Hercules Unique in 1981. Was a young police officer and my mentor was a reloader. He showed me how to build better 9mm ammo than I could buy at the time. Old single stage RCBS junior still in use, sometimes even use the old BB scale. Haven't loaded 9mm in years.
Endowment Life Member NRA, Life Member TSRA, Member WACA, NRA Whittington Center, BBHC
Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe
I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call, Lonesome Dove
Some of my favorite recipes start out with a handful of depleted counterbalance devices.
Sounds extremely familiar, except my Sierra bullets were 125 grain and I bought two boxes of them and two packs of CCI primers. The Lee loader, Unique and model 19 are the same and the year was 1981 for me.Originally Posted by Gar
1972, one pound of Unique, a .357 Lee loader, one pack of primers and 100 Sierra 158gr HP. Bought them the same day I bought my Model 19 S&W, hog heaven.
Still have the Model 19.
I also still have the Model 19.
NRA Endowment Member
Armed people don't march into gas chambers.
Well???...
Technically, IMR3031 I bought 20 or 25 years ago when I was going to "start reloading" for a 30-30 and never used it till about 2 years ago in a .243. The first powder that actually bought and used to reload was Bullseye for the 45ACP. Oddly enough I never have reloaded for the 30-30, I don't even have dies for it yet.
Conflict is the root of civilization.
IMR 4895 for my 3006.
Can't remember if it was green dot for 38 spl or H110 for .30 carbine. Either way, it was around 1997.
Can't remember. Probably Bullseye or Unique canister at a gun shop.
Then I found surplus powders.
Got 6# of surplus Unique type powder with data at a Denver gun show. It was originally distributed by Wideners.
Then I discovered Jeff Bartlett and spent a lot of money with him. Many were group orders of a lot of powder.
Seems like when I first started, there were no HAZMAT fees.
Shiloh
Je suis Charlie
"A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves."
Bertrand de Jouvenel
Any government that does not trust its citizens with firearms is either a tyranny, or planning to become one. Joseph P. Martino
If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert , in five years there would be a shortage of sand. Milton Friedman
"Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns; why should we let them have ideas?" - J. Stalin
My first was Elephant Brand FFFg black powder, for a CVA Kentucky Pistol I built from a kit. First smokeless was Red Dot, for loading .32 ACP in a Lee Loader.
My first gun was a 30-30 and my dad had an 8lb cardboard keg of Unique set back. He got me set up with a 168gr RN mold, and let me use his Rockchucker.
I put that entire keg of powder through my 30-30 10 grains at a time.
Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.
Red Dot - Got a Lee loader for 12 ga for Christmas when I was 14 and bought a pound of Red Dot. A local gun store would sell me 100 primers, break a box and sell me 100 wads and weigh out enough shot to load 100 shells. That's all I could afford in those days. Have a 4 lber of Red Dot in my powder supply right now - have always used it and continue to enjoy it.
SR-7625 in 1969. Had a 12 gauge Lee Loader and a bunch of worn out Remington hulls some one gave me. Used Power Piston 29922 wads then taped the crimps with scotch tape to keep the shot from falling out. Used them to shoot ducks on the west end of Galveston Island.
Unique,used in a 38 special was my maiden reloading endeavor,ahhhh the memories and still have 8 fingers and 2 thumbs as my badge of safety merit! GT27
You can't buy common sense,and stupidity can't be fixed!
Mine was 748 for my old spanish 7x57 surplus mauser with HC 130 gr bullets out of a single cavity mold in the mid 80s when I was in high school. I still have the load written in my cast book. It is written down as 18 gr of 748 very light load.
Was probably done to keep me at the end when I was first starting out loading by my dad.
My first powder purchase was 1 pound of IMR4895 in 1971. I had worked all summer to buy a BSA 243 rifle. Using a Lee hand loader that rifle dispensed many a groung hog with 75 grain bullets.
Courage is being scared to death-but saddling up anyway. John Wayne
A man has to do what a man has to do. John Wayne
700x 1lb can to start reloading 45 acp for cast bullets.
Bullseye for .38 wadcutters and Unique for "Ruger and Contender only" loads, kinda opposite ends of the spectrum. Both the Colt Trooper Mk III in electroless nickel and the 7.5" Blackhawk in .45 Colt they were purchased for are still in the safe. Powder was just under $9.00 and primers were $0.69/100. Adjusted for inflation, that would be about the same as before the events 2 months ago. Yes, I still have the cannisters, too. They changed shortly after my first purchase so I kept them.
David
Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris
Green Dot, 1978 for a Lee Load all 12 gauge.
Back in 1967 I bought a 3lb keg of Red Dot.
Same here and just about the same time. To this day, my go to powder is still Unique.
Those who demand tolerance from others are usually the least tolerant of all.
Dupont FFFG in 1954 for an antique pistol. Powder cost $1.25 . First smokeless , 3031 for a SMLE #1 in 1955 . Rifle cost $15 powder $2 . I was only making about $15 a week (I was in high school) so I guess shooting was expensive.
IMR 4064 & Hercules 2400 in 1982. Still use the same loads, though many, many pounds of powder.
Rmcc
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| BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
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| C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
| HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
| PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
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