Losing Interest in Reloading

[armoredman]

Looks like you can still buy the cap maker and priming compound. I tried mine out this summer. A little tedious, but not hard to do and the caps worked great.

*ears perked up* Tell me more, good sir...

 

[brewer12345]

*ears perked up* Tell me more, good sir...

https://sharpshooter-22lr-reloader....ons/products/products/11-percussion-cap-maker

I bought one and made up a dozen or so caps out of pop can metal this summer. They all went bang and set off loads in my percussion rifles, so no complaints on my part. Takes a little time to make the caps, but it isn't unpleasant to do and is easy enough.

 

[whughett]

EBay. $50 free shipping.

 

[Walkalong]

I get completely bored with shooting sometimes, but it always comes back around

 

[whughett]

Punching holes in paper can get a bit boring. I’m limited to that at both ranges I shoot at. Paper only. However the entire process to get there keeps me interested.

 

[kmw1954]

I started a thread here; https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/reloading-hiatus.877833/ that is pretty much in the same vein.

I don't want to stop or loose interest but my activity is being curtailed by the current availability of supplies/components. As mentioned in my thread I got a very late start to reloading small bottleneck rifle because I just never really had an interest in rifles. Just not a hunter at heart. But working this complete last summer at the rifle range has made an impression on me and I had to try it.

This has added a new aspect to the hobby and has created a whole new learning experience which I am injoying. With the exception of having to scrounge for components. Presently I am about half way through a load workup for my 223 and am now running out of powder and primers. 1# of powder doesn't go as far in rifles as it does in pistols. Also from what I am learning is most rifle powders are not sold in 4# containers.

Now because of this new rifle and working up loads I haven't loaded any pistol rounds in months! I have enough components for those to last a couple years.

Now at this time this is also my second go-around at reloading and shooting. After my divorce and then second marriage I gave up shooting for many numbers of reasons. So financial, some other interests and availability of shooting and lastly my new wife had a fear of guns, that has since changed. But I was away from the sport/hobby for 25+ years and now that I am retired I am enjoying it again and maybe even more-so now because of the rifle and also home casting.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I get completely bored with shooting sometimes, but it always comes back around

Same here. Many years it's not on my list all that much. Ive shot the least ive ever shot this year id say. Maybe 500-1000 22 rounds. And 20 or so groundhog with the 223. 25-50 shotgun shells. Couple hundred .40 to stay half way in tune. And a few predators. Maybe 200 44 mag.....Usually id have broke 10k by November on a bad year. Didn't fish once either. I did my first squirrel hunting in years though. Plan to deer hunt too.

Not covid related at all. Actually most of the 22 i shot because of covid and the kids all being home wanting to shoot. I have all the land and steel targets one could ever need. No need go to a range. Not ammo related either. Bought a hell of a lot more early this year than I've shot. I haven't reloaded a couple hundred all year I don't think.

 

[Thomasss]

Ever think of casting your own bullets. Or ever wonder if you can shoot more accurately than you do now. I just watched a guy on u-tube weigh his primers in order to get tighter groups and it does. I tried to anneal cases with out success. Just means I have to try again and maybe learn something new. Go to u-tube and see what others are doing. Hopefully you may find another aspect of reloading you never though possible

 

[cfullgraf]

I go through period of reloading inactivity but I always have the interest re-kindled. I have not loaded a metallic cartridge since late last year but I have loaded a bunch of shot shells during the first couple months of the year.

I'm plenty flush with components and ammunition so I really do not have a big need to do some reloading or fret over the component shortage. My daughter and English son-in law are stuck in the UK so we will not have a usual winter time shooting sessions.

Presently, I've been concentrating on my road racing efforts and the season has now ended. So, I have time to re-activate other hobbies once I mothball the race trailer and racing gear.

Shuffling between hobbies helps keep the interest up in all of them as I take a break from each for a while. Unless a hobby has a serious drain on the funds, I do not dispose of it when my interest wanes as it is too expensive to re-buy everything to get started. My reloading gear i paid for and does not cost anything to keep.

When I had an airplane, when I quit flying, I did sell the airplane. It cost a bunch of money to have the airplane sitting at the airport unused.

 

[IMAhobbyist]

What I see is that reloaders are the type of people who are creative and very interested in the world. This means that they (we) usually enjoy multiple hobbies, which means when reloading (or "unloading") isn't available, we're just as happy to transition to one of our many other areas of interest....

I'm setting here wondering how you know me so well.
Through the winter I'll bounce between metallic/shotshell reloading, and three other unrelated machines to remain busy and maintain some sharpness of mind or at least that's what I tell myself.

 

[mmb617]

Unfortunately percussion cap are getting scarce, why is any bodies guess. Black powder seems in good supply and lead can be had for the scrounging. Caps are the Achilles heel. No spark no boom. Which is why it’s good to have a flint lock or two.

I kind of figured percussion caps might be a problem before I saw the link posted in this thread about making your own. Sounds like something that would appeal to anyone who enjoys reloading. Just a quick check tells me that a lot of the cheapest black power rifles are out of stock, but models higher up the price scale are available. It's certainly something I intend to learn more about.

 

[Typetwelve]

OP, not 100% sure if you're getting burnt out on reloading, or if the climate is making you feel differently.

If its the latter of the two (climate), I too suffer from that. I know that despite having pretty decent ammo stores back in early 2013, I nearly stopped shooting 100% from early 2013 through fall 2014. I had ammo, but the guilt of burning it up without knowing when I'd be able to replenish it stuck in my head, it really sucked.

I'm beginning to get that way with reloading now. Yes, I have plenty of ammo and a solid store of materials, but the whole "well, when can this be replaced" thing keeps creeping into my head and it drives me crazy. I have a feeling that winter 20/21 will not be as active as 19/20 was...so be it, I guess.

 

[GJeffB]

I have had the opposite experience. I admit I am loading less, but I have enjoyed going back to the basics and finding new vendors to use and new products to try ...

Ya know, I'm with West Kentucky. I've been reloading since mid-60's. 1960's, not 1860's Anyway, in between I moved off to other hobbies. Woodworking fine furniture, deer & elk hunting, motorcycles, etc. But I've come back right in the middle of the desert. BUT, I kind of enjoy the hunt again. I searched 4 months for a particular Ruger Blackhawk. Found it. Particularly cherish it because of the effort. I have a new rifle on the way, no ammunition though. I've sourced all components except primers. eh, I keep looking, searching, found the other components here, there, just another search.

It clearly sucks, in the vernacular. But the success is pretty close to scoring a big game hunt after a lot of effort. Your call, you know if it's worth it or not. I still enjoy the "hunt."

-jb, just with a different hunting license

 

[PWC]

I can see it in all the shooting sites. Everything is slowing down; the multibullet, multipowder, multiprimer load development, ladder testing. Don't know if the comptition shooting has slowed down, i.e. fewer shooters per match. Don't think hunting was affected much tho.

Pretty soon we'll be telling stories of past hunts or gun/reloading experiencies.

 

[berettaprofessor]

I just watched a guy on u-tube weigh his primers in order to get tighter groups and it does.

Oh, now why did you have to go and say that?