first caliber reloaded for
- Thread starter OLDE RETIRED COASTIE
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MauriceSam
Member
My neighbor Jim who was Vietnam era Marine, got me started loading .38/.357 mag in 1988. Still have spiral notebook paper with loads he gave me to get started. Bought a Lee C press, dies, dippers, scale, Unique powder and got going. Bought a tumbler from Midway which was a vibrating base with a Rubbermaid bread box attached with a black rubber strap. (How primitive, but it got the job done). Jacketed hollow points 158g cost me $5.95/100. Had the press mounted to plywood C clamped to kitchen counter. Rebuilt the C press two years ago with new casting and only use it for depriming/priming and bullet crimping. Have RCBS for rifles, Lee turret for pistol, and Lee Challenger for other jobs. Load for everything I shoot now. Rarely buy factory ammo except for comparison use. Addicted to reloading and brass collection like a coin/stamp collector. Love reloading as it gets me shooting much more than I would if I had to buy all my ammo. Testing/building new rounds for a new gun is best part. From everything fitting in a small box when I started, to now taking up a good chunk of real estate in the house, my "hobby" has taken on a bigger part of my time.
Hooda Thunkit
Member
9mm Parabellum.
1987 (ish).
I had a Lee hand press, a set of Lee dies, and half interest in a pound of Clays - my buddy owned the other half of the pound.
No scale, no manual beyond the paper in the die set, no tumbler. No problems.
I loaded thousands of rounds with that hand press. I eventually gave it away to a guy that was just starting. Wish I had kept it.
1987 (ish).
I had a Lee hand press, a set of Lee dies, and half interest in a pound of Clays - my buddy owned the other half of the pound.
No scale, no manual beyond the paper in the die set, no tumbler. No problems.
I loaded thousands of rounds with that hand press. I eventually gave it away to a guy that was just starting. Wish I had kept it.
Blue68f100
Member
I started loading 20 ga when I was 12-13 yr old, 1965-1966. Added 308, 30 carbine, 7mm RM in the mid 70's. Been adding more calibers as I get them.
foxmeadow
Member
In 1972, I moved from Indiana to Southern Oregon. As I was driving through a small town, I got pulled over by a state cop, who approached my window with a smile and said " no problem, you did nothing wrong, but is that a T/C Hawken in the rack?" I replied that it was and he asked me if was into trading for a centerfire rifle. I actually had considered that earlier, so I asked what he had. A custom built .308 Norma Mag, in an Enfield action, Fajen stock and I cannot remember the barrel maker. He had dies, brass, powder, bullets and primers to throw in, so I tossed in the possibles bag with powder, balls, caps, and a Maxiball mold. We both went away happy. I ran into him a few months later and he asked me about the rifle. I was living in my truck, working for a logging company and loading that rifle from a Lee Loader. It was a great shooter, even without having an adequate reloading setup. It gave me the 'ol Magnum eyebrow a few times. I wound up selling it for something that kicked a little less. 1968 Winchester '94. Lee loader as well.
My first handgun was a Blackhawk in .30 Carbine. Lee loader for that one, too. I finally bought an old Herters press at a flea market and got civilized.....
My first handgun was a Blackhawk in .30 Carbine. Lee loader for that one, too. I finally bought an old Herters press at a flea market and got civilized.....
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redcon1
member
.45 ACP and 30/06 on a Lee hand press back around 1985 or so.
230RN
2A was "political" when it was first adopted.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/30-06_Springfield_rifle_cartridge.jpg
Yep, thutty ought six. Had just moved out to Colorado from Noo Yawk City and had a Mauser I had re-barreled to .30-06 mailed to me by my in-laws.
Turned out my new next door neighbor in the apartment building was a shooter and introduced me to the notion of reloading for it.
Off and running! Full-bore "Rock Chuck Bullet Swaging" (RCBS) press, and started to reload ammo for it.
To this day I regard its infant cartridge, the .308 Winchester, as a lady's cartridge because "it's lighter to carry and has less recoil."
But truth be told, at my age, I'm a little more recoil-sensitive than then.
Got involved in high powered competition with medium success, but the door was opened and except for rimfires, I never had a gun I didn't have dies for, including .25 ACP. That one's a real pain to reload since I have a hard time handling those itty-bitty components and it's hard to deliver consistent powder charges.
Terry, 230RN
Yep, thutty ought six. Had just moved out to Colorado from Noo Yawk City and had a Mauser I had re-barreled to .30-06 mailed to me by my in-laws.
Turned out my new next door neighbor in the apartment building was a shooter and introduced me to the notion of reloading for it.
Off and running! Full-bore "Rock Chuck Bullet Swaging" (RCBS) press, and started to reload ammo for it.
To this day I regard its infant cartridge, the .308 Winchester, as a lady's cartridge because "it's lighter to carry and has less recoil."
But truth be told, at my age, I'm a little more recoil-sensitive than then.
Got involved in high powered competition with medium success, but the door was opened and except for rimfires, I never had a gun I didn't have dies for, including .25 ACP. That one's a real pain to reload since I have a hard time handling those itty-bitty components and it's hard to deliver consistent powder charges.
Terry, 230RN
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lightman
Member
I still remember. At the advice of a mentor I kept it and still have it. It was a 30-06. I think next up was 22 Hornet followed by 45 ACP. I was a pre teenager at the time. Probably 11 or 12.
Varminterror
Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2016
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- 14,900
I participated in reloading before I reloaded - end to end - myself for the first time. I forget which, but I would have resized 22-250 or 270win first, and would have started around 1988/9. I can’t quite recall, however, if my first end-to-end loading on my own would have been one of those or 357magnum. All of this would have been on two RCBS single stage presses.
The first rounds I loaded for my own firearms would have been around 1996, and I’m fairly certain it was 30-06, with 44mag nearly immediately behind. I can’t recall exactly which bullet I used first in 30-06 for those first ~100 rounds I loaded that year, but I recall changing the next year to the Nosler/Winchester Combined Technology 150grn Ballistic Silvertips. My first press was a Lee Anniversary kit, which I still use as a universal decapper, and for hydroforming cases.
A lot of other cartridges have crossed my bench in the 25+ years since then, and a lot of gear has come and a lot has gone. But my pursuit in the craft really hasn’t changed.
The first rounds I loaded for my own firearms would have been around 1996, and I’m fairly certain it was 30-06, with 44mag nearly immediately behind. I can’t recall exactly which bullet I used first in 30-06 for those first ~100 rounds I loaded that year, but I recall changing the next year to the Nosler/Winchester Combined Technology 150grn Ballistic Silvertips. My first press was a Lee Anniversary kit, which I still use as a universal decapper, and for hydroforming cases.
A lot of other cartridges have crossed my bench in the 25+ years since then, and a lot of gear has come and a lot has gone. But my pursuit in the craft really hasn’t changed.
Bearded Phil
Member
First cartridges loaded for were 357 Mag and .223/5.56. Since then I've expanded to 45-70, 38 spl & 30-30 in that order.
nettlle
Contributing Member
1965- .222 Remington
meesterdon
Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2015
- Messages
- 57
My 1st 6 bullets.
ballman6711
Member
My first were 230gr 45acp. Functioned great, looked good, but couldn't get any accuracy. Didn't take me long to learn Longshot isn't a really good powder for 230gr 45acp rounds.
Next was 38spcl, then 357 mag, 480 Ruger, 223 Rem, 45 LC, and now I'm starting on 7.62x39, with 9mm planned in the not too distant future.
Been a long 4 1/2 years since I started reloading!
chris
Next was 38spcl, then 357 mag, 480 Ruger, 223 Rem, 45 LC, and now I'm starting on 7.62x39, with 9mm planned in the not too distant future.
Been a long 4 1/2 years since I started reloading!
chris
The_Quartermaster
Member
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2022
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- 474
I learned that Power Pistol for .45 ACP is a bit much unless one likes it to flash bang at the muzzle after each trigger pull. Bullseye was great too, when it could be found, but still a bit flashy. Then I found 231, and suddenly my quest for the best .45 ACP powder for me was finally over.
ballman6711
Member
I also found 231 works great for 45acp. It's almost hard not to find a good load with it.
chris
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
It was the .44Special. If I remember right, I got setup to reload while waiting for my first custom gun from Jim Stroh. Worked a lot of hours at a really crappy job surrounded by convicts to pay for that RCBS turret press.
Hooda Thunkit
Member
Oh mercy me, what a beautiful revolver.
barnfrog
Member
My friend and I bought Lee Load-Alls, his in 16 gauge, mine in 20, when we were high school freshmen. By the end of college he had moved across the country and my shooting activity dropped way off. I kept all the stuff though, and gave it to him a few years ago so he could load for his kids, who were just starting to shoot.
Started loading .243 a couple years ago and have added .30-06, .308, 9mm, .38/.357 and .44 mag.
Started loading .243 a couple years ago and have added .30-06, .308, 9mm, .38/.357 and .44 mag.
Cheesemaker
Member
early-to-mid 1980s - 44Mag. It is still my favorite cartridge, so versatile.
I do load a few (additional) different carts now - 38Spl, 357Mag, 10mm, 45ACP, 454 Casull, 460 S&W, 500 S&W, .223 and .308.
I used to load 50AE - sold that firearm.
I do load a few (additional) different carts now - 38Spl, 357Mag, 10mm, 45ACP, 454 Casull, 460 S&W, 500 S&W, .223 and .308.
I used to load 50AE - sold that firearm.
conan32120
Member
.44 special, cause they were hard to find, with the hammer operated lee loader
gwpercle
Member
7.5 Swiss . 1967 , local Army/Navy surplus -sporting goods store ( now it has become Lipsey's )
was selling surplus Swiss Schmidt-Ruben 1911 short rifles . Along side the 1903 Springfields . 98 Mausers , 303 British Enfields and all the other bolt action repeaters ... the strange Push-Ma Pull-Ya action of the Swiss rifles were a hard sell ... nobody wanted them . They were priced $19.95 and standing in a wooden barrel ... well I had $20 and several of my high-school buddies did too .
We all bought them ...but the only fly in the ointment was ammo . Only Century Arms imported any ... all of it was full metal jacket military surplus ... no way to fix ( Bubba - sporterize) this one and go deer hunting without some ammo loaded with soft points . I bought a press , dies and a Hornady Loading manual , #1 first edition ...it was the only manual with loading data for the 7.5 Swiss . We saved all our brass but I soon discovered it was all Berdan Primed !!!!
The gunshop owner showed me how to use 284 Winchester brass to form 7.5 Swiss and then we were off on a reloading hobby that's lasted 50+ years ... I've enjoyed every minute and still have that "sporterized" 1911 Schmidt-Ruben ... just call me Bubba !
Gary
was selling surplus Swiss Schmidt-Ruben 1911 short rifles . Along side the 1903 Springfields . 98 Mausers , 303 British Enfields and all the other bolt action repeaters ... the strange Push-Ma Pull-Ya action of the Swiss rifles were a hard sell ... nobody wanted them . They were priced $19.95 and standing in a wooden barrel ... well I had $20 and several of my high-school buddies did too .
We all bought them ...but the only fly in the ointment was ammo . Only Century Arms imported any ... all of it was full metal jacket military surplus ... no way to fix ( Bubba - sporterize) this one and go deer hunting without some ammo loaded with soft points . I bought a press , dies and a Hornady Loading manual , #1 first edition ...it was the only manual with loading data for the 7.5 Swiss . We saved all our brass but I soon discovered it was all Berdan Primed !!!!
The gunshop owner showed me how to use 284 Winchester brass to form 7.5 Swiss and then we were off on a reloading hobby that's lasted 50+ years ... I've enjoyed every minute and still have that "sporterized" 1911 Schmidt-Ruben ... just call me Bubba !
Gary
dredd
Member
My first metallic was 45acp.
The flood gates opened up after that.
The flood gates opened up after that.
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