38 Spl back in 1977. Followed by 45 ACP in 1978. Seems like yesterday.
38 Spl back in 1977. Followed by 45 ACP in 1978. Seems like yesterday.
1984 Bought everything needed based on experienced advice of a small gun shop in fort Meyers( Fridays guns shop I think) . Knew nothing about reloading, he showed me all the equipment, advised me on needs and wants. Suggested strongly on the press (big max) bought it , based on his advice .Returned home with the goodie boxes and proceeded to reload, with no mentors!! ya know what? that 243 788 remy took a beatin big time (it should be a timex) probably the best money I ever spent (on both lol)
Started out watching a level-headed teenager whose father was a fanatic reloader (like I am now) reload for a .22-250 before 1966. He showed me and some other guys that a bullet could be pushed so fast that it would disintegrate when it left the muzzle by air distortion or friction. Tacked up a newspaper at about 10' and the only holes in the newspaper were widespread in that short distance. However I was so short on money at the time that I could not even purchase a firearm, let alone reloading equipment. Then got started seriously with a Ruger Blackhawk in 1973. As someone above stated, it's all been downhill from there. Now I reload everything I shoot, rifles and handguns. Do use some bullets but mostly boolits. Big Boomer
40 s&w
30-30 1964 14years old Marlin 336 no help no supervision, just read everything available ( Lyman and Speer manuals mostly) NO INTERNET, NO COMPUTERS blue Pacific C press and dies, then a single cavity Lyman 311041 added (1965) no mishaps other than occasional heavy leading in the microgroove barrel in the EARLY YEARS, much more STUFF since then
38 special for a Smith 642. Started with cast bullets from a friend.
12 trap loads with a Lee whack a mole, 1975.
Since then, 16, 20, 28 gauge, 410 bore.
Then the rifle started, 204 Ruger, 22 Hornet, 221 Fireball, .222,
220 Swift, 22-250, .223, .243, .257 Roberts, 260 Remington, 6.5x55, 6.5 Carcano, 30 carbine, 30-06, 30-30, 300 Savage,
.308 Win, .303 British, 7.62x54r, 32 win spec., 8mm, 8x50r, 8x56r, .318 Westley Richards, .338 Win Mag, 35 Rem, 38-55,
.375 Flanged 2 1/2" Nitro Express, 375 H&H, 450/400 NE, 450 Nitro Express, 45/70, 50/70.
Pistols came later: 45 acp, 38 special, .357 mag, 44 special, 44 mag, 45 Colt, .45 Schofield, 7.62 Nagant.
.32, .36, .40, .45, .50 round ball in various firearms.
I see the 7.62x39, .416 Rigby, 470 Nitro Express creeping over the horizon.....
Missed 41 Mag and loaded some 480 Ruger shotshell loads last week.
Add 30-40 Krag, 8-31-17.
Missed .350 Rigby Nitro Express, loaded up some for a friend a couple of years ago.
Most of these were for myself, some for friends who had guns that I wanted to shoot. The English big bore stuff is for a friend. The big bore stuff is just fun, carry around a 450 NE and a 22 LR, set them on a table @ the gun club side by side and watch people walk by, do a double take, then just start laughing.
Last edited by 15meter; 09-02-2017 at 10:55 PM.
12ga in 1980 then metallic for the time in 2012 for 9mm.
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.35 Rem. in 1970 RCBS Dies n Press n the needed extras
38 special 25 yrs ago
303 British in about 1992. First handgun reloading was probably 45acp or 44mag in 1993.
30-30 and 303 Savage
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37 years ago in May 1980, 30/30 on a RCBS RS
L.E.C.
30-30, I was 16, 1982
357 back about 40 years ago
This is a great thread, would almost be a good one to have a survey poll of. I am another 45acp, 1997, 12 years old with my uncle looking on.
I started with 12 ga, 38/357 was first metallic cartridge.
30-06 in the late 60's. I still have the first one. A Herters "C" frame press and IMR4895.
The first cartridge I reloaded was the 7.62X54R with a Lee Loader in 1966 (I think). I remember using IMR4064, CCI primers and Norma brass.
Ken
12 Ga. black powder loads on a Lee whack-a-mole in about 1969.
It's been all down hill since.
Jack
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 |