Sharing Your Stats

[otisrush]

[I thought of putting this in The Lounge - but it seems more appropriate here.]

I happened to be reviewing my reloading log (stored in Excel) today and I noticed my total round count is at 9,992. I feel like going downstairs and loading up 8 rounds just so it'll go to 10,000.....kind of like driving around the block to watch the odometer turn over.

I'm still a newb compared to other folks around here. If folks are willing to share, it might be interesting to get some stats from others.

For me:

When I started: Fall '14.

Calibers I Load: 9mm, .38 Spcl, .223, .243, .270 and .32 Rem

Why I Enjoy Loading:
* Gives me total control over availability and quality of my ammo.
* Enables me to keep my grandpa's gun shooting (that's the .32 Remington) given ammo is hard to find and expensive.

[Rpg]

I started reloading in 1963.

I’ve never been a compulsive record keeper so the best estimate I can provide is that I’ve loaded a bunch.

I load 45 acp, 38 special, 357 mag, 44 mag, 350 Remington Magnum, 270, 375 H&H, and 308.

I handload because it saves lots of money, solves ammo availability issues and it lets me shoot the ammo that does best for my purposes.

[Qc Pistolero]

I started reloading in the mid 70s.After learning about my new hobby,my friends didn't want to come at my place to have a beer;they were scared they'd get blown up with the house.Reloading in my neck of the woods was then considered closer to voodoo than what it really is.I might add it didn't take long to start casting my own bullets.
I load for .223,30-30,.308,30-06,38-55 and 45-70 in rifles and for .38spl,.357 .41 and .44 Mag,45 acp and Colt and 9mm.
When I started,I was in motorcycling,fast cars, chasing girls,having a few beers and guns.Nowadays,I'm down to guns and having a few beers.Ain't got no money and/or too old for fast cars and motorcycles.As far as chasing girls,I grew less hair and a lot more belly to be a serious contender!I've quitted when I was ahead!
Qc

[RobertJ.]

I started watching my dad reload in 1970, when I was 10. In 1979, I bought my own set-up to reload for my first revolver, an Interarms Virginian Dragoon .44 Magnum. I used to laugh about the fact the stores wouldn't let me buy loaded ammo because I wasn't 21, but they'd let me buy all the components to load my own.

I've loaded lots of different cartridges over the years, but now I load .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .45 Colt, .38 Special, .30-30 Winchester, .270 Winchester, 8mm Mauser, and 12 Gauge. I don't load 9mm or .380 ACP, I stocked up long ago, and I still buy 9mm when it's a good deal. I'm going to start loading 10mm in the near future, as I bought a Delta Elite last year. I needed to make sure it was a keeper before I buy dies.

Why do I reload? Because I have complete control over selection and availability. And, it's a relaxing hobby that requires extreme attention to detail.

[Sevens]

I started in 1989 and though I had always been passionate about it, life evolved about 6 years back and I really ramped it up. At the same time is when I began to keep very (very!) detailed records.

Here in 2017 calendar year I have produced 8,200 rounds of ammo.

[Dieseltech56]

I started reloading in late 2008. I was looking for a good varmint gun so I bought a Remington 700 SPS .17 Fireball knowing full on that ammo was scarce and I would have to learn to reload my own. That's what started it all.

Now I also load 223, 22-250, 30-06, 38 spl, 357 mag, 357 max, 10mm, 44 mag, and 45-70. Used to load 327 federal but I traded that gun. In April this year I started casting my own bullets

I did take a hiatus from shooting and reloading from 2011-2013. It was not a good time. I didn't have a stock pile and I grew tired of trying to hunt down supplies.

[SMSgt]

Started in the mid-'70s and lost count when I ran out of fingers and toes. I have no idea how many reloads I've made, but it's a lot.

.38, .357, .41 Mag, .223, .30-06, .30 Herrett, .300 BO, 12 ga, 20 ga.

[Geronimo Jim]

Interesting. I shot 66 matches so far this year with one more tomorrow.
I will have to give an estimate of round count.

[Mike, SC Hunter]

I started reloading(and casting) in 1972.....Started keeping a reloading log in 1992. Total rd count loaded from 1992 to tonight is 107,222. I load for 23 calibers and 2 guages. Casting and loading is the only way I can afford to shoot. I am a hunter and compulsive plinker. Don't shoot competitively.

[427mach1]

I started reloading at 15 in 1977 but didn't load much between 1980 and 2000. I have loaded around 9,000 rounds of 9mm, 38 Special, 40, 41 mag, 44 mag, 204, 223, 32 Special, 30-06, and 7mm Mag. all on a single stage RCBS Junior that I bought new for $25 at the White Elephant in Spokane, WA. I have dies marked $9.95, powder marked $7.95, and bullets for 6.95 per hundred. I, too, keep a spreadsheet showing date, number of loads, and all load data.

[Twoboxer]

Hunted a bit as a teen in the early 60s, but the gun went away for over 40 years. Started shooting again in 2012, added other firearms, then started reloading that fall. Since then my logs show I've fired 24,176 hand loaded pistol and rifle rounds averaging about 5k/yr. Also fired about 11k hand loaded 12ga shotgun shells during that same period.

Calibers? 380Auto, 9mm, 45ACP, 223, 6mmAR, 308, 30-06, and 338LM. Oh, and 12ga.

The only competition I engage in is with myself

[Sevens]

Ones I have loaded but currently do not -- but may again in the future: .32 ACP, .38 Super, .357 Max, .41 Magnum, .45 Colt, .460 Rowland and .500 S&W Magnum and 20 ga... .243 Win, .25-06, .308, .30-06, 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag

Ones I currently load: .32 S&W Long (wadcutter), .327 Federal, .380 Auto, 9mm, .38 Special, .357 Mag, .357-44 B&D .40 S&W, 10mm, .45 Auto, .460 Magnum... .223, .30 Carbine, 8mm Mauser

I may have forgotten something in there...

I use a hybrid system where almost all of my sizing, priming and flaring is on a Lee Pro-1000, all my powder falls from a Lyman 55 and all my bullets are seated single stage on a Lee Classic Cast.

[D Brown]

I started loading metallic cartridges in 1972 on an old Wells C-press. I started out loading .30 Carbine and .38 Special. Started shot shell reloading in early 1977, by then I had replaced the Wells C-press with an RCBS Jr. In 1985 I purchased a Dillon RL-550 and have done most, but not all of my metallic reloading on the 550 progressive since that date.

How many rounds? I shot competitively in numerous sports, mostly USPSA, for many years. Unless you've done it, you would have no reason to believe how many rounds I've loaded; I'll just say it's been a very large amount.

[otisrush]

Awesome....and impressive stories!

[rwsmith]

Started in 1980 with Lee Hand Loaders. I had a life layoff for about 10 years getting my son big enough to shoot. Early in 2012 I got back into it again. After Sandy Hook I started stocking up on components and reloading in a big way. Even though I only have a single stage, I work with it long and hard. No idea of round count, but I've shot a lot, especially after getting into semi autos and I've bought maybe 4 boxes of new ammo in that last 20 years.

[SLT223]

I also started in Fall of ‘14. I haven’t tallied it up yup....


What’s a half gallon of primers?

[Sevens]

Haha, you made me laugh!

Anyone can call me nuts (and they'd be right) but except for those that have bounced their way to freedom... gulp, I actually have almost EVERY single spent primer that I have punched out. They will go to a scrap metal recycling center some day but in the mean time, I have them collected in 8-lb plastic smokeless powder jugs.

They get heavy when you fill one of those jugs, I must say.

[jmclfrsh]

I started reloading in 1978 for a 6” Model 57.41 Magnum and a Remington 700 BDL in .270 Winchester. I sold my FFA project farm animals in my senior year of high school to purchase those two guns and a Remington 870 12 Gauge.

I used RCBS equipment then pretty much exclusively. I also had a great girlfriend that if I asked, would deprime, resize and reprise cases for me occasionally before I got home from work so I could go hunting as soon as I got home. I still miss that girl.

Reloading allowed me to work up loads that shot more accurately, and I killed several hundred groundhogs each year using the pistol and rifle. I was out pretty much every single night around 7 p.m.

After a long hiatus getting my college degree, bar tending, riding motorcycles and chasing girls I finally settled down and I now load for the same .270 rifle, a different Model 57 .41 Magnum and a Model 29 .44 Magnum.

I was able to purchase nicer equipment this time around and hit the ground not really running, but at a fast trot as it came back to me pretty fast.

I enjoy it, it gets me away from everyone else and not only is it relaxing, but then I get to go shoot the fruits of my labors!

[Regaj]

I started handloading in the early 80's. A Lee Loader and a rubber mallet at the dining room table.

That didn't last long. With two babies trying to sleep, my wife very quickly looked askance at this noisy new hobby of mine. That was the opening I needed.

"Well, honey, they have this thing called a press. It's really quiet."

I've been using that RCBS Rockchucker ever since.

Round count? Dunno. I've still got the notebook I carefully recorded each and every load with, across all those years. Stuff I load today goes in an electronic (Excel) log - and as I have time I'm converting over all those old paper records. But it'll be awhile. All I can say is that between a bunch of rifle and handgun calibers, it's been a lot.

It's interesting what has changed with handloading. Back in the day my log would have frequent "ev" (estimated velocity) notations, a number I arrived at by cross-referencing multiple load manuals and extrapolating to my own guns. Nowadays, of course, there are several very accessible chronograph solutions. It's nice having actual velocity data, along with spread and standard deviation when working up a load!

Digital scales and powder dispensers are wonderful. I still have my old RCBS 10-10 beam scale, but haven't used it in years. Or that old manual powder trickler.

Progressive presses got much better. Dillon changed everything.

I was fortunate also in that when I started I was only a few miles from The Loading Bench, a reloading store in Annandale, Virginia. It was the only pure reloading shop I've ever seen, before or since, and it allowed me ready access to fairly exotic components. I became a regular there, first with "the Colonel," the fellow who owned and ran it, and later with Dale, his son. Dale used to joke that I should go ahead and just set up direct-deposit of part of my weekly paycheck with the store. Alas, The Loading Bench is no longer there.

What hasn't changed with handloading is the pleasure of creating ammunition that is better than anything you can buy. The parents have changed, but we still have Unique. And Bullseye. And 4350.

And we still have the magic.

[daniel lawecki]

I buy gun powder in 8lbs kegs and primers 5000 at a time. So it's had to tell how many rounds since the late 79. But it would have to be close 100,000.

[Engineer1911]

I started in December 1974 with a Lee Loader in 30-06 that my brother gave me for Christmas. It WAS the most costly (to me) gift I ever received. I have loaded for about 30 different calibers using a Rock Chucker, Dillon 450 (upgraded to 550), Dillon 550B (another "great deal"), and a Lee Anniversary special single stage.

My original Dillon 450 reloaded enough ammo to shoot out the throats in a TC .222 Remington Super 14, a S&W 1500 rifle in .222 Rem, and a Shilen heavy barrel on Remington 700 in 25-06. All three barrels key-holed at 25 yards with in the same year after shooting prairie dogs for 10 years.

In 1975 I bought a Ruger Security Six with a 6" barrel. In 1976 I really started to save money by casting my own bullets. In all these years, between 30 caliber and 45-70 rifle bullets, 9 MM, 40 S&W, 38 Spl, 357 Mag, 44 Mag, and 45 ACP, I've cast 200,000 lead bullets.

Based on powder and primer consumption, 100,000 center fire rifle rounds is a reasonable estimation. So the total round count approaches 300,000. I never realized I've shot that much ammo.

And it all started in basic training with an M16 at Lackland AFB in 1970 and then I bought a Ruger Single Six in 1972.

[BE Mike]

I never kept track, but it has to be in the tens of thousands. I started loading .38 SPL with a Lee Loader, a wooden dowel and a pound of Hercules Bullseye powder at the kitchen table. That was around 1971. I now load .38 SPL, .45 ACP, 9mm, .44 Mag., .30-06, .223 and 12 ga. The round I've loaded most is .45 ACP, since I shot bullseye pistol matches for many years. I had a Lyman single stage press for many years. I sold it with powder scale and powder measure for a song to a buddy and his son, who were just getting into reloading. I now have a Dillon 550, 650, RCBS Junior, and MEC 600 JR. I also have bullet casting equipment, but haven't cast any in the past 20 years, since I moved.

[stu1ritter]

I started loading while in high school in 1957. .303 British for a Jungle carbine and 6.5x55 for a surplus Swedish Mauser. I started shooting bullseye competition in 1965. I don't think it would be possible to count the number of .45ACP's I've reloaded over the years.

Stu

[MyDads38]

I started in 1980 with a Lee Classic Loader in 38 Special. Loading for my first centerfire handgun-Ruger Security Six 357 Magnum w/6" barrel. Then came my circa 1978 RCBS Reloader Special press and set of STEEL 38 special dies (still have both). Then came the Lee 3 hole turret with auto index (still have, sans auto index). Upgraded to the Lee Classic Turret and Classic Cast single stage, and 4 Lee Pro 1000's. Have a collection of Lee Handloading kits, for every caliber I shoot, and some I don't!

I load for 38 Special, 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 acp. Also load 223 and 308 rifle. Used to cast my own bullets, but haven't for many years-though I do have several brand new molds-just in case... Shot PPC back in the day. No idea how many rounds I've loaded/shot since then, but it has been a LOT-LOL :-) Nowadays, I shoot for the pure pleasure of it. Reloading is a relaxing "getaway" for me.

[apollo99]

I started loading in 1980 when I bought my first revolver a 629 44 magnum. I remember loading my first round and running out to my father who was out back mowing the lawn to show him. I've loaded a lot of ammo over the years. Last year when I bought another 629 to replace that one I traded away years back, I started reloading 44 magnum again, after I loaded my first round, I went running to my father who is now 88 years old and showed him my first .44 magnum reload, he just looked at it and smiled.

[fredj338]

I started loading in 1975 to feed my 1st 357mag. Once I got into competition in the 90s, my reloading took off with a 550, i Now also load on a 650. I currently load some 24 diff calibers, well over 350k rd mark to date.

[H Richard]

I didn't start reloading until the early 80's, when I started competition shooting, which necessitated production of a lot more ammo at lower prices. 44 Mag and 7 TCU for silhouette, and 38 and 45 acp for Bullseye and IPSC. I keep very good records on my load data, but never bothered to keep any records on how much. I do know it is many thousands. I know I went through at least 6000 or 7000 rounds in my 22-250's going after Prairie Dogs for several years. There's over 1000 loaded on hand now if the opportunity arises. When I switched to 9mm as a primary handgun a few years ago, I have bought over 5000 rounds of bullets, and have very few on hand presently. It's a good thing I just don't shoot near as much as I used to.

[Nevada Ed]

Been at it since high school in the 60's.

I did rifle, pistol and if you want primer counts.......
after the service I took up ATA and local trap, skeet and Sporting Clays along with field hunting.

I'll just say that I have popped a few caps over the years.
Does Black powder count ?

[ACP230]

I started with a Lee Loader in .38 Special in 1979.
Now use a Lee Turret Press and a Lee C press.

Have no idea how many rounds I've loaded. Used to load more
when I was shooting Hunter's Pistol Silhouette, the occasional
"Combat Handgun" match, and NRA High Power Rifle Matches.

Now mostly make .38 Specials, .45ACP and .41 Magnum rounds.
Loaded ammo for my son's deer rifle and mine this fall.

[oneounceload]

Started in 1980; load for 12, 20 and formerly for 28 gauge as well as 32acp, 32SWL, 38, 357, 9, 45acp, 223, 243, 6.5 x 55, 7-08, and 7mag.

About 350K for shotgun; about 30K for all of the others combined.

[Just another 22 shooter]

I never really thought too much about the total amount of rounds I've reloaded and shot. Started loading in '73 for 38/357, 243 and 270. Since then I have been an avid prairie dog shooter, trap and skeet shooter, and just in the last 6 years, I've really enjoyed shooting handguns and that dasterdly AR15 type rifle.. All of these aspects of shooting require a lot of ammo. 99% of the ammo I have fired in all of my shooting has been hand loads made on my reloading equipment. Just off the top of my head....2-500,000 rounds loaded and fired. Over the years,this has included:
38/357
9mm Luger
38 Super
22 TCM
44 Magnum
45 ACP
32 H&R magnum
40 S&W
17 REM
218 Bee
221 REM
204 Ruger
222Rem
223Rem/ 556 Nato
225 Win
22-250 Rem
22-50 Ackley Imp.
220 Swift
243 Win
243 Ackley Imp
6mm Rem
6mm-250
250 Savage
270 Win
30-30
38-55
308 Win
30-06
300 Win Mag
12 gauge shotshell

[scooter123]

I started in 2012, right after the Sandy Hook shooting. At present I have 3 FULL 1 qt. ziplock freezer bags of spent primers and am perhaps 1000-1500 into the 4 bag. Have not a clue how many primers that is but do know it's a bunch.

[Skeet 028]

In 1958 for shotgun 1959 for 22 Hornet. Have loaded literally a couple million shotshells and at least a 1/4 million metallic rounds. Don't load anywhere as many of anything these days.

[hdwhit]

I started reloading in 1977. Ignoring the roughly 500 rounds of 30 Carbine that I assembled using an original Lee Loader in my grandmother's garage and a few rounds assembled while learning how to use my first reloading press, I have loaded 19,154 rounds.

All of them were loaded on a single stage press.

[bananaman]

I started loading in around 1970. Only 12 gauge shotgun. Started loading pistol cartridges in around 2012. Just started 44 magnum less than a week ago. Do 38's, 9's, .40's, 45ACP, & 45 Colt. Don't think I am going to take on anything else. Bob

[Sevens]

Forgive me, I'm not trying to be personal or difficult. But numbers and statistics are fascinating to me.

I did quick math and unless I made an error, the math says that in 59 years time, you would need to load 93 shotshells each day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks each year and never miss a day on average to meet the two million number.

I have to guess or hope that you were loading commercially or for a group of shooters to pull that off. I wonder if even an Olympic champion shotgunner can average 93 shots daily for -58- years, that's the kind of shooting that would wear out guns and body parts!

Originally Posted by Skeet 028

In 1958 for shotgun 1959 for 22 Hornet. Have loaded literally a couple million shotshells and at least a 1/4 million metallic rounds. Don't load anywhere as many of anything these days.

[Johnrh]

Started reloading 45's in 2003 and it went downhill from there. Now reload for 38's, 380's, 40's, 223 and 30-06 for the M1. So far I've reloaded 88,915. Yes I keep track. After I spent umpteen hours testing loads for my Bullseye 45 Star bullets stopped selling. Wasted a lot of time so got into casting my own too. Now cast for all pistol calibers. Great savings if you can get free lead.

[themightyhawk]

I started in '73 with one of those lee setups that you have to use a plastic hammer to load. that lasted 'bout 100 rounds. I bought a lyman C style press and pretty much wore it out. I used a rcbs press for years, and finally progressed to a Dillon square deal. today I load eleven different rounds...
.380 acp
9 mm
.38 special
.40 s&w
.357 mag.
.357 sig
.45 colt
.45 acp
10 mm
.223 rem.
.44 mag.
I now have three Dillon 550b presses. one for large primers, one for small primers, and one press dedicated to .223 rem.
I also cast most, but not all of my projectiles.
I guesstimate I have 'bout 6000 rounds loaded and 'bout 4000 .22 rimfire.

[rwsmith]

Originally Posted by Sevens

Haha, you made me laugh!

Anyone can call me nuts (and they'd be right) but except for those that have bounced their way to freedom... gulp, I actually have almost EVERY single spent primer that I have punched out. They will go to a scrap metal recycling center some day but in the mean time, I have them collected in 8-lb plastic smokeless powder jugs.

They get heavy when you fill one of those jugs, I must say.

Then all you have to do is count all of those primers and you'll have an exact round count. Not something everybody has to get bragging rights.

[monsai52]

I started reloading about 1975. I currently load for:
Handguns: .22 Jet, 32-20, .38 Special, 357 Mag., 44-40, .44 Special, .44 Mag, .45 ACP, and .45 Colt;
Rifle: .222, 30-06, 45-70.

I've also shot a lot of .36 and .44 percussion over the years.

I keep a list of the various loads I'm using, or have used in the past, but I never had any interest in keeping a round count. Everything has been loaded on single stage presses, mostly an old RCBS Rockchucker. I've never been in such a hurry as to desire a progressive.

Best regards,

[steelslaver]

I reload or have reloaded and have dies for.
Rifle
222, 223, 22-250, 220 Swift
243 Win, 6mm Remington
25-35, 25-06
270
30-30, 308, 30-06, 300WM, 30-338
338

Handguns
22TCM, 22 Harvey Kay Chuck, 22 Jet
30 Herrett
32 S&W, 32 S&W long, 32 H&R
38 spec. 357 mag, 357 Herrett
41 mag
44 Russian, 44special, 44 mag
455, 45 acp. 45colt
500 S&W.

I cast bullets and size at 222, 224, 312, 357, 410, 429, 45 some several sizes a couple different weights.

Might be some stuff I forgot. No clue as to round count, went thru a lot of small bore stuff on prairie dogs and 38 when I used to shoot PRC in my younger years. Now its a trip to the range about once a month, few pasture poodle hunting trips and actual hinting season stuff.

[M29since14]

I’ve been handloading since the late 1960s... starting with .222s, then .38 Supers, .45 Autos, .44 Magnums, and on, and on. I have always loaded for every gun I’ve owned, pistols, rifles, and shotguns, except .25 and .32 ACP. No idea how many rounds. Not a big record-keeper. Probably just as well. If I knew, I might agonize over the money spent. I handload because I enjoy handloading!

[BE Mike]

My hat's off to anyone who can reload .380 or smaller. 9mm brass seems to get smaller and smaller over the years. 8^)

[Speedo2]

Well, it seems that I'm a bit of a slacker here, having only loaded around 20-30K metallic and maybe twice that in shot shells, Have only been reloading since the early 90's.

Basic Equipment: MEC 600; Bair "C" (retired); RCBS "3"; Lee Classic Turret; Hornady L&L AP.

Cartridges Reloaded:

32ACP, 32S&W & 32S&WL, 380ACP, 32-20, 38 Spl, 38 S&W, 9mm, 357Mag, 41Mag, 44Russian, 44Spl, 44Mag, 45ACP

223/556, 30Carbine, 30-30, 308Win, 32Spl, 50-70Gov, 12Ga

Mostly shooting 9mm and 22LR these days, -S2

[gwpercle]

I started reloading and casting in 1967....thats 50 years ago. Unfortunately I didn't think to count them all.

Stats: No Excell or even personal computers then. Computers were the size of a Greyhound Bus, no stats. Lets say I've reloaded more than a few.

Last Friday I reloaded 100 9mm Luger at my office desk before knocking off at noon. Sunday was casting and sizing day...I didn't count. When I got tired I stopped...had a good pile thanks to an NOE 4 cavity mould.

If you do something every week for 50 years ...that must add up to a few.

Is a trophy going to be awarded to the person who has reloaded the most ? Man I wish I had counted now...oh well.

Gary

[df06]

I started loading shot shells in 1966, and metallic in 1974.
These days I load 24 metallic cartridges and four gauges of shot shells.
I have no guess on how many rounds I have loaded, but it’s very rare that I buy any loaded ammo, except 22 rimfire.

[oneounceload]

Originally Posted by Sevens

Forgive me, I'm not trying to be personal or difficult. But numbers and statistics are fascinating to me.

I did quick math and unless I made an error, the math says that in 59 years time, you would need to load 93 shotshells each day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks each year and never miss a day on average to meet the two million number.

I have to guess or hope that you were loading commercially or for a group of shooters to pull that off. I wonder if even an Olympic champion shotgunner can average 93 shots daily for -58- years, that's the kind of shooting that would wear out guns and body parts!

I reload in batches and when I do, I will load 500-1000 in one sitting. Remember shotgun shooting has twice the cost - you also have to pay for those clay targets. I could have retired a lot earlier had I saved all that money and played lawn darts or horseshoes instead......

My O/U went 300,000 before I switched to a gas gun (factory and reloads). Needed new springs and I had the firing pins replaced at 90,000.

[Sevens]

That's a LOT of shotgunning! Wow, that's a serious load of ammo and birds. It does also help to make my point, perhaps.

The numbers you just dropped aren't even your absolute total of shotshell reloading, but just for the sake of argument... we could quintuple that number (take your number and multiply by five!) and the result still falls just short of a couple million.

Imagine a man has personally made a shotgun go BANG an actual 390,000 times, all on shotshells he produced from his load bench. If you add four of his closest friends doing exactly the same volume of shooting but just that one poor soul pulling the press handle to feed that whole party of five guys, it still falls short of two million.

Unless the entire operation is fully automated, I can't even imagine the TIME consumed here.

[Mike, SC Hunter]

My bullet/shell factory stays set up and ready to run at any given time. I usually do all my casting between deer season end(Jan 1st) and start of Turkey season(March 20th) because its cold weather. I cast with 4 molds in rotation from an open pot and ladle(a casting furnace is too slow on the heat & reheat for me) on a propane burner.......Works for me.

[lrrifleman]

I started reloading in the late '70s. My dad and I started with Lee Loaders in 12ga and 45 ACP. That didn't last long. Being an employee of Omark, he exercised his employee discount when Omark bought RCBS, CCI and Speer. We upgraded to a Reloader Special. When I started high power competitions in the late '80s, I upgraded to a Dillon Square Deal B then a 550B for handgun. I started casting in the late '90s. I would load and cast on a regular basis until my accident in '07. I resumed shooting (and reloading) in '11.

Since I started reloading in the late '70s, I have reloaded well over 40,000 rounds. I cast handgun bullets for: 380, 9mm, 38 Special SWC & WC, 41 SWC, and 45 SWC. I have reloaded, or currently reload for: 380, 9mm, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 41 Magnum, 45 ACP, 223, 25-35, 270, 7mm Remington Magnum, 308, 30-06, 40-65, and 45-70, plus 12ga. 38 Super is on the horizon.