What kind of shooter/reloader are you really? Did you change over the years?

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2B1ii for me.

I reload, and I handload, but I also pick my battles… and will buy some amount of factory, primarily 9mm and 5.56mm.

Edit to add, since the OP changed a little...

I have primarily loaded the same way since I started, back in 1988 or so. I do shoot some odd or obsolete cartridges, so there is no buying factory ammos. I also shoot in bulk... think .45ACP, .308, and .30-06, so if I can save some money by reloading there, I'll do it. Back when ammo was cheap, the trade-off in component cost and my time was not enough, and I would buy cases of factory... think 9mm and 5.56mm; that has since changed, and now I'm having to load those cartridges as well, to some extent.

Reload vs Handload. Take .308 for example. My first .308 was an M1a... all I needed was blasting ammo for that. Then I bought a .308 bolt gun, and my accuracy expectations were higher... so I started handloading to that end. Then I bought a Savage 99 lever-action to shoot cast bullets... and another learning curve to begin handloading for that cartridge. The same cartridge for 3 very different applications, requiring 3 different avenues of approach.

No, I don't cast, and likely never will. I go down very few rabbit holes... my time behind the bench (or trigger) is quite limited, so I just concentrate on kicking out the basics, and put some additional effort into those cartridges that would see benefit from it. My money is also limited, so I very rarely throw money at something in pursuit of the Ultimate Victory. I guess I'm probably like 50% of the shooters out there that balance their shooting with either reloading or handloading, I enjoy both.
 
Nothing exact match, but
2B2ii fits better than anything else.

Started reloading around 1987, so I could shoot. Loaded for handgun only.

Somewhere about 20 years ago I discovered rifle shooting; specifically Milsurp. Decent ammo unavailable, gotta load.

I snorkeled around the edges of handloading, using pulled Milsurp powders, etc.

Then I discovered casting. That moved me firmly into the handloading category. Using powders with no data, to shoot projectiles with no data.

Cast bullets with pulled mystery powder in Milsurp rifles, to shoot matches.

Oh yeah....
 
Me and my “free time” are always changing and shooting has always been a hobby vs something I wanted to ruin by making it a job.

I think at one time or another, I could have identified with everyone of the above except 2a2iii. That said, I enjoy playing with ammunition unloading devices like machineguns though.
 
My handloading intents and purposes have changed very little. I started because I am a sixgun nut and to be able to do any appreciable amount of shooting requires handloading. There are also a lot of loads and cartridge/bullet combinations that cannot be bought.

Historically, I have done very little shooting with high velocity bottleneck rifle cartridges and it's only been in the last few years that I've started handloading for them. Much of that has been due to starting down the T/C Contender rabbit hole. I still buy bulk 9mm, .380ACP, .45ACP, 5.56 and 7.62x39. Much of the reason for that is that it's cheap and I always budget my time, versus money saved. Plus I shoot on my own property, rather than a square range and don't like picking up brass anyway. So I do handload .300Blk and 6.5Grendel but use a brass catcher when I shoot them with handloads or brass cased ammo. I bought about 400rds of 6.5Creedmoor ammo and will not start handloading for it until that runs out. Probably everybody reading this already knows I'd rather smack my pecker with a sledgehammer than cast bullets.
 
I started out reloading to save money. Then got hooked on developing accurate rifle loads. Then I became the primary caregiver
for my beautiful bride of 42 years and it helps relieve stress for me on her good days when I can reload for an hour or so, or go shoot for an hour or so. Some days I live vicariously through this website :).
 
Started training as a shooter at age 6 but didn't start reloading until I was 31.

But I like doing repetitive things, so after a guy that I was stationed with showed me how things worked I was hooked. So here I am 196,259 rounds later still reloading and shooting.
 
Didn't want to hijack another thread - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/no-i-won’t-make-you-ammo.913424/page-5#post-12486269

But it's fun to find out just what kind of shooter/reloader you are in the hierarchy of reloading/shooting world.

There are at least two major groups of shooters/reloaders. Which group/subgroup do you belong to? :) - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-and-discussions.778197/page-11#post-12029687
  1. Shooter who use factory ammo
    • 1a - Shooter who hardly ever shoot
    • 1b - Shooter who is a recreational shooter
    • 1c - Shooter who is an avid shooter
    • 1d - Shooter who competes
      • 1d1 - Shooter who competes with any factory ammunition
      • 1d2 - Shooter who competes with tested most accurate factory ammunition
      • 1d3 - Shooter who competes with match ammunition
    • 1e - Shooters who wonder why they have guns but shoot anyways
  2. Shooter who reloads/handloads
    • 2a - Shooter who reloads
      • 2a1 - Shooter who dislikes reloading but likes shooting (Will buy factory if price difference is close enough)
        • 2a1i - Shooter who reloads on occasion
        • 2a1ii - Shooter who reloads regularly
        • 2a1iii - Shooter who reloads to compete
      • 2a2 - Shooter who likes reloading and also likes shooting (Will hardly/never buy factory)
        • 2a2i - Shooter who reloads on occasion
        • 2a2ii - Shooter who reloads regularly
        • 2a2iii - Shooter who simply views gun as unloading device (May not even enjoy shooting)
        • 2a2iv - Shooter who reloads to compete
    • 2b - Shooter who handloads (May also reload and likely enjoys reloading/handloading)
      • 2b1 - Shooter who handloads but has "practical" limits
        • 2b1i - Shooter who handloads occasionally (hunting, etc.)
        • 2b1ii - Shooter who handloads regularly (match shooting, etc.)
      • 2b2 - Shooter who handloads but has "realistic" limits
        • 2b2i - Shooter who handloads occasionally (hunting, etc.)
        • 2b2ii - Shooter who handloads regularly (match shooting, etc.)
      • 2b3 - Shooter who handloads and has no limits going down rabbit holes to pursue reduction of shooting/reloading variables
    • 2c - Shooters who wonder why they reload/handload but reload/handload anyways
2A2. I love to shoot for practice and matches and I reload all my own ammo. It's cheaper and more accurate then factory. In my prime I was shooting well over 70K rounds in an year. Expensive but a lot cheaper then buying factory
 
I started out reloading to save money. Then got hooked on developing accurate rifle loads. Then I became the primary caregiver
for my beautiful bride of 42 years and it helps relieve stress for me on her good days when I can reload for an hour or so, or go shoot for an hour or so. Some days I live vicariously through this website :).
God bless you, Sir
 
Hard to put myself into one category. I started to save money and to always have ammo in shortage situations. I also started later than most of you as I was almost 50. What ended up happening also like lots of you is I never saved money, but I shot more often. I bought firearms just to load for and I entered into calibers that reloading would allow me more cost effective options. Ex: I would never own 45 Colt probably if I did not reload.
In the end I reload to shoot, but reloading has become quite the hobby in itself. I honestly do not know how some friends and others can shoot the volume they do without the reloading option. I reload for every caliber I own know with one exception. I’ll soon be buying dies and fix that as well.

Jeff
 
Sorry Life Life, your breakdown doesn't quite fit me.
I started out as 1b with my father's help, then went into law enforcement, got "assigned" the armorer position, became the range officer, became the firearms/tactical rifle instructor. Friend introduced me to three-gun - became addicted - retired from LE and realized ammunition was not cheap :eek:.

So, from there went 1c-1d3-2a2-2a21-2a2iv and now 2b2ii, and I work to afford components
 
I started as 1, progressed to 2A, dabbled in 2B, then wound up somewhere in 3. Maintainer - a shooter who has acquired guns that use obsolete or modified cartridges, and the only way to shoot them is to create custom ammunition.

I still spend time in 2A and 2B though.
 
I started out reloading to save money. Then got hooked on developing accurate rifle loads. Then I became the primary caregiver for my beautiful bride of 42 years and it helps relieve stress for me on her good days when I can reload for an hour or so, or go shoot for an hour or so. Some days I live vicariously through this website :).

God bless you, Sir

+1, 2, 3 on God Bless You Sir!!! I too, love to shoot, load, and Live Vicariously through this website!!!

No real label for me. I fit parts of some and less of others but I'm glad I visit here frequently!

Merry Christmas and God's Blessings to All!!!
 
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I've changed over the years. Started as a hunter that reloaded. Then became a competitive shooter that reloaded and then back to where I am now, a hunter that reloads.
 
2b3 - Shooter who handloads and has no limits going down rabbit holes to pursue reduction of shooting/reloading variables

This is where I am right now, making the most accurate loads I can, I shoot all year round outside on a 300 meter range . I shoot for myself, with my purpose being the "best, most accurate hunting loads" I can. I love being at the bench, this year a 6
5 sweede, a 7x57, and a 280 ai one I has zero components for so I was forced to buy a box of factory ammo for in order to get brass for a load workup. I've since acquired almost 100 cases and have done 3 workup with different powders but really haven't had time to test at the range.

In my younger days I started loading 20 ga for my mentor to shoot clay competitions, never got to compete with him though circa 1978. A few years later loaded for 12 ga and shot tons of flying cans, pigeons even spent casings. The real loading began with my first rifle a 3030. I now load for 9 rifle calibers and 5 pistol calibers chasing each guns "best" loads.
 
I like to say, "I shoot to support my reloading habit."

The definitions of the categories seems a little imprecise, so I would fall into more than one, but they're all in your category 2.
 
2a2ii-Regular shooter and reloader enjoys both.

I have amortized my reloading gear across enough rounds and squeezed as much efficiency out of my system, that I save plenty of money.

If the supply curve was better I could see myself going to factory ammo as reloading is a huge time suck! The price and availability is one thing but more simply is just consistency of offerings, even outside the usual multi-year runs on ammo. In the retail world it's a lot like Costco/Sam's. As soon as I find something my range hammer likes, I can't find it anymore. Drives me nuts.
 
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