail Boss, you could practically load like the Swedish Chef. But even loading 357 with H110 or IMR4227, you're not going to blow any guns up. I also just started using an RCBS lock-out die, and it works beautifully. I still prefer powders where a charge within pressure limits fills at least half the case so a double-charge is obvious. The lock-out die will certainly catch that and also when I let the powder measure run dry. Dillon also makes a powder hopper alarm. Going single-stage can be another way to safeguard your progress through the reloading process.
 
A couple more ways I changed/idiot proofed "my" reloading process.
Switched to disc type powder measure
Marked the disc cavity values on the edge with a sliver marker, etc.
MarkWeightS.JPG
I now deprime/tumble before loading on a progressive, I can feel the crimped primers and fix it right then and there.
With that, I don't get crimped primers sticking to the pin and sucked back into the primer pocket to tie up the indexing on the progressives.

And my signature line is relevant in this thread.
:thumbup:
 
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This thread sounds fishy to me and kinda trollish.

Sorry, I never sit and ponder if the world is going to comes to an end and if I will have the brain power to know it's happening. I have no reason to worry about blowing up my guns or myself. I have procedures in place to check myself at several stages of loading. All is well in my reloading room and above my shoulders.
 
Pilot lessons at 16. Time to 3 around landings. Nice cool October day. Overcast but high enough up T&Gs ok. Taxing out, out of nowhere heavy blinding snow. Tower sent everyone back. Never went back. Wasn't just that but good part. Other was future costs. Was right when the supposedly oil crunch hit. Was obvious prices were fixing to skyrocket and never recover.

When hunting leases hit 1000 plus and the sane hunters said no way. Only ones left are kill happy looney trying to fill entire familys tags. Drunks. Some even running day leasing durring weekdays while paid hunters could only get out on weekend. Plenty more but you get the drift.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
This thread sounds fishy to me and kinda trollish.

Sorry, I never sit and ponder if the world is going to comes to an end and if I will have the brain power to know it's happening. I have no reason to worry about blowing up my guns or myself. I have procedures in place to check myself at several stages of loading. All is well in my reloading room and above my shoulders.
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Oh, OK, no worries for you...
no trolling for me, and don't understand why this thread sounds fishy to you.
We all develop processes/procedures to mitigate unsafe conditions and I've posted some here, nothing to do with the world ending or my dimensioning brain power.



just wait awhile, you'll get it :rofl:
 
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Definitely not trolling. Although saying so doesn't mean much, because trolls always say they're not trolling.

The story of the gun blowing up was sobering to me.... a reminder we always need to stay on our toes. It just got me pondering how we'll know we're really on our toes.
 
skeeterfogger said:
Pilot lessons at 16. Time to 3 around landings. Nice cool October day. Overcast but high enough up T&Gs ok. Taxing out, out of nowhere heavy blinding snow. Tower sent everyone back. Never went back. Wasn't just that but good part. Other was future costs. Was right when the supposedly oil crunch hit. Was obvious prices were fixing to skyrocket and never recover.

When hunting leases hit 1000 plus and the sane hunters said no way. Only ones left are kill happy looney trying to fill entire familys tags. Drunks. Some even running day leasing durring weekdays while paid hunters could only get out on weekend. Plenty more but you get the drift.
Click to expand...
Wow OK
There is some random rambling right there, nothing to do with the subject here, unless I missed it :uhoh:
carry-on,
:D
 
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idunno, ArchAngleCD I think it's a legit question......I'll be 70 in December, and I can tell you that the conversation is different among me and my shooting buddies these days.

I started in the Progressive press game late, and I can certainly see me screwing it up....yet I'm also not willing to do it slow again.....too little time left, too many bullets to load!

One thing I'm serious about is powder levels, and knowing what's in each and every case on my progressives.....which is why I built my video powder checkers.....yup paranoia.

IMG_2865.JPG
IMG_2867 - Copy.JPG
IMG_2870.JPG
That's a .308 case in case you are wondering...... ;)
 
George P said:
Teach them so they can load their own (and yours too as a thank you!)
Click to expand...

I tried, George, when they were younger. They are 26 and 21 now. The younger one lives in Indiana now, maybe he'll take it up in the future, can't bum dad's reloads anymore, and factory ammo isn't cheap! The older one asks me to load up 250 .223's every spring for him. I just gave him a flat of Trap loads, too, and some pheasant loads I got in old boxes I bought for my collection. (They weren't original to the boxes, and all factory.)
When they want to learn, I will teach them. It took getting their own trucks at 18 to get them interested in working on them........
 
otisrush said:
So all of this got me thinking: Are there objective events around which anyone has "pre-decided" that, if they happen, by definition they will close the reloading bench? I'm not asking this in the context of a universal set of events. I'm just wondering if anyone here has said to themselves "If <x> ever happens I'm going to decide that's an indicator I shouldn't be doing this any more."
Click to expand...

I've said in the past that I will shoot and reload until I die or become scary.......which ever comes first. :) That said. you don't have to be old to be scary.....but being old may move you in that direction eventually.

Scary to me is being: 1. Unsafe, (go over the reloading rules often and NEVER have more than one powder out at a time, and that's just the tip of the iceberg); 2. Forgetful (document everything and use your documents, not your memory); 3. Stay away from the fringe, or maximum anything....especially loads; 4. If you get frustrated, mad, or spacey, or get interrupted, confused or unsure...stop....take it down and take a break....or come back tomorrow. If tomorrow is still confusing....maybe one ought to think about seeing a doctor, something might be going on that is fixable....if not then maybe it's time to find a new hobby that isn't confusing.;)

Okay! That last paragraph may fit some old people like me.......but I hate to tell you all.....it fits impatient young people just as well.
 
I'm with you on the documentation!

One day, I was happily grinding out rounds, one after the other on my vaunted 650. The next day, I was in the hospital. There was an aid car. There was a surgeon. Then there was another surgeon. Then there was a bed, until I got truly sick of the bedroom. Then there was physical therapy.

Long, sad story short, it was almost a full year before I made it back down to the reloading room, and when I did, I had no idea what stage it was in, no idea what powder was in the funnel, and I ended up pouring out powder, re-inspecting brass and pulling bullets simply because I couldn't figure out what was what.

So I got anal about documentation. Now, in addition to the log, everything is marked. The brass is in boxes that have notes in the boxes about what stage of the process that box of brass is in, and everything that can be marked is marked. Address labels with notes everywhere.

My goal now is to document everything in the log and on notes and labels attached to everything in such a way that I could walk away for six months, a year, whatever, and then come back in and figure out exactly what I was doing just by reading my documentation and sorting through the notes and labels.
 
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I am surprised the forces that be, have not tried to ban reloading as well. They most likely do not even know the hobby exist. That said, my reloading is not much now. I personally do not have the time and not the interest I once had. Probably because I shoot mostly 9mm and just to easy to buy. But, NO not because I find it dangerous. Heck, what is dangerous is going to my Local indoor shooting range. The place is loaded with riff raff.
 
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