how long have you been reloading

[BUFF]

Since 1975, while in college. I bought my first good firearm, a Remington 700 in .30-06, to hunt with friends and soon became fascinated with smacking things way out there with it, and I needed to feed it. Then I got into handguns and bought a casting outfit to feed them. I never could have become even a passible shot if I was always thinking "25 cents! 25 cents! 25 cents!" with each press on the trigger.

It's a very interesting hobby in and of itself.

 

[cmort666]

Since 1979. I started reloading in college. I couldn't afford to shoot factory ammunition back then. Things haven't gotten any cheaper since.

Of course I can't buy my rifle loads at ANY price. I load the 200gr. Sierra Matchking for my Savage .30-06. NOBODY loads that bullet commercially. That I know of, nobody commercially loads the 175gr. Matchking in the .308. My load is a close analogue of the M118LR sniper load.

 

[fredj338]

33yrs now & some 22 diff calibers right now, including several wildcats.

 

[Skip Sackett]

WOW! I must be a spring chicken compared to some of you!

Well,
Son #1 was born in 1978, couldn't afford to get any firearms until he was about 7, I made about $4/hr, by the time our youngest son was born, 1987, I was reloading.

38spl with 158gr LSWC/LRN and 3.5gr of Bullseye was the starting load. Still use it today.

Got into casting just a few years ago and really enjoy that too.

 

[Marksman]

I started loading for High Power rifle in 1973 and Center Fire Handgun in 1975. I started with an RCBS Junior then upgraded to a Rock Chucker, used a LEE Turret for handgun for a while. Now I load everything on Ponsness Warren presses. I shot trap for a while in college and borrowed a friends MEC to load Winchester AA's. I cast bullets while in college from lead recycled from the LE range. I've owned a few wildcat rifles over the years, so my experience as a reloader is pretty broad. I hunt and all the deer that I've harvested have been taken with handloaded cartridges. The only ammo I buy now is .22's and shotgun slugs.

 

[HoosierMike]

Started with .38 Special and .30/06 when I was 19. 40 now, honestly have no idea how many thousands of rounds I have loaded.

 

[deanodog]

Started in the mid 80s but have periods of inactivity.

 

[imashooter2]

I started at around 5, pulling the handle of Dad's press. Loading for myself, It's been well over 35 years.

 

[505Gibbs]

Since 1973 - just handgun and rifle!

 

[Iggy]

Started loading for 300H&H Magnum in 1957.
First started with a Lyman 310 tool and dies.

Advanced to a RCBS Rock Chucker in 1970. That's as far as I have progressed, and I'm still "chucking them out.

 

[Faulkner]

I started from scratch in 1999 with a Dillon 550B. I wanted to produce a quantity of ammo so I could shoot more so I skipped messing around with single stage loading. Glad I did.

 

[greenmachine]

I started in 1964 loading .38's and .45's for bullseye on a friends Star progressive. My first press was an RCBS Junior which I still use on occasion but I mostly use a Dillon RL550 or a Rockchucker. I reload about 35 different calibers.

 

[Leonard]

About 41 years ago started with a Lee hand tool used too wake up people in the apartment next to me when the occasional primer would go off while trying too seat it still have that tool.

Len

 

[Emerson]

I started on an old Herters press back in 1974 or 75. So a little over 30 years.

 

[Smitty500Mag]

1962 - 12 years old with my Uncle showing me how to do it for the first 6 months before he trusted me to reload on my own.

Smitty

 

[furyalecto]

I have only been reloading for 4 months. The ammunition shortage inspired me to start.

 

[Amici]

Twenty-five years. Started on a Rock Chucker (didn't we all?) and moved up to a progressive about a decade ago.

 

[Landric]

I seem to be among the less experienced handloaders here, and I started in 1994. I just started casting this year, so I'm completely new at that and still learning.

I am also one of those people who can't decide if he shoots to handload or handloads to shoot.

 

[Gaffer]

Started in 1955 or 56 with a Lyman Tru-Line Junior in .222 Rem. that I bought at MW. Learned the hardway to weigh my loads. Popped a few primers. That gun would sure make red mist on woodchucks. Gosh that is over 50 years!

 

[n4zov]

Since 1958 or thereabouts and learning something new every day!