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Thread: What or When or Who . . . motivated you to HAND-LOAD ?

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master OS OK's Avatar
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    What or When or Who . . . motivated you to HAND-LOAD ?

    For me...it was seeing a Rock Chucker set up in the gun shop where I traded & then having the owner tell me that I could make my own ammunition!
    At that time I had 3 rugrats that would shoot tons of ammo every time we went camping...we used to go camping all the time, that was our family thing and all loved it.
    Soooo...I bought the gear, taught myself out of the books...at first was scared to death that I might do something wrong & blow myself up right at the bench! After about 6 months all three rugrats were involved and hand-loading became another family thing too. Geeez, that was a long time ago...our oldest rugrat is now 48 !
    Since then there have been many presses added to the bench and procedures have morphed a bit too but...that old Rock Chucker is still on the bench doing it's part, (I look over at that press now and still see one of my young boys sitting atop a stool and running it!) same old 5-10 scale & same old uniflow...my, my how times have changed.
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  2. #2
    Boolit Master

    Baja_Traveler's Avatar
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    When I started shooting skeet competitively in high school back in the 70's - seeing I could reload a box of shells for less than 1/4 the cost of a new box using reclaimed shot convinced me that a MEC 600 was needed. When I was old enough to buy my Colt Python the Rock Chucker was a natural to feed it - in fact, that classic Rock Chucker is still my most used press, even though I also use a Dillon 550B. I also use the same old RCBS scale and Uniflow, in fact the uniflow hopper had turned so dark green from the decades of use I could no longer see the powder inside and RCBS sent me a new replacement last year...

  3. #3
    Boolit Master shredder's Avatar
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    For me it was an old time catalog from a place in Canada called S.I.R. mail order. I perused that annual catalog for years starting at about age 10 as I grew up lusting for all the reloading gear so I could shoot my rifles (when I got some) more for cheap. The bullet casting equipment was particularly fascinating for me. There was a lot of mil surp rifles and bare actions, barrels etc. I dreamed of building many a rifle before I was old enough to have any of them. It was a given that once I started buying rifles that I would reload for them. It was also a given that I would get some mil sups and work on them to become hunting rifles. It's what we did back in the 70s.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    When a box of 30/30 was $12 and WWB 40SW was $20/50. Then I found I could make my own boolits. Then I found I could PC them. Endless.
    Whatever!

  5. #5
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    I wanted to shoot. my grandfather was cheap if you wanted to shoot you cast and loaded your own. never fired a factory rifle round till I was 12 years old.

  6. #6
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    For me and dad, it was so we could reload and shoot a lot cheaper our deer rifles. I can reload a .30-06 round for about $.35 (depending on the bullet I use). Considering that .30-06 rounds are roughly $1/each. I saw it as a way to save money and shoot more. Some of the older guns shoot bullets that have not been made commercially since the 1930's, it made sense to load those to shoot. Now, I reload for every caliber gun I have except for 7.62x39 and 7.62x54R.
    Last edited by DxieLandMan; 02-02-2018 at 02:33 PM.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master



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    I could tinker with the load and the old Herters presses stood up under a lot of use.I loaded both shotgun and rifles.Even could adjust the pattern of shotshell density.The only thing I load for now is handgun loads.Age will take care a lot of things.
    Are my kids/grandkids more important than "o"'s kids, to me they are,darn tooting they are!!! They deserve the same armed protection afforded "o"'s kids.
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  8. #8
    Boolit Master brewer12345's Avatar
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    The second Obama panic in the ammo and components market did it for me. I hate being at the mercy of the market and wanted to insulate myself. It is easy and cheap to stock up on rimfire ammo. Centerfire, not so much. So I started to learn reloading and then casting.
    When you care enough to send the very best, send an ounce of lead.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    I was perhaps 15 and visited a distant relative in Wisconsin. We shot some hand thrown skeet with a Mossberg pump shotgun then went and reloaded the shells with a mallet operated Lee loader. That seemed like a very good idea to a broke 15 yr old with a paper route. I thought I would be saving money. hehehe.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Like most small farm families here we went to town on Friday evening. I went to school also but there was a closed day. In JR high I acquired a savage 110 in 222 rem. I had ammo but would occasionally run out before Friday, especially during wood chuck season. A lee whack a mole kit and old bottle capper kept me in ammo. and made the rifle way more versatile for me. The Lee Whack a mole kit was a gift from a nieghbor for ridding his field of wood chucks. The bottle capper press we had. ( Dad got tired of hearing the mallet tapping every evening LOL). I loaded a lot of accurate ammo on that tool from 22 lr velocities up to full 222 rem.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master


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    My Dad got me a Winchester Mdl 64 for my 11th birthday. He placed two caveats on getting it. The first was anything I shot I ate and If I wanted to shoot it I loaded my own boolits. He gifted me with one box of factory ammo and I near wore out that brass reloading it numerous times with my Lee Loader.
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

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  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I was shooting my first centerfire revolver in the hills above Los Angeles and as I emptied the cylinder of my 3" 38 I though; "I wonder if I can reuse these?". I had a Herters catalog and scanned that and did some research then bought a Lee Loader, 1 lb. of Bullseye, 100 CCI primers, 200 generic lead bullets, and used some range pickups for brass. I already had a mallet and assorted machinist's tools and I reloaded with this outfit, renewing components of course, for about 18 months. IIRC it was summer of '69...
    My Anchor is holding fast!

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    The,"What" & "When" is, that I started because I wanted to try & save money and still shoot. A person could say that I started back in the mid/late 70's(1977 or so, IIRC) because a hunting buddy & I reloaded 12ga on a MEC to save $$ then for hunting & it just transfered over to handguns later.
    Later on, in the mid/late 80s ( 1987 or so) I only reloaded for 38spec., 357Mag & 44 Mag. Shot about 1-200 rounds each handgun once a month with the missus, with two young sons tagging along & some friends who wanted to shoot their firearms as well. Usually out at some friends farm. Spend an rainy/snowy/windy cold weekend with the hobby making rounds when the missus was working a weekend shift & I was keeping an eye on the boys. Clamped the press to an old coffee table with everything in front of me & the boys read books, played board games or watched me or the TV. Shot them up in the following month & repeat...

    The "WHO", was a self motivated fella who worked hard, but did not make a lot of $$, & wanted to have some fun shooting.

    BTW, I am still using all of that equipment(which was just the RCBS basics), with the exception of the MEC. My buddy, Clayt, has that, I 'think"...

    Next?
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  14. #14
    Boolit Master

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    I bought as .44 caplock kit about 1969 that started me casting. If I was going to cast, I might as well load. After that one thing just lead to another.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Started with a Lee Target Loader in .222. I think I only had 40 cases of .222 at the time. Wanted less expensive and more accurate ammunition. That was about 50 years ago.

    If I have any regrets, it is not buying a Star Universal but getting the cheaper Green Machine when I got heavily into Bullseye. Biggest waste of money on any reloader I have ever owned. Second worst was a MEC 9000. They put a cookie sheet under them for a reason. Fortunately, I sold both to strangers on Ebay.
    Don Verna


  16. #16
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    "what?"
    the price sticker on a box of 44 mag ammo...I don't member the year, late 90s or early 2000s.

    ...
    There was another little thing that happened a year or two prior to me mounting a press to a bench to load 44's. I responded to a ad on the radio...not a commercial ad, but it was on a local radio show called "Swap shop", where callers would call in to offer stuff for sale. In mid morning one day while I was at work and listening to the show, A elderly man called in, offering his entire gun collection, as he was ill and needed money for healthcare expenses. I go to his house that evening, He said most of the guns were already sold. I guess he had a quite a large collection of handguns and rifles and shotguns. He had 4 rifles left, A 1895 Krag cavalry carbine, and 3 sportized mil surps (two 8mm mausers and a sweetly done VZ-24 Czech in 257Rob). I offered to buy them all, then he said, do you reload? That started a long conversation and a tour of his reloading room in the basement. I bought everything he had...an old Herters single stage press, and all the Herters accouterments needed to go with it, as well as, about 10 sets of Herters dies, lots of brass/powder/primers/bullets. My plan was not to reload, my plan at the time was to flip it at the local gunshow...which started my many years of gunshow table renting.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
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  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy
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    I'm that guy that has to know how everything works and tinkers with different things all the time and always looks for a new challenge. When i was very young I joined math club because I wanted to learn how to convert to binary and hex I guess i was about 11 or 12 at the time and i for some reason i found that interesting so I joined, learned and quit two weeks later. Next was chemistry club because who doesnt want to know how to blow stuff up. Learned how to mix explosives check, quit. Joined physics club because electricity was interesting to me. I actually stuck with this for a while and almost ended up with a degree in electronics but last minute I changed to Information Technology because electronics wasnt holding my interest and computers were even more complicated. So now I'm 42 work as Sr. Network Engineer at a local hospital managing hundreds of servers, switches, routers, firewalls etc. I always wanted to be the top dog that everyone runs to for answers and I got that but I'm still looking for new things to learn and frankly I'm getting bored of my job but thats another story.

    I have couple friends that shoot and they finally got me into shooting only about a year ago as i was looking for something new to dive into. I purchased couple handguns and build AR from a kit and so far I'm only shooting FMJs in .223 and i cast for everything else 9,45,357,300aac. I enjoy this hobby as I'm getting older. My back is not what it used to be so I probably wont buy another motorcycle or kayak but few more guns wont hurt anyone ... I hope. Of course I'm the only one now that reloads as none of my other friends are motivated enough to try.

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master

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    My Grandfather started reloading right after I started shooting in competition, to save money. I loaded my first cartridge before getting out of grade school. I inherited his equipment after He passed away and have been reloading ever since. I've up graded some over the years but Grandpa was the one that got me started. RIP Grandpa, I mis you!

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy RGrosz's Avatar
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    Started as a young married guy who didn't have much in the way of money back in the early '70's. It was a way to save money. I expect to save some any year now. Started with a wack-a-mole kit from Lee and my 20 gage. The wife got tired of the hammering, so got a Meg 600 jr. Soon got a 357 pistol and saved up the price of a Lee 3 hole turret press. It has been 'the slippery slope' ever sense. Guess I could do worse for something to do. Mostly am self taught but would like to mention a distant relitick who was several times removed, but keeps finding his way back. He has helped me out as an enabler over the years.
    Rob

  20. #20
    Boolit Master JMax's Avatar
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    Started decades ago with my grandfather the summer when I was 10 with an Ideal C press, old scale and Ideal single cavity molds for 45, 38, 06 and 45-70. All these years later I still love casting and reloading.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check