What Got Everbody Started Reloading ?

[freefloater59]

great stories... For me it was my Dad that taught me beginning about age 5. I would clean lube off and as I got older would do other things like chamfer and one day he let me put the primers in a few. By 10 I was loading my own 243's for deer season. Anyway once I started, buying ammo off the shelf was not considered. And its been nothing but fun since for the last several decades. Bullet selection, accuracy, practice loads, ...always having fun.

 

[WYO300RUM]

The OP wasn't discussing Goats or Mopars!!!!!!!!!!!

Goats ? Nobody mentioned GTO's. That's baaaaaa'd.

 

[Magnett]

Started when I was 14 loading 16ga with a lee loader. Later, my dad decide if we had a MEC 600JR I could load his shells as well. Bought my Lyman Spartan press when I was 16 when I bought my .308. Still have them both.

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

Thanks for all the reloading responses, been a good thread for everyone to give the reasons for getting into such a unique ever changing hobby/pastime/addiction/and even requirement (wildcats). Its perhaps run its course as the topic keeps trying to change now but welcome to all the new posters that have joined in, hope you find a new place to enjoy and talk about reloading. Dave

 

[WYO300RUM]

Thanks for all the reloading responses, been a good thread for everyone to give the reasons for getting into such a unique ever changing hobby/pastime/addiction/and even requirement (wildcats). Its perhaps run its course as the topic keeps trying to change now but welcome to all the new posters that have joined in, hope you find a new place to enjoy and talk about reloading. Dave

I've enjoyed it very much . I hope it continues .

 

[hunter0528]

I got started, when I was 14 now 71, with a Lyman 310 tong tool for 38/357 when I got my first Center fire hand gun. Next was a 310 tool for the 11mm Mauser (71/84).
Eventually around 1968 I got a Rockchucker, then in 1992 a Dillon 550.

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

Its actually strange that I went thru a brief reloading period from 1975-1978 when I shot IHMSA with a 30/30 TC pistol for metal knockdown targets. Stopped doing it and sold everything, 25years went by and I got the 12BVSS 22-250 and went right back into it, this time the rabbit hole really got me sometimes I miss those matches....200 meter iron sights and shooting from the creedmore position. The bullet would take em' over in slow motion.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I've been loading rifle, pistol, and shotshell for nearly 30 years (I'm 42). I used to burn my allowance for pistol primers and aa#5 to keep my s&w 357fed with 38's; fast burning powder and hand cast pills made for a lot of shooting for 20 bucks or so... Lately, I reload the cartridges that matter to me. I don't bother loading for my Glock 9mm, and I rarely bother loading for my AR15 anymore (unless I'm tossing 75gr match pills).
Certain rounds, like my 405win, are getting very hard to find ammo for and some (ie. my 375h&h with mono's) are 5 bucks a shot with factories. I've got a fast twist/tight throated 7rum that would probably blow up on factory ammo. A couple rifles that only seem to be accurate if I'm rolling my own. I've got a number of reasons to roll my own, and cost is only one of them, albeit a major one.

 

[Oddbod]

Cost of cheap .38spl ammo: $0.19 a round if you're OK with steel cased stuff, $0.24 if you want brass.
Cost of reloads using bullets cast from range lead $0.06 including the gas to melt the lead, or $0,13 if I buy the bullets.
That's at least $6 a range visit less on .38spl alone, then there's my 7.62x51 reloads at $0.29 a round...

...saves me nothing but means I go shooting far more often.

 

[nvschütze]

My first "reloading set-up" was the Lee Reloder-- the tube thing that came in the red flip-open container. It would only neck-size the brass for the original firearm in which it was fired. Once I had collected a bunch of range .223Rem brass fired from different guns, I discovered that the little ReLoder thing was not going to do the job. That was when I went whole-hog and bought a bench press. That was back around 1985. I was out of reloading for a few years (sold all my guns and bought Nikon cameras), but got back into it after college in the late 1980s. Been into guns, shooting and reloading ever since. Moved away from the urban sprawl of Northern Virginia to the quiet of rural Nevada to have boundless BLM land upon which to shoot. That was in 2004; not missing the insanity and brain-damaged liberalism within fifty miles of the Washington DC Beltway one dam-ned bit...

 

[sturner]

56 Chevy Nomad

 

[WYO300RUM]

My first "reloading set-up" was the Lee Reloder-- the tube thing that came in the red flip-open container. It would only neck-size the brass for the original firearm in which it was fired. Once I had collected a bunch of range .223Rem brass fired from different guns, I discovered that the little ReLoder thing was not going to do the job. That was when I went whole-hog and bought a bench press. That was back around 1985. I was out of reloading for a few years (sold all my guns and bought Nikon cameras), but got back into it after college in the late 1980s. Been into guns, shooting and reloading ever since. Moved away from the urban sprawl of Northern Virginia to the quiet of rural Nevada to have boundless BLM land upon which to shoot. That was in 2004; not missing the insanity and brain-damaged liberalism within fifty miles of the Washington DC Beltway one dam-ned bit...

Right on Brother . Welcome back.

 

[Old Rooster]

I sure would love to have a old Ford 427(side oiler) block but nothing to put it in.
I started reloading 1966(Found some old notes dating to 1-19-1966).I had assisted a friend before that so I knew what had to be done.
I started reloading because a new box of 32 Winchester Special shells was a little
over 4.00 a box,who can afford that?Bought a press that had Pacafic in the name brand as most was worn away and made it easier.
Been reloading since then.This site has a whole lot to offer on reloading.Thanks to everyone.
Old Rooster

 

[nvschütze]

… 32 Winchester Special ...

My dad's first gun; he bought a 1910 or 1911 Model 94 in 1946 for thirty bucks. He was sixteen years old. Took him eighteen months to earn the money. He gave it to me in June 1975, but I didn't get it until Christmas 2001 because my Uncle Eddie in Minnesota was loathe to surrender it and my immediate family had moved to Europe for a number of years. I still have that gun; it is in my brother's safe, many miles from me. Many miles...