Why Did I Start Reloading? $$$

[SweetMK]

1973, I bought a Contender, with a screw-on choke, in 44MAG,
the shot cartridges had to be reloaded,,
so I bought a Lee loading kit that needed "hammer" to do the reloading,
so, I quickly switched to a cheap RCBS,, that did not use a hammer to do the operations,,

A decade later, I got a "Square Deal"

A decade after that I got a 550B,,

A few years ago, a guy had a STACK of RCBS Summit presses at a gun-show,, $80 each,,
I had to have one,
but, I know I will probably never bolt it to the bench,,,

 

[PPCSHOOTER]

I STARTED IN 1980, I GOT HOOKED I GUESS. JP

 

[AlHunt]

When I was single digits years old, I learned to shoot with my dad and his buddies. Part of shooting was policing your brass and reloading it for the next outing. That's just how it works.

As I got older I was kind of surprised everyone didn't do it that way.

 

[RWPBR]

I only started reloading because I couldn't find .44 special at my LGS.

 

[Turn4811]

My dad reloaded as he was a 1911 fan. I grew up on a farm where we tried to be self sufficient. I had an uncle who was a Jeweler/gunsmith, one who was a machinist for the rial roads, and another who was a telephone tech. They all reloaded. The Jeweler made bullet molds, the others and dad knew how to cast and even copper plate their cast bullets. We had a single stage and progressive press that was easily configurable for pistol. My machinist uncle had a 2 single stages that he used for rifle, and my telephone uncle had the shotgun press. There would be casting and loading parties at each others places for ammo needs. It helped that one of my good friend's dad worked at Hercules as QA in Brunswick Ga testing powders. We often got a partial pound of Hercules powder to dispose of.

I was cleaning brass at 10 years old. Sizing and de-capping at 11 and 12. By 13 years old I was loading my own while being closely watched. At 16 I had free reign to load hot 38SPL and 20 gauge shotgun with Blue Dot.

I had a single shot 30 carbine as a deer rifle until I was 21. I went deer hunting below the dam on the pond and had my ladder stand knocked out from underneath me as I shot all 7 rounds I had at a boar hog. I spent the night in the tree because I had pissed off the hog. My uncle's got together and got me a Remington model 78 30-06 for birthday. It is still my go-to deer hunting rifle 40 year later.

During that time I reloaded on the farm when I could but I would also buy factory ammo or get the cheap commy block ammo and guns to burn it off. In the early 90's I stole my father's little used RockCrusher and extra sets of his dies. I used that and would go bonzo reloading the once a year visits to the farm.

I got a Dillon 550 about 20 years ago and I am up to about 10 calibers. I sill use the Rock Crusher for case prep and custom loads. I let my Brother-in-law inherit most of Dad's reloading gear as I got the gun collection when he passed. I made out as he had a couple of class III guns I decided to sell.

I also load some oddball calibers that are difficult to find when ammo is plentiful. The good thing about hand loading is that I can create match grade accurate ammo that is tuned to a particular gun much cheaper than I can buy discount ammo that is all over the place with velocity and accuracy.