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

[OS OK]

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.

[Baja_Traveler]

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...

[shredder]

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.

[popper]

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.

[Preacher Jim]

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.

[DxieLandMan]

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.

[w5pv]

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.

[brewer12345]

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.

[Rick Hodges]

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.

[country gent]

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.

[stubshaft]

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.

[mdi]

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...

[JBinMN]

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?

[pworley1]

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.

[dverna]

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.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

"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.

[marek313]

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.

[lightman]

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!

[RGrosz]

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

[JMax]

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.

[500Linebaughbuck]

i started reloading at 18 or 19yo. it was something that i "had" to do. an old gunsmith/gun shop owner(which i stayed at when i wasn't working) taught me . it was 10 or 12 years later that i learned how to cast. once again, he tried teach me. he died of a heart attack. he taught me much in small amount of time he had left. one time, we were shooting at target that was 200yards away. he "gave" me his 6mm-284 mauser and told me to shoot it. i did somewhere a 1" at 200 yards. i was only 20yo or so and 5 shots on a bench, i was so excited! then i watched him shoot a 5 shot group that went under 1/4" at 200 yards. i could have bowed and swore fealty to him. now this was back in early 1980's, when you(well at least me) didn't see 1/4" on a 100 yards let alone 200 yards. he had me hooked on douglas premium barrels!!!

boy could that man shoot!!! he died way too young, 51 or 52yo. i think of him everytime i log on my computer.

[LenH]

I was invited to go with a buddy & his dad to shoot. We got to where the `gun range' which was a sand pit. He handed me a Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt
and a box of his hand loads, `SAVE MY BRASS, BOY' was all he said besides be careful after his gun safety talk. I was 15 at the time and that guy hooked me good.
After that afternoon he taught me to reload and a couple of yeas later taught me about casting.

That was about 45 years ago, and still load for a .45 Colt as well as some other calibers. The old mentor died in 2012 but still remember his guidance and shooting
that old Blackhawk of the hood of his old truck.

[gwpercle]

A new 357 Ruger Blackhawk , a desire to shoot much more than I could afford and.....my best buddy's daddy, he owned 3 TIRE SHOPS, he told me I could have all the wheel weights I wanted, just come and get them.

Next , my Dad. When I explained I wanted to borrow $9.95 from him to get a Lee Loader so I could load 357 ammo , he looked at me as though I had lost my mind. He went into his wallet and gave me 2 $20.00's and said "this is for any extra's stuff... don't tell your momma."
With the money I got a the Lee Classic Loader, single cavity mould, powder and primers ...I was set !

Thank's Dad...he never would let me pay him back. That $40 got the ball rolling

Thank's Mr. Hutchinson , He always had wheel weights for me and would never take any money, even after I got a regular job. That kept the ball rolling .

When his son wanted to build a new tire business, I didn't charge him for drawing the plans...I just felt that was only right.
Gary

[Tom W.]

When I first married in 1971 my BIL was loading shotshells on a MEC 600. I got interested then moved to Alabama. I soon bought a Lee Shotshell loader and used it for years. Then my buddy and I bought some Ruger .357 mags, a "tap and bang" lee loader, some primers, powder and a load book. I went from there to a Lee turret press, and bought sc Lee 158 gr. SWC mold. Been downhill ever since.... dies, muzzleloaders, presses, all kinds of molds, probably 50 different boxes of powder.... you know, you've been there, or are there now...or will be soon... why just this afternoon I managed to have a brick of small pistol primers follow me home..:bigsmyl2:

[AggieEE]

Who was my dad when was too long ago for me to remember correctly. He got me loading his shotgun shells, paper hulls and fiber wads. He kind of Tom Sawyered me into it before I was old enough to know what tom Sawyered meant :smile:

[Walter Laich]

my Dad got us into reloading in '57 when I was 11. Rifle, pistol and shotgun

I've added casting bullets to the mix as well as PC the bullets

FWIW today 2-2-18 would have been my Dad's 104th birthday

[303Guy]

I started loading 'cause it was another gun related fun thing to do.

I was asking my Dad about reloading 22lr when I was still in primary school.

[Biggin]

Literally started shooting when I was 5, you can ask my sister . I'm sure it was annoying to listen to me shooting for hours at a time on countless summer days behind the house . High school buddy showed me how to reload sometime in the late eightys about 88 or 89. Bought one of the Rockchuker kits and been reloading off an on for the last 25 plus years. My buddy lightman introduced me to casting last year and I fell down the rabbit hole. Now I spend large amounts of time thinking about lead and reloading stuff. BTW I'm still looking for the money saving s myself!!

[Beagle333]

I was a kid in college and had a shiny new GP100 and couldn't afford bullets for it, so I got a Lee whack-a-mole and loaded thousands of them for cheap. That's all I used for 20 years.

[jimkim]

Because chics dig it.


I always wanted to, and when my best friend's wife made him sell everything she deemed to be "in the way", I got his equipment for $50.00. That was all it took.

Sent from my VS880 using Tapatalk

[BK7saum]

Well, I guess you could say it was when I was 7 and spent a few days with great uncle Jake. We went shooting everyday and loaded ammo in the shop. When I was about 12 or 13, i bought my Hornady 366 to load shotgun ammo. About 15 or 16, I bought a RCBS RS 5 kit to start loading 243 rifle ammo. After that, it's been a continuous process. Some cast boolits back then, butreally geared up for cast about 10 years ago.

[jimb16]

I was a shooter/hunter by the age of 8. But I didn't get into reloading until I was 19. I blame my wife! When we were dating, her father and her uncle were reloaders and got me started reloading 20 ga. shells. That Christmas, I got a present from the two of them; my own MEC 600 jr. I still have it and still use it and other than wad fingers, I've only had to replace one part. BTW, She and I have been together for 50 years and married for 44 of them.

[Steppapajon]

I started reloading so I could afford to shoot Skeet. I usually shot about 250 rounds every Saterday. That was back in 91.
I haven't shot skeet since 97. But I do like to load for my 32 and 45 revolvers and the old 30/30 refuses to eat anything other than lead. Says jackets are for wearing not shooting.
SPJ

[GhostHawk]

I was 44, finally found my sweetheart. Had done enough hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing. I decided to hang it all up and give this marriage thing 150%. I HAD to make it work.

Fast forward 15 years, step daughter is married, has 2 kids, and is solid.
Wife is still working, and has some years to go. I am not working but can see Social Security income just around the corner. And my parents sold their lake place, split it 4 ways to us 4 kids. Call it early inheritance. Was a pretty nice windfall.

Now I was not rich, but I could afford a few toys.

So I looked around, played around, bought myself a pair of Mosin's and a Yugo SKS.
And figured out that if I was not careful the money was going to be gone, and I would no longer be able to afford to feed them. It was time to get back to casting and reloading.

That was almost 5 years ago. Some tools I still had, RCBS scale and powder measure.

Some tools were way cool, new, like Lee hand press (still my main press) FA hand depriming unit, RCBS Universal priming tool. Couple other presses, classic C cast inverted for sizing/gas check.

The better Lee Square O press for when I really need leverage. That is mostly used for primer pocket swaging these days.

A series of Lee dipper pots, first old used, then new with rheostat, then bigger with the magnum melter. Man I have to admit I love the melter. But except for .45 cal boolits I run out of steam before I run out of lead. Not the way I'm used to doing it at all. But the bullets rain.

I went lee 4 die sets for everything. I think exception is an old used 3 die 9mm set. But it works.

The Lee breech lock hand press is and will likely always will be my main squeeze.
I simply enjoy it. I enjoy the feel, even full length resizing is no sweat with a smear of Imperial sizing wax.

Brass all gets deprimed, washed citric acid, double rinsed, primer pockets get cleaned, and each brass gets rolled down my leg on a cotton towel. Any split, fault, or problem jumps right out at you. Gets culled and keep moving. And I can do do it from the comfort of my recliner, with my drink at my left elbow and watching Youtube vids on the big screen, or an old movie. Sky is the limit.

Most of my loading is done with Red Dot these days. I have some 20 lbs of other powders, rifle, pistol, shotgun. But the Red Dot is easy, it does not take much, is amazingly accurate if you just don't PUSH it, and is thrifty as even I can ask for. Good loads for 2-3 cents worth of powder, 3 cents worth of primer and 2-4 cents worth of lead.

I take that all day long thank you very much.

And of course the real reason I keep doing it. I love the casting and loading as much as the shooting. Keeps me calm, cool, collected and out of squabbles with my sugar pie.

Life is good.

[Hick]

Father-in-law gave me his old Winchester 1894 in 32 Winchester Special. Had to search several stores to find ammunition and it was $35 for a box of 20. My next purchase was the RCBS starter kit (press, scale, loading block, powder measure, lube pad, hand primer) and a set of RCBS dies.

[9.3X62AL]

Bird hunting was my passion as a teenager--doves, quail, pheasants, and waterfowl. It did not take long to figure out that the weak, cheap-component "Dove Loads" sold in August would not cut it for pheasants and mallards--and the pricing on those high-velocity game loads induced MAJOR sticker shock on my 15 year old psyche. Dad told me that at age 16 when the Driver's License landed that I would also be feeding my shotgun.......well, I can't be without shotshells. Summer job, then a part-time job, which got the cash flow going--but not enough to buy store-bought shotshells AND take girls out on Saturday nights. MEC 600 Jr in 12 gauge followed me home from Berman's in San Bernardino at age 15, and some hands-on instruction from Dad and his partner Leo Reyes got me under way. I still have that machine, and use it 3-4 times a year.

So, I have been at this for 47 years. Metallics followed in 1976, about a week after I bought my first handgun (S&W Model 28 x 6"). The Lee Loader got old in a hurry, and after driving a few primer seating rods skyward loading 38 Specials, I opted for an RCBS RL Special press. Then came the 223, and the 30-06, and the current caliber count is around 35. It is an addiction.

[trails4u]

I think GhostHawk just nailed this thread.... :)

As for me....I guess my start was probably around 1988-1989. I had an uncle with some land in Ohio, and we spent a bunch of time there as he was building a house on the land. We were there just about every weekend for what seemed like forever, but I'm guessing it was actually a year or so. We collectively had a few 357s around, and we all liked to shoot, and my uncle was a tightwad who had apparently inherited a bit of reloading equipment from his father. The deal ended up being pretty simple.....cast it, load it, shoot it......and you can shoot all you want. :) Not a bad deal, at all. The most interesting part of this exercise was the source of lead...which happened to be the very land we were on. Not known when the land was purchased, but it had historically been a mortar firing range. They discovered shells, some live, when digging the foundation, and we soon discovered the craters from the mortar impacts all over the property. Literally we could dig a pound of 'lead balls' with just a few shovel scoops from any of the impacts.....and there were hundreds, if not thousands of them. We dug and loaded that lead....a lot of it. But dang, I think about it now....and we never even thought about how much lead was actually there. Would have been a lifetime supply for the entire family if we'd have thought about actually mining it. :(

[Rcmaveric]

Five years ago I got station in California. I have been wanting to hunt for years and after a year of being there I decide to jump in head first. I couldn't afford a nice rifle so I ordered a cheap one off buds gun shop..... unfortunately California then made sure it was one of the most expensive guns I have ever bought. I had to save for another 3 months to be able to pay the taxes and fees. After taking the gun home I had to feed it and ammo was hard to find and expensive. I couldn't barely shoot it. So I decide to reloading and was able to shoot more. After a year I was looking at my expenditures and yes I was saving money by reloading but powder and bullets cost me the most. Cant change powder price but if I cast bullets. So after two years I transferred back to Florida. When I checked in I had to deploy. So it was a while before I could actually shoot cast. While deployed I read books and shopped around and would order things and have them shipped back home. So after I got home I had everything I needed and dove in head first with cast bullets. It now only cost me .17 cents a bullet for my riffle and I go shooting every weekend. Ammo is cheaper in Florida, but I still wouldn't be able to shoot as much as I do. I shoot about every weekend. Only reason I am not going shooting this weekend is because I need to cough up the 130 bucks to renew my yearly range member ship. So I have been reloading since 2014, and casting and shooting cast since 2016. Still not sure if I am saving money..... but I enjoy my sport and the science.

[azrednek]

Back in 71 my then wife was a cashier at the Globe Discount store and she got 10% off. The store she worked was closing out Lee Loaders at half price. Armed with my new Master Charge card. I was out the door for less than 10 bucks with a 30/30 Lee Loader, pound of IMR 3031, 100 primers and a box of Speer bullets. About three months later I invested in a RCBS Junior kit and the addiction began.

[DAFzipper]

I started in early 90's to save money. Turned into a life long hobby. Didn't end up saving money because of all the equipment I just had to have. But on the plus side I can shoot way more for less than factory ammo. With building up my component inventory I never had a ammo shortage when ammo and components where in short supply and over priced. Just made me the only one at my local range.

Sent from my LG-H700 using Tapatalk

[sparkyv]

1. 6mm Rem
2. Ammo shortage

Started handloading 5 yrs ago. Very hard to find ammo for the 6mm, and when I did it was horrendously expensive. I had saved my brass, with the ultimate goal of rolling my own "someday". Thanks to Obummer, I decided to start reloading to get around the shortages. I began loading my 223 Rem first with a Lee Loader before I invested into this hobby, and WOW was I impressed at how accurate my loads were. I was hooked, and there's no turning back! Thousands and thousands of rounds later, now I load for four rifle calibers and three for pistol on a Lee turret press. No more shortages for me. Couldn't be happier that I followed this path.

[EMC45]

I'm cheap......I like to shoot....A LOT!

[blackthorn]

In the mid 1960's I had finally saved up enough dollars from overtime work to afford to buy a 300 Weatherby Magnum. I paid $500.00 for the rifle, scope (4 power Redfield), sling and one box of ammunition. Store price of the ammunition was $20.00 for a 20 round box. That was a lot of money in those days. So I decided to reload. I got enough equipment and a good Manual and away I went. Brass was not cheap either and there really was not much around. I found out I could simply run 300 H&H through the rifle (surprisingly it was very accurate) and then reload it for the Weatherby (with adjustment to the load to account for different case capacity. From there, it was a short jump to reloading for all my firearms.

[slownsteady22]

When I Had to pay $50 for 20 shots of 300 wby and 325 wsm. Needless to say it didn't take to long for the rcbs kit to pay for itself.

[quail4jake]

1969, I was 8 years old and my uncle, the Internist, took me trapshooting. We reloaded paper Federal hulls with Red Dot and fiber wads using his MEC super 600 and shot alot of shells. We reloaded because everybody who shot any amount of trap did and, well, because I guess money was tight for Doctors back then...

[deetee]

I had no choice...

I bought a 9x57 Mauser, and it was either rebarrel or reload. I chose the latter, because she is such a beeyootiful rifle (to look at and to shoot).

Dan

[oldhenry]

The What: Early marriage, tight finances, a new born son & '73 Winchester in .38-40.

The When:1960

The Who: Mr. Davis @ Davis Pawn Shop/Sporting Goods across the river in Phoenix City, AL. He was the only dealer in The Chattahoochee Valley to stock reloading equipment/supplies. It was a ritual to visit this place every Friday night. One night he had everything & he was not bashful about showing everything. In the beginning he only had Lyman equipment, CCI primers & Speer boolits (bullets then). I don't think I got everything @ once , but ended up with a Lyman Comet press, cast iron pot & a cast iron ring to direct heat to the pot, a dipper & a single cavity Ideal (Lyman) mold. I scored a Lyman 45 lub/sizer & a Redding scale (they were brown then) used for $20.00. I made my powder dippers from hose ferules + a 1/8" brass rod for a handle. The .38-40 dies & GHI sizing die was special order by Mr. Davis. A friend later donated a Lyman bottom pour furnace & a #357446 2 cav. mold when I got my Combat Masterpiece (M15).

The Comet press is a single stage, but we loaded everything on it.....even shot shells (I still have the 20 ga. die set & shell holder). New that Comet cost around $15.00.....I gave it to our younger son years ago.

The early marriage has been a good one enduring 59 years & has given us 4 wonderful children.

[Harter66]

My Dad and Uncle loaded for accuracy and shot a lot trap in the late 60s and early 70s , I was around all of that and started loading shot gun when I was about 12 . I loaded 22-250 , 25-60' and 30-06' in I guess 1979-85' . Then I got family and work and far too often 14-16 hr days 6-7 days a week .

About the time steel became mandate for migratory game birds I started hunting again . $12-15/box would have been ok except that day came when I had 5 solid hits on a Honker at about 35yds in a heavy wind . I saw pellets hit . Shortly after that I inherited a Pacific 12ga press and started loading steel shot for about $5.60/box . So about 1994 .

In 1996 I started loading for my own 30-06' . Terrible beasty .
In 2001-2 I bought a 45/410 , that almost immediately lead to a lust for a real 45 Colts revolver . Those were $12/50 then . I bought some plated and 230 and 255 commercial cast at something like $32/400 . Then I got the RBH in 06' . 2 chambers were opening groups and 1 was just plain throwing it away . Factory shot better . The 230s were shaving and tumbling ..... That was it I started casting ......then i learned about throat dimensions . Then 45 Colts went to $38/50 .
Never looked backed .

[johnho]

I got into Bullseye shooting late in life. Found out immediately you can't get decent ammo unless you make your own. I tested and tested 45's using Star bullets. Then Star went out of business soon after and was told to cast my own. Best thing I ever did. Got a nice H&G 68 mold and it was heaven. No longer would I be dependent on someone else. Range I was at had mostly lead shooters so berm was full of lead after 20 years or more of shooting. Got all the lead I wanted FREE. Now all my pistols use lead and only runs me about $4 per 100. Guys at range in IDPA were kidding me about the smoke. Told them what it cost to shoot, they shut up. My first press was a 550b.

[Plate plinker]

Almost from the beggining I loaded .40S&W. My uncle started me out with shooting and he did the reloading thing too. Now I like to shoot a bunch so it I bought a rl 1050 and never looked back.

[fralic76]

I started to reload because my grandfather had given me 2 rifles that was very hard to find ammo for. 303 savage and 44-40, 2 calibers that are hard to find where I live. Then when I bought my first handgun the cost savings transferred to that. I now reload for 5 different calibers.

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[PhantomRider64]

I have been around firearms all my life, never shot much because of the cost. Since I did not know anyone that reloaded, the cost of the equipment, and life in general I never got into reloading.

Five years ago I started doing Civil War reenacting,,,BP long guns and cap and ball revolvers,,,I thought they might be fun to live fire. I have molds for both now.

Then I find out that my unit also has a group that does Cowboy shootouts. Well the C&B revolver worked for a while, but a Uberti 45Colt SAA followed me home one day. Now I needed blanks for the SAA, got talking to a couple guys at work and it was not long till I was set up to load the blanks. I have since made a bullet seating plug for the die that is long enough to pack the paper wadding. I also handload 20 ga brass shells with home made tools.

Since I had almost all the equipment to reload with, I got what I needed, did some reading, and now reload 45ACP and 45Colt.

Just recently I have been working on casting my own bullets,,,just how deep is this rabbit hole?



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[Seeker]

Obama. I seen the shortage coming. That is the 1 and only thing I give him credit for.

[Pigboat]

My first centerfire handgun was a Ruger Blackhawk in .41 Mag that I bought back in the early '80s. It sounded like a good idea at the time until I found out that factory ammo was around $30 a box even back then :shock:. I was reloading within a month.

[Victor N TN]

I had read the likes of Jack O'Conner and Jim Carmichel since I was about 14 years old. I happened upon a magazine article about the 25-06 Remington cartridge. That got me stoked. I had been married roughly 2 years and just started a factory job. $1 an hour. That was big stuff to a farm boy. A fried got me to shooting a 222. That thing was a real tack driver.

A year or so later I was looking in a gun shop in Knoxville and there was a Rem 700 Custom Varmint Special in 25-06. It was less than $200 (I don't remember exactly) but all I had in my pocket was $30. They let me lay it away for $20 and make payments until I got it paid for. It took me several months to get it out, but she's still the prettiest gun I've ever had. I think I bought 2 boxes of of factory ammo. After that I was back laying away an RCBS Rock Chucker kit to load for the 25-06.

That was either 1971 or 72.

I shot NRA Bullseye started in 1976. I would meet my friend at the range and he would let me shoot his pistols in the 2nd relay.

A few years later I had my own 1911A1 in 45 acp. IPSC came to town.

I started casting pistol bullets in 1982. And things went crazy after that. I've cast and loaded for 38 spl, 357 mag, 44 mag, 45 acp and just got the stuff for 45-70 a few months ago.

My wife tells me I talk too much. I'll cut it off for now.

[Thin Man]

Got married in 1970 and started handloading that same year. In 1973 I started casting. For me it was all about the cost of factory ammo (even the cheaper commercial handloads) versus the cost of rolling my own. Same with throwing bullets and the transition to boolits. It was a mission into economy. Both of these hobbies led to shooting more. Then came buying firearms where ammo was not readily available, or even at all, and I already knew in advance where to buy brass, dies, molds, etc. etc. for those odd duck calibers. And the addiction to adding yet another mold pattern to the herd, stocking up on brass and primers, and the never ending search for casting lead. It's an endless spiral. But I'm saving one heck of a lot of money...I think.

[woodbutcher]

:grin: This thread got me to thinking:shock:.The first time that I was introduced to casting and reloading I was about 6 or 7.My Grandfather was getting some stuff out and I asked what he was doing.I`m going to cast some bullets for my rifle,Would you like to watch?I said yes.So we proceded to do the cast boolit thing.Well,what he was casting for was his original TD Springfield 45-70.500 gr slugs.Then he lubed some and he showed me how he reloaded them.THEN he says want to shoot one?I sez yep.That friends was an adventure.Pulled the trigger,and wound up on my fanny.Grandfather looked at me with a straight face and sez want to try another one?I sez yep.That was the beginning.What fun that day was.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[murf205]

A 13 yr old with a penchant for shooting and not a lot of money. A Lyman Vandalia solved some of that problem for a while. Heaven only knows what the pressures were on some of my loads back in 1960. No wonder my Savage shotgun was a bit "loose".

[wmitty]

Dad had placed an '84 Springfield complete with bayonet over the mantle. At about 13 I asked him if we could shoot it. He took it down and I shot about half a box of old Peters ammo thru it. I was hooked...

[Bazoo]

I was hanging out at the local gunsmith and he had this old lyman spartan laying on his junk table. I asked about it, and he said 25 I think. So I gathered up some other stuff that was there, all in a box, and I got it all for 80 or 90. I cant remember what all I got 6 or 8 years ago now.

[redriverhunter]

when I was in the 1st grade my uncle had me seating bullets for a 30.06, with a rock chucker. once I got to a spot in life where I could get my set up I did it 1992 or so. Not sure if I have saved any money but I love my hobby

[MOA]

Started loading shotshells so I could shoot more trap. And when I got my first 06 it was just a natural that I would reload for it too. Then I went to work at a local gun shop, and the sickness became permanent. I am forever afflicted.

[Minerat]

A LSG (Gart Brothers) in Denver in 1971 had Honey Bair loaders on sale around christmas that year. I was shootin 100 rounds a day of 20ga then at anything that moved when I could get the ammo. Talked my Dad in getting it for me for christmas. We could reload a box then for around a buck (WW AA's were $2.50 a box) but consumption went up five fold. Went from a couple of hunderd a week to a 500 per week. I shoot them and reload that night for the next day. Every dime I made in high school went to feed that shotgun or go skiing. In 85 started feeding a SBH 44 mag that's when I really started saving money.

[smokeywolf]

Was pretty much born to handloading. Dad had me hanging (literally) on a press handle by the time I was 2 or 3 years old. Didn't charge cases or cast until later, but sized, primed and seated, farther back than my memory goes. I just plain can't remember not pulling on a press handle; same Hollywood Sr. I use today.

[Digger]

few years back , came across a Keltec P-11 (9mm) with a 40 S+W barrel and slide.
Really enjoyed the little gun.
Of course forty cal in such a small pistol has negative reaction with most people ....
Came across a gentleman from Oregon area selling reloads at a gun show , tried his and NICE !! , very comfortable shooting,accurate.
So with that , got into reloading so I could soft load the forty ... as I really like the little gun , went from there in basic handgun calibers and rifle .
Keltec quit making the little forty as the general public could not handle it .
So with both the little forty and a Su-2000 in forty .. lot's of fun at the range !

[RCE1]

My father in law asked me if I wanted to come spot for him at a BPCR Silhouette match some 25 years ago. When the match was over, he invited me to try his rifle. I laid down at the pig line and fired a shot, which went over the back. He told me how to adjust the sight for my hold, and I proceeded to run the rest of them. At that point, I was doomed...

[MT Gianni]

My second hand gun was a centerfire. By the time I was familiar with DA shooting I needed to shoot a lot to keep it affordable.

[Wild Bill 7]

About 1988 I bought a Lee Pro 1000 from a friend for $50 set up for 44 mag. He also gave me some brass a pound of Bullseye powder and some primers. In 1990 we moved into our new home and meeting some of the neighbors one who worked for the Sheriffs department. As we were standing in the garage we started talking about shooting and reloading he asked me if I reloaded. I told him I had a press but didn't know much about loading. I asked him if he reloaded and he said for me to turn around and check it out. Wow! He had 2 green machines, Three RCBS checkers, and three mec jrs. Well that got me started with this money saving hobie. He taught me how to reload, cast boolits and have more fun than I thought possible. I sold the Lee press and bought a Rock Chucker, scale, Pro Melt, measure and tricker, dies and a few molds. We had access to wheel weights for free from the places that put tires on the police cars. We loaded everything single stage for two years to make sure I had a good knowledge of reloading. Since then I have been able to mentor a few young men on reloading. One of the best things for me was to find this site. I have learned so much more from this site because of the smart people here. Thanks so much. I have a Star sizer, Lee sizers, a bunch of Lee molds and powder coat. It's really bad also when you pick up brass for calibers you don't have and buy the dies also so when the opportunity arises you get that gun to make things complete. Oh the madness never ends. Hehehe!!!

[goryshaw]

About 1985 I was at Dick's Sporting Goods in Bountiful, UT and I saw an open box Lyman Turret kit for sale. I only had 1 rifle at the time, that I hardly ever shot, but the kit was cheap so I picked it up. Still use the press and have the rest of the pieces from the kit in my reloading parts drawers but don't use any of them anymore.

[trapper9260]

For me it was with my dad and brother and I with shotgun.For how things was hard for my parents to bring up 5 kids and the price of ammo and use what we hunt for to eat beside fishing. We start to reload for 12ga and 410 with the Lee hand loaders and then got a 12 ga Lee Load All. After I got out of the navy I got into reload 30-06 and 357 later on my own usen the reloading manual. I also got into casting for them since I know how to cast for fishing weights that my dad show me how to do first with sand and newspaper and then got some sinker molds. We had did some salt water fishing from shore at the time since we where to fish salt water once in awhile then how often we did fresh water. It was mail order I got my first press for rifle and handgun that is a Lyman T Press that I got back in the mid to early 80's .Had stop at one point for the moven around and need to set up for it again and now do it more now.Also ha got some Mec loaders also for shot gun.

[Elkins45]

My high school library contained a first edition copy of The ABCs of Reloading by Dean Grenell. Once I saw how the process worked I knew I would be loading my own. My senior year I had my dad buy a Model 19 S&W for me, and soon thereafter I bought a Lee Loader kit in 357 magnum.

I read that book from cover to cover at least a dozen times.

[map55b]

When I was ~20 and fixed an heirloom Remington Model 8 in 25 Remington and wanted to start to shoot it and the cartridge had been obsolete for ~50 years. :) Now I load for all kinds of weird and wonderful cartridges.

[NoZombies]

When I was 13 my family moved from the city to the country. My Dad had a little S&W .32 revolver that I was fascinated with. I finally talked him into letting me shoot the thing, and I saved all of the brass. After finding some old articles on reloading, I went to our simple workshop and made a depriming rod, a very simple seating die, and a punch so that I could reseat primers in the .32 S&W cases whack-a-mole style. I would knock out the old primers, and hammer a new one home, charge the case with a scoop of black powder, then I'd seat a round ball over the charge using the simple die I'd made, by squeezing it all in a vise (I made a stepped bar that would stop the vise jaws at the correct seating depth.) And then I'd go shoot the revolver some more! It was really slow, but probably the most rewarding reloading I've ever done.

I've always felt that if there was something I 'could' do, I should at least know how, even if I didn't always do it myself. It turns out I enjoy the reloading and casting aspects of the hobby almost as much as I do the shooting part.

[trixter]

My wallet was the biggest factor, and raising 2 sons in the 80's

[Taterhead]

My first handgun was a Ruger model P89DC. 9mm. Then I discovered the early Glock 22 in 40 SW. Factory ammo served me just fine. It was when I bought a Glock 20, and REALLY liked shooting it, that I realized how absurd factory ammo prices were. Now I load for everything that I shoot. And in the past couple of years have been casting. It has been a long slippery slope. :guntootsmiley:

[Smoke4320]

1978 had just moved to Charlotte NC.. walked into a very small gun shop and there sit a whole RCBS Rock Chucker setup lightly used
Now my father never even allowed us to shoot a gun (mom went thru WW2 in Germany as a kid and would not allow guns in the home)
myself and the owner got into a discussion about guns and reloading probably talked 2 hours on and off as a couple other customers came and went
Guess he saw how interested I was and took pity on me. Sold me the whole set for $75.00. That was RC press, 505 scales, uniflow measure,lube and lube pad and neck brush plus a reloading manual ..
It was several years before I realized he was a crack dealer not a gun shop :) :) still haven't kicked the habit

[NWPilgrim]

A .44mag 4" Redhawk I bought in 1987 is to blame. I was used to buying handgun ammo for about $8/50rds. But even the cheapest .44 ammo was about $24 at this awesome store called Sportsmans Warehouse (never saw so much shooting supplies in one place before that). I can't even remember how I got started handloading. But I got a Lee Challenger press and some dies, a RCBS Uniflow measure and 1010 scale, W296 and I was launched. I think my first manual at that time was a Speer. Once I was loading .44 mag then it was natural to add dies and powder for .38/.357, .40S&W and .45ACP as I acquired more guns. I bought my first CMP Garand around 1993 and that got me into loading for rifle as well.

Pretty much loaded with the same equipment for 15 years until I started loading in more quantity for .223, .30-06, .40 and 9mm. Then I got a Lee Classic turret press and pretty tried a ton of different things for trimming, swaging pockets, priming, measures, various powders and bullet weights and types. My first introduction to some doing a lot fo reloading for competition was a co-worker who had a Dillon 650 dedicated to each 9mm, .223, .40 and .45 all mounted on a square table in a spare bedroom with shelves and cabinets of supplies. He shot thousands of rounds per week so he just found a good formula for each caliber and produced it in mass quantities. This was way different and interesting approach compared to my small lot of 100 rds and play around with a multitude of component combinations. I still experiment, but also have my "bulk" formulas.

[LAH]

My uncle gunsmith Dennis Thompson inspired me.

[DangerousDave]

1978, my first center fire was a 45/70. I'm 14 years old and a dollar a shot is just unobtainium! Bought a lyman Spartan C press and some dies, a scale (which I'm still using), a lee bullet mould and a few other things from a Gander Mountain catalog. learned how to do it from the Lyman book with no parental supervision, and have been continuously amassing stuff ever since. :) Still using some of that original batch of brass. Some of those casings have probably been reloaded a hundred times..

[tazman]

My first reloading was with a Lee whack a mole setup for a 222 rifle. Both cost and accuracy were reasons for my getting started.
Unless I could purchase the exact same lot of ammunition, factory loads didn't shoot consistently in my rifle. My handloads did.
I also found I liked being able to make my own ammunition.

[Mike67]

My two closest friends took me shooting for the first time in summer 1988 I was 20. Mom bought my first gun for me that Christmas a Ruger 10/22 after that I slowly started accumulating firearms and needed to feed them. One friends dad was an avid collector, shooter, and reloader he taught the three of us the art of hand loading and bullet casting so I guess I can blame them for my affliction. What a wonderful affliction it is. Oh, and a special thanks to the members of this forum I'm 50 now and still learning new things from many of you here. 30 years later and I'm fortunate enough to still go shooting with the same two friends.

[mrrch]

To save money!
So much for that but I do shoot way more now
Like a lot more lol

[hanleyfan]

independence, I have all the powder, lead, primers and molds I need for my lifetime, I can load any type of ammo I need without depending on some else for it. no more running around looking for what I need in stores.

[Harry]

When I around 13 or 14, back in '57 or '58, I used to watch my dad cast and reload. A year or 2 later... well, ya know what we do then. Lost interest. When my dad passed in'69, I kept all guns and reloading equip. As I moved around the country for years, I carried it with me, always keeping it in controlled areas. About 10 or 12 years ago, I looked at the Lyman EZ-Loader, redding scale, Lyman 45 sizer and thought...why just let it set. So, I got it out and set up the 30-06 die, etc. and the rest is history. I bought books, visited forums and updated to modern systems. I no longer use the EZloader, but have it and all the accessories. I guess I will try to sell it as an atique, although it will still work.

[Leadmelter]

A neighbor talked to me about guns and reloading and I was hooked. I was about 14 and I reloaded 12 gauge shells. Fifty yrs later still going strong with reloading and casting. With the price of ammo today, I have no idea how young people will carry on after all us fossils go to the big range in the sky.
Leadmelter
MI

[DEC505]

When the ammo shortage during the Obozzo era kept me from shooting. As the market eased up bought a press,powder,primers as I could afford them

[Walks]

Smokeywolf has me beat too.
I started priming .38spl cases with a 310 tong tool when I was about 4yrs old, casting .375 RB for my Dad's ORIGINAL 36 COLT Navy by the time I was 8yrs old.. Dad, Uncle's, cousins and my Dad's Lodge brothers. All gathered in our garage at least once a month. There were 2 reloading benches, with 4--5 metallic presses. Plus Shotgun presses, a Star reloader and 3+ Lube-Sizers. A 100lb Plumbers Pot and many H&G 8-10 cavity molds.
I shot about 10-15rds of TRAP a month from 12-17yrs
and loaded every round, plus every round my Dad shot too.

I didn't know you could BUY AMMO IN A STORE until I was about 7-8yrs old. I had an entire Reloading/Casting setup built up and stored at my Mom's by the time I got out of the service. So I guess next month I'll Celebrate 60 years as a Reloader/Caster.

Probably why my right shoulder is a MESS.

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

The two that inspired me to hand load were George $. Washington and even more so Benjamin $. Franklin!:mrgreen:

[robg]

To feed my 686 as 38s were expensive 357s were extortionate £ 13 for 50 in 1982 .I'm still saving money not.

[Ranger 7]

My work slowed down a bit (I traveled extensively, was away from home 70% of the time).
When i went to my local gun shop to purchase a few boxes of ammo and go shoot, I noticed a Hornady display setup.
I recognized the quality and common sense of the units and bought the 5 station progressive set up (Press, shell plates, dies, scale, data book edition 3
was 1982). I saw it as a new hobby. Something I could learn to do, do alone, with out having to join anything and do it anytime I wanted to.
Been reloading since 1982 and has worked out great!

[KenT7021]

I started reloading and casting in the 50's as a way to save money because of the amount of shooting I was doing.I have continued to do so except for during overseas tours during twenty years in the Army.

[doghunter]

That's the only thing Barack Obama ever did for me. Got me trying to be as self sufficient as I can in the ammunition dept.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

My dear uncle Bill back in the late 70's would have me load 45 acp for the combat matches we were shooting in. Used his pistols so I figured the least I could do was to help load the ammo. Got into it on my own about 20 years later when I took up practical pistol shooting again. Just recently started casting for a 30-30 lever gun and was surprised by the good results.

[Radialshave]

price gouging, crappy factory ammo necessitates it after a while if you actually want to afford to practice let alone go hunting.
When a box of factory "target" ammunition has both roll and taper crimps, and so much variation in the crimp level in the same box, that its hard to feel you could do WORSE on your own. so even if you make ammunition as bad as most factory fodder, at least itll cost LESS.

[RAK2018]

My dad got me started when I was around 12. He let me reload shot gun shells with him by my side. We did a lot of trap and skeet shooting. When I was around 15 we started reloading for some rifles. I'm 63 now and reload for just about all my guns. Now thanks to a lot of you guys I'm starting to cast boolits for my 45-70. I'm getting things set up and I'm hooked and having fun. I still have a lot to learn but that's why i'm here. Thanks

[Rafe Covington]

My dad and grandfather both reloaded, started at about 12 or 13 years old, 70 now and still doing it.

Rafe

[wjham77]

Local gunstore guys were always talking about shooting every week, and how much more they could shoot for $ per round when handloading, also bout the quality of ammo, they were able to produce, that I saw first hand (at the range)

[dbosman]

I started to reload due to the Gun Control Act of 1968. I was under age to purchase ammo.
But I could buy powder, primers, wads, shot, and bullets.

[209jones]

Don't remember if I started on shotshells or metallic for sure, they were pretty close together anyway. Metallic was so I could use partitions, which ended up coming out in Fed premium a couple of yrs later. Shotshell was for clays and duck hunting. Both were in the region of 1980 or so. Casting started about 1987-88 maybe.. I wanted grouse loads for my 7-08, seemed like an easy way to do it. Then it expanded to my 22-250 and to a 7x57 for military matches at the local range. In 89 I went down to a Coors Schuetzenfest match in Great Falls to check it out, next spring got a schuetzen rifle, and then a 300Rook, then built a 218Bee and a 32-40. And about 6-7 yrs ago a 450-400NE. Handloading and casting allowed me to do a lot of stuff and meet a lot of people and acquire some fun guns, some of which the factory ammo is nearly non-existent for, or is not affordable. What I have saved on the 450-400NE alone has paid for all the equipt. The fun I had with the Schuetzen crowd was well worth the small investment made on it. And over the 2012-2016 shortage period, I had no issues with being able to shoot all I wanted, I always had an alternative gun or load to use.

[6bg6ga]

I remember my dad reloading when I was 7 years old and I used to watch as he loaded 30-06's on the kitchen table with a cigarette in his mouth. He would trickle out each load and then dump the powder into the case and install a bullet into the case. When I got my first 357 I thought it natural that I purchase the reloading dies, press, and scale. After all didn't everyone reload?

When I go to a gun show it is eye awaking to note the prices for a box of say 45acp or 45LC or 44 mag. Makes me glad that I can reload all the different calibers that I do.

[sledgehammer001]

As a kid, I watched my dad load for his Parker Hale 30/06, and my Granddad's Mossberg 270, using an old Lyman 310.
In '94, I fell into a Ruger Blackhawk in 41 magnum. At $18 box for 357, and $28.95 for a box of 41 mag, I remembered my dad handloading. I bought a used Lee Loader in 41 mag, and never looked back. Load for everything I own now, and cast for them all too. From 222 Remington, to my 58 smokepole.

[popper]

The moths from my wallet after getting a couple WW boxes of 40SW.

[rockrat]

Had a curiosity about me after watching the neighbor load shotgun shells on his machine for his competitions. Think I was about 8 at the time.
Fast forward about 9 years and found a few guns deep in the closet that had belonged to my Father. Too young to buy pistol ammo, so bought a lee loader to load some rounds. Later, bought an RCBS Jr. press as the lee loader was too slow and I was too cheap to buy store bought ammo. Come along way since then.

[Panman213]

Started loading for 44 mag back in 1996. It would drive me crazy to pay 18.00 a box. now I load and cast for 15 different cal. Im expecting to start to save money anytime now.

[Rug480]

Always wanted to learn but never found the motivation to start until I realized I don't shoot hardly at all anymore (1st kid) and grew bored of the AR, Glock, etc so I traded into a Super Redhawk 480 knowing the availability/cost of ammo would force me to begin. Man I have no regrets, learned a lot. Reloading, making lead ingots, and soon I'll begin casting (even have a Mountainmold design on the way). Fell in love with the caliber and definitely on a magnum wheel gun kick.

216444


216445

[Grmps]

50+ years ago in my parents' friends basement, I was watching him re-load and he let me help.......... I was hooked.

I remember that day vividly, he took me to the range and let me run a few 30 round clips through his M2 with a metal but plate, after the "rush/adrenaline" wore off my shoulder wished I hadn't done that :groner: He had a padded shooting jacket on and I didn't.

[stubshaft]

I started to reload due to the Gun Control Act of 1968. I was under age to purchase ammo.
But I could buy powder, primers, wads, shot, and bullets.

I lived in the boonies and my buying trips only happened once every two months.

[Maven]

I got the desire to reload after I saw ads in magazines in the late 1950's and early '60's for Lee Loaders. Having an odd caliber rifle (8 x 57mm Mau.) and not wanting to spend the local asking price (very high, little/no competition) for factory ammo. pushed me into reloading. Cast bullets came a few years later.

[Knightflyer]

Short answer: economics. Well, I'd been waiting a year and a half, maybe closer to two, just to buy my 30-30. But I also sold a pistol I hated which gave me enough extra cash to get a little Lee Loader, some boolits, primers and powder and start on reloading. My wife thinks I'm crazy, even after I spelled out the math to her - 20 cents vs 84 cents means I can go shooting 4 times as much for the same money. She implied I ought to 'just go buy ammo'. I'm thinking that's exactly what I'm going to do, once a month, until she squawks about the budget and I have to stop.

Figure that'll give me 20 or maybe 40 extra cartridges to reload... ;)

-KF

[robg]

Cost and I liked the idea of flexibility for every caliber .

[Jeffrey]

When I was 16, my 21 year old girlfriend gifted me a Mossberg 500 shotgun. This got me into reloading for shotshells. That 12 gauge was my hunting gun into my 20s. At 25, I had the opportunity to shoot with a high power (NRA 100) rifle team. Feeding a Garand 100 cartridges / week required me to start reloading for metallics. I just realized I've been doing this for 40 years. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

[pwc]

I used to reload .38 for <6 cents; penny for the primer, 5 cents for the lead, 5 gr of Unique - .01 cents ($14 a lb), cases no cost as I already owned them.

30-06 for less than a quarter: 11 cents for 150 boattail, penny for the primer, 50 gr of 4064 12 1/2 cents ($17 a pound), again no cost for the case as I already owned them.

[Big Boomer]

My parents were no encouragement either for gun ownership, reloading, boolit casting, etc. My mother was rabidly anti-gun to her dying day. Dad was o. k. with guns and shooting but acquiesced to my mother's wishes in regard to all things gun, although he did give me a cheap Savage .22 long rifle semi-auto rifle for taking him on a trip to Oklahoma 'way back in the mid-1960s. I purchased my first handgun in 1973, a Ruger Blackhawk in .357 Mag. It was all downhill from there. My son grew up with that .22 Long Rifle, which I let him shoot as often and as much as he liked. .22 long rifle ammo was relatively cheap in those days. Well, those days are long gone. I learned pretty fast that I could cast my own boolits and reload cheaper than I could buy rim-fire ammo. Over the years I purchased enough primers, powder and have enough brass in the calibers I shoot that will last me the rest of my life and take care of my son's needs for the rest of his life. He will get all my rifles and handguns when I'm off the scene. So, who started me in all this? I guess I did. Yesterday I drove 6 hours (3 each way) to get to my favorite gun range and had the place to myself. Got a couple of rifles sighted in after swapping 'scopes around to my liking. If we don't educate the younger generation, we'll be a dying breed. My son and daughter-in-law are big into anything guns. Both have CCWs and practice on a regular basis. I have tutored my brother (and given him a gaggle of guns - rifles and handguns) and one of his daughters and her husband and their two children. Have to pass the passion along to the next generation. Big Boomer.

[DGNY]

My uncle (Dad's younger brother) was a DDS and a hand loader, who taught me in '56-'57. I began in '58 for my new-to-me Eddystone M1917.

Enjoyed the precision, accuracy and lower cost. Eventually loaded for 15 revolver and rifle cartridges.

Regards,

Dyson