When/how did YOU get into reloading?

[M1NM]

Started in 1968 w/a Lee hammer loader to save some $. Now at 63 and limited time to reload/shoot I'm thinking of getting out of reloading. After I load all the components I've collected over the years I'll sell the reloading stuff. Once the ammo is gone I'll sell the gun - at least that's my exit strategy.

[RacerX7]

I started reloading in 2011. My friends started reloading and I couldn't be the only kid that didn't have a reloading press. I started with a bare bones Dillon 650 set up for 45ACP. Now 2 years later 9mm, 40S&W and 223rem with all the bells and whistles that can be purchased for a 650. Oh wait I didn't get a bullet tray. I don't see the need for one.

[tamalpias]

about 15 years ago i went on a ground squirrel shoot up in Modoc County. Brought 1,700 rounds of ammo (2 x 550 22lr bulk packs and 600 x 22-250) and shot it all up in the first day. I had to buy more ammo at the Ace hardware store in town because it was a 4 day shoot. The first thing i did when i got back was buy a RCBS single stage press and started reloading. I now reload for 308, 22-250, 22 hornet, 44 mag, 357 mag, 45 and 9mm. Pretty much every caliber i shoot i reload for except 22lr.

[kostner]

Originally Posted by BigBronco

Jeez it was back in 1980 I bought my first revolver. 6" Smith model 19 target. I was just too damn broke, frugal to afford factory ammo. A friend bought a press and I would go to his place. Then a year or so later a friend/mentor at work gave me all his reloading gear. A Rockchucker a 10-1- scale and the rest of the basics. Oh he also gave me a 4 cavity mold and the stuff to cast also. I was loading 158 gr .38 special for about $1.50 per box.

This pretty much my story too. Started with 380's then the wife thought she need more 9mm for her G17. Well she no longer reloads but I have a nice set up for reloading and casting. Her father sold his Mec Jr to me for a song. Now I reload and cast for about a dozen calibers. Enjoy spending about an hour every evening after dinner.

[mark501w]

In the late 70's I bought a colt .45 auto, my buddies were shooting for a Nickel a round.

[bigdawg86]

My grandfathers friend passed away and he was into reloading... My grandfather thought I may be interested and gave it to me. The rest is history.

Starting off with 3 presses, thousands of projectiles, pounds of powder, and about 10 die sets isn't a bad way to start.

[bender152]

Got bent over on ammo prices during the panic of 2008. Didn't want that to happen again, so I got into reloading and stocked up on equipment/components in 2010/2011 when things finally calmed down.

[rugerkp]

Had a great friend at church named Bruce who got me into it. Sadly, he's gone now. My wife surprised me 2 Christmases ago with the Lee kit Bruce had recommended.
Enjoyed it since then.

[B W E]

When my wife and I started watching "The Walking Dead". I swear to GOD! I had wanted to buy a handgun for quite a while. At the time, I had an AR that I built, an 870, and an old Remington 512 TargetMaster .22 I had inherited from her grandfather. Up until The Walking Dead, I couldn't ever get the green light on a handgun. Then, after the first few episodes, she says "How much was that gun you wanted to get?"

Exactly one month to the day I signed the DROS papers on mine, we bought hers.

I got sick of leaving the house at 4:00 to beat the lines at Wal-Mart, so I made a deal with her.... I'd sell off all my RC planes and gear and buy reloading equipment.... didn't take much convincing once I was able to show her what ammo would cost from the garage vs. Wal-Mart.

So, with the cash in hand from freshly sold RC gear, I hit the craigslist ads. Quickly picked up a Rock Chucker, Uniflow, 5-10 scale, books, and about 3# of powder for $100. Then I found another ad for the Pro 1000 with brand new .30-06, .270, 30-30, and .223 dies, tons more books, and some other goodies shipped to my door for $180.

Turned around and sold the Pro 1000 and bought a brand new Load Master.

Now that I had the equipment, I needed the components.

Back to craigslist. Found a guy selling 1k 9mm FMJRN, 500 .224 FMJRN, 2.5k 9mm brass, 1k .223 brass, and 1200 .45 brass for $130. Sold.

Then, as the cycle continued, I bought more guns, and more dies, and here we are. Shooting more, for less. And my wife is now a gun fan

[MR_X]

I got into competive shooting last October. Saw that spending $250+ on ammo a month was not the best and this was for reloaded ammo that wasn't accurate at all through my Sig 1911(it hates 230gr ball ammo). So I started reloading for it in Decemebr and got addicted from there. Now I reload 45ACP, 9MM, 40S&W and 223 Rem soon to start on 308 once I move. I shoot minimum 1k of 45 and 223 for competition and practice a month and it has cut cost down by half if not more.

[madjack956]

I bought a .357 magnum in 1980. A few months later I picked up a handheld LeeLoader like the one in knuckleheads post#80. I hammered out a lot of ammo with that thing. Still got it somewhere.

Around 1983 I worked with this guy and his kid who took up shooting. They bought a couple Smith & Wessons and a Dillon Square Deal. They tried using it once and sold it to me for $90.00, along with one of those bench top garage refrigerators that they figured they would keep beer in while they made ammo. All this stuff was brand new.

I loaded 9mm and .357 and .38 on the Dillon and purchased a MEC shotgun press for my Mossberg.

Around mid-90 I guess, a friend got a divorce from his wife and gave me a Dillon 550B. I tooled it up for .308 and .223 and .45acp and started messing with bolt guns.

Since then I bought a Rockchucker for various duties. So, since 1980 I have acquired 4 presses, 30+ firearms and enough reloading gear to keep me happy through retirement.

I truly enjoy making ammo as much as I like shooting and cleaning my firearms. Yep, I like cleaning my firearms too.

I really enjoy reading these stories of how everyone got into this hobby. This is a great thread.

[brettkeating]

My father in law was a Pearl Harbor survivor, army colonel, and veteran of three wars. He left me a couple Japanese WWII firearms for which ammo was either non existent or ridiculously expensive. But the component pieces were more easily found. My wife got me a rock chucker kit for Christmas and I recently shot my first reloads for my Arisaka. Still waiting for dies for my Nambu. That's how I got into it, but realized hey, I can reload for my Glock and S&W revolver too! Just need to get my hands on some dang pistol powder... Stop hoarding it!

[Rwnielsen]

I bought a nice Kimber 1911 in 2000 and then realized how much it cost to feed it. The boys at the Stockade set me up with a 650. I've been hooked ever since.

[Twystd1]

I taught myself as a lad.

Then got serious when IPSC and IDPA came into vogue in the late 80s and forward.

For most people...
Ya have to reload in that game to be uber competitive.

-T

[OldShooter32]

I started reloading in 1964 because I couldn't afford to shoot NMC when .30-'06 ammo cost a staggering 5¢ per round.
Kept it up even when the Army gave me free Match ammo because I enjoyed it, and now I do it because my loads are more accurate (and cheaper) than buying it.

[dragon7]

I started in the early 80's. Had a couple of handguns but couldn't afford to shoot them as much as I would like to have. Saw ads from a new company called Dillon Precision liked what I saw and bought my first 550 progressive press. I've never regretted that decision and now when I leave the shooting range it's because I've had enough fun not because I've run out of ammo.

[Timbob55]

About 2008. I purchased a M48 Yugo and shot it a lot. American 8mm ammo was/is anemic. In fact, the loading guides were over cautious. I found some Vihtvouri N150 after looking at the Viht loading guide and have been happy ever since.

[Timbob55]

About 2003. I purchased a M48 Yugo and shot it a lot. American 8mm ammo was/is anemic. In fact, the loading guides were over cautious. I found some Vihtvouri N150 after looking at the Viht loading guide and have been happy ever since.

[rm1911]

Musta been 1989 or 1990. I was not even 21. I had a 22 rifle and a 12ga shotgun. Was just starting hunting with a couple of friends. Got myself an old sporterized 03A3. Day I turned 21 in bought a used 357. Then got a garand.

Was working at a chain sporting goods store and the boss was a shooter and also a reloaded. So we went to range and I was buying and he wasn't. Too cool. He tracked down an rcbs partner press kit and dies from another store.

So we drove up to a local gun store (Jim Larner's shop in Santa Rosa. Anyone remember him??? ) and got me all set up with components. From there it was on. I got more guns and calibers and reloaded for them. Back then I got spoiled. Powder and primers were plentiful. Although there weren't as many options there was never a concern.

Later got a dillon square deal b. And the ammo just flowed like manna from heaven. I guess I got into all this a long time ago. Long before plastic pistols and AR's and all that. Missed a lot of craziness. Missed a lot of the panics too!!

[AZImport]

Got into reloading about 2-3 months ago. Father in law has been doing it for years, and I asked him to teach me. Makes shooting my garand a not painful experience on my pocketbook, and will likely help feed my shooting habit once I have to opportunity to expand my collection.

[someoneeasy]

I started thinking about reloading about two years ago, but last year I bought my M1 garand and knew it would be expensive to buy the ammo to feed it so that sealed the deal for me.

[HK Dave]

I've been shooting for a long time but always made enough income to buy FGMM in bulk so I never got into reloading because it didn't make sense.

When FGMM hit $2 a round... I decided it made sense. :P

[just in joy]

I started about 4 yrs ago in Washington State when I used to shoot every weekend in the summer and every other weekend in the winter. Cost of factory ammo and factory reloads cost where killing me and making trips shorter and shorter.

I started just before saying do not spend too much money, a nagging wife, until I took her and the kids to a local range and we had to pay for their ammo due to renting some of the guns they had 4 boxes cost close to 150 bucks. The next day the wife logged into the account to see how much we spent, she asked what it was for I told her the ammo at the range she gave me the okay to spend 1000 to get what I needed to shoot for a while.

So I stocked up on powder and projectiles being I always ran into deals at cabelas for primers. I bought a lee single stage kit for 100 bucks and I was off loading as the next trip to cabela I was able to score 15k in primers at 23.75 per brick.

I still have the Lee and also added a Hornady LNL AP with a case feeder and DIY bullet feeder.

I started loading 9, 40, 243,7mm mag Now I am loading 380, 44,45,257weatherby, and 223 and also looking to add...

The Price of the 257 ammo was a killer for factory ammo 60-80 a box. Brass is still pricey 35-45 per 20 this is the only caliber I do not have over 200 pieces of brass for.

[klewan]

1994, Lee Anniversary kit for $65. You could get all the components at the local gun shows; it was great. Got a Lee Loadmaster the next year to make pistol ammo.

[goawayleftwing]

I got into reloading two years ago from a co-worker who got into it. I can't believe how much money you save, and it gives me a reason to get away in the garage and turn up the Grateful Dead. Thanks Frank, now I have a gun buying habit to feed my reloading habit.

[rodsvet]

Started 44 tears ago. I've cast my own bullets for everything but my 308 and 223. I bought much powder and primers years ago for so cheap I won't make you guys drool. I load all my pistol stuff for less than #1.50 for every 50 rounds. When I bought the linotype I cast with, it was 25 cents a pound and I still have over a 1,000 pounds left and maybe another 1,000 pounds of mixed alloy. Even at todays prices, I would still get into the hobby.

[drdarrin@sbcglobal.net]

Originally Posted by rodsvet

Started 44 tears ago. I've cast my own bullets for everything but my 308 and 223. I bought much powder and primers years ago for so cheap I won't make you guys drool. I load all my pistol stuff for less than #1.50 for every 50 rounds. When I bought the linotype I cast with, it was 25 cents a pound and I still have over a 1,000 pounds left and maybe another 1,000 pounds of mixed alloy. Even at todays prices, I would still get into the hobby.

Recent stupid prices notwithstanding, this hobby never get cheaper with time. It's always best to get what you can when you can and hang on to it.

[Loiterer]

Some time ago started reloading .38 & .44 for price and different loads. (Found that some loads others recommended were best left alone early.) Jobs and pay got better so bought mostly factory.

Picked up a .45 win mag bbl for my contender, expensive to feed so I am looking at getting back in it.

[Psychbiker]

I bought a glock 19 after grad school. A year later an elementary school principal (during work) showed me a video of him doing action IDPA shooting. That was it. I did my first match and saw the $$ of factory ammo. 9mm turned into 45 then 223 then 308 then 300 blackout. I refuse to do another caliber. For now haha!

[dhagerty]

I started back in 1985 out of necessity. I shoot a lot of wildcat cartridges and you Have to reload since you can't buy ammo for them

[beerman]

In 1992, I ran across a lady selling off her deceased husbands gun stuff.He was a benchrest shooter.There were no guns just "Stuff" her kids didnt want.She said it was all or nuthin. Me and my shooting bud bought the lot for her asking price..$400..It includes 2 single stage presses,2 10-10 sacles,20+ books and manuals,2K rounds of various ammo over 50 sets of dies....well,it filled the bed of my F150. Ive been loading ever since

[energizer]

I don't shoot much (will shoot more when I get self supply) but the ammo availability made me think about reloading. I own a Lee single stage press and am looking at Dillon 550. Currently researching a lot about places to buy components and the progressive press. So far ebay has the best bet for Dillon RL550B. I'm considering the 550B because of the range of calibers that the press offers.


What I'm learning is that shooters are hoarding the ammo hence the shortage.




I still consider myself as a newbie to the hobby and will keep asking for help from fellow calgunners. Please be gentle

Also looking forward to buy used reloading equipment from fellow calgunners. Please PM me what you have for 9mm.

[wecf]

I started in 83-85? My Pop taught me on a Lee Loader loading .270. I started with my 5 year old a few weeks ago (he likes to pull the handle on my T-7)

[SMarquez]

A little over 25 years ago I was given the basic reloading set-up with RCBS Jr. press by my wifes uncle. I bought a scale, tumbler and dies to get started. Before the internet I had to read books and magazines to self teach myself.
I now reload for .223, .243, .308. '06, 30-30, .280 Rem, 6.5 Swede and will start 9mm pretty soon.

[popeye4]

I started in 1977. My grandfather left me a Winchester chambered in .348 Win. Scarce as hen's teeth even back then, a box of ammo would cost over $20 (that was back when a new 4x4 truck would cost $5000). I had to reload to hunt. I caught the bug and handload for all my firearms now, except .22lr, and I sure would load .22lr if I could! I still have the Rock Chucker press I bought back then and it still works just like it did then.

[emptybottle151]

Last year when ammo restrictions were being proposed in CA. Bought the Lee Classic Turret Kit from a tackle shop in Chula Vista (No longer in business after the owner Mike passed away ) and been loading .223, 9mm, 45 acp, 30-06, & 45 colt. My 2012 Mayan Doom ammo stash is slowly being replaced with components taking up half of my closet and my reloading bench is in the corner of my bedroom.

[ElDub1950]

We had been talking about it, and my son bought a press .. then he bought me one for my birthday!

[armenakadino]

I do plan to start reloading soon to hopefully help reduce with cost and being able to own firearms that are odd calibers where factory loads are not available at the store normally.

[f4tweet]

The week after 911.

[GunNut666]

I was literally born into the world of hunting and gunning. I remember in elementary school, while working on a report, I asked my dad "When was the first time I went hunting?" His response, "When your mother was pregnant with you" It's definitely been a big part of my life. I remember as a youngster reloading shot shells with my dad in the garage and I would do all the tedious tasks, which at the time I was stoked. Now I look back and I'm sure my dad was too cause he didn't have to and it kept me occupied. I also used the old primers as projectiles in my wrist rocket so we were recycling too!

After California made all waterfowl hunter use steel the reloading part of my life was put on hold for a bit, I still used up all the ammo we accumulated for skeet, trap and sporting clays. I moved back home after living in SoCal for 9 years going to school and working down there. I then got back into it full force. I started researching loading rifle and pistol loads as my dad had most everything I needed to get started with it and hanging out with my best bud from high school was into it as well. He was the only friend in the area who was into guns and hunting like I was. Now we have a pretty sweet operation going and get everything done fairly inexpensively. I don't see myself stopping any time soon, well once I start a family it may go on the back burner for a little while but that kid will have an arsenal!