Who taught you to handload?

Who first taught you how to handload?

  • My father

    Votes: 14 8.1%

  • My grandfather

    Votes: 5 2.9%

  • Another family member

    Votes: 7 4.0%

  • A friend

    Votes: 18 10.4%

  • I taught myself using books and the internet

    Votes: 112 64.7%

  • Other

    Votes: 17 9.8%
  • Total voters
    173
  • Poll closed .
CQB45ACP said:
Society will benefit if most contemporary families don’t pass on anything at all including offspring.
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Ah, yes. The Genetic Suicide/Devolutionary solution. I've read about that many times. And not just in Dystopian science fiction novels. "The Limits To Growth" comes immediately to mind. I used to have a copy of the first issue/first edition. It got loaned out and never returned long ago. Too bad. I thought it was kinda funny.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
Ah, yes. The Genetic Suicide/Devolutionary solution. I've read about that many times. And not just in Dystopian science fiction novels. "The Limits To Growth" comes immediately to mind. I used to have a copy of the first issue/first edition. It got loaned out and never returned long ago. Too bad. I thought it was kinda funny.
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Way over my head as usual. But I do have my grandfather’s first edition Zane Grey collection. It’s worthless, I checked.

I’m guessing more of us are reloading today than in the past. The Internet has taught people like me it was even a thing.
 
CQB45ACP said:
You’re being too gloomy about it. Society will benefit if most contemporary families don’t pass on anything at all including offspring.
Click to expand...
That's why I never wanted or had any children.

Chances were too good that I would spawn a replica of myself: stubborn, quick tempered, long haired, bar-fighting, scooter trash smart-arse.

I just didn't want to deal with it.
 
I am in Germany and to buy powder for reloading we have to take a class and get a permit. I took, some 30 years ago, a combined class for reloading, muzzle loader and blackpowder cannon. During the 2 day class, we learned the basics of rifle and pistol reloading, made some rounds and took a written exam. The muzzle loader and cannon part involved a exam as well but also quite a bit of shooting both rifle and pistol, casting bullets and a lot of safety stuff. After passing the classes you will get a permit to buy powder, in my case all sorts from NC to blackpowder. But the real learning started afterwards. The first bunch of crushed cases, flipped primers and spilled powder and rounds too long for the mag. Buying crappy equipment and spending money again on now good equipment... been there done it all. But one thing I have never ever done in over 30 years, I never had any kind of accident. So as much as I hated to send time in the class room, I guess it was worth it.
 
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LV21 said:
I am in Germany and to buy powder for reloading we have to take a class and get a permit. I took, some 30 years ago, a combined class for reloading, muzzle loader and blackpowder cannon. During the 2 day class, we learned the basics of rifle and pistol reloading, made some rounds and took a written exam. The muzzle loader and cannon part involved an exam as well but also quite a bit of shooting both rifle and pistol, casting bullets and a lot of safety stuff. After passing the classes you will get a permit to buy powder, in my case all sorts from NC to blackpowder. But the real learning started afterwards. The first bunch of crushed cases, flipped primers and spilled powder and rounds too long for the mag. Buying crappy equipment and spending money again on now good equipment... been there done it all. But one thing I have never ever done in over 30 years, I never had any kind of accident. So as much as I hated to send time in the class room, I guess it was worth it.
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Greetings! Only rifle loading over there?
 
Internet? HA! All we had back then were sticks and rocks.
In the early 80's the only source I had at hand were magazines. Bought loading manuals from Sierra, Hodgdon and Nosler (all of which I still have), then chose dies and components based on magazine reviews. Still working with my original RCBS Rock Chucker and RCBS dies. They are very quality products. Started out with a Rem 700 ADL in 7mm Mag with a 3.5x10 Leupold Goldring on Redfield base and rings. I loved that rifle, we burned a lot of powder together. However, all these years later I'm still dealing with the flinch she gave me. A few years later I picked up a used Colt AR-15 with a then uncommon collapsible stock and bought dies for it. The 5.56 round felt so tiny after years of stuffing 7 mag cases with H870. Then just prior to the 90's I grabbed a Springfield Armory SAR-4800 in 7.62 and started reloading it as well. In the early 90's a friend that worked at the Remington plant here in Arkansas sold me a XP-100 in 7mm BR and it entered the rotation.
In the beginning it was a slow and expensive process, finding out what worked and what didn't. I mean, the price of a pound of AA2230 was a whopping $14.90! (Just recently finished that can.)
 
Tallinar said:
I was standing at the reloading bench today and got to thinking (which is always dangerous).

I’m curious: Who taught you to handload? I’m interested in what the demographics would look like among the forum members these days.
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Many years ago when I purchased my 1st revolver in 45 Colt. Couldn't afford to feed it factory ammo, so I started buying reloading manuals & read them several time over. Then purchased reloading equipment to make my own ammo & never looked back. I enjoy reloading as much as I do shooting.
 
My best friend in college introduced me to handloading. He had learned the basics from his dad, and later a game warden neighbor. Once I learned the basics, I really went down the rabbit hole with loading manuals starting with the Speer No. 10 and adding various editions from Nosler, Hornady, Sierra, Hodgdon, Lyman, and Accurate Arms. The coming of the internet only took me deeper. My original RCBS Rockchucker kit is still in use, along with a Dillon 550-B.
 
Self taught. First instructions; Lee Loader instruction/data sheet. Then it was various reloading texts at the local library (waaay pre web) and reloading manuals. I knew no reloaders to discuss reloading with. No web for more varied information so much was research on my own from any source available. I'd read reference to a text, magazine article, etc. and buy a copy for myself. 40+ years later I still have all my fingers...
 
I have a friend who has been reloading for at least 40 years and he has shown me how it is done but always rely on your load books for the caliber you are reloading. I reload for my plinking pleasure and am not into precision shooting and I don't hunt anymore cause of age and physical ability so just hitting the target is great fun for an afternoon. I never reload to the max but rather mid range. I don't use a chrona and all I want to do is hit the target and hopefully keep the group small. Precision is not my game, that is why I shoot skeet and trap with 12 ga. shotguns. My home defense is a 12 ga. shotgun, first is #9 shot and then 00 Buck. I answer the door with a 38 S&W air weight in my hand but I know who is there before I open the door.
 
Me and my dad taught ourselves together, still have a lot to learn but we have loaded rounds for a few years anyway.
 
I was 10 or 11 years old walking to my dad's house in Mentone California. As I was walking I noticed a guy handling shotgunshells. (Gun nut from birth here)
That man let me watch him load shotgun shells for about an hour. I was amazed watching his progressive press spit shells out. I had no idea cases could be reloaded.
At 13 or 14 I had a relative stay at our property in his 5th wheel. He had a rockchucker press set up inside. He was more than happy to set that single stage press up voice command. I loaded 45 lc and 7mm rem mag for him.
For my 15th birthday I got my own rcbs rockchucker master reloading kit.
It came with a book I read from like it was a Bible.
Still have that Rockchucker press. Still is the only press I own.
 
Started in 1966 loading 222 and 243 using my Lyman manual and my trusty C&H press. Didn't know anyone that reloaded at the time.
 
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