I Love Reloading

[mstreddy]

I love reloading. I gotta tell you, how else would I be able to enjoy some obscure calibers.

I recently picked up a model 1898 Krag in 30-40 made in 1900. I reloaded 20 rounds for it and took it to the range. It fired great, and it was a great feeling to make a 115 year old rifle sing. It was the indoor range, so only 25 yards, but it was still amazing to shoot a piece of history.

I've also been reloading for a couple of Japanese type 99 Arisakas in 7.7 and it's been great to shoot those as well.

If not for reloading, it would be extremely expensive or nearly impossible to bring some life for these old war horses.

 

[gamestalker]

Ah yes, the magic of reloading.

GS

 

[Reloadron]

I think overall we can say without a doubt that Handloading and Reloading opens plenty of more doors to the shooter. Everyone who does has their reason(s) for getting started but once you really get going and into it the benefits just expand.

Ron

 

[kerreckt]

My sentiments, exactly. One of my life's true pleasures. The anticipation and joy of shooting new combinations of components can't be described. I started because I couldn't afford to buy 16ga shells back in the 1960's. Now I reload about a dozen different handgun and rifle rounds but no 16ga. shells.

 

[bfalcon00]

Yeah I started just so I would have a steady supply of cheap range ammo since Wally World never had the WWB stuff in on a consistent basis, but its quickly turned into an obsession that I almost prefer more over the actual range time.

 

[Rodentman]

I often choose my range trip guns based on what I want to reload more so than what I want to shoot. IOW I want to shoot a particular caliber so I can reload it. Sometimes I buy a new caliber firearm for the reloading experience, like 5.7 and 22tcm.

 

[cfullgraf]

I love reloading. I gotta tell you, how else would I be able to enjoy some obscure calibers.

...

If not for reloading, it would be extremely expensive or nearly impossible to bring some life for these old war horses.

No argument from me. I load for a couple obsolete and wild cat cartridges. I could not enjoy those firearms without being able to "roll my own".

 

[Bullseye]

I enjoy my 30-40 Krag reloads in my sporterized 1898 Krag-Jorgensen with the "lunch box" magazine.
I recently loaded a hundred or so 200 gr cast gas checked bullets with 28.5 gr Varget. No crimp.
When I fire this thing it shoots very straight and I hear two distinct sounds.
The BANG! when I pull the trigger and then the kerrr-thump when it hits the plywood 100 yds down range. I smile every time I fire. The bolt action is so buttery smooth. Maybe not my favorite, but sure is one of the funner long guns I have.

 

[misterarman]

Shooting is not shooting but "unloading" so you can make brass to reload.
Had no idea what I was getting into when I started this hobby.
Thought I was doing something to save money.
Per round cost yes. But saving money, don't think so.

Or maybe it's my "green" side coming out to save the earth by recycling.

Don't drink [8 years July 14th], don't smoke, and definitely don't do drugs so the busy hand work and pride of the hand crafted result of reloading is the key to trying to relax and keep the boat afloat.

NRA Life Member

Second Amendment Foundation
Life Member
[Defenders Club]

 

[steelerdude99]

I like how reloading allows me to shoot .380 w/ any more expense than 9mm. I run low on good usable brass on occasion as my Bersa Thunder tends to throw spent rounds. Once in a while I find a .380 shooter who is non-reloader at the indoor range and politely offer to pickup their brass so they don't have to. I tumble .380, 9mm and 38 special in the same batch and then sort the cleaned stock.

 

[mstreddy]

Steeler, I understand the 380. I load it as well, and yeah, it's quite satisfying to load it at MUCH less than what factory ammo is going for.

I am equipped to load for all centerfire cartridges that I shoot. There are some that I haven't gotten to yet, but I have dies and components for all.

The cartridge I load the most is 9MM it accounts for approximately 50% of all my loaded rounds. In handgun - 380 ACP, 40S&W, 45ACP, 38 Spcl, 357 Mag, 38 Super, 32 ACP, and 45 GAP. I haven't loaded 45 Colt, 7.62x25 or 5.7x28 yet.
In rifle, 223 Rem, 308 Win, 30-06, 30-30, 7.62x39, 6.8 Spc, 6.5x55 Swede, 6.5x50 Japanese, 7.7x58 Jap, 300 Blackout, 30 Carbine, and now 30-40 Krag. I haven't loaded 8MM, 7.5x55 Swiss, 303 Brit, and 7.62x54R yet, but I will.
I think that covers it...

Yeah, I'd say I'm hooked!

 

[Candyman87]

I also find myself enjoying reloading more than the shooting myself sometimes. The girlfriend refers to my reloading room as the 'mad scientists lab' and she's not quite wrong.

I love trying to improve my ammo, inexpensively. At least per round.

Just got back from a trip from the unloading range with my chrono. Now time to tweak some of those loads.

 

[Hondo 60]

Those of us who hang around on this sub-forum feel your addiction -

My not-so-popular calibers are 7.62x25, 41 Mag, 32 H&R Mag & 32 S&W Long
cut down 223 Rem makes great 7.62x25 brass.
cut it to 1" & you're almost at the right case length.
From there it's easy to form.

 

[mstreddy]

Hondo, Yeah, I know, we are all very deep in the mix here.
I've followed the posts that you and a couple of others have made on forming 7.62x25 from 223. I made a few, but haven't loaded them yet. Some months ago Starline had them in stock and I picked up 1K. I also have some boxer primed OF brass from the BST forums here. What I need to stock up on is some decently priced bullets for it.

I have also made 300 Blackout from 223 as well.

 

[mstreddy]

Unloading Range -- Nice...

 

[Hardtarget]

In the mid '70's I got into reloading for .38 spec. I'm now at 12 cartridges...and willing to add two... or five more. I load more rifle than pistol but its all fun. I'm like most here in that I like to shoot my reloads. Its like a badge of honor to open those plastic boxes ( or even those old cardboard ammo boxes ) when at the range. Most of the club members are reloaders and feel the same.

In fact, I've got a cleaner full of .223 now. Can't wait. I've got 250 55gr fmj lookin' for a home! Load 'em up and shoot 'em up!

Mark

 

[Gravedigger56]

Shooting is not shooting but "unloading" so you can make brass to reload.

This ^^^^^

Funny but just last Friday I told my co-worker the exact same thing.

 

[otisrush]

I got into for that what-I-now-understand-to-be-the-false-sense-I-was-going-to-save-money routine. It's quite comical in retrospect, given how much more I'm "unloading". (<---great term) And although I'm spending more (probably) I'm enjoying shooting overall WAY more (definitely).

Right now I'm doing mainstream stuff, but I have my grandpa's Remington Model 14 pump center fire rifle which is chambered in .32 Remington - a long-obsolete cartridge. In the years ahead when I have more time I hope to be able to load for that.

Going down to work in my loading area is one of the most fun things I do. And although we all talk about how expensive it is - if we look at it from a "$ / hour of hobby time" perspective I don't think it's that expensive. I would bet being an avid golfer costs more over time than reloading/shooting.

OR

 

[GBExpat]

I love reloading. I gotta tell you, how else would I be able to enjoy some obscure calibers. ...

<nodding> The ability to handload .32-20 is why I am able to enjoy shooting my maternal grandfather's old Colt Army Special.

Downside (sort of ) is that I have now been bitten by the .32-20 Bug ... and have since acquired a 1912 Colt Police Positive Special and, just last week, a 1913/14 S&W Model 1905 Hand Ejector ... and I am keeping my eyes open for a lever rifle at a decent price.

Waitin' patiently for Starline to do another run of brass ...

 

[Dudedog]

I enjoy reloading and find it relaxing, I go to load and leave my other thoughts (junk usually ) behind.

 

[gamestalker]

Ya, I'm kind of in "the load more than I shoot category also". A few days ago I was moving one of my stock piles to a new location, as I had run out of room in the current location for bottle neck. What I discovered, was that I had thousands of rounds of loaded ammunition, some quite old. That's when it hit me, that my hobby is more about loading, than actual unloading. And although I do get to the range fairly often, I don't seem to put much of a dent in the accumulated stock pile, probably because I can't wait to replenish the empty brass with loaded rounds.

Tis indeed a great hobby, I love it.

GS

 

[Officers'Wife]

I enjoyed it too until my hubby took over my reloading press.

 

[Potatohead]

Love it so much I cant do it much right now because I have no more space for anything. All my shelves are sagging in the middle. My wife told me I had to slow down when I was headed for my 2nd cabinet takeover in the kitchen..

 

[gamestalker]

I hear ya PotatoHead, that's why I had to move part of my stock pile the other day. It started out with just 10 or 15 pounds of powder on my side of the closet, then I started stocking bottle neck loads. She was visibly getting irritated, so I ended up moving most of it to another location. Dog gone it, those MTM cases stacked so nicely on the shelves too, much better than her shoes do.

Looks like I'm gonna have to build or buy a large cabinet to keep the piece. Either that, or rent my wife her own house for her shoe collection.

GS

 

[otrman]

Oh yes. I started my reloading career at the age of 8, although I didn't realize it at the time. I just thought I was just having fun with grandpaw sorting brass into their correct coffee cans, oh what it has evolved into over the years. At 12, I cast my first bullets and loaded my first rounds without any assistance under his supervision, 20 200gr. 44-40. Shot a few to make sure all was good and shot my first deer with them that fall. Still have the press, dies, and the rifle, a Winchester 1873 mfg. 1889. So for me, reloading isn't so much about saving money or making better ammo, that is just an extra benefit, but those memories of just having fun with "Pop".