It's snowing here today. Not allot, but enough for this retiree in training to justify staying home vs deal with the commute to work ( or work itself). Just spent an extremely enjoyable 1/2 hour or so setting up some new dies for a uncharted 38 super reloading venture with the Lee CT . Came upstairs, poured a coffee...read some load data. Played with the pup a bit. Now, I'm going back down to start 20 each of 4 or 5 different trial recipes to get started. Maybe I'll finish today. Maybe I'll save some for tomorrow. No point rushing through something this enjoyable.

Anyway, all this has got me to thinking:
I really love fiddling with reloading stuff. It's technical and relaxing at the same time. This kind of weather makes it all the more gratifying.

Thank God I like to shoot, otherwise I wouldn't have a reason to reload.
My bet is that many of you feel the same.

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Dave

It will probably hit 80 here today so I may open the garage door while I pump out some .45 Auto Rim on the Lee Classic 4 Hole Turret Press.

Spring is Coming!

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

Here in NE Ohio, we have to burn all our powder just to stay warm!

I thought the people in Cleveland just set the Cuyahoga River on fire when they needed a little extra heat (or excitement).

Seriously, I know the pollution has been dealt with. I'm just hoping you mean that you "burn all your powder" inside a brass case sending little bundles of lead flying.

I can't wait to move south.....

If I had to wait for it to snow to load some ammo I would need another hobby. Hit nearly 80 today. I'm ok with that. I will admit though, any excuse to hit the loading bench is valid.

Why wait for snow? I like to reload any time I'm at home. There's always nothing on tv!!!!

It's all good here in Texas this time of year but check back in August when it's over 100 for ten or twelve days in a row....

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"I gots to know"

If you need an excuse to reload; Have 3 adult sons and a son-in-law join you for a day of practice followed by a three day SASS shoot. I provide the guns and the ammo, they make it worth while providing the next generation of shooters! the second son shoots 38 Specials, the other three and myself shoot 45 Colt. 120 a person a day of metallic and 25 to 40 a day of shotgun. practice day was closer to 300-350 each of metallic and 100-150 shotgun. So for the one event, that was about 2700- 45 Colt and a little less than 70-0 38 special plus 700- 12 gauge and almost 200- 20 gauge. One of them even helped me clean for 4 hours! I load my 45's in batches of 2000 to 5000 and the 38's in 500 to 1000 round batches.

It really is a joy to have fun with the family, but I would hate to see what they would do to my 223 and 308 stash if I let them.

Ivan

Myself, both my sons, my daughter and my wife are all active handgun shooters so I spend a lot of time at the bench through necessity. We do shoot a lot of .22, but also a huge amount of .38, 9mm and .45.

Being retired now, a lot of my days are spent in my "Apartment" in the basement as my wife calls it, pulling on a press handle and listening to talk radio. Kind of the reward that I worked all those years for.

I did some chores, went fishing with my son. (Two 18" catfish) but I took some time this evening to assemble my RCBS Uniflow powder measure with the small drum and micrometer kit. I anticipate good times with it and maybe I won't have to weigh charges so often like I did with the Lee powder perfect.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Been retired 7 years and like you I love to reload. I don't watch any TV and reloading at night (any time actually) is so relaxing. In the winter months I don't get out to shoot as much, so my stocks of reloaded ammo does pile up, but the summer months will pare it down! I load .45/70 for my Marlin, .45 Colt for my Redhawk, and .357, .41 Mag, .44 Mag for my Smith revolvers and 10mm for my Smith 1076. Come to think of it there are a bunch of others as well. Couldn't imagine shooting factory ammo.

Sorry guys, any interstate that ends in a 5 is now one way, north. Ya'll have fun up there!

I've got the reloading bench in the garage and bought a small electric heater to keep at my feet that looks like a wood stove, fake flames and all. It's great to slip down to the garage and run out a batch of .38 or .44 special or a box of .45 Colt. Especially on a snowy day. Reminds me I need to toss some .44 mag brass in the tumbler.

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Join the NRA today

We got snow here Sunday, nothing drastic. People ask me what I do with all my time now that I am retired, my routine answer is " I don't know how I ever had time to work full time." Over the years, casting bullets, reloading ammo, tinkering with my guns, and shooting has always taken up the slack in any free time I may have found. That still holds true. I normally stock pile what I will need for the upcoming months on the clay range and my metallic needs during the months of November through March, then go get busy when the grass starts turning green.

You guys that cast your bullets,do you scrounge your lead or buy it?

Forty + years ago I cast tons of .45 SWC working a few 4 cavity H&G molds.I dug large waded clumps out of the police range with a pick and shovel but now I have no source for free or cheap lead.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

I also enjoy reloading almost as much as shooting. I just wish I had more time for both.

I guess Cleveland will never live down the burning river incident even though it was almost 48 years ago! Great Lakes Brewing Company still makes Burning River Pale Ale, with a fanciful depiction of the event on its label. A couple of bottles work equally well in Summer or Winter!

Yes, all my powder is burned in brass cases in firearms - .454 Casull heats the range up a bit more in the Winter and .32 S&W Long wadcutters keep it cooler in the Summer.

The Houston ship channel has been on fire more than once and nobody remembers or cares about that. Or if they do they haven't named a beer for it yet. Flaming Ditch Stout maybe?

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"I gots to know"

Sometimes I lose a little interest in shooting but then reloading rekindles the desire to go and shoot the new rounds
There is no quality in TV shows for me, reloading has been a nice filler for that time and a great excuse for trying out new powders, and bullets.

Retiree in training, now that has a nice ring to it!
Enoy!
Karl

I think you'll like it. I too, used the Lee powder measure before. I kept it just in case. But the case hasn't happened yet.

I have been casting since the 70's, I stockpiled close to 3 tons of wheel weights on the family farm back in the 70's. I then went forth, left Indiana and followed my career path until 08 when I retired. I moved back to Indiana and reclaimed my stash. Finding lead is a challenge nowadays with the advent of zinc wheel weights and the restrictions on lead.....so long story short, I am a pack rat and am working off 55 gallon drums of lead that I accumulated decades ago and what I can scrounge from various sources.

Wee Hooker, My sentiments exactly!
Jim