Bart, I'm 74 and still feel I know nothing about the ins and outs of reloading. I feel honored to fantasize about just hanging around at a range where guys like you shoot...and do nothing but ask questions, hoping I wouldn't get kicked out for being a pest. While you folks are shooting in the 1s, 2s and 3s, I'm happy to shoot anywhere from the 5s to MOA.
I was lucky enough to learn basic reloading by some oldtimers at the old club I used to belong to. I remember that before I bought my first centerfire rifle, I had asked which caliber rifle I should look for to begin to learn the reloading art. Without hesitation, they all chimed in with ".222." I had never heard of the caliber, but I read about it and decided that they were right. The .223 had not yet become so popular, and the 6PPC was beyond my knowledge or reloading skills at the time.
I then bought a slightly used Remington 40XBBR with a 20" barrel and around a 12" length of pull from a guy from New Braunfels, Texas, named Bob Pease.I talked to Bob on the phone, thought he sounded honest, and bought the rifle sight-unseen. It was a lovely work of art, and I spent much time going back and forth to the range, asking questions as they popped up in my head, and finally entered a couple of club matches. It was a great time in my life, and I will always be indebted to the guys who so unselfishly guided me through the reloading process and gave me things to read. "Precision Shooting" was the first publication I subscribed to, other than "Shooting Times" and maybe "Guns & Ammo."
I purchased a .20 VarTarg about three years ago from Cooper in Montana and am having a lot of fun with that little caliber. It's difficult to choose between the VT and the old .222, but it's always nice to have choices like those. Naturally, these aren't long-range calibers, but still a lot of fun for the 250 yard shots.