In reality...it's probably just excitement......

I loaded my first rounds of .243 this morning. (The kids are adults - so getting up early is now a negative. And when I wake up with a minor migraine - I find loading a good way to spend the time.)

Up until now my calibers have been 9mm, .38 Spcl and .223. So I look in my manual and online (hodgdon.com, etc.) and decide I'm going to load up 34gr of H380. Set the scale ("Whoa - that's a big number!") and weigh out a charge ("Whoa - that's a lot of powder in the pan!").

Check and double-check and re-check and then do all the checks again. Within the realm of my processes and doing what needs to be done from a safety perspective I'm very confident and I'm not concerned about pulling the trigger with them in the chamber - but I'm still left with this feeling of "Holy cow that's a lot of powder!".

I'm eager to hear them go "Bang!". This is yet another way how reloading, overall, keeps things exciting.

OR

It is always excitement for me, I reload for right now, 9mm, 45 auto, 41 mag, 45 colt, 22 hornet, 222 rem, 243 win, 2506, 280 imp, 275 h &h, 308, 3006, 300 h&h, 338 win, 340 wthby, 8mm rem mag, 338 lapua, 375 h&h, 4560 win, 4575 win, 4570, 458 win mag, and 505 gibbs, and a few other old military rounds. It is a bit odd to go from throwing a 6 or 7 gr charge, to something around 90 grs

I am always excited to take a newly acquired firearm to the range. Particularly the historic WWII battle rifles. I never had a worry about the reloads other than the performance for the loads I've chosen.

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"from my cold dead hands" C.H.

Sure, It's normal. More so for the first round you ever make of any caliber.

That's when mount the gun in a vice and get a long string to pull the trigger!

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Still Running Against the Wind

I just got a Mauser for Christmas. It's chambered in 30-06. I normally load for 9mm, .38, .357 and few .223. Some of the loads call for 60 grains. Holy carp Batman.

I will probably be a little nervous the first time I pull the trigger on one of those. The only powder I currently have that they list data for has loads in the 50s. That's still a lot of powder.

I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the difference between a 158 grain .357 using 6 grains of powder vs over 50 grains for a 150 grain bullet in 30-06. I know the MV is a lot more, but good grief!

I guess I could get some Trailboss and load some low power rounds

Try an obsolete caliber with load data that is mostly myth and legend. Wear safety glasses.

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Trucks and guns.

Funny you say that. I've had the pleasure(?) of doing that. Exciting and fun.....all at the same time. And, consequently, commensurately rewarding, too!

What is/are your obsolete caliber(s)? Mine is .32 Remington.

I am in the same boat, going from 147 grains in a 30-06 to 3.6 grains in 9mm. Wow, how can that little powder work?

Mals

.351wsl and .401wsl. It's not what you would call a scary cartridge but when I put the gun to my shoulder the first time I broke out in a horrible sweat haha. And I'm not a sweater by nature. I had turned/formed my own brass and it just scared the bejesus out of me pulling the trigger the first time.

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Trucks and guns.

The last few years, I have started to delve into the old WWI era battle rifles. It started with the 'boss', (wife), giving me a Belgian 1889 mauser. 7.65x53 is not something that is on evevry shelf. Kind of opened up a whole new aspect, then two 1876 ubertis, one a 4560, the other a 4575. More followed, a 1889/36, a berthier, a mannlicher, and some others. Kind of a eerie feeling placing my ugly mug behind a rifle action that is over a century old

Not much any more. I do lots of research before loading a new caliber, comparing load data, etc. Last time I was nervous was loading for a new 50 BMG rifle. Kind of made me nervous loading 210-220 grains of powder in one round and extra large, 647-690 grain bullets. One of the benefits of using a chronograph to show what your loads are doing in your rifle or pistol.

I remember feeling excited and nervous the first time I shot 270's I'd handloaded.

I was 15.

No similar experience in other cartridges over the last 50+ years.

I suspect my imagination is more set in reality.

Yeah, my last out-of-body experience was loading the 45 Win Mag with unorthodox powders during the last great shortage. They were quite hot, sounded more like a 45-70, broke my ejector rod, rattled my arrogance a bit, and made the 9mm shooter next to me go and sit down for a spell. Ahhh, the good ol' days!

I'm always a little apprehensive until the first shot has been fired. Less so now that before. When I shot my first .38 special I pointed the gun downrange and turned my head in case of an 'unforeseen event'.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Fear is a normal thing in reloading.I wanted to hide behind a brick wall when I fired My first reloads( 38 specials).

I too share in the apprehension of shooting first loads with a new caliber but probably the most 'nervous' I have ever been was somewhat recently when I loaded 30-30 for my 'new' 1899 mod 94! Although they were light with only 12 grains of Unique with 100 grain bullets I still was a little nervous on the first pull of the trigger!

Upon contemplating my own original post - as well as processing the various replies (Thanks!) - I'm concluding.....

• Fear? I wouldn't describe it as "fear". If I was truly afraid I wouldn't pull the trigger.
• Anxious? Yes.
• Eager? Yes.
• Excited? Yes.

It is something most definitely an aspect of loading that provides a lot of value for me. Doing the necessary work (research, selections, production and results) is what provides the satisfaction.

Thanks for the perspectives.

OR

About 30 years ago, I bought a Frankenstein rifle. An Egyptian Rolling Block, then rebarreled with a 50/50 Carbine barrel. I cut down 50-70 brass with a tube cutter, seat primers by driving the case down on the primer while it sets on the table top. Weighed out 50 grains of FFFg Black Powder. I lubed the 425 grain conicals by rubbing a lube over the grease groves with my thumb. Seating the bullets by pressing them together with a 5" bench vise. 10 cartridges sitting there taunting me to be fired. So I put all the rounds in my jeans pocket and walked out behind the barn. I loaded and shouldered the rolling block. The trigger pull felt to be 35 pounds (later measured to be 9.5) As the hammer fell I had discovered the pure joy of being a Cloud Maker! I was surrounded by a white cloud of my making, after a few seconds the slight breeze at my left carried the thinning cloud away. The barrel hadn't burst, I was still standing upright, and a warm glow rose inside me! This gentle shooting rifle had taken me to a brand new adventure.

Now I'm old and grizzled, I throw together long cartridges with 70, 90, 110, and even 120 grains of Black Powder, using precise scales and finely machined loading dies. The lead bullets that appear, in my mind, to be as big as my thumb. But none bring the joy and satisfaction that first Black Powder loading did!

Ivan

Shooting a new or used gun for the first time always makes me a little nervous.

...and I hesitate adding an another caliber to my .45, 9mm, .38 setups. You have inspired me to go for the DW Guardian in 38 Super!

I used too but these days it's more anticipation and excitement than nervousness. Mainly because I have learned enough over the years to instill confidence in my basic knowledge and process. ( i.e. I'm beyond the "I don't know what I don't know" phase. )

That said, one of the great attractions to reloading for me these days is the process of researching and developing a new load. If it's for a new caliber, all the better. In fact, the act of routine /production reloading looses it's shine for me after I get my loads nailed.

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Dave

My first fear was shooting my brothers 375 H&H when still in High School!

Second fear was trying out my new M19 .357, just a few years later.

With help of Jack O'Conner magazine articles, I finally loaded my first load for my .270 Winchester in my Winchester bolt action rifle. It was with the big 150gr bullet, since that was what the store had, which made me shake in my boots, even more.

Latest one was seeing how heavy the recoil would be in a AirLight J frame .38 special. A LOT different than a K or L frame, that's for sure!!

Ah, the memories of it all.

In 1977, I had loaded many hundreds of rounds of 38 Spl or 357 Mag for my 6" Ruger Security Six. Then I bought a Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44 magnum, S&W M29 was unobtainium -- too many $$$$ .

I acquired dies, bullets, primers to load my 39 pierces of brass which is another story. According to my Lyman 45th edition manual, I loaded the starting charge + 0.1 grain of powder for the lead bullets I bought. At the range, I was scared. That big cartridge and huge bullet has just got to hurt when I squeeze the trigger on this hand-held howitzer. The recoil from those first 39 rounds 44 magnum was less than the 357 mag reloads I was shooting.

New calibers are fun!

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S&WHF 366

I just returned from the range. As anticipated.....15 rounds.....15 times of appropriate level of "bang" and subsequent holes in paper. LOL

None of the three loads grouped particularly well. Well....what a bummer: Now I have to load up some more and schedule an outing to "unload" them.

Oh man I love these two hobbies. :-D

Thanks again for the replies.

OR

No........................

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Grumpy Old Man With a Gun