Lack of civility in the reloading forum.

[Hillbilly77]

I have been a member of S-W Forum for a few years now. I rarely came to the reloading forum until I started loading 2 years ago. When I did start posting here, I found a wealth of useful information. Members here have gone out of their way to help me learn, give advice, etc. Members have freely given me their time, PM's, emails, etc.
A hearty "Thank you" to every member here who has helped me. (A special "Thank you" still goes out to Rule3).

That being said, the reloading forum has become my least favorite page on this board. It seems like there is always somebody arguing over inconsequential nonsense like what brand of press is better, which dies work the best, which powder, primer, brass, etc., etc......

The simple fact is:
THERE IS NO "BEST" CHOICE FOR EVERYBODY. There is only a "best" choice for you.

Honestly, each handloader will approach his hobby/craft in a way that best suits him, taking into account his personal situation and preference. That includes, but is not limited to, press style, tooling, components, brand name, etc.
That will also include how much ammo he wishes to make (and/or how fast), what his financial situation allows, how "in control of each step" he wants to be, the list goes on.

I am tired of coming onto the reloading forum and finding an abundance of bickering, bashing, etc.
I honestly don't care which brand of press you use. I don't care if you use a single-stage or a progressive.
I DO care about safety. I care about this forum being here to be helpful to people. I care about civility.

If you have an answer to a specific question, by all means, please share your knowledge and experience with us.
If somebody asks a specific question, by all means answer it.
If you want to tell us what you love about your setup, that's great. But, for the love of God, PLEASE stop telling us what you hate or why other brands are sub-standard or why brand "X" is bad or setup "Y" is a waste of time and money.

We're all on the same team here. We come together to share a common interest. This entire forum is specifically designed to leave out the things that might divide us (i.e. the banned topics).
To come together to bicker and argue amongst people with a common interest is counterproductive and doesn't help anybody at all.

How 'bout we all just take a deep breath and RELAX?!


Of all times, especially this time of year.
MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

[Redford]

Excellent

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[4barrel]

Hydrocodone & coffee or beer helps also.

 

[Carrier]

Always thought this was the most civil.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I like reading it, even though I only understand about every third word. Trying to learn . . .

 

[glenwolde]

I blame the Lee FCD!...just kidding, just kidding...

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Why did you make the Merry Christmas in red? It would have been better in green! J/K of course, have a Very Merry Christmas...

 

[otisrush]

The OP's opening message is excellent and an excellent reminder, IMHO.

I think reloading, by its very nature, attracts people who are precise and passionate. We're making decisions for our gear and processes that we're, literally, entrusting our safety to. So naturally we think what we've chosen is "the best". If we didn't - why would we choose it? :-D

This thread is a GREAT reminder to 1/ acknowledge there are a wide variety of acceptable answers in many/most situations and 2/ to read thoroughly and answer what is being asked. I know I, for one, have not always done #2.

With all that being said - my experience is that this Reloading forum is very much more civil than other reloading forums I've been to on the web.

OR

 

[gen3guy]

Many of my friends thing I am out of my mind because I still use an old RCBS single stage press. It's simple, paid for, and I'm retired so I'm not in a hurry. They aren't mean spirited about it though. They're still my friends.

 

[mikld]

I agree with the OP, but unfortunately there's "human nature". Human nature combined with "tool snobbery" winds up with some barely civil to downright hateful arguments. But, being a free man I can decide on what threads to read...

Wishing all the members here, even those that disagree with me, a very Merry and Blessed CHRISTmas...

Mike

 

[Redford]

I started reloading 3 years ago. I got the press that I found that people had the least problems with (RCBS single stage ) only complaint I found was it was slow. Thats the way I wanted to start. Second one was 550b same reason, it's the slower Progressive press with the least problems I read about.

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[yeti]

I don't usually find the Reloading section uncivil, but society's civility in general seems to have taken a turn for the worse. We should really be able to exchange ideas freely and have constructive disagreements without personal insults.

Keep it as a suggestion rather than an ultimatum.
Don't take it as a personal insult if the OP wants to try another way.

Merry Christmas everybody!

 

[slickracer]

Those of us that choose to continue to use conventionally lubed cast bullets need not be criticized for not switching to coated bullets. If it was good enough for Elmer Keith, it's good enough for me.

Thanks for a well written post Mr. Hillbilly.

 

[Thomas15]

There really isn't a new production handloading press on the market today, designed for the consumer reloader, that will not work. Some are less prone to stoppages than others but all do work. It really comes down to the production rate in rounds per hour and how much money the handloader wants to spend.

There are some here who make the claim, a very accurate claim, that if you amortize the cost of even an expensive press over 20 years the cost is actually quite low. I agree with this and will say that it took me about two years and several presses to figure this out. So, in my opinion, if I can figure this out, anyone can figure it out.

The main thing to keep in mind is you get exactly what you pay for. A $100.00 press is going to perform like a $100.00 press and a $700.00 press is likewise going to perform like a $700.00 press. It's just that simple. When it comes to rounds per hour, all of those press makers that advertise rate as a selling point calculate theoretical yield, not actual yield.

 

[Rule3]

Thank you Sir.

and a very Merry Christmas to you and Family!

 

[SLT223]

Don't fret. It's part of internet maturity. Eventually knowledge of various reloading techniques will become more broadly understood here on the forums and baseless comments about others equipment and techniques will be less common place.

 

[ChiefStealth]

I too, would much prefer that people write "this is what I do", rather than write "this is what you should do". I really dislike people presuming to tell me what is best for me. I also dislike people telling me that their way is the one and only one way to do things. We do get some of that around here. Personally, I tend to ignore people who do that. Usually, I would ignore a rant thread. This one, however, seems mostly polite.
Merry Christmas to all...

 

[gman51]

I take the chest beaters with a grain of powder that got wet. I agree if whatever type or brand of press works for you then that's great.

Some people think if you don't spend a small fortune for a press then you might as well have bought some junk. My $140 Lee turret does the job to my liking so I am happy with it. If your $700 red or blue marvel is your cup of powder then go ahead and enjoy it.

I think a lot more people would get into re-loading if they knew they didn't have to skip a house payment to get into it. Some forums are worse than others to the point I wondered if they had stock in the companies.

 

[epj]

The key point is safety. I feel safe with a 550. Some others do not. Yes, a single stage is great for learning the steps. For some, that's all they need. No sense in trying to bash others because our choice is not the same. Remember as well that while some folks would love to have a 650 with all the bells and whistles, their budget is a lee single stage.

 

[arjay]

There are so many ways to get from point A to point B unless you ask a grumpy old geezer.Then you can just assume you're doing it wrong [emoji1]