It's Times Like These

[emptypockets]

That make me glad I started loading my own ammunition. In 2013 I became tired of staring at empty shelves wondering where is the ammo. I decided to load my own and have not regretted doing so. I will be going to the range in the morning to unload some of what I loaded this week.

I'm blessed to have a place to shoot at and a small group of guys and gals to shoot with. In a short period of time we can solve all the world's problems and get our shooting fix.

Tomorrow will be a great day....

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

LOADING

Yep, been preaching that for years. Dont care how many guns you might have, if you cant get ammo they are not worth any more than a box of rocks. We all have our own reasons for getting started. Saving some money seems to top the list, but there are many other valid reasons as well. To me its has always been just an extension to my shooting.All these so-called shortages came along later. I always bought something at the shows I went to whether I needed it at the time or not. The stuff adds up. So, I really need nothing these days to speak of and now, and I think it has already passed in some places, there are noises being made about requiring background checks to buy ammo. I expect the next thing might be a close down on reloading. I cant say what I think about that. The big one would slap me good. Its never to late to start so get and do what you can. NOW-- no matter where you are, you can find someone who is willing to help you along with out being condescending about it. ENJOY---

Amore recent reason, a couple years ago I got hold of a couple little I frames from 1920-- 38S&W they were. Ammo at that time was 25.00 a box of fifty from Remington. Seen them as high as $35.00 a box these days-- some dies from Lee, brass from Starline and bullets from Missouri Bullets (coated) and I was on my way. Have one box that is on its way to being loaded 8 times after the factory loading, and others in assorted stages of being fired. Doesnt take long to recoup your money at that rate. Now I figure they cost me $3.50 a box, or a bit less. AND i picked up another one last week. Here she is in a SD MYERS holster that I had which needed a new home.

 

[kbm6893]

That make me glad I started loading my own ammunition. In 2013 I became tired of staring at empty shelves wondering where is the ammo. I decided to load my own and have not regretted doing so. I will be going to the range in the morning to unload some of what I loaded this week.

I'm blessed to have a place to shoot at and a small group of guys and gals to shoot with. In a short period of time we can solve all the world's problems and get our shooting fix.

Tomorrow will be a great day....

We started same time for same reason. Newtown in December 2012 and the panic it caused. I remember $20 for a box of 50 9MM plinking ammo. Other than .22 I don't believe I have fired 50 rounds of factory ammo a year since 2013.

 

[schutzen-jager]

been over 50 years have not purchased any new ammo with the exception of rimfire -

 

[duman444]

Grew up bird hunting on the rice fields of Cypress TX. Raised by a Dad that had supported his Mom and Brother through the depression after his father
had abandoned the family.

After his second son (Me) started hunting, he could no longer afford shotgun shells for three, so he went into reloading. Loading many thousands of shells on MEC jr for both dove and duck/goose. Early shells were high brass and tended to jam, no mater how much you resized base. Always carried a break down ramrod in field to get gun back into action after jam.

Dad did not have any centerfire pistols and only a 30-30 rifle, so did not have experience in brass reloading.

Starting in my 20's (40 years ago) acquiring guns that shot metallic cartridges. Did not take me long to see I needed to reload to keep those hungry mouths filled.

My youngest brother got into gun accumulation like me. He hates tedious work, so our agreement is he buys components I supply the labor to turn
them in to finished cartridge's.

Now load for 22 calibers. Component shortages are never fun, try to keep a stock of at least 10K primers and Multiple pounds of powder to get us through each shortage.

This one has been challenging because my 89 year old father has since got into Pistol shooting and is burning through (400) 9 MM every 2 weeks, Has brought my small pistol primers down to 4,000 and my Power Pistol (preferred) down to 6 lbs.

Oh, and Sandy hook also showed us we need rimfires in bulk, so stocked up on those after its run.

 

[DwayneV]

The next step is bullet casting for even more ammo independence.

 

[Glenn54]

This thread has me convinced I am going to start reloading.
But seeing that your dad at the age of 89 is shooting the pistol that much is awesome. Tell him to keep up the good work.

Grew up bird hunting on the rice fields of Cypress TX. Raised by a Dad that had supported his Mom and Brother through the depression after his father
had abandoned the family.

After his second son (Me) started hunting, he could no longer afford shotgun shells for three, so he went into reloading. Loading many thousands of shells on MEC jr for both dove and duck/goose. Early shells were high brass and tended to jam, no mater how much you resized base. Always carried a break down ramrod in field to get gun back into action after jam.

Dad did not have any centerfire pistols and only a 30-30 rifle, so did not have experience in brass reloading.

Starting in my 20's (40 years ago) acquiring guns that shot metallic cartridges. Did not take me long to see I needed to reload to keep those hungry mouths filled.

My youngest brother got into gun accumulation like me. He hates tedious work, so our agreement is he buys components I supply the labor to turn
them in to finished cartridge's.

Now load for 22 calibers. Component shortages are never fun, try to keep a stock of at least 10K primers and Multiple pounds of powder to get us through each shortage.

This one has been challenging because my 89 year old father has since got into Pistol shooting and is burning through (400) 9 MM every 2 weeks, Has brought my small pistol primers down to 4,000 and my Power Pistol (preferred) down to 6 lbs.

Oh, and Sandy hook also showed us we need rimfires in bulk, so stocked up on those after its run.

 

[rwsmith]

I don't reload 7.62 x 39 and .22..

.22 is easy to explain. even poor me isn't desperate enough to make like a survivalist and reload .22 cases.

I reloaded my first rounds of SKS. But they flew all over the place and I only recovered 25% of the brass. So I stated buying 'cheap' Tullammo at $11/40 rounds.

Last week I went to buy some from the local shop and they had boxes of 20 for $10/box. I bought two because I needed them. But I was able to find boxes of 100 rounds online for a little more than the 'mini boxes' cost.

Anyway, the result is that I'm going to make a brass deflector so I can reload for the SKS.

 

[Classic29]

Ex-Father-in-law got me into reloading and casting over 35 years ago. Since then I have accumulated quite a bit of equipment and components. No ammo shortages for me

 

[Cdog]

The .257 Roberts and .41 Rem Mag got me into handloading.

Both were difficult to find, expensive when you did, and the "Bob" offerings of the era were loaded well below modern levels.

This opened up a new world. I could craft a better round for a .454 Casull, .45 Win Mag, or any other caliber for only pennies more than the everyday run of the mill calibers.

This allowed me to buy and enjoy several firearms that I otherwise wouldn't have purchased.

Have I saved money over the last 35 years? Not likely, just spent it on more "stuff."

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The Columbus, Ohio PD loaded 400,000 rounds a year of practice ammo a year, and my F-I-L was in charge. I started loading 42 years ago (about 6 weeks after the wedding!) Including shot shells I load 117 rounds. It all started with a Lee Loader in 303 British. Then a borrowed Lyman "Spar-T" in 1979 I wore it out and Replaced it with a Redding T-7 in 2007, but I had been using 2 RCBS Rock Chucker Supremes, A Dillon 450 that got upgraded and a Hornady L-N-L AP that was junk!

I bought any used press for $10, and used dies for $5. I would make kits with dies and components for the Missionaries my church supported. (The different countries had different laws on what they could "Import" and what had to be bought local. But 38 Special, and 30-30 were very popular! as was a bullet mould, 1000 Primers, and a can of Unique. Most kits included a scale AND Lee dippers and of course lots of instructions (IN ENGLISH ONLY!)

One Missionary had a nice little "Business". He loaded free ammo in 223 for the local Police, and they otherwise left him alone. (and allowed him to import the bullets, powder, and primers duty free!)

So you might say my reloading, helped spread God's Peace and good will all over the world!

Ivan

 

[Nevada Ed]

Had the young men and lady's over t our house quite a few times.

We made Christmas cookies and I sowed them how to tie Dry flys. The young lady's really enjoyed that and thought the fly was a very slick deal as a décor pin on their shirts......
they picked out the materials and tied their very first fly.

 

[df06]

I started loading shotgun in 1967, handguns and rifles in 1974. Except for 2-3 boxes of 410L and part of a box of non toxic 12 ga, my shooting is all my handloads. And I shoot quite a lot.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I started loading shotgun in 1967, handguns and rifles in 1974. Except for 2-3 boxes of 410L and part of a box of non toxic 12 ga, my shooting is all my handloads. And I shoot quite a lot.

The limited amount of waterfowl I hunt, it is far more economical to buy than reload. My box of steel number 2's is over 15 years old and over half full!

Ivan

But I loaded over 5000 410's in 2018 and 5000 more in 2019 & about 2/3 as many 28 gauges in the same time frame. Covid has kept me away from the crowded ranges this year! Pistols and rifles are a solo deal anyway.

 

[TMan51]

Don't care how many guns you might have, if you cant get ammo they are not worth any more than a box of rocks.

Well, if you grip the barrel tight, it makes a good club
Seriously, how can so few shooters be aware of how likely ammo restrictions to outright bans are almost a certainty.

I started loading my own in the late 60's, shotgun, handgun, rifle, and I've spent very little for factory ammo since. Not so much the cost as the ability to tailor my ammo to the shooting opportunity.

Since the Clinton era, it's a matter of having ammo until my supplies of components are gone. (Never happened). I won't be selling any either.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

I have been reloading and casting bullets for so long I can't imagine not doing it. Several firearms that I have purchased new over the past 40 years have never been fired with factory ammo. Several more antique and vintage rifles require ammunition that has not been manufactured for a half-century or more.

Never got into shotgun reloading, but I never use more than a couple of hundred rounds per year. Rimfire ammo, shotgun shells, and my duty ammo during my years as a cop, other than those I can't remember the last time I purchased factory ammo. Every time I acquire a firearm in a new caliber the first thing I do is order a set of dies and a bullet mold.

Other people relax by watching television. I spend those hours processing brass in large lots (sizing, flaring, priming, all ready to throw powder charges and seat bullets) or making bullets by the thousands.

Last time I looked at ammo in a sporting goods store I just shook my head at the prices. Common handgun calibers, range/practice ammo at 35 to 50 cents per round, compared to my costs of about 6 cents per.

Yes, I have quite a lot invested in equipment, but it has all paid for itself many times over, and with minimal attention it will last for generations.

 

[bigggbbruce]

been over 50 years have not purchased any new ammo with the exception of rimfire -

I'm at 45 years..

I started way back when I bought a T/C contender in 7mm TCU..not realizing I had to load my own if I wanted to shoot it..

 

[Pig Hunter]

Started in the late 70's. Got wheel weights for nothing. A friend once told me that you have X amount of money to shoot. If you reload you will still spend X, but you shoot at least 3x.

 

[tomahawk223]

My first time

My first time loading was in 1984 in the army barracks at Ft. Lewis with this Ideal tong tool that I picked up at the Western Washington Arms Collectors show at the Puyallup fair grounds.
Yea I know " no brass no ammo" but we would load all the time.
Would go to that show every month whenever we weren't in the field or at Yakima.
would than hang out at McCann's gun shop in Spanaway for a bit than go shooting. Lots of fun back then.

 

[reloader7.62]

.22 is easy to explain. even poor me isn't desperate enough to make like a survivalist and reload .22 cases.

I reloaded my first rounds of SKS. But they flew all over the place and I only recovered 25% of the brass. So I stated buying 'cheap' Tullammo at $11/40 rounds.

Last week I went to buy some from the local shop and they had boxes of 20 for $10/box. I bought two because I needed them. But I was able to find boxes of 100 rounds online for a little more than the 'mini boxes' cost.

Anyway, the result is that I'm going to make a brass deflector so I can reload for the SKS.

Just make a frame out of PVC pipe that you can cover with some garden netting to catch your brass. Cast lead loads also don't eject the brass out as far. If you have a spare gas tube you can also modify it to slow down the bolt speed and it want affect velocity or accuracy. SKS Gas System Mods