How many have mentored a prospective reloader that actually took up the hobby?

[AK Hunter]

I had a buddy that had reloaded pistol rounds but hadn't tried rifle rounds. He kept complaining about not getting consistent powder loads into his rifle brass & his bullets would sometimes crush his brass when trying to set them.
I went over to his house & just stood behind him & watched.
I told him first off you are using your crimp die as a powder through die.
He said what's a crimp die? That's a powder through die because it has a hole all the way through.
I had him put his good reading glasses on then showed him how the crimp die works.
I told him about half your powder is still sitting inside your crimp die & you are just catching the edge of your longer brass, that gives it a crimp before you set your bullet, that's what's crushing your brass. (thank goodness his crimp die wasn't set up right or he wouldn't have gotten the first round done)
I set him down & went back through setting his dies up in his turret press. Just because he can reload pistol rounds doesn't mean he can use the same process to load rifle.
Teaching him about crimped primer pocket brass was another headache. LOL

 

[Walkalong]

In person? Yes. Via THR? Many of us have.

 

[Walkalong]

Obviously that isn't a factor for folks getting into reloading today.

I'm not sure I know anyone who isn't loading at least 10k rounds a year. For those who take shooting seriously, they are easily loading double that. 25k is just over 2k/month...that is why motordrives go up to 3500 rounds per hour. Might be one of the reasons that RMR offers increasing discounts on 124gr MW going toward 12k and 21k

I'm such a slouch. You pistol games folks really shoot a lot.

 

[EMC45]

I've mentored 5-6 and they all stuck with it. Even including casting bullets.

 

[jmorris]

Most all of those I have helped out that keep going are competitive shooters.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

The young man i helped get started is still at it. Im taking him out to the new loading shop this week. Im also teaching my son now how to look up data. And how to adjust the throws. Im also teaching him how to clean his guns. He has to face the reality im not always going to able to do it for him.

 

[johnjohn]

I feel like I'm not doing my share,no one wants to learn from me. Oh well.

 

[gobsauce]

You guys were my mentor. I've been reloading since summer '20, i was using a lee loader for .38 Special, with black powder.

Then I bought a weird press that just called my name, 1 lb HP-38, RCBS dies and graduated to smokeless.

Someday I'll reload for other cartridges.

 

[N555]

I got one that went straight to reloading 9mm on a progressive.
I have been reloading since the late 1990s and never used a progressive press.

 

[gwpercle]

I was and still am mentored by several that have probably forgotten more than I’ll ever know. But now I’m learning enough and getting good enough I’m starting to help out others. My first bit of advice is always “BUY A MANUAL!!!” Haha

Not a thing funny about that bit of excellent advice ... too many rely on U-tube and the internet ...
they need at least 4 good published manuals and they need to read the informative chapters , not just the load data .
I agree with your advice 100% ... buy and read a load manual
... is 6 enough , is 12 too many ... not in my opinion !
Gary

 

[JmacD]

Not a thing funny about that bit of excellent advice ... too many rely on U-tube and the internet ...
they need at least 4 good published manuals and they need to read the informative chapters , not just the load data .
I agree with your advice 100% ... buy and read a load manual
... is 6 enough , is 12 too many ... not in my opinion !
Gary

I have… 9 at last count, plus digital variants. Another bit of advice: learning to count and at least basic math is essential. Lol

 

[.45Coltguy]

I feel like I'm not doing my share,no one wants to learn from me. Oh well.

This post got me thinking. I've offered to a few people over the years, even my son. For some reason, people don't want to sit down and take the time to learn handloading.
It seems they want results/ammo NOW. I've had one who asked about four, maybe five years ago to learn this and he has stuck to it in spades. He is 67 now, retired[like me], so maybe older folks are more patient. At 72, I just load for myself now and head to the desert.

 

[FROGO207]

Some years ago (1968) my grandfathrt wea teaching me how to reload. We were dirt poor and if I wanted to shoot I had to make my own ammo. Over the years I mostly made my own ammo. About 18 years ago I joined a rifle range. I workrd with another member and we set up a reloading course. Basic to learn and then later an advanced one. The basic often had 10 or so each year. The advanced ended up with say 3 of the origional 10 each year. Did this for several years. Also I would teach anyone that showed interest and some aptitude as we could arange it. I actually have taught/mentored in person at least 3 members of this forum as well as 15 or so other individuals over the years that are still reloaders that I stay in contact with aside from those from the rifle range. I hope that we can get back to classes this next year, if supplies get back to reasonable prices it helps set up new reloaders for success

 

[Bazoo]

One person on another forum is all. We’ve become friends. No one in person. Sure would like to though.

 

[Bazoo]

I think we should start a database of willing mentors. I for one am down to share reloading and casting knowledge.

 

[Ranger99]

I feel like I'm not doing my share,no one wants to learn from me. Oh well.

Well sir all you can do is to offer help.
Some of the people I've tried to give
different advice to really didn't want it
and ended up plowing ahead and
screwing up whatever, then come back
and say- now what was that you said
that I needed to do to get this to do that?

 

[gunmechanic]

I have not mentored any one yet but i am a product of a mentor for reloading and it has been a life long passion of mine!

 

[.45Coltguy]

One person on another forum is all. We’ve become friends. No one in person. Sure would like to though.

This is exactly like the older fellow mentioned above. Another forum. The two of us, sometimes three of us head out to the desert and have a ball. He learned well and we talk often.

 

[RainDodger]

I have taught many guys to hand load over the last few decades. To date, ONE has become a true hand loader. When he first started, it was actually possible to save a little money at it, and he started with the easy basics. He's still not what I'd call "advanced", but he loads on his own, he likes it, and he hasn't blown himself or his workshop up. I count him as a "win".

 

[Bazoo]

It’s still possible to save money reloading. I sometimes look at ammo in the store and am shocked by the price. My buddy paid $60 for a box of 38s during the height of the shortages. Now he pays $25-$30 and is happy. I pay less than $10 for replacement cost including lead for bullets. My actual cost is more like $3-$4

 

[hdwhit]

My experience has been much the same as the OP.

I have been reloading since I was 17 (and I'm now retired). I have offered to teach reloading to dozens of people. Only three have taken me up on it. One got into it, but fell on hard times and sold me most of his equipment. Another lost interest and the third learned the process, but after attending a Conservative Seminary lost interest in guns (although he still owns a .22 and an AR).

 

[kalielkslayer]

I've mentored 5-6 and they all stuck with it. Even including casting bullets.

You are the man!!!

 

[kalielkslayer]

Some years ago (1968) my grandfathrt wea teaching me how to reload. We were dirt poor and if I wanted to shoot I had to make my own ammo. Over the years I mostly made my own ammo. About 18 years ago I joined a rifle range. I workrd with another member and we set up a reloading course. Basic to learn and then later an advanced one. The basic often had 10 or so each year. The advanced ended up with say 3 of the origional 10 each year. Did this for several years. Also I would teach anyone that showed interest and some aptitude as we could arange it. I actually have taught/mentored in person at least 3 members of this forum as well as 15 or so other individuals over the years that are still reloaders that I stay in contact with aside from those from the rifle range. I hope that we can get back to classes this next year, if supplies get back to reasonable prices it helps set up new reloaders for success

Awesome!!!

 

[kalielkslayer]

So I posted this question to see if my results are normal?

Some of you have far exceeded anything I would have believed.

Honestly, prior to this past “shortage” I haven’t tried to mentor anyone. But about the last 2 years, I got a lot of people asking me about reloading. I never, ever BS anybody. So the initial coat dissuaded them. I quoted them current (2020) costs.

I didn’t hard sell anybody. Nor did tell them things would get better over time. I shared with them todays costs!

My only “hard sell” was, “Do you want to be dependent on the ammunition companies to provide you with ammo?”

Savings. Accuracy. Savings. Are all a byproduct of reloading.

But I buy powder I’ll probably never use, bullets I’ll probably never shoot, cases I’ll probably never fill.
But I’ll always have ammunition.
I get that volume shooters will gravitate towards reloading. And kudos to those that showed them the way!!!

Like a lot of Reloaders, I want independence!

Last week I was at a Sportsman’s. A friend needs 300 H&H ammo. So I looked at all their .30 caliber ammunition. 30 WM, 30 WSM, 300 Weatherby, 300 RUM, 300 Norma Mag. Everything was $75-$120!

No way I would ever spend $100 for 20 rounds!! But I would pay $3 a piece for brass, knowing it was only$.45 a loading worst case.

I guess it’s a mind set, for me anyways.

 

[Bfh_auto]

So I posted this question to see if my results are normal?

Some of you have far exceeded anything I would have believed.

Honestly, prior to this past “shortage” I haven’t tried to mentor anyone. But about the last 2 years, I got a lot of people asking me about reloading. I never, ever BS anybody. So the initial coat dissuaded them. I quoted them current (2020) costs.

I didn’t hard sell anybody. Nor did tell them things would get better over time. I shared with them todays costs!

My only “hard sell” was, “Do you want to be dependent on the ammunition companies to provide you with ammo?”

Savings. Accuracy. Savings. Are all a byproduct of reloading.

But I buy powder I’ll probably never use, bullets I’ll probably never shoot, cases I’ll probably never fill.
But I’ll always have ammunition.
I get that volume shooters will gravitate towards reloading. And kudos to those that showed them the way!!!

Like a lot of Reloaders, I want independence!

Last week I was at a Sportsman’s. A friend needs 300 H&H ammo. So I looked at all their .30 caliber ammunition. 30 WM, 30 WSM, 300 Weatherby, 300 RUM, 300 Norma Mag. Everything was $75-$120!

No way I would ever spend $100 for 20 rounds!! But I would pay $3 a piece for brass, knowing it was only$.45 a loading worst case.

I guess it’s a mind set, for me anyways.

Your last statement is what I've noticed in everyone I've offered to help. They want it now with no outlay of cash or time.
I just started mentoring an eleven year old. In things besides just guns.
Yesterday I walked him through completely stripping and cleaning his Marlin 30-30. We cleaned up the burrs in the action and trigger. He was so excited when we got it back together and he could work the action without removing it from his shoulder. The crisp trigger was just icing on the cake.
Then we loaded all the 45 ACP bullets I had cast. I showed him how to set the dies, powder drop and reload.
He can't wait to come back and learn bullet casting now. He has already cast fishing jigs. So he will be a quick learn.
He thinks I'm helping him. But he's really helping me. I had started to sink into depression after my accident even though I know it was a miracle I'm alive.
Time will tell if he sticks it out.