lets hear some stories on how or why you got started reloading..

I started handloading because a buddy I deer hunted with had me shooting handloads at about 18 years of age. I bought the RCBS Ammocrafter kit somewhere around 1978 or 1979 and just dived in.

The reason I started casting is somewhat different from that, and more interesting as well: I had a Smith 629 Classic, and bought 500 bullets from Marksman Bullet Company (no idea if they are even still around or not). I proceeded to load a box and took the Smith to the range. The projectiles wouldn't stay on a pie plate at 50'! I went home and weighed some of what were left in the box, and there was as much as 11 grains variation in weight.

I decided then and there that if I couldn't make a better bullet than that, something was wrong. A couple of months later, I found a four cavity Lyman 429421 with handles at the Houston Gun Collectors show, and I bought it. I borrowed a Lyman Mould Master, scrounged up some wheel weights, went to the plumbing supply house and bought some solder, and headed to the garage. A Lyman 45 sizer found its way to my home shortly thereafter, and as they say, the rest is history...

It was Jan. 1957 and I just got out of the Army. I had a G-43 and a 6.5 Carcano Carbine.
The gun smith, Carl Strebelow, with whom I was in training made me a great deal on a new Holly Wood Senior press, a Redding powder dispenser , a Redding scale and a set of 8x57 Lachmiller dies along with a large quantity of MGS 8mm bullets. I stayed busy for many hours making 8mm cases out of US military 30-06 cases. A little side note; Carl said I should go to college as I would never make a good gun smith. I took his advice.

My next reloading adventure was getting Carcano cases. I did acquire a set of Black and White Carcano dies and case seat (shell holder).
Many , many hours went into making the 6.5 cases out of 30-40 brass, .303 Brit brass and Carcano military brass.The 30-40 and .303 brass had to be made into rimless cases from rimmed brass , resized and Trimmed. The Italian military had to have the primer pocket opened up to accept Boxer primers . The flash hole had to be drilled in leaving a somewhat oval hole. These cases also had a bullet stop ( donut ) at the neck, shoulder junction that had to be removed.

Any who that was my start! roger

I started reloading for a 30-06. I wanted to shoot more and spend less. At that time, I figured that I could load 100 30-06 rounds for the cost of a single box of store bought. I gave that information to my wife and closed the books on my reloading cost. Over the years, I have bought several rifles with ALL the money I've saved by reloading,

In 1964 I was rummaging around in my families garage. I found a wooden crate with my Dad's name on it and some Army markings. I opened it up and found my Dad's captured German 98K Mauser rifle in it. I had to shoot it!
Ammo was dirt cheap then. A buck a hundred rounds of WWII surplus. Hunting ammo was not. I saved up my paper route money and bought a Lee Loader, primers,powder and Hornandy 180 grain round nose bullets.
I remember to this day how much fun it was to load my first round of reloaded 8x57 Mauser.
I carried the first round in my pants pocket for several days like it was a first prize for something.
I fired it a week later at a paper target. It hit where I aimed it. I ran down and dug the bullet out of the clay berm. I studied every aspect of how it "mushroomed",the rifling marks,gas burns and how far it sunk into the clay. I was hooked. I read every book in the local library and even took a bus into the big city to spend hours reading and taking notes on reloading and exterior ballistics. I talked with gun shop workers for hours and hours about reloading.I could not get enough information about the subject.
I have never looked back and reloading is as much a part of my everyday life I could not imagine never having learned how to do it.
I now have a dedicated Reloading Shop on my property. I now reload for 64 calibers and gauges. It's a great hobby. I hope all of you get the "bug". I hope I'm never cured.

Born into a hand loading house so it's all I know

I was the first handloader I ever knew.
It started with a .22 LR that I pulled and double charged.

Then my grandmother poisoned me with a subscription to Outdoor Life when I was 13.

My brother and I went halves on a set of 38/357 dies, a press and a set of scales.
That got us both hooked!

I started in the 70's with a crash course form my Bro in law, a Lyman acculine press, one set of dies, one lb of powder and good ol lee dippers. I was hooked from watching others reload before I even started.. Kind of scary now to think about how green I was at that time.. But as they say, all's well that ends well..

Saw a rifle I could,nt resist in a caliber I,d never heard of.. At that particular time, no ammo available locally, gettin ammo mailed in was,nt a viable option in Alaska. Grabbed a Lee hand press and some dies, the bare minimum bare bones set up to put some rounds together, that started it.

Turned into knitting for rednecks, so to speak... A whole new obsession all it,s own. The reloading room (rooms)spilleth over...

I started reloading like most people because it was cheaper. I started with the Lee Loaders in the small boxes. I found out that I really liked reloading and I could make ammo that was more accurate. I went through a phase of trying for the "one hole" group and learned that sub MOA was good enough for hunting and I have been stuck reloading with better equipment. I still have those Lee Loaders but I don't use them much anymore. I have given some away to guys that think they want to get into reloading and I always get them back when they buy their first press.

In 1981, I won a $100 gift certificate from a gunshop contest in Ladson, SC. I bought a Lee 3 hole turret press, a Hornady manual, a set of 44 Mag dies, a RCBS 5-0-5 scale and some accessories.

I still have all of these except the original Hornady manual that I gave a friend when he started reloading.

For years, before my teens, I would "help" my Dad reload at the kitchen table with the Lee Shotshell Hand Loader, and then he bought a used RCBS press and powder measure.

Trying to remember.... It was either 1972 or '73... I had bought a Rem 788 in 243 Win with my share of the trapping money, the cost was a reasonable $68.00, on sale.

Along with the gun, I bought a set of scope mounts, 2 boxes of factory ammo, the RCBS reloading dies, and some 87 gr bullets. Dad left me use his scales, press, powders, and primers.

That was when I officially started reloading on my own... I think I was 14 yrs old at the time. Imagine my joy, when I was able to readily work a load up that grouped 3 shots under a dime at 100 yds... I was hooked.

I shot trap competitively in 4-H as a kid. I practiced all the time with my Outers trap. I started reloading shotshells to be able to afford to shoot as much as I liked.

I started in the mid-70's when 12. My Dad helped me build a bench (which I still have today) and I got a Mec 600 jr. for Christmas.

I just shot one load of 12g 1 1/8 oz of 9's over some style of Rem wad over Red Dot and CCI 209's in AA hulls. I would reload those hulls til the crimp folds broke (many times). You could shoot a shotgun for pennies back then.

I gradually branched to all gauges and then to rifles on the quest to accuracy.

Except for a .22 LR...have not shot anything with factory loads in many years.

I got my first "real" deer rifle, up until then I had been "borrowing" my dad's friend's 30-30 Marlin. That Christmas (1975) I got a brand new in the box Rem 600 Mohawk in 243 with a Redfield "wideview" scope on it. Along with that rifle I got ONE box of factory .243 ammo. My dad said that was the last box of ammo he was going to buy me, so I better make it last!

He wasn't kidding...

After struggling to control my trigger finger, and struggling to pay for ammo with my paper route money, my Uncle finally took pity on me and bought me an RCBS rockchucker press, dies, caliper, manual, and that Lee powder scoup set for my birthday. He then taught me how to reload and how to work up a safe load for my rifle. I had about 6 boxes worth of brass I'd been saving, so now all I had to do was buy components.

The rest is history.

My dad used to complain that I shot that little .243 so much I was going to wear the barrel out in it. Wish I still had it.

it started when i was about 17 I was at a friends house and me and her went out to the shop where here dad was. he was cleaning brass, i asked what he was doing, he said he was doing some reloading. i said i would like to do some of that. well he got me started and my older brother in law showed me some fine points, i then found out the difference between 'reloads and good hand loads' i have not shot a factory rifle round in 33 years. i am now 50 years old 3 girls and 6 grands. me girls could care less. but i will soon show my 13 year old grand son, to load his own he wants to learn,
i also load for friends and family..
Oh yea by the way this was not my father in law.

Pop started reloading rifle in the 60's. I started "helping" when I was 10 y/o. He bought a Pacific 366 to do shotgun and needed more help. I remember drilling a hole in the bench so the shells could drop into a box under the bench.

Still have the Herters O press and the 366.

Rich

quote:

Originally posted by Slowpoke Slim:
I got my first "real" deer rifle, up until then I had been "borrowing" my dad's friend's 30-30 Marlin. That Christmas (1975) I got a brand new in the box Rem 600 Mohawk in 243 with a Redfield "wideview" scope on it. Along with that rifle I got ONE box of factory .243 ammo. My dad said that was the last box of ammo he was going to buy me, so I better make it last!

He wasn't kidding...

After struggling to control my trigger finger, and struggling to pay for ammo with my paper route money, my Uncle finally took pity on me and bought me an RCBS rockchucker press, dies, caliper, manual, and that Lee powder scoup set for my birthday. He then taught me how to reload and how to work up a safe load for my rifle. I had about 6 boxes worth of brass I'd been saving, so now all I had to do was buy components.

The rest is history.

My dad used to complain that I shot that little .243 so much I was going to wear the barrel out in it. Wish I still had it.

Yep...them were the good ole days. Brings back fond memeories!

A kid did not have a heck-uva-lot to worry about back then.

It was the 1968. I was in college and a room mate invited me to deer hunt on his parents farm. Only rifle I had was a 6.5 Jap carbine my father had brought back and given me. I couldn't afford the factory Norma ammo. So I bought a Lee loader and loaded practice ammo and saved factory to hunt with.

Now 46 yrs later I couldn't even begin to remember all the various cartridges I've reloaded for and the wildcats I designed.

In 1967 I got orders to Anchorage,Ak. I had an interest in reloading, but no center fires. I bought a Win mod 70 in 30-06 and a Ruger .357 mag revolver. I also bought two books on reloading, one was a Lyman Manual. During our drive to Alaska, when my wife was driving I read the two books. I arrived in Alaska, and knew I'd be buying reloading equipment. I thought I knew what I wanted. I thought a Lyman turret press. Works out my new neighbor there was a very experienced reloader. I followed his advice and got a RCBS Rockchucker press, Redding Scales and a Belding&Mull powder measure. Back then, maybe now, orders from Gander Mountain included a note that We at Gander Mountain are proud of the job our servicemen and women are doing overseas and we are paying the postage to your APO/FPO. Free shipping and prices beat the BX so they got my business. I started casting bullets and reloading at the same time. The Lyman Manuals info on casting had perked my interest. I don't even remember the first jacketed reloads I shot in my 30-06. They felt about like the factory stuff I had shot. I remember very well the first cast bullets I shot in my 06. I had two loadings. One was using 4064 powder and velocity probably around 2400 fps and I thought it felt about like a 30-30. Then I shot the other load which was with Unique powder and velocity around 1600fps. The recoil and blast was so reduced I thought a misfire. I think I bought some factory loads for a .25ACP and other than that I've not bought any factory rounds since I started reloading.

In high school I worked as a 'fry guy' at a local buffet joint. My boss's husband was a bench rest shooter and got me into all things accuracy. It started with a new Win 70 30-06 that shot like shit. After bedding, re crown, etc...alone with multiple hand loads I still remember the 3/4" 5 shot groups with 165 gr bt's and imr 4064 powder. It's also where I grew to dislike imr4350 as it was supposed to be the 'go to' powder but shot like crap. Funny years later I think it's a fine powder and use tons of the Hogden version. He didn't get me started hand loading as I had gotten an RCBS Master Reloading Kit for $220 thu Cabela's a year or two earlier...but he sure lit the fire. Been obsessed with accurate rifles ever since and haven't shot factory ammo in over 20 years w/ the exception of cheap AR stuff years ago. It led to a lathe, mill, other power and hand tools and a part time gunsmithing business...it's about all I do for a hobby along with hunting/fishing.

1963, buddy from schools Dad was an NRA Hunter Safety instructor... very lucky to learn correctly from the beginning. Both shooting and loading, .308 was first, then .22/250 and .38/.357... so many since, Thank God.

Matt Salm--I too started using 4064 in my 30-06. Probably because it gave good velocity with most bullet weights. Something that for me is really a non factor. I like 150 grainers for everything from deer to moose and I don't load other weights and have to readjust my scope. Exception to that was I did try 110 grainers years ago and believe it or not they printed where my 150's did . (I did read a Jack O'Connor article where he said in some guns they will do that.) That didn't matter as to me the recoil and blast was almost identical to the 150 grain bullets. I too kept hearing that 4350 was THE powder. When my brother died he had a can of 4350 which I tried and didn't like--the 4064 in MY gun was much better.

Yep,
For a young guy getting into it (my father didn't reload) I read everything I could and kept reading about 4350...THE standard '06 powder... Didn't work out that way for me. I think this was all in '88 or so. I'm not as old as many, but have been reloading since 16 years old. That experience might have soured me on the IMR powders too now that I think on it. I did use a lot of Win 748 and 760 at the time. Got good accuracy, and I didn't have any access to a chronograph so ingnorance was bliss at the 100 yard targets. Didn't start getting into the longer shooting til the military and custom rifles.

An inexperienced buddy told me how to load. I asked him, "Where is your scale?" He just looked at me and said, "the dies come with a scoop. You just put in one scoop of gunpowder."

And a reloaded was born. An ignorant dangerous reloader that is.

Soon after, I did some more research and the "One Scoop Theory" while useful in certain circumstances, was quickly cast aside.

In the 50's and early 60's my dad and his buddies would spend an evening reloading before their annual hunting trip to Colo and Wyo while all of us kids played hide and seek. When my oldest brother got into reloading I helped him and when he left for college, I had to roll my own on dad's old Herter's press.
Years later my oldest brother was a design engineer for RCBS and I had a business selling them most of their machine shop supplys. I ended up with a progressive set up for each caliber I was shooting in competition.

My dad and I both built our first custom rifles in 1969. It was my first rifle. I started out handloading for my new 7mm Rem Mag and haven't looked back. I never could have afforded factory ammo when I was in college.
Sam