What's your favorite type of loading on the bench?

Mr. Varminterror's mention of reloading with his wife reminded me of a few years back when my wife and I were active in benchrest competitions. She did all of our loading and I cleaned our rifles. Here she is at work at the loading bench in our camper loading for next match. Those were enjoyable times. .

Can't talk my wife into helping reload. It probably for the best, no doubt I would be distracted and smash a finger, or something else, in the press.
I enjoy reloading may own 12 gauge pheasant loads. Loading 45-70 with my own cast bullets and shooting deer with them is fun.
Our recent cold snap, down to -38, was a great time to load a few thousand 9mm rounds. The next few days look like a chance for a few thousand more.

I would say "precision rifle" I find the most fun to load. I very frequently think of the scene below when I'm loading it.

I enjoy other calibers but for different reasons. Loading to ensure I'm well stocked with 9mm and .223 i find akin to having food in the freezer: It makes me comfortable that whenever I make a last-minute decision to head to the range I always have something fun available to just grab.

460Shooter said:

Just wondering what everyone finds the most fun to load and on what type of press. No brand bashing or lecturing needed. Just wondering what folks enjoy.

Right now I only load semi auto pistol cartridges and revolver cartridges. I find loading revolver cartridges lots of fun on my progressive. A good canelured bullet adds a little more peace of mind, the variety of bullet weights, powder choices, lack of dependency on OAL and magazine compatibility, and the long life of cases makes for fun loading IMO.

But I haven't even touched rifle loading yet, so I have much more exploring to do. 45-70 sounds appealing to me. I kind of want to get into longer range shooting also, so I may pick up one of the newer 6mm cartridges at some point.

What do you like?

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I like doing case prep. I take a box of 20 cases and chill on the couch trimming, chamfering and neck turning, then deburring flash holes. After this I trickle each charge and load my ammo on an old CH4 single stage press.
20 rounds gets me through 3 episodes of my wife's latest TV shows without me hearing a word of it.
She's happy I'm "spending time" with her and I don't have to watch the TV.
I have a seemingly endless supply of brass because a friend saves his Mag dumps for me.
I have argued against a progressive because I love my focus time.

460Shooter said:

Just wondering what everyone finds the most fun to load and on what type of press. No brand bashing or lecturing needed. Just wondering what folks enjoy.

Right now I only load semi auto pistol cartridges and revolver cartridges. I find loading revolver cartridges lots of fun on my progressive. A good canelured bullet adds a little more peace of mind, the variety of bullet weights, powder choices, lack of dependency on OAL and magazine compatibility, and the long life of cases makes for fun loading IMO.

But I haven't even touched rifle loading yet, so I have much more exploring to do. 45-70 sounds appealing to me. I kind of want to get into longer range shooting also, so I may pick up one of the newer 6mm cartridges at some point.

What do you like?

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I’m the opposite of your experience. I’ve loaded rifle cartridges for 20 plus years and have really just begun learning pistol and revolver cartridges. So far my favorite has been loading the .41 mag for hunting and target. The .357 would be right behind it though. My next step is to start loading for 9mm and .380. Don’t get me wrong I still enjoy the rifle reloading as well.
I still use my single stage press. I’m in no hurry. Like others have said, I enjoy all aspects of loading, but developing load ladders to find that perfect load is the pay off for me.

Offfhand said:

Mr. Varminterror's mention of reloading with his wife reminded me of a few years back when my wife and I were active in benchrest competitions. She did all of our loading and I cleaned our rifles. Here she is at work at the loading bench in our camper loading for next match. Those were enjoyable times. .View attachment 825116

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My wife made me teach her how to relax for her 260 rem just in case something happens to me. She doesn't enjoy it, but doesn't have faith in factory ammo.
You have a good wife.

I enjoy a good session of reloading at the bench!! My favorite by far is when I load up rounds for the Garand.

I load off of a Redding T-7 and .45 Colt is my favorite to reload. I also load for the .38 Special, .357 Mag and .44 Special. No rifle loading but if I find a nice Remington .222, that will change!

I've found that when I do something that I haven't done for awhile, it seems to be more fun.

For example, when I got my Dillon a few years ago, I didn't load anything on my Rockchucker for some time. I wanted to load some .223 with 75 Hornadys and Rl15. I dug out some older matched LC brass that I had, annealed and trimmed them, and did those single stage. It was a nice change.

Another one is loading .357 and .38. I don't shoot much of those, and when I have to restock (which isn't very often) its a relearning curve dealing with the roll crimp and so forth. I like that too.

I load for 35+ different cartridges and five shotshell GA. I use both a SS and turret press for metallic and load in batches. It is all fun as far as I am concerned. I like the need to clear my head of the days woes and focus on reloading a bunch of ammo. It is actually relaxing to me.The only tedious thing is brass prep and I do it over the cold winter months in small batches so It goes rather well anyway.

I enjoy reloading and casting. I guess my favorite is either cast bullets in 357 and 44 or precision loads for my 6.5-284 and 308's. I'm another that does case prep, including hand priming, in front of the tv without ever watching it.

I enjoy handloading.

When I need to produce 1500 rounds of 9mm for a few weeks of shooting I'm very glad I have a good solid 5 station progressive press.

Offhand, that powder measure looks like a modified Lyman No. 55. Is that something you did yourself? The body looks the same but the drop tube and hopper are different.

Looks like a Sinclair bottle and adapter on top. They make them for the Lyman 55. Not sure if they work on the older, threaded base 55s or not.

I like loading capable, non-typical cartridges for hunting most. Lately, 9.3x62mm Mauser.

My enjoyment of loading is the mechanics of progressives, with bullet sizing being the only operation I still do on a single stage press, and even with that, I'm thinking/planning about adding a Lee bullet feeder to that resizing operation.

Loading for me is just handgun ammo now, and I will confess to "collecting" progressives under the premise that I need one for each caliber to limit "change-over".

I started progressive loading with the 1st design RCBS Piggy Back and I spent a lot of time and effort to get it to run without any hiccups.
I have picked up a few used PB presses in various stages of disrepair since, as I have the PB process ironed out, and in fact have one now waiting for a press to bolt it to.

The process is continuously changing/improving for me, and I have moved on to some different progressives for new challenges, that's what keeps my interest in loading.
whew,

I regard reloading as work I have to do to enjoy my hobby of trying to find a load that will group into one hole constantly on any day. Of course it will never happen. Reloading is just one of the steps in trying and the trying is the fun part for me. Reloading gives me more accurate and also cheaper than factory ammo to pursue that quest.

I have no favorite.

45acp is my favorite, on a Lee Turret press. 40 and 10mm are about the same. The InLine Fabrication ejector system is awesome.

I need to get a 3 hole turret press for revolver cartridges, then that might become my favorite

Whiterook808 said:

Offhand, that powder measure looks like a modified Lyman No. 55. Is that something you did yourself? The body looks the same but the drop tube and hopper are different.

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It is, or was, a Lyman #55 measure, but was converted to "click" adjustments and micrometer type reference scale by Homer Culver. He was a well known benchrest shooter and his "Culver Conversions" were widely used by serious bench shooters. His precise click adjustment system has since been copied by other makers of high end measures such as Harrells and usually advertised as "Culver type." Here are some closeups of details.

Nice! I don't think they do those conversions anymore, do they? I searched once and I think if you want that type of micrometer action you have to buy a Harrells measure. Thanks for sharing.

Hi...
I enjoy reloading...whether rifle or handgun.
It is relaxing and allows be to build something useful with my hands.
I even enjoy cleaning brass and cleaning primer pockets.
Probably my favorite part of reloading is loading revolver cartridges on my RockChucker.
I have two Hornady LnLs set up for loading high volume loading of semi auto pistol and .357Mag cartridges. My son does most of those now that he has learned how to reload.
One thing I don't enjoy is case trimming.
I actually hate using the lathe type trimmers... I have been known to pay a friend who owned a gunsmithing business to trim .375 Win to .375SuperMag because I hate it so much.
I am going to try some Lee Quik trim tools I bought to see if that is more my speed. If that doesn't work...back to using trim dies.

I started reloading in 1972, with a RCBS Rock Chucker kit., I got the press, a set of .308 Win. dies and a shell holder, mail order for 42.00 bucks. I Then bought a set of Lee powder scoops, and that old Lee hand priming tool with the screw in shell holders ( I STILL USE THAT PRIMING TOOL TODAY LOL ) . I started cleaning my brass with a liquid cleaner by BirchWood Casey. Trimed brass with Lee hand trimmer. As the years passed and I got my .357 revolver I began casting my own pistol bullets useing wheel weights and range lead. I've upgraded to a UniFlow measure, a tumbler, and a Redding scale now. Reloading has been a hobby for me, I love to shoot. Many rifles and hand gums later I still enjoy it. hdbiker

I enjoy reloading .38/357, 45ACP, .45 Colt, .308 and 50 Beowulf. I use a Dillon 650 for the .45ACP and a LCT for the rest.

I find reloading 9mm tedious for some reason, and not much $ savings compared to current prices for loaded ammo.

I got pretty used to loading all the handgun calibers but I really enjoyed the last caliber I worked up, .44 Special. I had bought a Marlin 44 Mag rifle and after seeing the prices of Special I got some brass and started loading and they're fun to shoot! Now I'm totally crippled up after coming very close to dying in the hospital (3 stays in one year) so I'm selling all my reloading stuff and not shooting much anymore. Those were fun times.

I like sitting at the picnic table under the grapevine on a warm day loading 30-30 cast boolits. I just use my Lee hand press and dippers. Simple, uncomplicated and relaxing.

Sorry to hear that Valkman. Best of luck to you.