What's Your Reloading Story?

[Pardini]

I started in 1974, loading 12 gauge. I was in 8th grade. Mom bought me a MEC 600 Jr. and a Lyman book for Christmas. Took the book to the Jr Rifle Club I shot at Wednesday nights. The instructor circled a load he said was good. Mom took me to Simms Hardware in Sacramento and I bought Winchester AA cases, wads, 209 primers, shot and Red Dot with the money I made shoveling horse schit a the Equestrian Center down the road. Still load that same recipe today except on a MEC progressive.

Didn't start reloading centerfire until the mid 80's after I bought my first house. Started with 9mm for a S&W 59 on a Lee Pro 1000. Loaded a lot of 9 on that thing and it was frustrating as hell. Ditched it after a couple years and bought a Dillon 650, think I bought a S&W 52 and wanted to load 38 special and .40 for USPSA too. Started casting boolits about that same time as well. Probably load a couple dozen or so calibers now and haven't bought any ammo or bullets to speak of since. Most of my guns haven't seen a factory round or a jacketed bullet.

[RandyD]

I started reloading in the early 70's. My neighbor was a hunter and a reloader, and he started me in hunting, and when I was in grade school, he had me operating his 12 guage reloading press. When we went dove or quail hunting, we picked up 12 guage hulls to reload. His press may have been a MEC, I remember it being red in color. In high school, shot at a local gun club, on Wednesday nights. They had a 50 ft. indoor gallery set up to teach kids marksmanship, and one of the adults running it sold me my first reloading press and all the equipment. In 1986, I bought a Dillon 550 and then upgraded to a 650.

[edgerly779]

I started in 1966 I was 15.

[OpenSightsOnly]

In high school, shot at a local gun club, on Wednesday nights. They had a 50 ft. indoor gallery set up to teach kids marksmanship.

Back in high school, early 80s, I use to bust chops of two of my friends since they signed-up for Jr ROTC. That stopped when they told me that they used to shoot air rifle

[sghart]

Once upon a time I got tired of paying outrageous prices for factory ammo.

So I learned to reload.

And I lived happily ever after.

The end.


Steve in N CA

[TexasJackKin]

[opos]

Worked in a little gun shop in Fort Collins, Co when I was going to Colorado A and M (now Colorado State) in the late 50's...started reloading then and pretty much fed my wife and 2 kids with deer, elk and speed goat (antelope) I shot with reloads and my old 1917 enfield and my 03A3....Several of us were buddies and did our reloading together...split the cost of equipment and shared "recipes" ...a real wonder we didn't have some real issues...our testing was to tie the rifle down to a bench or spare tire and pull the trigger with a cord...it everything held together and the empty could be extracted..we figured the load was a good one...I'm not sure we really knew what any of the powders we had were for or what it was for...but it was cheap.

We were so broke I'd shoot jack rabbits on the prairies from the car at night and sell the dead critters to a mink rancher for 50 cents each if they were not too torn up...a quarter if they were too messy...box of 22's was about a half a buck so the 'return" was great.

[juanito]

Father used to take us (3 Boys) hunting to Colorado and Utah from age 15-21.Hunted rabbits locally and take us skeet shooting 6-8 times a year.I met my wife at 19y/o and told her that I wanted to get into reloading.Got married at 24 and she bought me a RCBS at our 1 year anniversary.But children and life got hold of me.I actually didn’t open that box up until 5 years ago (21 years later).Kids are older but I made sure that they all got a trusty 30.06 and I reload for all three.My oldest and I shoot the most,other two can care less.I reload .308,30.06,6.5 Creed,6.5x55,And a 300 Win.

[aspenvalley]

I started a year ago so the kids and I could shoot more. I have been wanting to reload for years but just had not started. Last Christmas my wonderful wife got me the Lee Classic Turret reloading kit.

I have stuck with pistol so far, 9mm, 40sw, 38/357 and 45 acp. Looking to add the hunting calibers next season wity the boys first season. That will add 243, 30-06 and 7mm mag.
Thinking of adding 5.56 for range use as well.

I have loaded at least 7000 rounds this year maybe more and the Lee has held up well.

Read books and watched many videos. It has not been hard to pick up but I know it will take years to master.

[Fastattack]

About 14 years ago (circa 2004) I friend of mine retired. One day shortly after, I received an email - he was cleaning out his garage and came across an old RCBS Jr. Press he won at a raffle but never used. The catch was, it was missing the handle. He offered it to me, knowing that I was interested in reloading. I took it, called RCBS and they re-tapped the toggle block to accept a modern handle, even though I told them it was given to me. I eventually upgraded to a Rockchucker and then a Redding T7. Been reloading ever since.

[Citadelgrad87]

[Pardini]

I bought all my original Lee kit from Dick Schere. Kinda liked the cranky old man, but the kid was a dick.

[pennstater]

Started in '77-'78, not sure. Bought a 7x57 mauser that had been sporterized and needed equipment! Bought a new RCBS Rockchukar[still have], more rifles, more dies, and away I went. Don't shoot rifles that much any more; mostly a couple of handguns[handload for those], four shotguns that I buy ammo for. Still shoot rifle now and again, but, shotguns more. Never sell that Rockchukar!

[JackEllis]

I started two years ago with an RCBS single stage press given to me by a friend who had lost interest in hunting and fishing. After looking at the price of lead-free factory rounds, I figured I could at least break even rolling my own squirrel rounds for .223.

The best part, though, is developing loads. It's like science lab all over again.

[rm1911]