What Got Everbody Started Reloading ?

[IllinoisBurt]

In 1990 I was burning through cases of 762x39 I picked up at gun shows and bricks of 22LR from local stores. Tons of fun, but when I got my first Remington 700 in 30-06 I found the choice of ammo really limited in downstate Illinois since it's pretty much a shotgun hunting only state. Got a Lyman kit from Midway and learned from books at the library. Local selection of powders and primers were not great, but with mail order speer bullets and Imperial brass I got 4 round groups (cause that's how many fit in the magazine) I could cover completely with a half dollar at the 200 yard club range on my first try. Long range shooting is pretty limited where I live now in Alabama. I get out the rifles mostly to check zero (hasn't changed in years ) and go hunting so anymore that is fairly low volume. Most of my reloading now 44 magnum to save money, though I have dies and components for about a dozen cartridges. That's not to say I haven't given up my ammo wasting ways! I still enjoy going through thousands of rounds a year with cheap factory 545x39, 762x39, 556/223, and 9mm shooting steel plates with my adult son from 25 to 100 yards doing run & gun. Definitely not the same type of shooting as most guys here on LRH, but still gives great satisfaction hitting a target from a few football fields away with handrolled bullets when I do get the hunting guns out.

 

[Chase723]

Both cost savings and accuracy. I got started by reloading for 338 RUM. Obama had just become president and there was a distinct shortage of everything. At the time a 20 round box of 338 RUM was close to $100.

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

Little did I know that I'd be going down a rabbit hole in search of the perfect load. It's lead to me buying more rifles, too.

The rabbit hole never ends it just keeps going I notice a lot of newer members posting their experiences, that's what makes this forum so interesting! Len and family have got a really good thing happening here. And what's more...there's a lot of like minded reloader's down here in the rabbit hole.

 

[cynicrit]

I started when they first started talking about severe restrictions on ammo in the early 1990's. There was talk by various ignorant people about "rationing" ammo, and such nonsense. Myself, and several others, decided to take up reloading to keep our options open. We figured that, if it came down to it, it would be useful for pro-constitutional guerrillas to know how to make ammo. Like the folks who loaded musket cartridges in the Revolutionary War.

 

[ig25]

Accuracy and prepping for the hunt is the most fun for me and reloading was just part of that

 

[deepseadiver]

Dad got me started in 1965, to save money. Not sure how much money I've saved, if any. Started with a RCBS Jr. press/die set & basic other stuff. Today, that press & another like it plus a Hornady Iron & LnL progressive are on MY benchS, along with 3 powder measures, 3 trimmers and ALL the other stuff I might need today & somewhere in the future. Needless to say this sport is addictive. Oh did I mention I've built a 12 X 20 reloading barn? My wife was afraid the powder & primers would burn down the house. Crazy woman! So, bottom line, if your getting into reloading to "save money", Be aware, your significant other will figure out, faster than you, your just not very successful CON MAN.

 

[stx]

Started helping my Dad in early to mid 60s and didn't take long to figure out we could save a little money on shotgun, pistol and rifle ammo but also got much better accuracy than factory ammo.....bought my first chronograph in the mid to late 70s.... that changed everything!!

 

[del2les]

It all began over 50 years ago with my brother and I loading shotgun shells on a MEC 600 for the upcoming dove seasons. That grew into cost savings for volume loads for the 38/357, casting our own lead bullets from the free wheel weights and other scrap lead we could find and then the deer rifle for better groups at half the price of factory.

I read every magazine, book, manual etc I could get me hands on to learn this new art and ballistics, and as my shooting arsenal slowly grew with new calibers, they were immediately fed by my handloads. That grew into longer range shooting and the demand for better precision, and once I entered the world of handgun and rifle competition shooting, handloading was the only way to go. BR shooting brought about the quest for ultra precise loads, as did LR varmint shooting.

Handloading became an obsession of pleasure and soon morphed into a licensed manufacturing and reman business with numerous bullet casting styles and weights of moulds, jacket bullet swaging dies for handguns and rifles, experimental loads, sabot rounds, wildcats, etc. Just about anything I could dream of was experimented with in one fashion or another. We even manufactured our own black powder following an old recipe and process used by the early settlers, and a few other things I will not mention here.

 

[del2les]

Started helping my Dad in early to mid 60s and didn't take long to figure out we could save a little money on shotgun, pistol and rifle ammo but also got much better accuracy than factory ammo.....bought my first chronograph in the mid to late 70s.... that changed everything!!

What brand and model? Mine was an Oehler model 12 (late 70's), and I still have it. And it still works!

 

[longshotsavage]

I bought a 10 gauge and felt that it could be peppier than what the factory was producing. I also wanted some more flexibility. I also reduced the cost of steel loads to $15 a box versus the $26-$28 from the factory. Now I can load 2.5 oz turkey loads (why choose shot size or pellet count when you can have both?) or 1.25 ounce 6 steel at around 1650fps for public land doves. Like a bunch of other people, I was pretty nervous about my first loads (1 3/8 ounce steel BB in Remington shell at 1595). Took a few with me duck hunting, told my friend with me to be ready to call 911 if needed, walked about 30 yards into the water, lit one off, and turned to my friend and said something like "well, that's encouraging".

It only seemed logical that I would reload for rifle since it fulfills my need to try to tweak things and improve on them. Faster rounds, more consistent rounds. Plus, it's just overall been enjoyable.

 

[Indian7953]

Back in 1968 I bought my first centerfire rifle a, 30/30 model 94 Winchester, it cost $.25 per shot but I could reload them for five cents each. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Now I play around trying to get the last little bit of accuracy out of different rifles. Fun I also still have my first 20 gauge hand Lee reloader, it's a bit of a display in the old reloading museum.

 

[BountyHunter]

Ha ha, 98 Mauser sporterized in 6mm Rem in 1968. Started with Lee dippers and Lyman 310 tool and dies. Bet most do not even know what that is. No 6mm ammo around then, had to reload. Killed a ton of coyotes, crows and deer with that gun. Great tool and dies for a bug out kit. Look at the video.

 

[Baker Alvin]

Hi First time commenting, My dad was not a gun owner or a hunter. I read Don Lewis column in THE PENNSYLVANIA GAME NEWS, bought his book, read second hand outdoor magazines given to me by my Chiropractor since the age of 5. My Cousin was a hunter took trips to Alaska and showed us his slides of the hunts. My dad bought my firearms to use till I was old enough to buy my own, why, I will never know. Started reloading around 16, learning on my own. Built my own bench, bought a Hornady Classic press, tried a number of different presses, sold some, I now use T25 Redding Turret. started with Redding powder measures, scales, powder dropper and dies dies, I still use that brand today, for rifle. Pistol I moved to Dillon 550's and use mostly Dillon dies for them.
Today my bench consists of yardsale steel cabinets, a 12' row with a 5/16" steel plate top, We drilled ,tapped holes, and bolted the presses to it.
My three oldest daughters hunt and four of my five sons, my three oldest sons reload, guess where, on dads bench.

 

[slv hunter]

I started in 1998, my father in law gave me all of his reloading equipment. My reason for using it is to have the most accurate ammo for hunting I can produce. I have gone way beyond what he was capable of and he really enjoys seeing that it's being used still in a good way. My wife puts up with me because I bring home good meat for us every year. Knock on wood.