How Did You Get Started Reloading?

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woodshunter

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I know there will be differing answers to this post. If I made too long a post just skip over it...but I will relate mine, I was dumb as a rock when I wanted to get into it. Had just bought a 22-250 varmint rifle with every penny I had and wanted to see what it would do compared to factory Remington green box. Met a gentleman who had a real gunshop about 20 minutes from where my wife and I had just moved to and fell in love with the place at first visit, in fact he had just sold me the varmint rifle. He was a good reloader that had patience and made the time to share his knowledge with me, he taught me in his own way and took into account that I didn't have much money to spend (2 boys to raise and lots of bills). He set me up with the basics and showed me how to make do with some basic common sense. Rockchucker press with an RCBS balance scale, RCBS hand primer so I would learn what primer seating pressure felt like. He said don't scrimp on the case trimer or case prep tools but showed me some tricks to get around brass cleaners and case lube equipment. A low cost way to get by without a powder measure or trickler, but for goodness sake spend whats needed for good dies. Showed me how to read a fired case and watch for subtle signs of pressure (every gun and chamber are different). Finally I reached the level he was at and as times changed and I could now afford any tool I wanted or needed, I continued further on to some bench shooting and match prepping brass. Weight sorting and primer pocket deburring and concentricity work. Chamber formed and lightly bumped brass, sizing wax and graphite (pencil mark inside case necks for sliding over sizers). He taught me how to build my own rifles from pieces (Savages are one of the easiest with the removable barrels) so I could see the difference as I developed ever tightening loads. I owe it all to him...….I told him I joined a forum and it had a lot of decent posters and mods, I hope he comes on and happens to see this thread he sure changed a lot for me. woods
 
Between the ages of 13-17 or so (I'm 58 now) my dad and I shot lots of trap. Every Sunday we'd put two guns and 8 boxes of 12 ga into the car and shoot 4 rounds each. That meant every Saturday we loaded 200 shotgun shells together. He dabbled in .38 Spcl a little bit. I saw that press on the bench and I knew what it was for. But whenever he did .38 Spcl it was just him.

College, married, kids, raising kids.....during that time I fell away from any shooting at all, but as my son got to the age of 10 or so I got back into it and taught him. I always figured I'd start loading when I retired - and that's exactly what happened. Five years ago - a couple of years before retiring - I started up my own reloading efforts.

I'd decided I wanted a Rockchucker. I was all set to buy new and I casually mentioned my plan to an avid hunter I know. He says "I've got a complete setup - including a Rockchucker. I've loaded up a lifetime supply of hunting ammo and that's all I shoot. I'll sell you all my stuff." (Included in it was an original Ohaus 10-10 scale. Score!)

I don't enjoy shotgun any more. It beats me up too badly. I'm enjoying reloading even more than I figured I would. And as I've said in other postings: I enjoy it so much even if calibers like 9mm and .223 become cheaper to buy than reload.......I'll still load them. And in sort of a "it has come full circle" way: Me learning to load has enabled me to shoot my Grandpa's rifle - a Remington Model 14 chambered in .32 Remington. I probably only shoot about 20 rounds a year through it. it's not very fun to shot IMHO 'cause it kind of beats me up as well. But I get immense satisfaction out of keeping that thing going that I wouldn't otherwise be able to if I didn't load ammo for it.
 
I was looking at different gun pamphlets at the local gun shop and browsed through a couple reloading guides and thought this looks pretty interesting.
Spent $53 and walked out with a Lee Challenger press kit.
 
I still use the bench, RCBS jr, and some of the tools I started with in 1977. Back then there were few resources to learn reloading. I learned from my Speer #9 manual and from the few magazines available.
I only reloaded for .270 Win. for years. With the advent of the internet, I have greatly expanded my operation.
Thanks to The High Road and other forums, it has turned into my favorite pass time.
 
I was shooting my 38 up in the hills above LA and as I emptied the cylinder, I thought; "I wonder if these can be reused?". I knew only one other person that shot, but no reloaders. Went to Weatherby's in South Gate and asked. Soon bought a Lee Loader, one pound of Bullseye, 100 CCI primers and 100 generic cast lead round nose bullets. That was in 1969..
 
Started helping my grandfather reload shotgun ammo and mostly hunting ammo for rifles. He had self taught starting with muzzle loaders and transitioned into smokeless in the 30's-40's to save every penny as we were dirt poor. He bought the family's first handgun about 1971. A .22 single action. I "borrowed" it and shot it so much he said I was putting him in the poor house from the ammo. The spring of 1973 he got me my own revolver in 38 SPL, the dies, bullet mold, used brass, and powder. We made the first batch of ammo together and I was off. Still don't know where that old junker 38 SPL ended up, after all the other grandkids learned on it the thing sort of went away. Probably for safety reasons though thinking about that now.:D One of the best lessons I learned from him was how to work up a load from an unknown powder safely. That sure helped this last banic.
 
When I was 12 or 13, my father started reloading. One of my "chores" was to shoot WWII 30 CAL surplus into a hill. At my age, shooting was a lot more fun than reloading. Buying a box of commercial ammunition convinced me reloading was a necessity for my wallet size.

He bought 4831 for less than 20 cents a pound. The legend claimed it was used in 20 mm shells in WWII.. Anyone know if the legend is true or not?
 
I also got my start from a gunsmith who had a shop on a street corner in downtown Great Falls, Montana. i was stationed there in the Air Force and was looking for a varmint rifle. The gunsmith (forgot his name) had a Winchester Model 43 in 218 Bee caliber. He also had the dies and a Lyman Tru-Line Jr hole turret press and he gave me a good deal on all of it. Later I added .38 Special and .222 Remington dies for that little press. The 218 Bee was a beautiful cartridge and I wish I still had that rifle.
 
My best friend had inherited his grampa's guns including a 22 Hornet rifle. It came with an old Belding and Mull reloading set up and components which we figured out and loaded some ammo. I don't recall how accurate it was but the gun didn't blow up so we counted it as a win. This was all before the internet. We consulted manuals and learned some basics. My only reloadable caliber at the time was for 45 acp and I picked up a Lee Loader kit for it. It was slow but affordable. That planted the seeds of a serious hobby.

And then I got married. Turns out my new in-laws lived 30 minutes from Lee Precision. Any time we visited her folks included a stop at Lee. My first press was a factory second with some minor cosmetic flaw. I paid less than half price and still use it 36 years later. A lot of dies, bullet molds and other gear followed. That's why 90 percent of my reloading tools are Lee. My one regret is I didn't get all the Loader Kits available at the time. So many have been discontinued over the years.

Jeff
 
I began shooting at age 8 in 1958. While in Vietnam I took a big interest in snipers, I haven't a clue why as I never was a sniper but accurate rifles and their ammunition really fascinated me. When I came home in 1972 I knew the only way to get the best out of my rifles was to roll my own ammunition for them. Hard to believe that was 47 years ago. I can't say I ever loaded my own to save money, shoot more maybe but save money nope. A RCBS Rock Chucker and an old Lyman M5 scale which I still have were part of the original scheme. Something I have now enjoyed for a long time and continue to enjoy. First rifle loads were 308 Winchester and first handgun loads were 44 Magnum.

Ron
 
I started at the age of 30 in 1980 when I bought my first centerfire rifle, a Remington VS in .25-06. At the time I purchased that rifle ammo could only be purchased in a gun shop and they usually only had a few boxes. Each time they re-stocked I noticed the price went up on a box of shells by about .60 cents. Back in those days I thought the .25-06 would go obsolete. Last time I looked Walmart was selling ammo for .25-06.

That's when a group of us got started reloading. Only one person had a press and others had scales and other needed equipment that we shared. I invested in a Lee Loader which I still have. It was slow but it did produce some good ammo that was accurate. My next investment was a Sierra manual and scale as I didn't like using the dipper that came with the loader. If I remember correctly one LGS that I visited to buy primers had an RCBS Rock Chucker on sale and it went home with me. Now I was in business so to speak.

Over time I added other equipment to make the job easier. Once I had a true press I invested in dies for .38/.357 for my only revolver, a S&W model 19. Now I probably have 20 sets of dies for various cartridges I've owned.

I never stopped reloading from those early days. It gave me something to do during the long winters here. When I first started loading a box of Sierra .257 87 gr bullets cost $6 and some change. Powder cost $8 for a lb of IMR4350. Can't remember the price of primers though.
 
I've been around guns since I was a teenager. I took an NRA gun safety course at the local Jr High School when I was 13. I went to the desert and shooting with my friends quite often. I joined the Navy when I was 18 and worked on the flight deck but I had to qualify on the .45 twice. I did a tour in Fallon, NV and a group of my buddies and I used to terrorize the jack rabbit population.

When my ship changed home ports to Japan, I had to leave my guns with my parents. A few years later, I came home a parent my self and one more on the way. The next several years were busy raising kids and transferring all over the country. During my last tour in the Navy, the guys in my shop took me to the range about twice a month and let me loose. I rediscovered a passion and I made a pistol purchase (XD40SC) a few months later. I was in the range at least twice a month and purchasing at least 2 boxes of ammo each time. In the fall, my wife noticed I wasn't going to the range and asked why. I said it was getting expensive. I had purchased a P320 in 9mm by this time and shooting two boxes a piece every range visit. Then my wife said the magic words, "Can't you make your own bullets?" Me - "Uh, I think so."

Several YouTube videos, web articles and reloading forums later I decided to take the plunge and purchased a Lee Classic Turret kit off of Amazon. I was introduced to a reloader who lived in my old neighborhood in base housing and he became my mentor. I only load for 9mm and I don't have any plans, right now, to load any other calibers. I shoot once at least once a week and two days a month I shoot at IDPA matches.

I made a lot quality ammo on my Lee press, but I wanted a higher production rate. In late November I ordered a Dillon 750. The new press was the genesis of moving my reloading bench from my garage wood shop to the sun porch and reconfiguring the bench itself. So far I have made 400 rounds on the Dillon. I am taking things slow on the Dillon to learn real progressive loading before I start ramping up production.

....and there is a shrine of my wife at the local shooting range...


 
My Dad started me on 12 gauge 11/4 ounce field loads.
From there, he showed me how to load 8x57 and 32acp.
I started reading about fine tuning loads and rifles and was hooked.
My Dad is a great shot, but his idea on rifle reloading was the heaviest bullet with IMR 3031 seated at the recommended depth and adjust the charge for accuracy.
They sure penetrated paper well... ;)
 
Pretty much what Walkalong posted!:thumbup: When I bought my first pistol (G23) in March of 2013, I also thought it would be cool to get into reloading. When I bought the gun, I also bought 2 boxes of Federal Guard Dog. That was the only factory 40 S&W ammo I would ever purchase! I never opened them! Watched and read a ton about it. Bought a few reloading manuals. Bought my reloading equipment, and I started to reload in April of 2013!:):thumbup: First rounds out of my Glock were my first reloads.:thumbup: I think all has worked out well!:thumbup::)
 
Started out in1964 trap shooting. Remington Sportsman 58, and a Felix Sarasquata side by side. Still have the side by side. Went to a nice range in Wantaugh L.I. It was a blast. One round of trap $1.50, box if trap loads $1.50 went 3 times a week and it got a little expensive. Bought A Lee Wack a mole for $15.00 Every time I shot a round of trap I would walk away with a shoebox full of first fired paper hulls. (That's all there was) Now I could shoot all I wanted.
 
I didn’t grow up rich, but not poor. My parents did a lot to make sure my sister and I had all of what we needed and a lot of what we wanted. I grew up hunting and at 11 I started going with my dad into the deer woods. At 12 I carried a single shot .410 with slugs, and by 13 I was shooting a rifle well and ready to really hunt, but we didn’t have spare money for a .243 or similar gun but Dad did have his marlin 62 .256winmag. Ammo was unobtainable already, so to hunt I had to practice, and to practice I had to shoot, and to shoot I had to learn to reload. Lee hand loader whack-a-mole style at the kitchen table. 60 gr flat nose jacketed .257 bullets over a full but level dipper of 2400. I got my first deer at 13 with a reloaded .256 cartridge on a rainy youth hunt Saturday morning. The addiction/passion/affliction with reloading stuck.
 
I bought my first handgun in 2015. Since then I have acquired pretty nice collection. I could see that early on feeding all these firearms was going to get expensive. I bought my first press in 2016. Like a few in this thread, I have got a great LGS. He's a reloader to boot! His wisdom about reloading, shooting, and firearms is very helpful. I currently have two Dillons, a SDB and a 550B. I can reload for everything I shoot. IMG_20191130_022707550.jpg
 
Just seemed like the logical thing to do and to really enjoy all that shooting has to offer. Its kind of like hunting. The shooting of the animal is such a small part of the overall experience. There is scouting, hunting spot preparation, actual hunting, dressing your kill, butchering the animal and final figuring out how to use every bit of meat and make wonderful meals. Same with shooting. Reloading is such a huge part of the experience. There is the fun of shooting, then there is the stripping down of the gun and cleaning... but figuring out the best loads, and doing it yourself is such a huge part of the overall fun of shooting. I do not cast bullets; yet. But I feel like I should. I will save that for when I retire. Pete
 
When I was about 10 my uncle bought me a 20 ga fox SXS . He was a tinkerer and great mentor. He bought a 20 ga Lee whacka mole. we used alcan powder, and paper wads,When rem plastic shell came out he would reload them with an over shot wad and a little glycerin to seal them. I shot a lot of squirrels, rabbits, doves, ducks, with that old gun and those reloads. I grew up got married in 1976. my wife and I had decent jobs so I ordered Lyman "C" type press, some 30-06 dies and a few other items and a MEC 12 GA 600jR. I HAVE BEEN RELOADING EVER SINCE. Bought all that equipment for something like $79 from Charter Oak distributors!! Since then I have acquired 4 more Mecs and about 8 other caliber dies! No internet to ask questions back then had to learn from manuals, and magazine articles and trial and error. I even reloaded steel shot for waterfowl hunting but it got too expensive for the components. I still reload all my rifle, handgun and lead shot shotgun ammo. I have shot 2 deer and 2 hogs with my reloads this fall!

BULL
 
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One of my Grandfathers cows died from mastitis and he said I could have the calf, if I fed it. I figured since it’s mom died and I castrated him, I’d name him Lucky.

Anyhow, I guess I showed enough responsibility that my Father allowed me to buy a 357 Magnum with the proceeds of Lucky. My 17 year old Brother I think had a bit of envy of his 13 year old brothers 357, so he too asked if he could have one, he already had the money from work so I had a 6” and he a 4”.

Our ability to shoot together quickly evaporated because while I could afford to pay for a 357, I couldn’t afford to feed it much. That’s the year I learned to reload.

Very good memories from back then.
 
5th grade in the 1970s I got a lee hand die set for 12ga and powder dipper. A bag of shot and can of powder. No manual or anything. Lucky I didn’t blow myself up. I don’t really think my parents knew what they were doing or how to supervise as they didn’t reload either.
 
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