Reloading ..... never, sometimes, always .. how long?

Holeeee **** ....... man, I thought if I had a ''20k year'' - it was pretty good goin but .... 75k ... sheesh. Kudos Sir!

 

I started reloading shotgun shells when I was 12 years old in 1962 with a Lee Loader. Loading by hand was slow but I could load up enough ammo during the evenings after school to be ready for Dove hunting by the weekend. We also took our shotguns to school if we were going to be spending the weekend with a friend to do some hunting. You do that these days and you’ll be on the front page of the news paper as a deranged kid that was planning on shooting up the school.

DE

 

Been reloading just over a year. Currently load for .38/.357, .45ACP, .44 Mag, .40 S&W, and 9mm. Guestimate I've loaded about 7,000 rounds so far.

Edited to add: Press is a Dillon 550B

R-Tex12

 

I was in 8th grade - 12 or 13 years old, depending on the exact date - when I started reloading. Over the years, I began loading various calibers from .32 ACP on the small side, up to .375 H&H on the large side, plus 12 ga. shotshells.

Today, I don't load much 9mm, .223, or .308, unless I'm looking for "gilt edge" accuracy . . . surplus or "white box" ammo is relatively cheap these day, and I have more money - but less time - than when I was a student earning minimum wage in an after-school job.

 

Over 35 years and really cannot see myself not reloading, I really prefer
my ammo.!!!!

 

I started with a Lee Loader in '74. About a year later I'd saved up enough to buy a press, dies, scale......I'm still spending. Little did I know!

 

I checked the "Longer" choice - - -

Can't recall for certain - - Either 1966 or, more likely, 1967. I had a spiffy newish S&W Model 39 and thought the $2.00 (Yep, two dollar) per box Winchester surplus 9 mm SMG ammo was too expensive. Got me a CH press, Lyman dies and casting gear, and set out!

Actually, sometime around 1958, my Uncle Frank showed me how he loaded .22-250 ammo, beginning with forming cases from .250-3000 Savage brass. He walked me through loading an inert cartridge - - Dead primer, no prowder - - of my very own.

Best,
Johnny

 

I want to get into reloading but don't know if what I have warrants it or what I do warants it. I have a winchester 1897, a mosin-nagant m38, a marlin lever action 22 model 1892, and a savage which i can't remember the model but it fires savage 303 which I can't seem to find ammo for. I'd like to get into it but I'm afraid that the startup costs may be too much, but as soon as i can, i will.

 

I have been loading for 15+ years. I started out with a Lee pro 1000, went to a Lee loadmaster, and about 2 months ago went to a Dillon 650. I plan on shooting IPSC and IDPA in the summer. I just bought 50,000 of each .40 S&W and .45 acp once fired cases from our local police range for a whopping $3.00 per thousand. I have thought about casting, but I work 60 to 80 hours a week and time is money. I have been using West Coast Bullets for quite a while and the price is $2.00 more per 1000 if you buy 500 pounds or more at a time.

I loaded 12,000 rounds last week to test the finished round counter I made for the Dillon 650.

I load .32, .380, 9mm, .357 mag, .38 Super, .40 S&W, .45 acp, .223, 22-250, .220 Swift, 25-06, .308 and hopefully soon .338 Lapua Magnum & .50 BMG.

Loading to me is like therapy, my wife is very sick and loading is my stress relief. I would almost rather reload than shoot.

I beg my friends and family to let me reload their ammo. I love the feeling of developing very accurate loads.

 

Been reloading for over 50 years and don't plan on
quitting any time soon. Load for 21 different handgun
calibers, 16 different rifle calibers and 3 shotgun guages.
Loaded 600 rounds of 45 Colt today. Waiting for
weather to break to shoot my new Christmas present
from my son-in-law; S&W 629-5 that has been through
the Performance Center and converted to 5" 45 Colt.
Beautiful gun with lots of modifications and very slick
action.

 

Gunhamr ... I expect you are in line for the ''longest at it'' prize (if there was one!)

Good to hear tho and yeah ... there is indeed a ''recreational'' factor involved as Novcon mentions.

That 629-5 sounds nice ...... to put it mildly!! Love that platform .... sounds like an expensive set of mods tho. So how did they deal with tube then? if as I assume it was .44 mag (thus .429/430 bullet) ..... now you have it chambered for .452 region ..... how did that work out.?

 

13 years for me this Christmas. My first loader, a Dillon 550b, was a Christmas gift from my mother. I've got dies and conversion kits to load for about 20 different calibers, but only load about 3 or 4 regularly lately. Almost all handguns, I've made a couple forays into rifles with the 308 and 7.62x39 but those were brief.

No plans to quit, but I may expand into casting.

 

P95Carry;

Don't really know the details on all the work done on the
629-5 except what I can see. Son-in-law had the work
done on a gun that he already owned-unfired. He and
Jim Rae collaborated on the job. I'm sure it has been
rebarreled but don't know about the cylinder; whether
it was changed or rechambered. The charge holes in the
chambers have been chamfered. Front edge of the
cylinder has been beveled. Hammer changed to .500
target; trigger smoothed and lightened; gold bead
front sight installed on face of patridge blade; detent
ball lock installed on front of crane; old style trigger
stop installed; muzzle recessed as per target rifle
barrel. The only stamping is Performaance Center on the
left side of barrel and 45 Colt Ctg. on right side.

Test target fired at 15 yards and included with gun
Six shots measures a little under 1 inch outside. That's
better then I can see or hold. Eyes and reflexes not as
good as they were a few years back. I'll be happy with
2 inches at that range. 82 years old this past October but
still enjoy trying. My wife; rest her soul, she's gone now,
used to tell me that I was just stubborn enough to make
it to 100. Hope she was right.

 

Gunhamr - thanks a lot for that info ... all I can say is that sounds like one mega dream wheel gun!!

I hope she was right too .... and kudos Sir for carrying on with all the reloading and shooting at your age .. I am sure you are ''82 years young''! I feel 58 ''old'' ... !!!

Pleasure to ''know'' you.

 

My dad got me started reloading back in 1969, the first year he let me go Deer huntin' with the grown-ups!

Been doin' it ever since, I buy my AK ammo but load pretty much everything else I shoot....even 9mm......it's not just the cost, it's just so dang peaceful out in that garage

you know what they say....... idle hands.......

happy shootin' Jeff P.

 

Welcome to THR Jeff!

 

Yep, last 30 year's exactly !

That is me~

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

Since 1978 and still learning! Voted "last 20 years". Odessa

 

I got motivated to try it from reading the handloading forum in TFL. Started with a lee anniversary kit & upgraded to a rockchucker. I also like using the lee 310 tong tool. Mostly reload for .357 & .44 spl.. I load 9mm just for the marlin camp9. Its just a relaxing hobby.

 

Last 15 yrs, voted 10. I couldn't afford to buy all the factory ammo I shoot. Particularly in the case of the .45acp cartridge.

 

I'v been reloading for 36 years, I reload rifle, pistol and shotgun.

 

Welcome to THR Shooter III .....

Well ... not a bad sample so far ... 124. Interesting that we have 8.8% ''thinking about it'' ... OK guys ... time to get active ya know!

The ''started'', ''10 yr'' and ''20'' yr are all pretty close, approx 20% each. Even more interesting is how many have done it longer .... 30 yrs plus is 11% and .. amazing ... ''longer'' is a massive 13%. Which includes Shooter III of course.

Congrats!! Means we have a fountain of experience to draw on for all the newer reloaders.

 

Gunhamr, sir, i hope you continue on reloading after 35 years I thought i had
been at it a long time.!!!

I always tell my wife of nearly 40 years that a man without his hobbies(toys)
will chase women, I used that line in buying guns, airplanes, and misc. hobbies
through out my life.
Keep shootin.!!

 

I reloaded 20 years ago but the equiptment was all my brothers stuff so I dont count it 10 years ago is when I became a real reloader. before it was just a desire to keep my 30-06 full of quality ammo.

 

Actually been loading for 12ish years more or less, so I clicked "10 years"

Started loading to save money on .308, then got into .38spl, then ,357, then .........

and actually just getting ready to start loading 7.62X39 for my daughters Rossi single shot, and came across this thread while searching for reduced recoil recipes.