Remember your first reloads?

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In the early '60's I started loading .38 Specials and .218 Bee rifle cartridges on a four turret Lyman Tru-Line Jr. press. I had a Lyman 55 powder measure and an O'haus powder scale. Lots of fun back then!
 
My first reloads were for 40S&W. My first load used Autocomp and Xtreme 165gr CPRNFP bullets with WSP primers about 4 years ago. The load was created using a Lee Classic single stage press with Lee dies.
 
Olon asked:
What cartridge did you start reloading?

30 Carbine.

It was classified as a pistol cartridge, so you had to be 21 years or older to buy the ammunition. But, you didn't have to be 21 to buy the components to reload it.

Apparently, none of the clerks at Wal-Mart thought you even had to be 18 to buy the components, but that's a topic for another post.

What was your setup back then?

Original Lee Loader.

After pounding a few cases into the die and pounding them back out again, I quickly decided to adapt a bench vise to push the cases into the die and then use the decapping tool to push them back out again. Even with that, it was slow, tedious work and inspired me to save my money until I was able to afford a real reloading press.
 
My first loads were for a 10mm on a friend's Lee progressive ress. I don't remember what the dies were. The goal was to make softball plinkers. We were having a horrible time controlling OAL. As a result we were very conservative about charge weight. IIRC we went too far and some of them keyholed. I don't think I understood what crimp was. The whole experience soured me on Lee stuff for a long time, although I've subsequently warmed up to their crimp dies and a few other things.

It also make me think about the time it took to reload pistol vs. the money we "saved". Now I only reload for accuracy or ammo I can't buy. There's no money to be saved if you value your time.
 
Yup, I remember my first one. I still have it! A really nice fellow from the local gun shop came over and helped us get started. He suggested that I keep the first one and I did. This was in the mid to late 60's and I was probably a pre teenager. The cartridge was a 30-06 and was charged with IMR-4895. The equipment was mostly Herters with a mixture of Lyman.

I've since moved on from the Herters equipment. Shell holders are very difficult to find and the press did not have compound linkage. We kept our entire lead inventory on the back of the bench for counter weight. You needed a cheater pipe just to size 30-06 cases! The scale, probably made by Redding still serves to keep my Chargemaster honest! The dies have been replaced by RCBS and Redding as spare parts for them have dried up.
 
I've only reloaded at one period in my life,,,
That was back in high school (60's) with a Lee Loader and a Mallet.

My grandfather gave me a S&W 38 Special revolver,,,
It didn't have a model number so I'm guessing it was an M&P.

He also gave me the Lee Loader and some lead bullets,,,
The old codger at the army-surplus store sold me some primers & powder.

He was also the person who showed me how to use it.

With my $2.50/week allowance,,,
I could reload one box of 50 every two weeks,,,
And still have some money left for cokes for my girlfriends.

Mom hated that I owned a handgun and powder,,,
When I went off to tech school in 1968 they magically disappeared.

I haven't reloaded since then,,,
I mainly shoot rimfire, 38 Special, and 9mm,,,
And not enough of the latter two to justify the trouble anymore.

Aarond

.
 
I've only reloaded at one period in my life,,,
That was back in high school (60's) with a Lee Loader and a Mallet.
I mainly shoot rimfire, 38 Special, and 9mm,,,
And not enough of the latter two to justify the trouble anymore.
I shoot thousands of each every year. So does my wife. And I can tell you for sure, if the only way I could reload them was with a "Lee Loader and a Mallet," reloading wouldn't be worth "the trouble.":D
 
I was 20 years old using a Lee hand loader for 38 Special/357 Mag. Got em done one by one hammering away w/the occasional primer detonation to keep me awake. Very slow but great for a guy with no money.
 
1st hand loads were 44SPL, the price of a box of 44SPL was more than the 44MAG.
I thank S&W for making the 696 and getting me into reloading.
 
4yrs ago. 223rem and a lot of help from you guys here! I was scared to death when I first pulled that trigger but you all helped me through it and now I feel pretty comfortable. I now load for 44mag, 45-70, 38spl, 9mm and 223rem.
 
Yep.. reloaded 45ACP and put too much crimp on them.. and in my loose chamber a good number wouldn't even fire because they slid down too far. They fired great in my cousin's HK pistol. But you can imagine my first ever reload and the gun goes... "CLICK!".. in front of everyone.
 
4yrs ago. 223rem and a lot of help from you guys here! I was scared to death when I first pulled that trigger but you all helped me through it and now I feel pretty comfortable. I now load for 44mag, 45-70, 38spl, 9mm and 223rem.

Same here with .223. I vividly recall squinting my eyes real good (even with safety glasses on) and firing with my left hand, AR pistol style. Even though I was extremely cautious in was still using data compiled by a list of strangers and there was that moment of questioning haha
 
Started reloading 3yrs ago with a Lee 50th anniversary Challenger Breecklock kit for 270 Win. Didn't know it then (but thankful) it's a very easy caliber to load for. H4831 and just about any bullet (settled on 130gr Sierra Game Kings) and you're good to go.

Shooting a Mossberg Patriot first time pulling the trigger was nerve racking and sweet all at the same time. After 3 or 4 shots AND after my first group under 1" I felt a feeling I'd never felt before. Even more so after taking my first deer with them. A few years and many hundreds of dollars later here I am.

The best part of of buying a new rifle for me now is working up loads for it.
 
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I don't really remember when I started loading. However It was in the late 70's or early 80's for .38/357's and 9mm with lead bullets and Unique. Filthy stuff at plinking levels. Then .308's with WW748 and 165gr Hornady's. All of these were done on a Rockchucker kit I bought at a LGS. Thanks to the only good piece of advice I remember getting from a gun store I gave up on Unique and switched to WW231.

Later on I started shooting IPSC on that same Rockchucker. That didn't last long until I found a LNIB Dillon 450. Still loading 231 I was then firmly in the .45acp business.
 
Began reloading 5 years ago. First rounds I loaded were 45acp in an NRA cartridge reloading class. My first reloading solo was a month later with 9mm and 7625 on a Lee Breechlock Challenger kit...7625 was the only powder I could find at the time in that sparse ammo year.
 
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1980. RCBS RS press (which I still have and is in service, but I took the primer arm off a long time ago). .38/.357 Mag and .30 Carbine.
 
I loaded 20 ga shotshells when I was in high school for my second trip to old Mexico. We spent 10 days hunting quail and had to limit ourselves to 2 boxes a day. It was purely to cut cost as a cheap box of ammo then was $1.75 a box.:rofl: What really sealed the deal for reloading was my loads for a Ruger 77 270. I worked up one that would put 5 rounds in a nice cloverleaf at 100 yards. Been hooked every since.
 
I remember it like it was just over a month ago...

...because it was. I started mild, 38 special 148gr double end WC's for range plinking. My first batch ran just fine...

I decided to go with a new Dillon 550c

1st hand loads were 44SPL, the price of a box of 44SPL was more than the 44MAG.
I thank S&W for making the 696 and getting me into reloading.

38 special and especially 44 special are what drove me to reload. On the absolute cheapest end, the least expensive 44 special I can buy is $.50/rd before shipping is factored in. Running a ton of that and 38 special with factory loads killed me last year.
 
45 acp with Hornady FMJs, CCI LPPs, and a mild charge (under 6.0 gr) of Unique. I loaded them on my Dillon 550B.

They all fed fired and ejected without issue. They were rather sooty though as the charge was too light. Now I use 6.3 gr and they shoot fairly cleanly.
 
17 years old I bought a Lee Classic Single Stage Kit and a Lee manual. RCBS 8mm Mauser dies, components. I learned how to reload from THR. My press was mounted in my walk in closet at the time on a milsurp footlocker. 12 years later I still haven't upgraded my single stage and I still refer to THR for reloading info.
 
I remember it like it was just over a month ago...

...because it was. I started mild, 38 special 148gr double end WC's for range plinking. My first batch ran just fine...

I decided to go with a new Dillon 550c



38 special and especially 44 special are what drove me to reload. On the absolute cheapest end, the least expensive 44 special I can buy is $.50/rd before shipping is factored in. Running a ton of that and 38 special with factory loads killed me last year.
Gotta build up the brass collection.....
 
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