Perspective

[oldRoger]

While a lot of you know Skip better than I do, I would like to add that I too am glad to see him back.

It is very easy for those of us who have been reloading for a long time to gloss over the safety aspects of what we are doing. Skip is usually there to remind us that like elections, reloading decisions have consequences.

We fall into lots of categories; some really don't know enough to avoid trouble, some think they know enough but really don't, and others who may know better but still think THEY can cut some particular corner a sort of reloading hubris.

I for one am glad that he is willing to be a safety nag and I do not mean that in a negative sense.

I started 50 years ago, I think 1958/9. I really had two reasons, the first was to keep shooting costs down, and second, it seemed that I could not find good 38 target loads where I shopped. No internet-no UPS.
Now I reload because I want to, and still am unable to find what I want on the shelf.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I'll take that label!

I for one am glad that he is willing to be a safety nag and I do not mean that in a negative sense.

I think 1958/9

Roger,
I don't think I have ever been called a safety nag! I'll take it though as your statement about elections is very applicable!

Just to put things in perspective though, in 1958/1959, when you started reloading, I was 2 or 3 depending!

Not trying to make you feel like "OLD ROGER" or anything!

 

[Dr.-d]

I started reloading back in the 90's when I bought my first hand-ejector in .32-20. I thought factory ammo was expensive and I wanted also to make up loads that were smokeless with a 115gr bullet instead of the at the time common 100gr winchester factory loadings and also one that was light enough that wouldn't hammer the old gun very much. This was just before the Cowboy action craze and the plethora of 32-20 loadings that some smaller companies and some of the bigger ammo companies started producing.

 

[Tell Sackett]

Economics, plain and simple. I had some cash and bought some equipment back in the day and now I am all set with it.

Added to it as I bought different calibers. I enjoy it now almost as much as shooting! Like someone said above, it is a hobby in and of itself!

 

[jgh4445]

I started in the late 60's. I heard you could get more accurate rounds that way. Found out you actually could! There was also a "cool factor" to hand loading. None of my friends did it. Later, it became almost as much fun as shooting and the economics were nice too.

 

[wheelgun28]

Well for me I always had an interest in reloading. It started back when I was a kid going to the range (or where he was shooting) with my dad. My job was to take the spent brass and put them back in the box. This was so he could return them for credit and get more reloads, mostly 38 special wadcutters. I still have my dads guns and always will, still have a few of the old boxes and spent brass too...

Fast forward thirty years or more (I am a young guy here at 42 ) I get the shooting bug again and that reloading thing still had my interest. I did all the reading about presses and brands. What was needed and how to do it safely. I shopped around and found a Dillon SDB package on eBay. It had all the extras needed , scale flip tray etc. I bought a loading book powder and primers. I started making 40S&W for myself and shooting buddy. Wow was I so happy when I shot my first reloads. I still have the brass on the shelf of my office. After making a few thousand of them, I started making 38special wad cutters, even using some of the same brass my dad had when I was a kid. (I find such a connection to the past with shooting in general, pleasant father son time)

To finish my tale, I out grew the SDB even having two of them at one point. I moved on to a Dillon 650 and now load 38, 40, 44, 45, 223. I started casting 38 and 44, chasing lead and learing to lube and size. I even started this week to load shotgun shells, got a deal on a used MEC 9000...

I took to loading like a duck to water. I find it fun and relaxing

 

[DougE]

First off ...... glad to see you back, Skip.

I started reloading shotgun shells around 18 or so years ago. Me and a few friends got bent on busting clay birds and the cost of our obsession quickly outgrew our budgets. I bought all the reloading equipment and we shared the costs of the components. We eventually got out of that habit and I didn't do much shooting for a few years.

Eventually I got back into shooting but this time it was handguns. Handloading just seemed the natural thing to do for a steady supply of affordable and accurate ammo ........ so here I am.

 

[oldRoger]

Skip;
I tried to think of a better word than "nag", but could not. My dictionary says "nag" verb; to harass someone to do something to which they are adverse. I mean it as a compliment.
In the primary grades we used to get a publication I think the "Weekly Reader" which featured a wise owl that watched over you and said yes or no. The wise owl is watching you!
We could have nothing better than someone looking over our shoulder when we advise someone to do something foolish.
Danger Will Robinson!
As I said before doing something for a long time may just mean an opportunity to repeat the same mistakes many times.
Roger

 

[FrankD45]

First of all, welcome back Skip!

As for me, I started loading with an old Lee Loader together with the first edition Lee reloading handbook (cover price $0.98). I started loading because I wasn't satisfied with the groups I was getting from a Mauser actioned .22-250. My first loads were produced one at a time with that rig on October 6, 1968 and consisted of a 55 gr Sierra Ptd SP over 35.4 gr of IMR 4064. I realized very quickly that I was shooting a lot faster than I could load so I picked up an old Eagle single stage press. I added dies for .30-06 and 8mm Mauser and continued with the single stage press until May 1986 when I purchased a Dillon 550 and started loading .38/.357 and 9mm Luger. It was around that time that the economic reasons for handloading became more significant. Now that I am retired I am still using the same 550 and load around 7,000 rounds a year, mostly .45 ACP, .40 S&W, and 9mm. Actually since I now started loading for my gas guns in 5.56 and .30-06 that number will grow. Its been a long time and I don't think I would trade a minute of it.

By the way, did I say welcome back?

Frank

 

[DonD]

My second centerfire rifle (sold the first one when I was young) was a .458 Win Mag. So, the impetus for reloading was to give me the ability to load something other than full house elephant loads which aren't something to shoot a lot of. Those who have experience with that round I suspect will understand. Cost was another factor, factory loads for that gun have always been expensive.

Later on with more guns in my "inventory" cost, flexibility of power levels, and satisfaction with doing it myself were the reasons.

Now, it may also be a hedge of some sort from excessive government intrusion although I really don't think that is a high probabilty situation.

One thing is for sure, after reloading for 35 yrs, I'm still learning. Don

 

[625smith]

Why did or are you getting into reloading your own ammunition?

Are you afraid of a goobermint take over? I suppose that may be more plausible than it was several years ago!

Maybe it is because you like to work with your hands or see something great that you have finely crafted, poured yourself into, so to speak.

It just might be that you want to shoot competitively and haven't landed that "Ammo sponsor" just yet.

What about being as tight as bark on a tree and hating to give up that cold hard cash for something you could make if you just had the right tools and knowledge.

Great questions. It all started for me by having my Dad teach me to reload shotgun shells on a MEC 700 at the age of 12. I did not start metallic reloading until I was 21 (1985). I bought my first pistol a Dan Wesson 15-2 HV pistol pack. I quickly learned that if I wanted to buy more pistols I couldn't shoot factory ammo. So I bought a RCBS rockchucker press and RCBS TC 357 dies. I still use the rockchucker to load rifle and 500 S&W. As I acquired more pistols I soon realized that a single stage press wasn't going to cut it for pistol ammo. So I bought a Hornady Pro 7 and upped pistol ammo production to about 200-300 rounds per hour. I sold the Pro 7 to a friend and bought a Hornady Projector. I still use the Projector today. I have some of the same concerns about safety as I have two sons ages 12 & 15. They have watched me reload but I haven't taught them to reload yet. They shoot with me and are improving. Safety is a major concern and I often double check myself as I load. If someone comes into my reloading room I will stop what I am doing so that I am not distracted as I load. Well that's my story. Welcome back Skip and thank you and all of the veteran's that have served so we can enjoy our freedom and hobbies.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I have some of the same concerns about safety as I have two sons ages 12 & 15.

Safety is a major concern and I often double check myself as I load.

Well that's my story. Welcome back Skip and thank you and all of the veteran's that have served so we can enjoy our freedom and hobbies.

Makes me wish I was your son! You sound like a great dad.

Thanks for the kudos to our service men.

It's nice to be appreciated for that! I'd do it all over again too!
God bless!

 

[bnewc75]

I got into hand-loading when

A friend gave me an extra turret press, scale, 38spl dies, bullets, and other reloading "stuff" that he kept tripping over in his shop. The he along with the guys at the range schooled me in hand-loading 101. Now I load for many handguns and a few rifles. The process of developing loads has been every interesting and fun. Seems the more I learn about loading the more I realize I do not know every much... Thanks for sharing your knowledge an experience

 

[cjw3]

I started reloading 12 gauge shells around 1970 with one of the old Lee Loader hand kits (the best crimps were obtained by hitting the seating plunger with a rubber mallet....how in the world did we avoid getting hurt??)

When I picked up a Remington 760 in '72, I started reloading with a Lee Loader in .30-06. College and what not kept me busy for a while, but I got a Lyman Spartan press in 1978 to load .38 Special/.357 Mag, and have kept at it ever since with that. Slow and low tech, but I have always had good results with it and see no reason to change at this stage of the game. I'm up to loading 11 metallic cartridges for my own use at this time (no more shotgun shells) and don't look for that to change any time soon - but you never know.

The primary reason I started reloading to begin with was economy, but like most others I soon found I could tailor the load to the gun as per accuracy and other factors. I'm going on 40 years with it and am pleased that there are still things to learn.

 

[VonFatman]

Hey Skip,
Glad to see your posting! I started reloading to be able to shoot a bunch (we have a range behind the house). I bought a 650 Dillon and never looked back.

Bob

 

[nitesite]

Back when my lovely bride was a full-time graduate student, she would spend hours and hours every single day immersed in her studies. I had an unfortunate tendency to "hover" and constantly ask her if there was anything I could do to "help". Turns out I was sometimes (okay, oftentimes) driving her insane.

I was shooting 10mm Auto and .357 Magnum and really needed to start handloading because of our single income situation and the cost of that stuff. Back then the white box .45Auto and 9mm and .38-Spl and .223 was so cheap I bought lots of it and, of course, I kept all my brass (even the 9mm).

So Kathy bought me a turret press, tumbler and a MEC 650 for Christmas. She smiled that sweet smile and told me that (while it was dark and cold outside and I was interrupting her more than normal) it would be much easier on her study time if I could move to another part of the house.