For folks who have doing this for at least 25 years

[dverna]

Not meaning to offend the “youngsters”, but I would like to hear only from those who have been reloading and casting for more than 25 years.

Are you doing things the same way or “progressed” to newer methods like case cleaning with pins, coating bullets, the faster methods of case trimming, annealing machines, etc.

I started reloading over 50 years ago and have not made a lot of progress. Last “upgrades” were a Master Caster bought 6 years ago, an RCBS powered trimmer bought 8 years ago and Charge Master bought about 15 years ago. Still load rifle ammunition on the Co-Ax I paid $68 for, and clean cases the old way. 5.56 and .308 brass has never been annealed....doubt I will ever do it and don’t shoot much else in rifle calibers.

[jsizemore]

I'm coating some of my bullets. I've improved some of my reloading equipment to keep pace with a focus on accuracy. I went progressive with my pistol ammo. Tried alternate case cleaning but I'm back to walnut tumbling but now rotary. Lot's of digital stuff. In the past 15 years I increased my alloy inventory by 1500%, so I'm not on the lookout for more. Automated the annealing with better control.

[Dusty Bannister]

I started with a bottom pour Lee pot and still use them. I use both the 10 and the 20 pound pots, but the biggest improvement for me was the PID. Soon after I started, I got the RCBS lube sizer, and about 10 years ago added the Star. Between, I also added the Lee bullet sizers which allow me to lube and size large and then size down with the Lee as needed for a specific fit. Case cleaning has progressed from a damp rag, to the dry media vibrator, to the wet solution cleaners. Each have their purpose. I have heat treated and quenched alloys for harder bullets, but do not find it generally necessary. The same toaster oven will be used for powder coating, if I ever decide to give it a try.

From my perspective, the biggest improvement is the use of a PID which simplifies temperature control and the consistency of the resulting cast bullet.

[high standard 40]

I started reloading in the 1976 with a single stage press and started casting soon after. I still use only the single stage. In the past six years I have added a PID, SS pin tumbling, and automated case annealing. This year I started powder coating but only for small scale specific applications.

[Baltimoreed]

I evolved from weighing every charge, rifle and pistol, and trickling up to the exact weight to using Dillon 450 and 550 measures and not weighing except when setting up the measure for whatever new powder I’m using. Started with a cookie cutter to lube boolits but eventually bought a lyman lubrisizer, was gifted a second one a couple years ago. One is .309 the other is .452. Done a little pc’ing.

[chutesnreloads]

I powder coat some of my boolits but started that soon enough after getting into casting not sure that is a "progression".
Now use 4 single stage presses and one hand press and recently picked up a cheap digital scale

[El Greco]

I started 42 years ago with a single stage. I still use a single stage for all my reloading. I have plenty of time in my hands and I need something to do. I have not figured out if I’m reloading to shoot or I shoot to reload. I do believe I shoot to reload. I have changed and improved many processes thanks to all the reloading professors in this forum. We really have a fantastic group of people here and I appreciate every one of you.

[fgd135]

I still use the same single stage press, have added a second single stage press, both with new handles and bench-mounted quick-change stands from Inline Fabrication. I finally chucked out those awful-to-me Lee auto-primes for a nice RCBS Automatic priming tool, plus picked up a Lyman 55 BP powder measure for BPCR loads. Oh, and I use a digital scale now, instead of my RCBS 5-0-5, but I use that from time to time to check the calibration of the digital.

[sharps4590]

Yes sir, I upgraded a LOT the first 10-15 years. I started in '63 with a Lee Whack-A-Mole for 16 gauge shotgun, still have it. I added rifle and revolver loaders until I had 6 or 8. In the early 70's I got a Lyman Spartan "C" press. That's when my education really began. Started casting round balls about '75 and bullets shortly thereafter. I upgraded to RCBS presses, better furnaces, better molds and tried a digital scale for a while. I have always tumbled with corn cob or walnut media. I guess biggest upgrade has been a high dollar mic and calipers shortly after I bought my lathe and mill.

I don't own a progressive as it would be pretty useless for me. Don't PC, use the digital scale only for checking cast bullet weight these days. My sizer/luber for smokeless powder bullets is an old Lyman 45. For BP i have an RCBS sizer/luber. My most accurate powder measure is an ancient Belding & Mull though I use the RCBS most. I would say I haven't changed much since the 90's. The biggest changes would be adding the lathe and mill. The mill is kind of a toy. I see the lathe as a necessity.

[Winger Ed.]

I started with a single stage in the early 80s, and got a progressive in the late 80s after I started casting .45s & .38s.
I've refined my techniques a little, but no big changes.

For me, its sort of like driving a 25 year old pick up, then getting a new one.
There are a few differences, but not much.

[Hossfly]

I would say I’ve progressed since starting reloading in the early 70’s. From Lee whack a mole to RCBS single stage now to 2 Dillon Xl650’s one for small primers and one for large.

Started casting when got my first 9mm pistol. Powder coating shortly thereafter. Completely skipped the sizer lubing process, and went straight in to powder coating.

Mostly load and process 9mm, 45ACP, .223. But still load 44mag, .243,30-06, 38 and 357. Oh and also 45-70.

Enjoy processing brass with either wet pin, or dry media, they seem to both have a purpose.

The Dillons are for volume and the RCBS single stage for my sausage guns. Hunting.

[Three44s]

Don,

I started on a RCBS Jr. in 1975

I was reloading for .250-3000 in a Savage 99, then added a 243 bolt gun, swapped to a Liberty Ruger 77V (243). I added an ‘06 and a 270 Win to the cartridge list.

My case trimmer was a Pacific with a dull cutter.

I bought a Forester trimmer and the outside neck turning attachment and began using neck dies about 1982. That’s when I considered I had graduated to what I refer to a “handloading”.

Following that, I began cutting primer pockets and deburring inside of flash holes.

I added a .22-250 to the mix, a Remington 788 that had a propensity to throw a fifth shot flyer. I whooped it through intense load testing and it became a fly shooter. The advent of the Lee Collet die also made a big difference. I will say that when I contemplate adding another cartridge to mess with, I check to see if that die is made for it. If it is not, it is not a deal breaker but it does cool my heels somewhat.

My powder charging was almost all weighing and trickling thrown charges of stick powder until the powder that tamed my errant .22-250 became WW760. Then I exclusively threw that powder.

My scale was a Ohaus 505 but today ..... it’s the flag ship OHAUS 304 (RCBS)

My pet powder measure is and has been the RCBS Uniflow with a Lee Perfect for really coarse stick powders in reserve.

My case cleaning is just a Midway 2096 (the BIG one) and dry lizard litter (Walnut shell).

CASTING

That started out with an investment of $30 I recall in 1992.

A local gun shop had a bunch of molds and a Lyman 450 given to them. They sold me the whole kit and caboodle for (I believe) $30! A neighbor sent his unused bottom pour lead pots.

My thing was to cast for revolvers to mainly save money!

I added the 44 Mag to the roster a while later and never looked back.

So in the beginning it was size and lube. To me LLA was a curious idea but I tried it and things went well.

This new thing called the internet came and eventually I got a computer and then dial up internet access. Gun forums were sprouting up like weeds and I joined the S&W, Ruger dot com, and Predator Masters forums.

A while later I learned about Cast Boolits after the big shift and joined it as well.

So with Cast Boolits, casting knowledge was right at your finger tips, big time!

I even branched out to cast for larger bore rifles but have dabbled down as small as 25 caliber though my best results are from .338 and larger thus far.

This thing called Powder Coating became the rage but it took the incessant prodding of a local member to get me to try it.

So now, I powder coat!

My main press is now a Redding Boss single stage, I have two RCBS Jrs but added a Hornady LNL progressive mainly as second amendment insurance.

I have an early rendition of the RCBS automated powder charger but I can turn out thrown and trickled charges faster in the batch sizes I typically load, so it sits.

My case length prep involves a Lyman Universal and, more recently a mess of Wilson trimmers for various work.

Three44s

[Rockzilla]

Started in the early 70's. Rock Chucker, Lyman D-7 Scale, Ohaus Du-O-Measure, Lee Autoprimes
Reloaded at a friends house prior to that 12ga. mainly they shot trap & skeet old Federal paper hulls.
My first rounds were 38 spl, Dad's best friend was a LEO so got tons of brass. then to others and others.
Collected a bunch of stuff over the years presses, etc. But for some unknown reason the "batch mode
effect" has stayed with me. Just don't know why.
It was never about the "lastest / greatest and still not today. What changed?
brass cleaning from a Thumler's Tumblers Mdl B to wet (DIY) to a cement mixer (not lately)
case trimming from a old Lyman to Giraud
primer crimp remover from a drill / chamfer tool to a stand alone (DIY) reamer setup & 60 degree countersink
Case Lube from the old RCBS to Imperial or Lanolin / Alcohol mix
Powder measures from Ohaus Du-o-measure to Harrells / Redding.. but still use my Duo's
Presses...they are all over the place, Old Stars, CH Champs, Rock Chuckers, Big Boss 2, Co-Ax, and others nothing high end
Priming tool... from old Lee Autoprimes to Old Lee Autoprimes, have others
Casting from Lyman molds to MiHec mold, powder coating now...
Scale...still old school beam from Lyman D-7 to "tuned" Lyman M5's, etc.

basically the old vintage stuff I use the most "old school"
Stars for my pistol, Rockchucker, 550 / 650 for rifle depending

the process is still the same for the most part a change here n there
loading the 338LM / 50 BMG and target stuff

enjoy it all... don't count, don't care how long it takes, don't care about having this press
that turns out this much ammo....it doesn't matter. not about stats. just my .50 worth (inflation)
it's about relaxin / chillin / njoyin...

-Rock

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Lots of experience, equipment, and methods in this thread. I started in 1966 with a Lee Loader for .38 Spec., followed by several more Lee Loaders in different calibers. Can you believe the clerk told me, "You're going to save a lot of money by reloading." Then a deputy sheriff sold me a used Lyman Spartan single stage press and 9mm Luger dies, as he was going to a different caliber duty weapon. Next, a fellow sold me a used Thumbler's Tumbler rotating tumbler, and my brass started getting a better shine. Eventually it just flat wore out, so I got a Frankford Arsenal vibratory machine, and now I'm on my 2nd one. I started getting more and more into rifle cartridges and bought two RCBS Rockchuckers at the same time that were on sale with dies included. Then began a gradual accumulation of dies. At some point I got interested in casting and bought a Lyman bottom pour furnace, but the thing kept clogging up, so I went to the cast iron pot and bottom pour ladle and it's worked fine for me. I stayed with it-- guess I'm primitive. Never got into powder coating. I wanted to load .45 ACP faster than the Spartan would permit, so acquired a Lee Turret Press which was originally a 3-holer, but I converted it to 4 using their kit. Then I explored reloading shotgun shells and used Lee Load All II presses for 12 and 16 Ga. Work just fine. Next I bought a MEC press for reloading .410 shells (actually, one of last winter's projects), and about 3 years ago I retrogressed all the way back to a Lyman single stage press that I can clamp on my office desk when it's too cold to be out in the shop. All of this was supplemented over the years by a Lee Hand Press and
Lyman 310 tools, just as the circumstances and mood struck me.

DG

[Goldstar225]

I started reloading 41 years ago and casting 35 years ago. My first reloader was a Lee whack-a-mole for .38. A couple of years later I bought a used Bonanza single stage and "gasp" carbide dies. Still have and use the Bonanza. I'm slow to change, had a brief dalliance with a Lee Pro 1000 about 1990 but went back to the single stage Bonanza. Last year I bought a Dillon 550C and just this year started coating with Hi-tek.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Started with blue Pacific C-press in 1964/65? Marlin 336 30-30, got Lyman bullet casting kit for Christmas - single cavity .311041, Lyman 45 Lubrisizer, .309 sizing die, stove-top lead pot and Lyman ladle. I have a Lee 20lb bottom poor and Lee 20lb for ladle pour, still using the Lyman ladle from1965. Use Lee 6-cavity and 4 or 5 cavity from NOE now. Blue Pacific press broke, got red Pacific O-press with compound leverage, then Lee Pro-1000, then a second, Lee turret 3 and four holders used as single stage to avoid changing dies by threading in out, have a Lee Loadmaster and Dillon 550. Use the Loadmaster more than the Pro-1000's and the Dillon. Started with Pacific Powder Measure, like Belding and Mull principle, then Herters, then Lee, disc and Perfect Powder Measure, tried RCBS Uniflow but like the Lee Perfect and Deluxe Perfect better. Also used Bonanza dispenser, like the RCBS Little Dandy. Subscribed to Precision Shooting and tried much of what was talked about, moly coating, fire polishing, flash hole deburring, primer pocket uniforming. Still deburr flash holes, sometimes uniform primer pockets, have annealed cases to extend case life, now have a fancy annealer to make bullet pull crimping better. Have seen powders come a long way, Hi-Vel2 and the Imr's, H4895 and BL-c2 in the 60's, now Rldr 15, Varget and TAC, still like IMR 4227. I have electronic scales to check case and bullet weight, still use an RCBS 505 for powder weighing, newer powders measure more accurately than the IMR 3031, 4064 and 4350. I really should have less stuff, a .308 and a .45 woulde cover my 'NEEDS' but the rest is just interesting, TO ME. Now I have to get two .358's ready for elk season(wife's and mine), her .243 and my 300 Savage for pronghorn, a 308 for backup, and receiver-sighted 308 and 300 Savage for foul weather hunting. I mostly shoot Savage 99's, though the Henry .22 do get used for hunting season warm-up.

[jblee10]

I started reloading 42 years ago, and immediately started casting boolits. Started on a single stage press, and still use single stage exclusively. Every powder charged case has been visually inspected. Started casting with a Lee 10 lb bottom pour pot. But have picked up an old Lyman bottom pour over the years. I have hand dipping equipment, but still prefer bottom pour. Lube with a RCBS sizer or tumble lube, depending on application. I clean cases in liquid solutions in a rock tumbler passed down to me from my father. The only changes I've made over the years is I no longer prime cases on the press. I will only use a hand primer now. The feel is so much better, and I haven't had a miss fire since switching to hand priming. I am curious to try my hand at powder coating though.

[15meter]

I started in 1975 with a Lee Deluxe Whack-A-Mole in 12 gauge, myself and several buddies would set up an assembly line in our college apartment and churn out trap loads.

~1984 bought a MEC 650, made life a lot easier especially as the college buddies had gone their separate ways and the assembly line had one worker.

1989 I started on rifle with a 308, again using a Whack-A-Mole. Now I'm up to 60+calibers and gauges that I load for on a semi-regular basis.

Semi-regular basis because the common stuff that I have LOTS of brass for, I may only load every other year. The stooopid expensive brass calibers (can you say 350 Rigby Magnum or 400/360 Purdy?)
Gets reloaded more often pure and simply because of limited amounts of brass.

1991, moved to a basic Lee die cast C-frame press when the 50-70 showed up. Big jump, 308, usually with round ball loads just because they were so much fun going to a 50-70.

Since then the shotgun stuff has gone through probably 25+ MEC/Texan/Pacific/Ponsness-Warren iterations.

Now at 12 ga. in a MEC 9000G and a P-W 800B, 16, 20 and 28 ga. in a MEC 650, 410 in a MEC Grabber.

Rifle and pistol has gone through probably 20+ RCBS/Lyman/Hornady/Lee/Dillon iterations.

Currently at RCBS Rockchucker, A3, and a Reloader Special, a Lyman T-Mag, a Dillon 550B and a Square Deal B.

2008, with casting stuff I sort of jumped in the deep end, buddy was moving south and wasn't casting anymore so he sold me his set up quite reasonably. Lyman bottom pour, handles, molds, RCBS Lubrisizer and all the assorted little stuff you need to get started.

98+% of my reloading equipment has been Craigslist/garage sale/gun club purchases of typically dead guy stuff. Some has flat out be given to me from friends/relatives/acquaintances.

I've sold off the old stuff as I've upgraded, always adding the cash back into the Top Secret Gun Fund.

At this point I have more cash back in my pocket then I ever spent on reloading equipment. Same way with components, not in the black at this point, but certainly shooting hasn't cost me as much as if I hadn't been out horse trading.

Just been lucky. Makes shooting cheeep.

I once offended someone on here when I listed stuff in the swapping and selling forum because I listed it as Dead Guy Stuff. He could never buy or use stuff that he "knew" was Dead Guy Stuff.

All my stuff is going to be Dead Guy Stuff someday, my daughter even razzes me and harasses me about reducing the volume so she doesn't have to deal with it when I'm dead.

Hopefully that isn't too soon, too much fun stuff to do in life!

One of my Dead Guy purchases:



$600, ~35 lbs. of powder, 13,000+ primers 200+ lbs. of lead, 100+ lbs. of 50/50 body solder dozen molds and handles. ~3 dozen die sets, presses, casting pots, fistfuls of miscellaneous tools.

Found it listed on Craigslist. Haven't found much on Craigslist since the Great Panic set it.

Paid the guy exactly what he asked.

Called me up the next day and cussed me out because I ripped him off.

Some people got no sense of humor.

[ShooterAZ]

I started reloading in the mid 1970's, and am another one who started on the cheap with the Lee "whack a mole'". I bought "store bought" cast boolits from a local guy and they worked Ok for what I needed at the time. I slowly evolved to purchasing better equipment and reloading gear. I started casting my own around 2008, and didn't really get things perfected until I joined this board and learned how to "do it right" with the help from the fine folks here. I mostly still do things the old school way. I load most my rifle cartridges on a RCBS Rockchucker, but I do however load most of my pistol and revolver loads on a Dillon RL550B. I don't powdercoat and don't intend to (have a RCBS Lam II), so I guess I haven't really progressed all that much aside from learning how to cast and load accurate ammunition. That was my goal in the long run, so I am perfectly content with the way things are.

[TNsailorman]

I started learning reloading from my uncle in around 1957 and did not really get into it until after I got out of the Navy in 1962. That fall after I got out(1962), I bought a newly introduced Remington 700 in .30-06 ADL version with a 20" barrel for a grand total of $90.00 including the shipping. I did not have enough money to buy ammo for it yet but was lucky enough to be able to get some government WW II military ammo from a couple of fellows (ex WW II veterans themselves) who gave me about 80 to 100 rounds in the government boxes. That Christmas my Mother and Dad gave me a C&H 333 reloading press and I was off to the races. The next spring(1963) I had hoarded enough money to buy a Lee Loader in 30-06 for a total of $4.75 including the shipping from a company called Maryland Arms. I kept reloading as I could find brass and had cash to buy bullets. I have over the years shot in about every competition that went bang. From Combat pistol(yes we called it that way back then) to black powder rifle, .22 rifle, trap, and skeet. I have had over the years just about every kind of brand that produced reloading equipment looking for that perfect loader, etc.. Same for rifles and pistol, shotguns. I never found a perfect loader, pistol/revolver, or shotgun but I sure tried. I tried the Dillons with 2 450's and 550's while shooting competition but after I quit shooting competition in the late 1989, I sold them. The 450 was the best of the Dillons to my way of thinking. It allowed you to change dies for different calibers without costing an arm & a leg for the extra equipment to do so. I have kept my RCBS Rockchucker and Lyman All American presses and I guess they will be in my reloading room when I pass on. I have C&H case trimmers and 1 Sinclair for each caliber I shoot with case holders. I also have a down and dirty set up consisting of a small electric drill mounted in a bracket and clamped to a bench and use Lee trimmer set up for each caliber for those quick small jobs. All in all I guess over the years I have developed methods and equipment that allows me to do the job quicker and better than when I first started out. I de-cap all my brass with a Lee punch and cup. I prime with either a Lee screw style hand priming tool or an RCBS Posi-Prime tool while watching a ball game on television. I have a Sinclair primer pocket uniformer and a primer flash hole de-burring tool. I also have large and small military crimp cutters to remove those crimps. I am not the least bit interested in speed, so I mostly do things in a manual mode except where I have stated here. Reloading is a hobby unto its self for me. I enjoy the time I spend doing it and at age 79+, I am in no hurry for anything. works for me, james