How did you get into reloading?

[LiquidTension]

Like so many things gun related, THR was a culprit in getting me started reloading. It's another firearms related activity, which is always good. Saving money is a plus. Also, it's cool to knock a plate down with ammo you made yourself

 

[Big_R]

I started reloading to save money, then I started shooting competition and found I could make better ammo than could be bought. Now I do it for pure relaxation. I load for about 25 calibers, and they're all fun.

Ryan

 

[Glock9]

Beacuse the voices in my head said to stockpile ammo.

No, I really started reloading after I started shooting IDPA and was going through 300 rounds + a week.

Now I have 2 Dillon SDBs for 9mm and 45ACP, a 550 for .223 and an RCBS single for my hunting hand loads.

 

[ReloaderFred]

In 1963 I bought myself an M1 Garand for $89.95. Right after that, I bought an M1 Carbine through the NRA and the old CMP for $20.00, delivered. My next door neighbor was a reloader and he had a college professor who was selling his used Hollywood press for $25.00, which was a princely sum in those days, since I was only making $1.72 an hour working for the phone company. I bought the press, which I still have and use, and now load for 26 different calibers and have three presses set up on my bench.

Buying that press was one of the smartest decisions I ever made. It was a much better decision than marrying my first wife, that's for sure.........

Fred

 

[antarti]

I started reloading when the kids came along. Although time is short, money is even in shorter supply, so it's out of necessity.

I can't tell you how many thousands of .45s I pounded downrange and never collected the brass before that, and not a minute goes by at the press without me thinking about it :banghead:

Now its amazing how the mayo and pickle jars of primed brass are piling up, and the dies seem to be multiplying in their "cool dark place". What a great hobby, money saver, and great way to de-stress. Now I can show up with triple the ammo I used to for a range trip, great feeling.

Anyway, I had nobody to show me the ropes, and managed to get by thanks to some helpful folks here like HSMITH, caz223(sp?), and The Bushmaster whose posts and answers to my n00b questions helped immensely.

Mucho appreciated guys.

 

[bj]

Reloading

I was 12 and my big brother said if you want to shoot my .38 you must load
some up been at it for about 40 years . B.J.

 

[LAH]

I got into it "in the kitchen" HEE HEE

 

[Tang]

Get started in reloading

I got the .45 ACP bug in 2004 with a Wilson Combat CQB.

Save money.

Nice relaxing hobby.

In time I believe you can build more accurate rounds than factory ammo.

 

[billrob]

New to it

I am as new to reloading as I am to this forum.
just got done decapping some primers from my once fired brass.
I bought a Lee Loader (original) the old fashioned hand jobber for my 7mm Rem Mag.
I just bought the gun Savage 111 7mm Rem Mag 24" barrel 1 in 9.5" and picked it up after the waiting period Jan 22nd of this year.
To date I have fired a little over 300 rounds through it and I believe I can find a better load than I am finding in factory ammo which is alo a little pricey once you start shooting a lot.
I am saving all my brass as it is fire formed for my chamber and that Reloader only sizes the neck.
I have a lot of brass mostly Federal but some Frontier-Hornady and Graf - HMR. I have some winchester too but I hear it isn't very good brass.
I bought a box of 150 grain Barnes TSX BT bullets and figured I could work up a good hunting load for deer, hog etc;
I have also been looking into the Berger 180 grain which looks like a pretty good bullet and I hear that the Hornady 162 A-Max actually also has good terminal performance on game and a high BC SD factor.
Lately I've been shooting 160 Grain Barnes XLC (coated X-Bullets) the coating is a dry lube not moly. So far so good. I just don't know how much longer they will be so cheap at $14.99 a box instead of somewhere in the high $30's. It's reasonable. I 've been buying them at 10 boxes a pop. I get to shoot em up and have the good federal brass too.
So Far, I could have bought another rifle on what I've spent on ammo but I didn't know I would love shooting again this much.
I'm going to play with the little reloader and eventually buy a kit probably the Lyman TMAG II Turret Kit with the digital scale.

 

[donkee]

When i got my first K31 and seeing the cost of ammo for it.

 

[roo_ster]

I slowly accumulated the equipment and load manuals (6 or 7) over 3-4 years at sales.

What really made me take the plunge was my purchase of a Rossi 92 in .44mag for my wife. I bought 3 boxes of factory ammo & cried "uncle."

I started with my 686, figuring revolver loads in a strong revolver would be easiest/safest place to start. I now have plinker & hot loads for .357mag and a plinker load for .44mag. More to follow.

 

[jeepmor]

For cost savings making JHPs, then it turned hobby

Once I realized that I liked shooting my pistols more than I was willing to pay for ammo. A little math showed me that it was a good investment and another enjoyable hobby since I have more free time than most. I also decided to purchase a 10mm since I had the reloader and find the 10 mm round prices to be quite attrocious. I can buy plinker ammo for $15/50round box and shoot the brass dozens of times if I keep it in the 40S&W range. If I go full power, I get quite a bit less loadings, but the big boom of the 10 mm generates some big smiles for me.

My neighbor just asked about it the other day and I think I might be pulling another one into the fray of handloading with me.... We'll see how he feels after paying $1/round of JHP through his new Sig and then I tell him I can make 100 rounds of the same ammo for about $20 bucks. That's plenty of savings for me, but I don't equate my labor to money here, it's a hobby.

I'm a wrench-head by nature, so something that requires the use of tools always inerests me.

jeepmor

 

[callgood]

To feed a 10mm pistol with a healthy appetite. Later, to tinker around with other pistol calibers to find good performing loads. I also find it relaxing and I don't feel I'm wasting time in front of the TV if I'm prepping brass.

 

[The Bushmaster]

I'm not sure which is cheaper...Reloading or a phsyciatrist. And I believe that reloading is much better for you and does more good then a phsyciatrist. So twenty years ago I jumped right into it with both feet. I hope I put at least one phsyciatrist out of work....One can only dream....

 

[Ifishsum]

I'd been thinking about it in passing for awhile, but what pushed me over the edge was buying a brand new .204 Ruger and then not being able to find any ammo for it I've since started handloading for every centerfire I shoot (except the SKS) and I've found it a very enjoyable way to spend time.

Saving money sounds good, but in reality I'm shooting a lot of premium ammo for what I used to spend buying the cheap stuff, and I do it a lot more often.