Remembering the Older Days of Reloading/Shooting

[Rick Richard]

The good ole days to me was when you could find ANY components you needed at your local gun shop…and prices were reasonable. We may never see that again.

 

[WYO300RUM]

Wishing I could find some Retumbo. It's been a long while!

I'm stocked up on Retumbo and H1000. Have an 8 pounder of RL26 and half of 1 pd. Like to find more of it and some RL23. Haven't seen either in 2.5 years or more.

 

[Teri Anne]

Small price to pay to get pay those small prices.

While those prices seem small today, remember that the average wage back then was under $2.00 an hour so actually prices have not much changed.

 

[Mike Matteson]

With inflation and just purhasing food, fuel, and other items to just to live. The dollar doesn't go to far today. So it's cutting into fund to purchase other items. That alone will help the purchasing of reloading items to go down. Me, I just watch and surfur the net.
So I watch for sales and deals on componments to reload with. I don't go in buy just because I can afford to pay the high prices.
Alot of my purchases has been in 1lbs powders, because I don't know them and never used them. At the same time I don't go overboard either. If I find something that really works, I will get larger amount of it. 8 lbs can come close to burning out a barrel. So you are back into figuring out what works again anyway. so how manay 8lbs'er you need?

 

[436]

I have some surplus 50BMG ball powder from the Korean War……still looks and smells good! memtb

I don't think Kimchi counts... Cheers

 

[Teri Anne]

Ain't that the truth! But there's still the satisfaction of "rolling your own" and being able to tailor each round to the individual weapon that you have or for results at the target. Some need more than others but I have never hunted without my own reloads.

I first find a factory brand that my rifle likes then duplicate and improve. I don't do custom rifles. All of mine are out of the box. Once they come out of the box the quest for sub MOA groups begins. Years ago the first thing was to glass bed and float the barrels which was an instant improvement. These days pretty much all rifles come glass or pillar bedded with the barrel floated. Now the first thing is to try to find a quality factory round that my rifle likes. Once there I know that no matter what happens I have identified a factory load that I can pretty much buy off the shelf and it will shoot OK from my rifle. I then customize my hand loads to shoot better than factory (There have been a few that it's impossible to improve upon no matter how much you try. My Tikka 270 and Sako 140 gr hammerhead are like that. I shoot a lot so as mentioned, rolling your own is much cheaper than most good factory. My goal in all of this is that when I press the trigger and the rifle goes off, if it's a miss it isn't the fault of the rifle.

 

[memtb]

While those prices seem small today, remember that the average wage back then was under $2.00 an hour so actually prices have not much changed.

Very true Teri Anne! I started my family at well under $2/hr. …..yet, still managed to buy a few (darned few) components! A few years later on about $100/week, my first home…..a brand new a small 3 BR, on a small lot, was $18,200. We could barely afford the note! memtb

 

[Mike Matteson]

Any centerfire rifle I reload except for 17swm, 22's, 5.56 and 30/30. The last 2, I don't generally use those two rifles. I have the equipment to reload the last two.
Other than that I reload to start with. Most the the rifles I purchase over the counter. I give it back to smith and have it re-barreled. If I don't do that, then I glase bed it and float the barrel. Oh I also have a trigger put in also.

 

[WinMag4me]

Some reminders of the good old days

 

[del2les]

I have some surplus 50BMG ball powder from the Korean War……still looks and smells good! memtb

While not as old, I have some that was originally loaded in the 60's that was broke down and I purchased around 1990. It came in 8# white plastic jugs with 4 jugs per case for a whopping $100 per 32# case - delivered. I still have about a 12-13# from that purchase, and it still works.

 

[del2les]

Used to buy firearms at a gas station and an auto parts store also.

Prior to the GCA '68, I remember my brother mail ordering a 303 Brit complete with sling, bayonet, oil bottle and ammo, and the post office delivered the box to our rural mail box. When I came home one day, the brown box was leaning against the mail box post, and I picked it up and brought it to the house. That Brit was was so new it appeared unissued. I think the price of the complete kit was $29.95.

 

[del2les]

While those prices seem small today, remember that the average wage back then was under $2.00 an hour so actually prices have not much changed.

Maybe for some, but I was making around $6/hr then and with a little overtime, my bring home pay was always around $240-250/wk and I believe my wife was making around $4.50/hr.

 

[Rick Richard]

My knowledge level has increased exponentially since those early years and my expenditure too. However, only minimal improvements overall with my shooting accuracy. Not sure what it is telling me…maybe all those new toys and gadgets are just hype? Anyway, it has been a fun ride.

 

[epags]

Benchmarking data: Feb 2023, LGS, Calif., H4350 @ $51/lb yet IMR4350 @ $38/lb.