Reloading: What Was Your First Cartridge And Why?

[MeatyMac]

I started reloading metallic cartridges in the summer of 1977, I started because I was 13 years old and liked to shoot my Winchester 94 .30-30 but could only afford to shoot a box of factory ammo a week, I started reloading to save money so I could shoot more.

I saved my money and I bought a RCBS starter kit from Gemco in Southeast San Jose with a RCBS Jr. press, .30-30 WCF dies & shell holder, case lub and pad and a small paperback reloading guide, my Mom chipped in and bought me a 5-0-5 scale, a funnel and my first components. I still have my RCBS Jr. press, I use it for punching out primers, and I still have my first set of dies, no idea what happened to the 5-0-5 scale...

Today I reload for increased accuracy but last night found myself working up some .30-30 Win. hunting loads for my son who wants to use my Winchester 94 next weekend to hunt pigs in heavy brush, looking back in my log the last time I loaded .30-30 was in 1986 when I was in college (keep your load data forevar, you might need it someday ).

What was the first cartridge or shotshell you reloaded and why?


My first set of dies...








MM

[mike.h]

.45ACP on a Lee Classic Turret. That was in 2011, I had just purchased my first model 1911 and was having too much fun, thought I could save money reloading. Nope, but I did get to shoot more. From there 9mm, .223, then a couple new single stage presses, electronic powder dispensers; 308, 6.5 CM and 6BR.

I got mored presses, dies and measuring do-dads then you can shake a stick at. Save money, not really, reloading is a disease.

ps. I also have a mec jr for the 12 gauge, which got me started 30-35 years ago.

[17+1]

[arrowshooter]

Started with .223 in 2014 because I could see myself shooting a whole lot of boolits. Still using the Rock Chucker and also load for .222 Rem, 30.06, 8mm Mauser, 6.8 SPC, 45 ACP, 9mm and 44 mag.

[MeatyMac]

I got more presses, dies and measuring do-dads then you can shake a stick at. Save money, not really, reloading is a disease.

Agree 100%

I thought I was starting to save money, maybe I was, components back then were cheap, Winchester 748 ball powder was $5 a pound, Sierra bullets for my .30-30 were $7 for 100 150gr. Flat Nose jacketed pills.

My last new cartridge buy-in was 6.5 x 47 Lapua and Lapua is the only brass manufacture that makes it...And of course I had to try neck sizing, neck turning and annealing with the 6.5 x 47...There’s very little ‘cheap’ anything in reloading today.


MM

[ivanimal]

30-30 it was the only cartridge I owned back then. I reloaded for accuracy not savings.

[hermosabeach]

.38 special
Why- my dad gave me a revolver for my birthday when I was maybe 11

When winter hit, I would sit in the garage with the radio on, space heater on and reload all the empty cases I shot in the summer.

It takes a while to load 1,000 rounds on a single stage press

Always used a hand prime tool vs. the thing on the single stage press

[God Bless America]

.44 mag. To save money shooting.

[Red9]

1966. 6 year old running 38 and 357 on my pops single stage. 2.7 grains unique with a 125 cast.
Reloaded until life got in the way. Stopped When I was about 12 or 13 same time I stopped shooting.
Fast toward to 2013 and the hobby started up again.

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk

[Rockzilla]

30 Herrett, then 357 Herrett, only way to shoot it was make-em,
fireform-em (30-30) ole Pacific Die Set believe back in the early
to mid 70's what a pain, the trick was to move the shoulder back
so the action would barely close with a "click" (snap) then pretty
much down hill from there, 38spl, 45acp, 30-06 (old mil cases)
and all the equipment / tools keeps growing...some one mentioned
"save money"....where?...when....how....only money saved is to buy
more or a special tool for that or a tool for this, still got my 2 old
Rock Chuckers, running fine, alot of CH tool and die stuff and
things from Huntington Die Company (Fred), Corbin's (Dave)

now 22 Hornet, 17 Rem. through 50 BMG and a lot between..
and a lot of willdcats..

-Rock

[tonyjr]

I had a 1911 - accurized - when I went to 'Nam . [ Lee hand loader ]
I did not really trust the ammo they gave me .
It was not really a joke that Matel made the AR15 / M 16 .
Tumbling bullets when where ever .
I was given a choice between an M-14 and an AR15 - went with the '14 . [ I also carried an M-79 and a Remington shotgun ]

[MeatyMac]

1966. 6 year old running 38 and 357 on my pops single stage.

I moved in with my Dad the summer before I started high school in ‘78, I taught him how to reload, our first cartridge together was .38 Special mostly because he had 1000’s of empties..


Today I reload .22 Hornet, .222 Rem., .223 Rem. .22-250 Rem, .243 Win., 6.5 x 47 Lapua, .30-30 Win, .308 Win., .30-06 Springfield, .300 Win. Mag, .38 Special, .44 Mag. and .45 ACP.


MM

[M76]

I learned to load .45acp a few years ago on a friend's Dillon 550.
After that I bought a Dillon and currently set up for .45acp/.38sp

The reason why is recycling brass and customizing loads.

[at_liberty]

I started with 45 ACP but quickly added guns in 40 S&W and 9mm. I wanted to reduce my cost and stop seeing dollar signs with every shot. It worked.

[rm1911]