bobinoregon
Member
Another Whack a Mole graduate, started early 70's with a 300 Savage. The instructions with it must have been pretty good since I still have all my fingers and the rifle.
- Status
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
I think we all remember that feeling.
I must have checked everything thirty times. I shot some factory to guage the recoil. I put one round in the magazine and stood there. Probably ten minutes. I wondered why I just put so much faith into the machine made stuff, but was so apprehensive about shooting my own.
The fear of the unknown obviously!
Reasoning that I write with my right hand, I place my trusty Nineteen Eleven in my left hand, stepped behind a larger white oak, and fired.
Success! It even locked the slide back.
My anxiety assuaged, slightly.
I placed two in next. More success! I knew for a fact that all the rounds were identical, so seven went in next. The whole mag went off without a hitch.
I guess I don't need to stand behind this tree anymore...
tightgroup tiger
Member
Mine was 44wcf. My fitst handgun and introduction to loading lead bullets.
Toprudder
Member
I started with a 550B, and 40 was my first. Then 380. Then 9. Then.....
I started reloading to save money.
Actually, I started right after the 2012 elections when ammo disappeared from the shelves. A friend at work helped get me started. I was able to buy a 4 lb jug of Power Pistol before the pistol powders disappeared. I bought the 550B and stuck it on a Harbor Freight woodworking bench, in the corner of a spare bedroom. I ended up buying a 12x20 prefab shed that I finished the interior, and moved everything into there. I now have 4 presses mounted on that same bench. I now load about 4 times the amount of ammo as the friend that got me started. He created a monster. I now reload 16 calibers. As I figure out good loads for one caliber, I pick another one and start all over.Straight-walled pistol brass is a great place to start. There is a lot more brass prep for bottle-neck rifle brass, especially 223/556 were much of it will have crimped primer pockets.
Even though I have a 550B, I do the vast majority of my rifle loads on my Lee turret press. I do have a toolhead for the 550 setup for doing 223, but I still size and prep the brass on the turret press. The brass is ready to prime and drop powder into before it goes into the Dillon.
It started out that shooting was my hobby. Then I started reloading, and reloading became my hobby. Then I started wet tumbling, and making dirty old brass shiny again was my hobby - shooting and reloading is just a means to that end.
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Nature Boy
Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2015
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- 8,227
Just look at all of that saved money!
Zaydok Allen
Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2011
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- 13,274
I remember mine very well. It was 45 acp, 230 gr FMJ, over 5.3 gr of Unique I believe. But I worked up a ladder that day.
Every one fed, fired, and ejected perfectly.
I use a 550B. It's all the press I need for the time being.
I remember it very well.......... because it was only a year ago!
Every one fed, fired, and ejected perfectly.
I use a 550B. It's all the press I need for the time being.
I remember it very well.......... because it was only a year ago!
CoalTrain49
Member
I started loading when I was about 23. I had a Blackhawk so 357 was my first attempt and I used a Lee Loader. I remember occasionally setting a primer off and the neighbor asking me about the noise. I loaded for trap shooting for many years before I got into metal cartridges about 8 years ago. There was a long period of about 20 years where I didn't load anything. I started metallic loading again with straight wall pistol and worked into bottleneck cartridges. I now load 2 rifle and 3 pistol cartridges. I sold most of my shotguns so now just load metal. No more shot rolling around everywhere.
I loaded for trap shooting for many years before I got into metal cartridges about 8 years ago. There was a long period of about 20 years where I didn't load anything. I started metallic loading again with straight wall pistol and worked into bottleneck cartridges. I now load 2 rifle and 3 pistol cartridges. I sold most of my shotguns so now just load metal. No more shot rolling around everywhere. 
thomas15
Member
My Dad had several 30-06 rifles he got from DCM, a 1903 Springfield and 1917 Enfield and he cast bullets and handloaded for them. I was about 9 when he started doing this, my brother and I "helped". After a while he stopped as work and other things took up his time. So I had an idea of how it was done and always knew that someday I would handload for myself.
I have always been a member of some sort of gun club but as an adult not very active. Then about 6 years ago I started shooting handguns and became a regular at my clubs Thursday night pistol shooters group. In the winter they shoot indoors which prohibits jacketed bullets so I needed a supply of plated bullets for my 9mm auto loader. This turned out to be the excuse I needed to start handloading.
I didn't really look that deep into equipment, I knew I wanted good well regarded gear not the lowest price stuff and I had some of my Dads handloading tackle which is Lyman and RCBS. I got a hold of a rock chucker press and 9mm dies, a scale and a book or two. I relied on the advice of a few others I shoot with and finally in early January 2014 I assembled my first handgun loads in 9mm. I made up 50 rounds in 10 round ladder loads. My first round, which I shot in my back yard into a snowbank, failed to cycle the gun, not enough power. I guess in my reading I was worried that I would load too hot so I went in the opposite direction. My second rung on the ladder cycled some rounds not all, it wasn't until I got to the 3rd step things started working well.
I do remember closing my eyes before pulling the trigger the first time. Also early on most of my problems with rimless handgun ammo not working well centered on having too much taper crimp. Since starting this adventure I have progressed up the ladder of press types and handloading techniques learning much along the way. I think the best lesson I can teach a beginner outside of the safety rules is to give thru repetition a good understanding of what exactly each die is doing. Once you know this, setting up or adjusting dies becomes very easy and fast. The technique for doing this is lost in the words of the many how to books on the subject.
The other big piece of advice I offer is limit the number of voices speaking into your brain, know that the techniques for rifle and pistol are different and try to lay out your near and long term goals for your ammo needs. Anyone can load a round of ammo and hear a bang, but knowing what you want helps define the actual approach. I shot yesterday in a steel challenge match, one of the shooters on my squad had his loads so hot (and loud) that it had a negative impact on his score.
The first lesson I think everyone should come to grips with and is a bitter pill to some is in the overall scheme of things, handloading will not save you money, actually it is the opposite. There is also a huge difference in the needs of a hunter who shoots 270s and a competitor that shoots 9mm. I have come to appreciate the value of having a few rimfire firearms in the collection. Sometimes just buying ammo and firing away is fun also!
I have always been a member of some sort of gun club but as an adult not very active. Then about 6 years ago I started shooting handguns and became a regular at my clubs Thursday night pistol shooters group. In the winter they shoot indoors which prohibits jacketed bullets so I needed a supply of plated bullets for my 9mm auto loader. This turned out to be the excuse I needed to start handloading.
I didn't really look that deep into equipment, I knew I wanted good well regarded gear not the lowest price stuff and I had some of my Dads handloading tackle which is Lyman and RCBS. I got a hold of a rock chucker press and 9mm dies, a scale and a book or two. I relied on the advice of a few others I shoot with and finally in early January 2014 I assembled my first handgun loads in 9mm. I made up 50 rounds in 10 round ladder loads. My first round, which I shot in my back yard into a snowbank, failed to cycle the gun, not enough power. I guess in my reading I was worried that I would load too hot so I went in the opposite direction. My second rung on the ladder cycled some rounds not all, it wasn't until I got to the 3rd step things started working well.
I do remember closing my eyes before pulling the trigger the first time. Also early on most of my problems with rimless handgun ammo not working well centered on having too much taper crimp. Since starting this adventure I have progressed up the ladder of press types and handloading techniques learning much along the way. I think the best lesson I can teach a beginner outside of the safety rules is to give thru repetition a good understanding of what exactly each die is doing. Once you know this, setting up or adjusting dies becomes very easy and fast. The technique for doing this is lost in the words of the many how to books on the subject.
The other big piece of advice I offer is limit the number of voices speaking into your brain, know that the techniques for rifle and pistol are different and try to lay out your near and long term goals for your ammo needs. Anyone can load a round of ammo and hear a bang, but knowing what you want helps define the actual approach. I shot yesterday in a steel challenge match, one of the shooters on my squad had his loads so hot (and loud) that it had a negative impact on his score.
The first lesson I think everyone should come to grips with and is a bitter pill to some is in the overall scheme of things, handloading will not save you money, actually it is the opposite. There is also a huge difference in the needs of a hunter who shoots 270s and a competitor that shoots 9mm. I have come to appreciate the value of having a few rimfire firearms in the collection. Sometimes just buying ammo and firing away is fun also!
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CoalTrain49
Member
That really got people's attention.
I think I started loading for my pistols about the time powder and primers disappeared. I think everyone who reloads now keeps a good supply of powder and primers on hand. I know I do.
Toprudder
Member
Yeah, rub it in.
Toprudder
Member
Yeah, that is my plan. (see the powder on the bottom shelf of my bench in the photo above).
This is part of my pistol powder collection three years ago. I was trying out different powders as I could find them, at the local gun shows. I've used up some of the ones I did not care for, and have stocked up on others.
GunnyUSMC
Member
I started in 1983 with a Lyman 310 Ideal Tool and a set of 38 Spl dies. It wasn't long before I found myself a RCBS Rockchucher.
CoalTrain49
Member
That's impressive. With that many samples I'm sure you came up with some pretty good loads. I've never experimented with a lot of different bullets and powders, just didn't have the time nor inclination. I'm starting to do some with rifle bullets for benchrest but I don't think I'll go down any rabbit holes with it. Powder is a perplexing situation for me. It seems that the supply is still erratic and companies advertise product that doesn't exist or at least I can't find it locally. When I find one that works I buy 8lbs if I can find it. I'm loading everything with 3 powders, all Alliant. I like to keep things simple.
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Toprudder
Member
I'm actually pretty lucky, there are a couple of vendors that go to the local gun shows now (we have about 6 during the year). They have good prices and great selections. I can call them and order something, and they will bring it to the next show for me. But during the great shortage a few years ago, it was hard to find much. I hit all the shows during that time, and if I saw a pound of powder that I had not tried, I bought it. There are a few powders I don't like, but in a pinch I at least know what will work. I have a pretty good collection of load data now.
I am in the process of culling a few powders out of my collection, by loading up rounds until they are gone, and replacing them with more of the ones I do like.
Newtosavage
Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2015
- Messages
- 2,918
Started with a Lee loader in .308. It was a great way to start. Inexpensive and didn't take up any space, and made you methodically load each cartridge so you understood the whole process. I did hate the primer however. The addition of a Lee hand primer took my reloading to a whole new and safer level!
To this day, some of my most accurate hand loads ever, came out of that $45 Lee loader.
To this day, some of my most accurate hand loads ever, came out of that $45 Lee loader.
My first cartridge was 10mm.
I got started in reloading with the help of a friend. I had known the guy for years, as we were both avid golfers and had spent (no exaggeration) hundreds and hundreds of hours together on the golf course walking and talking. When my daughter was born, I found my ability to leave the house for 6 hours every weekend was... constrained. As was my ability to go to the driving range after dinner 1-2 nights during the week. My presence was "requested" at the house for a lot more time than I was used to. I needed something I could do at home that didn't make a lot of noise and could be done in small chunks of time when they became available.
My buddy suggested reloading - something I had been contemplating, given that I had a 10mm auto to feed! He said it was "like knitting for men." (I know, women can reload and men can knit... but it's still a funny line.) He invited me over to his place, and, using his little single-stage Lee press, we loaded a small number of rounds together. We used Speer data, Unique powder, and some Montana Gold 180 grain bullets he had on-hand.
A few days later, we went to the range. The rounds produced a tight little group and I was hooked. I bought two reloading manuals (Speer and Hornady were the first two). I read them both cover-to-cover; not the load tables for each cartridge, but, yes, even the narrative for each cartridge. I think guns are interesting... why would I not enjoy reading about various cartridges?? I then ordered a Lee Classic Turret kit from Kempf and I was off and running.
When I started, I decided I would obsessively record a lot of data. I figured some would prove useful and some would not, but how would I know at the outset? So I wrote down a lot of stuff. I have multiple steno notebooks filled with the finished cartridge weight of every round I loaded, with charge weight, cartridge length, headstamp, etc. all recorded. I have pages of notes where I recorded weights of a sample of each kind of bullet (say, Montana Gold JHP 180) and of each kind of brass (say, Starline 10mm) and of the weights thrown by the Auto-Disk (and, later, Auto-Drum) dispenser for various powders and settings. By collecting this data, I found I got a feel fairly quickly for what tolerance ranges were normal, which brands stayed tight and which ones had a lot of variability, which powders metered well, etc. And measuring and recording so extensively made me very methodical in my approach and mindset, which is good for reloading.
I no longer record that same volume of data for cartridges/loads I've been making for several years, but I still refer back to it from time to time to answer some question. There's a lot of great data out there on the internet, but I would encourage any new reloader to build their own library of recorded measurements. Even if you never look back at it, the mindfulness it requires is, IMO, conducive to safe and methodical reloading practices.
I got started in reloading with the help of a friend. I had known the guy for years, as we were both avid golfers and had spent (no exaggeration) hundreds and hundreds of hours together on the golf course walking and talking. When my daughter was born, I found my ability to leave the house for 6 hours every weekend was... constrained. As was my ability to go to the driving range after dinner 1-2 nights during the week. My presence was "requested" at the house for a lot more time than I was used to. I needed something I could do at home that didn't make a lot of noise and could be done in small chunks of time when they became available.
My buddy suggested reloading - something I had been contemplating, given that I had a 10mm auto to feed! He said it was "like knitting for men." (I know, women can reload and men can knit... but it's still a funny line.) He invited me over to his place, and, using his little single-stage Lee press, we loaded a small number of rounds together. We used Speer data, Unique powder, and some Montana Gold 180 grain bullets he had on-hand.
A few days later, we went to the range. The rounds produced a tight little group and I was hooked. I bought two reloading manuals (Speer and Hornady were the first two). I read them both cover-to-cover; not the load tables for each cartridge, but, yes, even the narrative for each cartridge. I think guns are interesting... why would I not enjoy reading about various cartridges?? I then ordered a Lee Classic Turret kit from Kempf and I was off and running.
When I started, I decided I would obsessively record a lot of data. I figured some would prove useful and some would not, but how would I know at the outset? So I wrote down a lot of stuff. I have multiple steno notebooks filled with the finished cartridge weight of every round I loaded, with charge weight, cartridge length, headstamp, etc. all recorded. I have pages of notes where I recorded weights of a sample of each kind of bullet (say, Montana Gold JHP 180) and of each kind of brass (say, Starline 10mm) and of the weights thrown by the Auto-Disk (and, later, Auto-Drum) dispenser for various powders and settings. By collecting this data, I found I got a feel fairly quickly for what tolerance ranges were normal, which brands stayed tight and which ones had a lot of variability, which powders metered well, etc. And measuring and recording so extensively made me very methodical in my approach and mindset, which is good for reloading.
I no longer record that same volume of data for cartridges/loads I've been making for several years, but I still refer back to it from time to time to answer some question. There's a lot of great data out there on the internet, but I would encourage any new reloader to build their own library of recorded measurements. Even if you never look back at it, the mindfulness it requires is, IMO, conducive to safe and methodical reloading practices.
GBExpat
Member
As an addendum to Post #3:
I found a pic that I took last year (?) of my original Whack-a-Mole kit along with the W-a-M FL resizing die that I later found that I also often required:
And, yeah, Mom & Dad always taught us to take good care of our stuff.
I also have a Lee Loader for the .357mag that Dad bought later that first year. I can remember sitting on the floor in front of the TV just POUNDING on that thing while watching a show. Made Mom a bit antsy, I must say ... but she was plucky and put up with a LOT of our Guy-Silliness ... with a smile.
I found a pic that I took last year (?) of my original Whack-a-Mole kit along with the W-a-M FL resizing die that I later found that I also often required:
And, yeah, Mom & Dad always taught us to take good care of our stuff.
I also have a Lee Loader for the .357mag that Dad bought later that first year. I can remember sitting on the floor in front of the TV just POUNDING on that thing while watching a show. Made Mom a bit antsy, I must say ... but she was plucky and put up with a LOT of our Guy-Silliness ... with a smile.
Wildbillz
Member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2010
- Messages
- 1,020
45Acp, I started in the summer of 77 using the equipment at a local shop (The Gun Room) that I hung out at. They would sell me primers and powder as I used them and 200grn SWC cast bullets that they got from the local gun range. The next year (78) for Christmas Mom and Dad got me a RCBS Re-loader Special Package. I still use the same press and scale on occasion, but most of my loading now is done on a Dillon 550B I got for my 40th birthday.
WB
WB
bbqreloader
Member
Yeah, rub it in.
I like to think about it as my zen/therapy work area...Im one with the bench...sure as heck alot cheaper than a couch in an office somewhere.
santacruzdave
Member
Started reloading early in 2016 when I realized the ability to mail order ammo was going to be curtailed by Gavin Newsom's prop 63. And that further ammo regulations were going to make it very hard to get ammunition. Started with a single stage press, loading 9mm. Yes, sweated bullets (pun intended) shooting my handloads the first time. After a while I got a chronograph, then a Lee Classic Turret press and I have a progressive press sitting on a Fedex shipping dock scheduled for delivery tomorrow. I was so happy with my 9mm results, I geared up to reload .44 Magnum and Special, .357, .38, 45 ACP and .223. Thinking about adding .300 Win Mag, but as my friend John says, "That sucker kills at both ends". So I'm still thinking on the 300.
CoalTrain49
Member
I like to think about it as my zen/therapy work area...Im one with the bench...sure as heck alot cheaper than a couch in an office somewhere.
Costs less than 20K boat also. I have some friends who are hard core salmon fishermen. Those guys are going down when they retire.
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
One of the joys of reloading is that you can load from mild to wild. Had I gotten into reloading before I sold my .300 Win Mag, I might still have it!
.308 Norma
Member
When I started, we lived in town in a single-wide, 2-bedroom mobile home. There was a closet in the back bedroom that was just wide and deep enough for a clothes washer and dryer set – or a reloading bench. My wife didn’t like having to go to the laundromat to wash and dry our clothes, so we had to move.
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Lee Q. Loader
Member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2018
- Messages
- 443
All those handgun powders and not a bottle of Unique. I had to look at the pic 3 times to make sure wasn't missing it. I thought everyone had some Unique!
kBob
Member
Lee Loader with a plastic mallet and a tea cup and a can of Unique.
First upgrade was a hand held single primer Lee Priming tool.
Because I used WW 230 grain FMJs to match the service load I only saved about 50 percent initially and of course this went up with each reload of a piece of brass or nice found brass.
A friend soon joined me in hammering out new ammo on that Lee Tool
My second upgrade was convincing my mallet swinging buddy, (who was better off financially than me) to get an RCBS single stage...…..
Then came a series of rather rapid shared purchases of dies and shell holders to allow us to load .38/.357, 9x19mm, .380, and .308 Winchester
I have several different presses now out in the shop and the only two I personally bought (the rest were gifts by folks upgrading ot getting out of reloading) are that original Lee Hammermatic and the .30-06 Match version of the same.
-kBob
First upgrade was a hand held single primer Lee Priming tool.
Because I used WW 230 grain FMJs to match the service load I only saved about 50 percent initially and of course this went up with each reload of a piece of brass or nice found brass.
A friend soon joined me in hammering out new ammo on that Lee Tool
My second upgrade was convincing my mallet swinging buddy, (who was better off financially than me) to get an RCBS single stage...…..
Then came a series of rather rapid shared purchases of dies and shell holders to allow us to load .38/.357, 9x19mm, .380, and .308 Winchester
I have several different presses now out in the shop and the only two I personally bought (the rest were gifts by folks upgrading ot getting out of reloading) are that original Lee Hammermatic and the .30-06 Match version of the same.
-kBob
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