I would be more than happy to pass on what little knowledge I have, although I am still learning myself. I know enough about the basics but at the moment I have no one to teach. I have two grown up kids, a boy and a girl, but neither have any interest in shooting or reloading unfortunately. I have a grandson now, so hopefully when he's older he may take an interest (I think 9 months is a little too early lol). Most of my shooting buddies already reload. Some are accomplished reloaders and are a great source of information. Others, like myself, are less experienced but we exchange ideas and tips that we've learnt.
Have you taught anyone to reload ?
- Thread starter dgr416
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Johnd45lc
Member
I am teaching my kids to reload. It has been a two year process... If they are like me, they will never know it all... I finally got the chance to really get my Son interested when he bought a 6.5 Grendel bolt gun that shot 2" groups at 100yds. We started playing with primers, powders and bullets. The last outing he printed 2 - .75" groups. On the way home from the range he asked if we could play with seating depth. I concurred with his assessment and he sized, trimmed, cleaned and primed the brass while I was working on another project. He is 15 and hooked.
I found that people reload for either:
An Escape
Fun
Price
Accuracy
Or a mix of the above.
If you buy a 6.5 Creedmoor (or any other factory cartridge) that will shoot tiny groups with cheap factory ammo why bother with reloading... because they already have all of the satisfaction they need.
I, on the other hand, own 3 rifles nobody wanted (a factory Remington 700 in 7 SAUM, a Styer Pro Hunter 300 Win Mag and a Badger Ordinance 260 Remington). I picked them up cheap and now they all shoot stupid groups!
Because I like tinkering!
You have to sell them on one of the reasons to make it worth the plunge.
I found that people reload for either:
An Escape
Fun
Price
Accuracy
Or a mix of the above.
If you buy a 6.5 Creedmoor (or any other factory cartridge) that will shoot tiny groups with cheap factory ammo why bother with reloading... because they already have all of the satisfaction they need.
I, on the other hand, own 3 rifles nobody wanted (a factory Remington 700 in 7 SAUM, a Styer Pro Hunter 300 Win Mag and a Badger Ordinance 260 Remington). I picked them up cheap and now they all shoot stupid groups!
Because I like tinkering!
You have to sell them on one of the reasons to make it worth the plunge.
milo-2
Well-Known Member
"As a retired educator, I'm not sure that you can teach someone; "How to reload?"."
I am really torn on this statement, and not saying you are wrong. Let's use bottleneck cases as the example, you teach the basics, with new brass, you have initial prep, prime, powder, and seating, then on to gathering data. How far are we going here, and may be where the separation begins. Say .243 Win is our case, you go to the range with test loads and actually give insight as to what is going on, and walk someone through it, then help with brass prep on fired brass, explaining the whole process(barring hiccups) and back to the range to follow up on the load, either fine or needs adj. You explain pressures, signs of pressure, speeds, etc.. Rem 700 sloppy firing pin holes and headspace issues create more false pressure signs and confusion. We have Saami, but no standards on brass produced.
IMO, it boils down to how far one is willing to go to really help another understand the process. If you pull all stops on this 243 load, it will carry over to every bottleneck case he attempts to load. Not saying the student will not be back with questions, but you have sent them on their way armed with the knowledge to load safely, and efficiently. Now it becomes the students job to either adhere to your teachings, or verify them, or try to expand on the knowledge he was given.
That said, I tell guys to read manuals, but I am not a big manual guy myself, Not sure if because of experiencing so much, messing crap up and fixing. 9 yrs ago, I had a 338 sniptac built, trying to find any info on that case back then was futile, and at the same time the 300 Berger just came out. I actually felt like I was pioneering, there was no one to ask for help.
Possum Cop
Well-Known Member
I started letting my kids help when they where around 6. They would pick up brass and trash. They would "weigh" the powder. (I would make sure it was right on the powder scale and get them to check it for me.) They loved cleaning and sizing the brass of our .45-70. I guess they liked the .45-70 because the brass was so big. I was very deliberate and careful when explaining to them what they were doing. I would show them and then let them do the task while watching them like a hawk.
They would get bored of their games and ask me if we could go shoot or load some ammo. I would stop what I was doing and pull our loading gear out. All three still enjoy it today.
My son started loading for his own .30-06 when he was 11, of course I had a careful watch over him. We would weigh three times and check again before dumping the powder in the case. We worked up "his" loads and put his gun together the way that he liked it. I bought him a Remington 700 .30-06 when he was 11 years old and put a Leupold Boone & Crockett BDC scope on it. We worked it out to 400 yards. He would destroy 1 gallon jugs full of Koolaide water a half dozen at a time at varying distances. That was 10 years ago and he still shoots the same rifle and the same loads today.
My youngest two are daughters (16 & 11) and they love "to cook their own bullets" LOL their words. They "cook" their own .223 and .308 ammo. They are both very proficient from point blank to 400 yards with their AR 15s and their .308 bolt guns. They never cease to amaze me at the drive and their willingness to learn.
I say teach them, watch them very closely and share our passion for loading and shooting. They are our future.!
They would get bored of their games and ask me if we could go shoot or load some ammo. I would stop what I was doing and pull our loading gear out. All three still enjoy it today.
My son started loading for his own .30-06 when he was 11, of course I had a careful watch over him. We would weigh three times and check again before dumping the powder in the case. We worked up "his" loads and put his gun together the way that he liked it. I bought him a Remington 700 .30-06 when he was 11 years old and put a Leupold Boone & Crockett BDC scope on it. We worked it out to 400 yards. He would destroy 1 gallon jugs full of Koolaide water a half dozen at a time at varying distances. That was 10 years ago and he still shoots the same rifle and the same loads today.
My youngest two are daughters (16 & 11) and they love "to cook their own bullets" LOL their words. They "cook" their own .223 and .308 ammo. They are both very proficient from point blank to 400 yards with their AR 15s and their .308 bolt guns. They never cease to amaze me at the drive and their willingness to learn.
I say teach them, watch them very closely and share our passion for loading and shooting. They are our future.!
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Possum Cop
Well-Known Member
I've been there lol. My son is 21 now and on his own, nothing has changed
with the girls. He does have an education and a good job to support his hunting and shooting habit though. Thankfully.I taught my self to reload and still learning and loving it. My son has helped some, he is young but I think in time he will learn to reload. I loaded some for an ex-coworker who is about half my age, he helped and is now doing some reloading on his own.
I am 72 and still hand loading, started at 14 years of age. Enjoy it. I will hand load until I die. Still learning new tricks. Rifles, Pistols, Shotguns. Getting ready to get a new Ponsness/Warren new press and all gauges. Their new press you can do from 410 thru 10 gauge in all lengths. From 2 1/2 & 3" 410, 28 gauge, 20 ga 2 3/4 & 3", 16 gauge, 12 ga 2 3/4, 3, & 3 1/2" thru 10 ga 3 1/2". Quick a piece of equipment.
SSS
Mike
Savage 12BVSS
Well-Known Member
Well, I got something positive to say in this thread at last. Showed my son and had a talk about what he plans to do when I'm not there to load his rounds and rounds for the other guns as well. Pile of excellent reloading equipment that won't get used, factory rounds that won't give him the choice of his favorite bullet and load he swears by (that one scored serious points, could see it in his eyes). So next week on one of his vacations we will spend several days me teaching and him learning hands on to make his own ammo. I think it will mean something to him to hunt with ammo he made. So wonder of wonders it took a post I couldn't really say yes to, to open my son's eyes to what he needs to learn to keep things going into the next generation. Dave
wardog5
Well-Known Member
I started loading in 1972 .. started my son at 6yrs old, hes been helping me loading ever since , never brought a factory load for his first rifle ( 7mm08) he's still shooting it.. he's 23 now, loads for the 7 STW with 168 bergers & H1000 I think hes hook for life
misterc01
Well-Known Member
My oldest son saw me reloading for my guns, but he wasn't that interested - until he got one of his own. Once he realized WHY I reload (accuracy,/process control) and the savings - he decided there is something to it. So he is now getting ready to join me, in the hobby. Of course he has to buy his own dies, supplies, etc.
358 WCF
Active Member
I've gotten a few guys started reloading using my equipment. Some got hooked & went on, some didn't. Two in particular stand out in memory. One did very well in NRA highpower until his untimely death, the other was just a natural... & real smart. The free exchange of information, improved technique, & ideas (good & bad) helped us all grow & improve. Funny thing about teaching is that most times the teacher can learn much from the student.
Hcollier
Active Member
I hear you on grandkids. Even at 16 yrs old they still aren't eager enough to pay close attention. Went thru the process with a 22 yr old grandson in law loading 223 for his AR. After making him trim to length about 100 cases, chamfer and debur, and priming them, then loading on a single stage press, he hasn't been back to load more. I think he enjoyed it but apparently too much effort. He's a pretty sharp guy. A lineman. I don't seem to have any family members that has sufficient interest in reloading to bequeath all my reloading equipment to and I'm 77 years young.
Hcollier
Active Member
Fantastic. They have to have the interest to continue with the learning process. usually if they like to reload, they also will develop good shooting abilities and become quite accurate. Congrats on having a winner for a daughter.
Kmccord
Well-Known Member
I have another Grandson that is 17 and would be very good at it, we bought him a Bergara B14 HMR in 7 Rem Mag for his graduation present, he doesn't know yet. However, before we purchased that rifle I asked him if he ever planned to reload his own ammo, his answer was eventually, but not right now.... I have dies, powder and bullets I will try and see what this rifle can do. I will break it in prior to giving it to him and develop a load. Once he sees how accurate it can be, maybe I can encourage him to want to give it a try. I also have a nephew in law that wanted to learn how to reload, I told him I would teach you everything I know, he came over and we worked on all the things he needed to get started, he ordered everything from Cabela's spent 400.00 that day. We purchased a RCBS electronic powder dispenser with scales and gave it to him as a Christmas present. That was 8 years ago and never was invited to help, not sure how much reloading he did, but the powder dispenser/scale was broken, not sure from his children playing with it or something else, that didn't last but about a year. If people would understand, if you learn to reload, your World would open up to so many different cartridges that you would have never looked into owning since Wally World doesn't sell that ammo..
