Reloader Back?

[max]

I have not reloaded much this Winter as there was no shooting in the immediate future. Spring appears to be in the air, and maybe in a month I will be out shooting again.

I decided it was time to load some 9mm. I was bent over my bench loading primers into the loading tube for my Dillon. I should have set down at my stool, but I didn't. My back hurt a bit at the time and is worse this morning. I think it will go away soon, but I should have been more careful.

I shoveled a fair bit of snow this Winter and carried a lot of limbs after the ice storm without any serious problems. I never thought the tiny primers would get me.

 

[Thomas15]

I hope your back is feeling better soon.

Every time I look at pictures of a new handloaders bench on a forum such as this one and see a press direct mounted at deck height with the intention to sit while working but knowing that the bench is too low, my back starts to go into sympathetic spasm.

I built and rebuilt my bench 5 times before I got the table height correct for me. It is high (and I'm short 5'6"), 37" plus my presses are on ultramounts. This allow me to stand and be comfortable but still 2 hours without a break is the limit. Take care my brother.

 

[mckenney99]

Sometimes it isn't weight that gets you. I was told by my Neurosurgeon that bending, lifting and twisting or any combination of the three do more harm. Sometimes it's just stepping wrong. I had a co-worker that was out of his patrol car, took one step onto a PEBBLE and blew out a disc in his lower back. There were a lot of questions how that was possible but the post commander was standing right next to him when he went down in pain.

 

[max]

I have my height right for my stool, I just didn't use it!

At Talladega several years ago, I threw my back out shaving. The sink was just at the absolute worst height and the bending over did the deed.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Get well soon!

I too rebuilt my loading benches several times to get them to my height. My Dillon 550 is on their Strong Mount. That puts the roller handle just below my shoulder height in the up position. Then I trimmed a bar stool so my body is in the exact same position, sitting or standing.

I own 10 tubes for large primers, so I have engineered the whole loading process around 1000 rounds per session. (right at 2 hours)

Ivan

 

[SMSgt]

I've been fighting severe back issues since 1973. Just sitting in a chair can make it lock up. I have to reeeeeal careful when reloading.

 

[Erv]

Maybe your back just wasn't used to having primers.

 

[wagwan]

My press is mounted on an old medical pneumatic table. I adjust the height to match the current process - sitting or standing. It's not big but it's the best setup I ever had!

 

[GypsmJim]

When I designed and built my workbench I looked at the ones commercially available and built it to that height. I had a stool that fit at the exact correct height. After the first reloading effort I realized that sitting down was not right (I was only 39 at the time). I have reloaded thousands of rounds in the past 33 years standing up. Works for me.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

When I "built" my bench it was my intention to stand. I hear (way too many times!) that "sitting is the new smoking", which makes me wonder when the doctors & the gubmint are going to dictate the manner in which we rest and/or are put to rest!

My back (as well as my front!) sure ain't what it used to be, nor are my shoulders (both with torn tendons), but...

There's really only one alternative to not getting old, and I'm not ready for THAT quite yet!

Cheers!

P.S. I originally thought this post was about powder availability! Duh!