I was woke up at 0800 this morning by a question from my 8 year old. "Dad, can we reload today?" Not wanting to disapoint, we decided to put together some 9.3x62's. The 4 year old wanted to get involved and asked what he could do. So the 3 of us spent the morning reloading. Priming, charging seating bullets, what a morning!!

When I was a senior in high school, my varmint shooting buddy had convinced/bribed his 2 little sisters to load his 243s for him. He was really kicked back enjoying himself there for a while.

Until His Mama found out, that is!
Regards, Joe

I work part time for the City of Augusta in Maine. But the odd thing is I work for Old Fort Western(oldfortwestern.org). The oldest wooden fort in the us to date. Built in 1754. Here is where this comes into play with this thread.
I work as a historical interpreter teaching school kids about how rough the soldiers had it on the frontier of Maine.
So I have learned over the years that I can tell which kids sit behind the TV, which play video games, and which goes out to play.
So or you to spend time teaching your kids about reloading, and I m sure that is only a small thing of what you do with them.

SO! My point is in all of this

+5 for teaching your kids about this stuff and by doing so your really setting a strong foundation for them!

My seven and four year-old grandsons look forward to reloading every time they come to grandpa's house.

The seven year-old can run a MEC 600 shotshell loader without over-the-shoulder supervision. But by far his favorite operation is decapping metallic cartridges which provides the satisfaction of the spent primer rolling down the primer discharge tube into a reservoir that is built into my reloading cabinet.

The four year-old prides himself in stacking cases/cartridges neatly in loading trays (after which I dump them back into plastic bags on the sly in order to occupy him with doing it all again).

When my kids were young they began playing video games and quit spending as much time outside running, playing, skating, riding bikes and swimming. I found a secret tricks video game booklet at one of the stores selling the games.
The little book had all the games short cuts and back door secrets. Basically a cheat sheet for the game. They used the book to whiz through the games, got bored and went back to playing out side. End of the video games.

Wow, this brings back memories. When I was actively shooting IPSC, our twin girls used to help me load my pistol ammo on a Dillon Square Deal. One would feed cases into the shellplate and the other would place the bullet. I pulled the handle and made sure I do not amputate little fingers. We would get up to 600 an hour and we loaded tens of thousands.

Today they load their own rifle ammo and help newbies get started.

Thunder Stick,
Great job in getting your kids to reload with you!!! I am 31 now and remember doing the same with my Dad. Those are some great memories from my childhood. It is interesting, I currently work as a Land Surveyor where redundancy, precision and attention to detail are paramount. Where I am going with this is, I began to learn all those lessons when I started doing load development with my Dad. Just remember, at that age, it is not just a great time with your kids you are having.... It is quite possibly a "thought process" that you are teaching.
Keep up the good work. It will pay off not only in the immediate joy of spending time with your kids, but what they take from it, possibly years down the road...

John

My 14 yr old stepson LOVES to shoot. However getting him to lift a finger to help get ready is next to impossible.

Last week he wanted to go shoot some 38s. I told him he would need to resize the brass before we I would finsh loading. Reminded him 3 days in a row and gave up. Then two days later he did them. Then I found out his mother had payed him to do them.

Has anyone tried casting with there kids? That would make one hell of a deal closer. Just the thought for the kid of making something from "nothing" or molding something from a old pile of wheel weights. To the end result of a compleated job. From start to finish. Would anyone agree on that with me?
Love this thread! +1 to everyone here!

I maybe 28 but I have seen a done a few things.
Go Army!

quote:

Just the thought for the kid of making something from "nothing" or molding something from a old pile of wheel weights. To the end result of a compleated job. From start to finish. Would anyone agree on that with me?

I do ! As a 6, 7 and 8 year old kid I use to mold lead soldiers and sinkers. Yes there were some mishaps but kids back than were expected to get hurt a little on the way up, and did. roger

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:

quote:

Just the thought for the kid of making something from "nothing" or molding something from a old pile of wheel weights. To the end result of a compleated job. From start to finish. Would anyone agree on that with me?

I do ! As a 6, 7 and 8 year old kid I use to mold lead soldiers and sinkers. Yes there were some mishaps but kids back than were expected to get hurt a little on the way up, and did. roger

When my grandaughter was about 5 my wife took her to pick out a birthday gift for grandpa. Ahe found a little short ball poit pen that was shaped like a bullet. The girl at the store thought it was supposed to be a fake lipstick and asked her why she was going to buy her grandpa a pen that looked like a lpstick. Imagine her suprise when this cute little 5 year old proceeded to point to, and explain each component that made it a bullet not a lipstick. She is all grown up now, (married this June) and she never did develop a love for shooting but we still manage to spend some quality time each year up at my cabin in the woods!

I have been blessed with a hunting son, adventureous daughters (who climbed mountains with me) that birthed 6 grandsons from 4 years to 22 years, a 5 year old grandaughter and a 2 year old great grandson. They all have designated rifles that grandpa keeps sharp and reloaded for them. The oldest is a precise shooter but not hunter (golfer), a 20 and 14 year old that are both shooters and die hard Deer hunters (8-10 per year) and the 20 year old with an Elk under his belt. The 14 year old is due to Elk hunt when he is 15. They all like to help me reload, and when I can stand that much help and can line it out, it is a great help. 70 % of my reloading is a cold winters night pleasure job for grandpa, that tickles grandma because then she has the TV to herself. Hopefully my crew will be in the next generation of good hunters and reloaders. Good shooting.

quote:

I have been blessed with a hunting son, adventureous daughters (who climbed mountains with me) that birthed 6 grandsons from 4 years to 22 years, a 5 year old granddaughter and a 2 year old great grandson. They all have designated rifles that grandpa keeps sharp and reloaded for them. The oldest is a precise shooter but not hunter (golfer), a 20 and 14 year old that are both shooters and die hard Deer hunters (8-10 per year) and the 20 year old with an Elk under his belt. The 14 year old is due to Elk hunt when he is 15. They all like to help me reload, and when I can stand that much help and can line it out, it is a great help. 70 % of my reloading is a cold winters night pleasure job for grandpa, that tickles grandma because then she has the TV to herself. Hopefully my crew will be in the next generation of good hunters and reloaders. Good shooting.

Yours sounds like the life after the years of hard work that we all want to have. My mom and dad had four kids. We are all grown now. One passed away 21 years ago and two have no kids (me being one of the two). My brother has two kids-- adopted from Communist countries far to the East. My brother lives on the West Coast; my parents live on the East Coast. My parents have only seen the son when he was very small (he's seven this month). They have never seen the daughter. I get to my brother's place every so often and take pictures with the kids to send to mom and dad. My mom is 86 this month; she hopes she gets to see the kids before it's too late for her. She don't get around as well as she did even a year ago.

You are a fortunate man, phurley, to have so many descendants who share your love of hunting and shooting and reloading. May you live many years to enjoy your kids and leave them lots of guns...

quote:

Originally posted by phurley5:
I have been blessed

You are the most blessed Bier I know! roger

Nice job Thunder Stick. You are making memories too on your Assembly Line.

When I am in the garage reloading, here comes my 8 year old granddaughter to help. She loves to size and decap. I always try to keep a press open for her. There is always brass to work up. It is just us, but that is fine with me.