My heart and soul isn't in to reloading anymore

Sorry for your medical difficulties. I hope you will be better with time. As for reloading, etc... I think we all go through seasons. I started reloading @ 55, 62 now. I find it relaxing and I still enjoy it immensely. I find that getting a new powder (or bullet, or new caliber) needing a new workup keeps it fresh for me. The chasing of the best load for the gun is still a fun activity. I target shoot, and go to the range regularly, so I have good opportunities to test out new components. You might consider something new to reload for!

I've gone through phases, where I have become less interested in some of my hobbies/passions. Not much to be worried about unless I find I'm entering a time where I have nothing to replace them with. Putting one thing down to pick up another is fine, but when I loose interest in, well nearly everything, that's when I need to take a look under the hood and see what's going on. One surefire way to rekindle interest anything is to introduce someone new to it. That's one of my biggest joys now is bringing a new shooter to the range.

I don't have the drive for hunting like I used to although I still like to go sit in the woods with a rifle. I don't care so much about shooting a deer as I butcher myself and shooting is the easy part... I still get hyped when I draw bead on a nice buck, squeeze the trigger and watch it DRT...

I been reloading for 51 years and while I don't load as much as I used to I still enjoy "rolling my own". I recently started tumbling brass wet and with SS pins. It involves more work on my part but the tumbling time is far shorter. Something new for me.

Maybe it's time for you to do/try something new. Buy a new toy to load for or maybe try your hand at refinishing one of your worn old gunstocks. Just keep plugging along, this will pass.

I pretty much quit reloading for a number of years then came back around to it. Things change, people change. I am 3 years cancer free so far, if it had anything to do with reloading, I would have quit.

Took me about 10 minutes in my early 20s to get bored of reloading. Once I considered the equipment, parts, supplies and vast amount of time compared to coming across a sale and buy bulk I was done. Watching one of those manufacturer machines crank out like 3rds per second helped to.

Getting sick or having close family get sick changes everything. I fell into a 10 year hole but luckily my wife and a new hobby (shooting and reloading) pulled me out of it. I had hobbies years back that meant the world to me that I've completely lost interest in.

Change happens but don't sell your stuff until you know your completely done with it. Hopefully you'll get enthused again soon and this was just a little pothole in the road.

A few of you have read my recent posts last month....a heart attack can do it. Yet, I am feeling pretty darn good this month.....even made it through another Christmas!....even if a handful of new pills is what makes that possible.......those types of things do tend to make you rethink life a bit.

I'm mechanical project driven, so ordering a new press to tinker with, (Lee's APP), will give me something to look forward too, and help ward off when and if the ugly "depression" sickness comes That is the serious problem that hits some of us over the hill. New Hobbies might just help with that.

When I was young, I changed direction hobby-wise every 5 or 6 years.....I don't think that's abnormal....healthy in fact IMO. Like one brother said....don't sell anything....you'll likely swing back.

Interest in reloading, and even within reloading, seem to ebb and flow. Outside factors largely responsible.

When I started reloading I couldn't wait to try out any new combinations of bullet/caliber/powder. Three kids later, I'm mostly interested in high volume low cost reloads, and have thinned out a number of lesser used calibers to simplify.

Comes with the aging process I think. Happens to all us humans and dogs too it seems.

I've seen my personal involvement wax and wane, but the one time I sold my equipment I had to pay 5 times more to get the same setup back several years later. If you see your interest hit rock bottom, give it to your kid or a very close friend with the understanding that you may need to use it again in the future.

Some hobbies come and go. When I was young, I was really into electronic projects. I was also big into radio-controlled airplanes, and even won a national championship back in ‘93, but I haven’t touched the sticks in about 5 years now.

I got into shooting about 10 years ago, and shortly thereafter I got into reloading. I am an engineering type and love to work up new loads and generally just figure out why things work the way they do. If I feel like I am starting to get bored, I pick a new caliber to start playing with. I think I am up to about 16 or 17 now.

Whatever you do, don’t force yourself to keep doing it, that is the quickest way to completely lose interest.

years ago I was talking to a long time guide up in Maine. I was surprised when the conversation turned - that he did not hunt at all for himself any more, but spent a good deal of time out just watching and observing the wildlife he came to have a relationship with and enjoyed seeing. it all can and will change, just keep doing whatever it is that you find something of value in ..

Hey that medical stuff can break a weak man in half, good to hear your back in the tree stand enjoying life.
When your ready you’ll find a reason for a fresh battle cry. Till then who cares bout reloading when ya got family and friends.
My 2 cents
J

Hi...
Having survived cancer three times including two terminal diagnosis, I have a little perspective on this.

After my last diagnosis in 2016 and the subsequent chem and radiation treatments, I had no interest in reloading, shooting or hunting. I didn't even do much reading and studying of military history even though I have an extensive library in my den.

I was just fixated on during and getting well... didn't need any distractions.

Eventually I recovered physically (somewhat) and my interest in reloading and studying military history returned.
Once I retired and had more time to invest in hobbies, I find myself in the reloading room as much as two, three and sometimes four days a week. I go shooting at least one day a week unless the weather is bad. The drive to hunt isn't as strong as it once was but it's mostly because I am physically limited due to the after effects of radiation and chemo therapy.

I believe your interest will return as your health improves. Mine did and I am actually planning to expand into new calibers and am working on setting up at least one Dillon 550 and contemplating buying a turret press. Don't really need a turret press but I want to play with one. Don't really need the two Dillon 550s I bought at auction either but I wanted to try them and the deals were excellent. My two Hornady LnLs are working great and my RockChuckers take care of everything I need or want to reload.

Hang in there...I would bet your interest will be rekindled in time.

GW Staar said:

When I was young, I changed direction hobbywise every 5 or 6 years.....I don't think that's abnormal....healthy in fact IMO. Like one brother said....don't sell anything....you'll likely swing back.

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Most hobbies for me are in this time frame, about 5 or 6 years.
Like Rfwobbly wrote "Don't sell it off, it will cost you four or five times more to get back into it later if you pull threw this time of leave"

I had reloading stuff years ago and sold it all off when other interest came up. So close to forty years later I am back into reloading with my eight yearnold grandson. This time is more fun teaching him the whole process so he will be able to look at the books, decide what size of bullet he wants to use, decide upon a powder to use and make up what shoots the best out of each gun.
Plus I am having fun teaching him and getting tobtry new gagets.

You have a major life change that changed your whole value on life it's self.
When things like this happen you need to go thru the process and re-avaluate everything that is important to YOU.
The biggest thing to do is- Do what brings joy to your heart & soul. Smile from with in. When every thing balences out you will find new interest in new things or rekindle new interest in old things.

Good luck and enjoy what ever you do.

Hobbies change and conform to all kinds of variables.
Being sick can certainly take the wind out of your sails.
Maybe you just need a fresh direction to get your interest piqued again. I think an old classic .45-70 would be fun to load for. Maybe even some old school BP loads. It seems like I'm getting more enjoyment from a dozen shots from my flinter or 1873 peacemaker than I am from 120 .223s from an AR.
I'll pray for your health.
Best wishes.

"You are not alone"
The thrill is gone for me as well. No major life changes, just tired of driving long distance to the range to put holes in paper (we do not allow steel or pins)
I reload enough just to give me some 45 acp to shoot. Heck I have been shooting same of my stockpile of factory 9mm and 556.
I need to get back into revolvers. more relaxing then dumping mags.

I hope to continue to reload for as long as I can still shoot with the goal getting the price per round down to what I originally expected which went out of whack after the purchase of more and different reloading equipment which grossly inflated the base cost.

fotheringill said:

I hope to continue to reload for as long as I can still shoot with the goal getting the price per round down to what I originally expected which went out of whack after the purchase of more and different reloading equipment which grossly inflated the base cost.

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Sounds like me, I keep finding shiny reloading gadgets I never knew I needed. They seem to keep getting more expensive, too.

Hartkopf said:

Change happens but don't sell your stuff

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Yep. That's my theory after selling several boats over the years, then wanting one again and having to spend money/time getting it set up right. I may never get my boat wet again, but I'm not getting rid of it. Same with favorite guns or loading equipment. Like others said - stuff I wasn't interested in a year ago is now cool.

Yep, life happens. I feel for you brother as I am going through a similar situation. I damaged my knee in '95 and wrecked it good again three years ago. I can't stand very long so working/standing in my shop is bothersome. Walking is a pain (really) so setting/retrieving targets at my "range" is way too much trouble so my shooting has slowed waaaaay down. I have reloaded enough ammo to shoot/test for 8 years,and I've actually run out of room to store it. And interest is waning. One other aspect that is I some times feel guilty for having all this equipment and supplies and all the guns sitting unused (I have a new gun that has had exactly 3 rounds through it since I purchased it). Hard for a confirmed tool nut to have tools sit idle...

"Retooling" for reloading can be a bad thing or a good thing. In the late '70s I had to sell off all my reloading equipment due to a messy divorce in CA (I had to eat), but when I got back on my feet I was able to get better, newer tools and equipment. Nice, in the end, but I definitely wouldn't want to go through that again...

Very interesting in reading everyone's story and seeing so much parallel in many of us. None of us are the Lone Ranger and none of are truly Unique. There are always others that have gone before us.

I started shooting and reloading back in 1980 and did it for a number of years and enjoyed it then like others life changes happen and we get interrupted, distracted, redirected. Then it came back around again a few years ago when we started having a spat of police incidents in the area and I was working late night shift and the wife was now home alone as all the kids had moved along. Current wife was never a gun fan but I eventually convinced her to try. Back to shootin it is. That was almost a 30 year hiatus!

In 2001 I had my very first heart event that put me in the hospital for 3 days at the age of 47 which at the same time it was determined that I also had P.V.A. in both legs and I needed a bypass done to my legs. After that I was off work for 3 months and took almost a year before I felt back to 100%... Three years later the bypass graft failed and had to go thru it all over again. Then in 2017 I have a real heart attack, open heart bypass.

I have overcome those things and life presses forward. Still feeling that I have been truly blessed with what life has provided and every morning I wake I feel as though it is a bonus. My adult family is all passed with only my brothers and sisters remaining. Then also this year we have lost my Son-in-Law, he was only 39 yo.

So far many hobbies and interests have faded over the years, some because of physical limitations some just lack of interest. At this point my interests in reloading and now casting has still grown and it keeps my mind and hands occupied and busy. If nothing else I will forever have the memories!

Good luck choppertime and hope to continue to see you here on the forum.

How about taking a new reloader under your wing and passing on the knowledge ?