The Gateway Cartridge

[Gamecock]

Interesting point, MM.

I started loading 12 ga to save money. Shooting skeet. Then I discovered hard shot. I started loading hard 8 1/2, quickly drifting beyond just saving money.

.44 mag loading was full tilt creating loads I liked better than factory. Not saving money.

.222 same. Creating the loads I wanted, not sticking to what the mfg wanted to sell me. Loved the Hornady 50 gr SX for groundhogs. More recently, I love the 35 and 40 grain V-max. Incredible accuracy.

So, I started to save money, but quickly morphed into custom loads. Each cartridge now is a work of art.

 

[RobertJ.]

I started reloading in 1979, just after I bought my first revolver, a Virginian Dragoon in .44 Magnum. I was 19, and needed my dad to make the purchase (of the gun) for me. My dad started reloading ten years before that when we still lived in Alaska, but he had gotten out of it and sold all his equipment. I bought an RCBS Junior press and all the stuff to go with it, and started cranking out my own ammo. It always made me laugh that being under 21, I couldn't buy .44 Magnum ammo, but I could buy everything I needed to make my own. I never bought a powder measure, though, I weighed every charge. I used a bowl of powder and a half-teaspoon measuring spoon, and got to where I could throw it pretty close, then use my trickler to top it off. I reloaded thousands like that before buying a measure. The second cartridge I started loading was the .45-70. I bought a Ruger #3 carbine, and while my loads were under what was published, they were still brutal in that little rifle. I talked my dad into shooting it once with reloads.

Since then I've added a Uniflow measure, a Lyman hand priming tool, a few other things, and swapped out the Junior for a Rockchucker. I load for nine different cartridges right now, but have probably times three times that many over the years.

 

[kraynky]

I inherited my Dad's 1942 Colt 1911 in 38 Super in 1989. Ammo was available in some places, but not consistently, and not cheap. (seems like it was close to $20 bucks at the time ...... LOL)

I saved my brass and contemplated reloading up until I finally got my house built in 1994. Where I set aside a room next to the basement garage as my Hunting/Gun room. The next year I ordered a Dillon 550 and enough accessories to start loading for the 38 Super, my 45 1911 and the S&W 66-1 I owned.

Yep, I jumped in with both feet, straight to a progressive press. I took my time and learned how to use it (internet was little help back then) and have never looked back. I've since added a Lee single stage press and a 3 hole turret that I use mostly for rifle rounds,....... and shotshell rounds.

I briefly added an MEC 650 shotgun looader, but got rid of it some 10 + years ago. I currently load for about 2 dozen calibers of combined rifle and handguns. Mostly on the Dillon.

It is now a favorite pastime since I retired a couple of years ago. And I still haven't purchased any new powders or primers for at least 10 years. I'm good until the Good Lord decides he needs another worthless reloader up in heaven.

 

[rwsmith]

I forgot to mention...

....that my first reloading tools for .38 Special and 30-06 were Lee Hand Reloading tools. It worked for a long time but when I got a Rockchucker I was really in business!

After years of reloading I thought I had 9mm all figured out. It seems straightforward but I still had some chambering problems. I've got 'normal' loads down good and I thought I would reload some of the 160 grain bullets I experimented with some years ago and had a bunch left over. The load (Unique) I was using needed to be compressed a bit and it swelled the bullets up so that NONE of them would plunk. EXASPERATED!!!

I decided that I'm going to use Bullseye to load those to avoid having to press the bullets in so hard. I think I could get around the compressing by 'pre-compressing' the load with a flat punch before seating, but it sound like too much trouble for a load I'm not going to use after these bullets are gone.

 

[Valmet]

In HS in the late-90s, RCBS single-stage- 7.7 Jap. Back then all I could get my hands on was Norma SP ammo and it was pricey so I started saving my 7.7 brass and reloading.

 

[john17427]

I started loading 45-60 WCF because loaded ammo for that cartridge was astronomical. Next was 8mm Mauser and it just expanded from that point on to where I load almost every caliber I shoot. Most recent addition was 303 Brit. I had had my FIL's Lithgow for a while, but he always said it was fairly inaccurate and I found that to be true with commercial jacketed ammo. Bore looked very good so I slugged it and had a gunsmith slug it as well. It was just very large, 314/315. With the right size of cast bullets it shoots great.

 

[SMSgt]

.38 wadcutters, 3.1 grains of WW-231 about 1975 with my Herter's reloading kit. Added .357 Mag to that, followed by .30-06. It went off the rails at that. Still using the Herter's SS press and a few of the accessories.

 

[local_dirt]

Ivan, that's a nice well-rounded current setup you have.

 

[Gamecock]

The load (Unique) I was using needed to be compressed a bit and it swelled the bullets up so that NONE of them would plunk. EXASPERATED!!!

Exasperated, indeed! Years ago, I had the same problem loading 38 Super. Couldn't for the life of me figure out what was going on. Seating pressure was bulging the bullet, increasing its diameter!

 

[cadmike]

I’m a relative newbie to you all. My dad taught me how to load in 2001 on an RCBS single stage. I owned revolvers in 44 and 357, can’t remember which I loaded first.

Over the years since I’ve acquired two Dillon 550 loaders. Now I have one dedicated to small primer rounds 9 40 38 357, and one for large primer rounds 41 44 and 45. No rifle here.

Today I enjoy working up and experimenting with different loads as much as I enjoy shooting them.

I am enjoying the pictures and descriptions of your setups, thanks.

 

[Skeet 028]

The only round I ever had trouble with was 45 Colt.Had an1881 SAA BP.Couldn't get a load to shoot to sights.Found a Lyman/Ideal 45 Hollow Base mold and all was fine. Someone wanted the old girl more than I did...too much trouble to clean. I was 14 and black was hard for me to find.

 

[erikpolcrack]

38 Special with a Lee Loader for my first handgun, a S&W Model 10.

 

[venomballistics]

44 magnum.
Even in the good old days when ammo was cheap, 44 magnum was not.
there are few cartridges that wake up and exhibit their range of versatility with hand loading quite like the 44

 

[BE Mike]

I bought an RCBS reloading kit in 30-06 in the early 1970s but it sat in my shop for almost 2 years before getting set up. I have found out you don't need a lot of room to reload for many calibers. I reload for all revolvers calibers in including some of the auto calibers(used in revolvers) along with about 10 rifle calibers.

Notice the red patch in the middle of my bench. That is a piece of 3/8" steel inletted into the top of the bench. It is tapped with the hold down bolt pattern of a few presses. I only use one press at a time and it requires about 5 mins to blot down the correct press. I have a Dillon 550(pictured), a CH 3 station(pictured), 2 Herters single stations, and 2 Herters turret presses. One of the turret presses is set up with 30-06, 243, 270 dies, and all use the same shell holder and nothing gets moved.



It works for me, jcelect

Nice bench and reloading stuff! To me the most fascinating thing is the rotary dial wall phone. Does it really work?

 

[jcelect]

I’m in a condo with no private garage so my set-up can be folded up and stored…

Great idea! Requires less space than my set-up and is probably much less cluttered. The plus side of limited space is, very often it requires you to put everything back in its storage place and do a general clean up!
jcelect

 

[Gamecock]

My first loading was on a table I made by nailing boards to the exposed studs in my apartment's storage room. A couple of lateral 2X4s and some plywood.

 

[wyo-man]

.30 Carbine with a Lee Loader in 1970.

wyo-man

 

[Casual Smith Nut]

Started with 38 special cast loads to shoot in an old police trade-in model 10-6 k frame. Next came 32 S&W Long ctg. Then came 44 spl/mag, 45 colt and acp, then 357 and various warmer 32 loadings. I only load rifle for when my deer loads get low supply.

I still think 38 special is a great starter cartridge: straight-wall, very forgiving on powder type and case capacity. Can load them hot too if shooting from a 357 gun. Plenty of molds for casters and factory projectiles for those who don’t cast.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

8+ years ago my 1st reloads were 4.2gr of WIN 231 and a 140gr Hornady Cowboy LFN with a Winchester SPP... 125gr XTPs & Berrys hard cast LFNs followed shortly after.

Cheers!

P.S. A week later I loaded my 1st 9mm, 231 & SPPs using the 124gr Berrys HBFP-HP...

 

[sjmjax]

Started reloading sometime in the mid-70’s.

Odd combination I suppose. 45 ACP and 50 BMG & 20 mm Lahti.
Had a Rock Chucker (RCBS) and a Rock Crusher (old Western Scrounger) presses. The magazine Shotgun News was my internet back then.