What Got Everbody Started Reloading ?

Savage 12BVSS said:
I guess money savings or accuracy must be the primary reasons, or maybe having the control and ability to produce what you want when you want it. I got into it for the accuracy edge, factory ammo wasn't so carefully produced and premium bullet's weren't offered back in the day, so rolling your own was the way to go. Started with some simple equipment and it just slowly took on a life of it's own, one thing would lead to another. I'm still not there but its closer now than when I started 🤔 I remember the first game that fell to my handloads, those first targets that I could see what I was accomplishing in load and rifle tuning. There's a lot of members on here that can still teach me a lot, this is one of my favorite stops when I log on...so much to learn so little time....Dave
Click to expand...
Accuracy is what pushed me to go out and buy minimal reloading gear but I only reloaded about 200 rounds a year. What pushed me into this bottomless hole I'm into now was the Sandy Hook ammo scare and my affinity for oddball/expensive cartridges (50 Beowulf, 6.5 Grendel, 338 Lapua, 280 Ackley Improved, 22 K-Hornet etc).
 
i Started reloading because I could get what I wanted, when I wanted it. @10 years ago maybe longer, I bought very expensive federal ammo with Barnes bullets, bought full case. 80% wouldn't fire(bad primers), after notifying them with no satisfaction, I started reloading. I still keep one of those unfired rounds in my reloading room. I do subscribe, that anyone shooting for accuracy and or long range should be reloading.
 
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My brother and I started probably around 1970, he was a teenager and I was a kid. Someone gave him a Pacific Dl 105 12 gauge loader. We progressed to a DL 266 and then a DL 366. Up until the early mid 80's we shot a lot of shotgun shells.

My first loader was a Lee for a 410. Then when in high school a Lee for my 30-06. I killed a lot of ground hogs with 110 grain loads from that cheap Lee.

In the late 80's I started shooting a 44 magnum hand gun and used my buddies RL550B. Then I bought a 22-250 and a used Rockchucker and thats what I use for rifles still. I have a Lee progressive for pistols and Pacific and Hornady progressives for 12, 20, 28 and 410. I probably haven't loaded a shotshell in over 10 years.

For me reloading is as much a hobby as shooting is.
 
A friend introduced me to reloading and I was hooked from the beginning. Haven't hunted with a factory bullet in 25 years and have loaded everything up to .458 in rifles, and recently got into handguns for hobby. For me, nothing feels better than to drop an animal at long distance and know I developed the load. Two trips to Africa and many trips in U.S. and Canada have given me a great deal of satisfaction with my handloads.
I do not/will not load for anyone else. Accident/lawsuit concerns.
 
Being an analytical driver I wanted to be able to achieve total control over each shot. So at 17 I started with a 243 Win Lee Handloader, Sierra 105 RN's and IMR4895. Loading ammunition gave me that extra level of confidence that I was doing everything possible to ensure my accuracy. Plus there is the puzzle factor challenging me to try different combinations in a seemingly unending quest to improve my skills. And lets not forget it still is a lot fun to produce ammo and take game with it. So I still fiddle a little, but without my old hunting partner its not quite the same. We shared many a morning at the press and and an afternoon at the range. Today's factory ammo is in large part very good quality compared to the stuff out of the 60s and 70s so the advantage over factory ammo is not quite a strong as it used to be. And add to that the value of my time I end up not reloading anywhere near as much as I used to. I haven't touched my press in over 6 months now. I am a strong advocate of reloading and encourage all shooters who have the time to take a dip and give it try. Its never been easier or been more precise and repeatable than with the suite of tools available today. It is a very rewarding part of our shooting hobby. Take your time, wear your PPE and follow the manual and stay organized and you will stay safe.
 
Well at the opening thread I didn't really give my origins on reloading. I bought a savage 12BVSS from a local small mom and pop gunshop up the road, I believe it was 2003. The gun was brand new and I had to have one, hunted with a savage 99 for years but this gun just looked like it was gonna shoot. It shot 3/4" groups with Remington green box ammo and I was some kinda proud! The smith had a super gunrange out back with benches and he casually suggested I should try reloading and work up a load for it to see what it would really do.

Guess he could see I was standing at that rabbit hole I talked about and he gave me a nudge. It took me three years to learn all he could mentor and teach me and I hit the ceiling so to speak. By then the gun had become a local legend among the locals that shot out back ( I let em' all shoot it ), when it got to bugholes I wanted more and my mentor told me join one of them shooting forums and learn from the real experts. I did, and there was still much to learn and buy I discovered. Problem was the bickering and fighting on those site's really started to make it less like fun and more like kids in a school yard.

I left and decided to go back to when it was a good time and less discord and ego. Started doing a job that left little time for reloading and shooting anyway. Well this summer I dropped out of the rat race and started getting into it again. Looked for a site that wasn't all flames and cliques, tried a couple and same old thing. Then in a search for some 260 info I stumbled onto this site, by accident. It was a long debate thread about 6.5CM and the 260 that took long enough to read that I knew it was the site to settle at. Rest is just a fun time learning and continuing to grow in the reloading game and meeting a lot of good posters that are here to do the same as me.

Thanks to all who though you don't know it, have got me enjoying this again and even posting threads to get to know everyone better. Oh yeah, the reloading don't save me money anymore...I spend more money than ever, but boy is it fun shooting again! Built several custom for me new guns and need more dies and powder than ever 😮 Cheers Dave
 
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Savage 12BVSS said:
I guess money savings or accuracy must be the primary reasons, or maybe having the control and ability to produce what you want when you want it. I got into it for the accuracy edge, factory ammo wasn't so carefully produced and premium bullet's weren't offered back in the day, so rolling your own was the way to go. Started with some simple equipment and it just slowly took on a life of it's own, one thing would lead to another. I'm still not there but its closer now than when I started 🤔 I remember the first game that fell to my handloads, those first targets that I could see what I was accomplishing in load and rifle tuning. There's a lot of members on here that can still teach me a lot, this is one of my favorite stops when I log on...so much to learn so little time....Dave
Click to expand...

I got into reloading shortly after I purchased my first big game rifle, chambered in a Lazz 308 Warbird. Paid about $100 for the first box of ammo and did some easy math after the first range day. Sold the rifle later on but I'm so glad I jumped into the reloading arena. Haven't bought factory ammo now in at least 15 years.
 
Depends.

Reloaded rifle cartridges for better accuracy.
Reloaded pistol cartridges for lower cost.
Reloaded shotgun shells because I got a 16 GA & there wasn't much available, Adding 12 GA was easy.
Reloaded some other shells because I picked up some old firearms, cartridges were hard to find & expensive when you could.
 
life was easier when I did not understand all the factors that made a rifle shoot tiny little groups

i had a rifle that was shooting about 1 moa with factory ammo and a friend said he could make that gun shoot 1 hole groups. i thought he was talking about my ability to shoot and I said ok and handed him my gun. he proceeded to leave with it and I just kinda stood there going what the heck is he doing. about a week later he calls me and we meet at the range and I shoot a .25 inch group. " what did you fix?" the ammo
became hooked immediately
 
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