For folks who have doing this for at least 25 years

[GregLaROCHE]

I still use my Lyman turret press I started with in the eighties, as my main press. I did pick up a Rock Chucker, but use it rarely, mostly got tough sizing jobs.

The big change was going to PCing most of my boolits.

[dverna]

Thanks for sharing guys.

My first reloader was a Lee Target loader in .222. It was all I could afford and bought powder 1 lb at a time and primers by the little packs of 100. I hardly ever shot more than 50 rounds of .222 at an outing to the range.

What inspired me to start the thread is that after about the first 25 years of “doing it”, I made a lot of changes. But I have not adopted many of the new methods in the last 25 years. Sure...I upgraded to stuff like 1050’s, but they are Stars on steroids and I ran Stars over 40 years ago. Stuff like coatings and SS pin cleaning are recent, but I have not had the incentive to try them. So wondered how many old timers were “stuck in the past” like me.

I am also reminded of what my dad used to say....we start life as a baby and die like a baby. My old Co-Ax is still my main SS press and will be on the bench till the end. It was a huge expense at the time ($68) and I think a Lyman was about 1/3 the price. I have never lusted for anything better...doubt there is anything better for my needs. As to the “circle of life”....shooting 50 rounds a week used to be a lot. Eventually needed the equipment to shoot 20k a year.....and now I am going back the other way.

Shooting has been part of my life for over 60 years. Met tons of great people and made good friends. Been lucky to meet some of the greatest shooters in the world. A hell of a journey...but one that is winding down.

Hope I make it long enough to start wearing Depends....I still have a lot of components to use up.

[jmorris]

I have been reloading for 36 years, still have the equipment I started with and still use some if it. I also have lots of stuff I wished existed back then though.

[Poygan]

I began reloading for shotgun around 1963. I bought a Lyman Ammo Maker in 1964 for .45 acp. I learned most of all when I joined this site some years ago. I have used an RCBS single stage (Rock Chucker) for some time and started off with a CH single stage press. Mostly I use a Lee 4 turret press for pistol reloading. Still using the same scale I bought years ago in conjunction with the RCBS measure. Cast for all calibers I shoot, including rifles. Starting to sell stuff off now....

[ReloaderFred]

I started reloading on a used Hollywood Senior press in 1963, which still sits mounted to one of my benches. Fast forward to today, and I load for 35 different calibers, and my wife has no idea how much I've got invested in reloading and casting equipment, and doesn't care, as long as when she needs ammo, I provide it. I plan to keep it that way, too.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[RKJ]

I started reloading in 1986 with a LEE turret press (the 3 hole) and then got a RL 550 about 2 years later and haven't looked back. Around 2013 I thought I'd try casting, (I remember asking a friend why would you want to go to all that trouble casting when you can buy pre made stuff, now I know) started out with a LEE 4-20 and then got a Lyman Mag 25. I'm still learning the casting thing but sure enjoy it, I've upgraded as I learned and could afford. I started PC'ing and use that exclusively now. I just like it much better. I use a digital scale but check it with my old 5-10. I'd say I'm in the middle of old and new.

[country gent]

What has changed the most for me is in the case prep I do now

I started loading 222 rem with a lee loader and an old bottle caper, threw charges with the modified dipper and trickled up to weight. I did deburr and chamfer case mouths. Produced some really good ammo

Now new brass come I trim deburr flash holes uniform pockets anneal and for a couple rifles neck turn.

[Murphy]

Don,

You're not the only one stuck in the past. My best guess is I started reloading in 1980, thanks to a Lee Whack-A-Mole kit. Okay, not the proper name, but any old timer knows exactly what that is. A friend of mine had a brother who gave a try at reloading and started out with an RCBS Rock Chucker, scale, dies...etc. He tired of it quickly and I wound up the designated party to be the recipient of it all. My first major improvement, was a C&H Pistol Champ. Man o' man! I felt like a regular ammunition factory. The next big step was a Dillon 450, later onto a 550B. I hAve a 'few' of them still around.

Casting: Skeeter Skelton was my 'drug of choice' and he was always talking about this Thompson #358156 bullet, along with some guy named Elmer's #429421. Of course back in those days, Shotgun News was the go to place to find such things. I couldn't find either bullet for sale. I'd been ordering cast bullets long before I started casting. I happened into a deal that came with a Lyman 450, a Lee 4-10 pot, and a mold. Lo and behold! It was a Lyman #358156 double cavity with a box of gas checks. I rounded up some linotype from the local print shop and the journey began. Like many others, I had no mentor, just a Lyman handbook and the desire. It wound up being a dismal failure. I later discovered the sizer die was .356 diameter. No wonder I couldn't hit a small pond at 50 yards and the barrel was leaded. Sold all of it off and kept buying bullets. My second try, was much larger. I discovered Magma Engineering and went all in, Star sizer to boot. Finally, success. But I was limited to what Magma had to offer in my mold choices. I decided to give a lead pot and Lyman mold a 2nd try and things went well. For a short while, I made and sold cast boolits in a tri-state area using the Magma/Star setup. I wasn't really getting anywhere with it as a business (as in quitting my day job), so I parted with the Magma. My personal needs didn't warrant keeping it.

Progress? Finding my gun fund money in good shape, not thinking of anything I really wanted at the time, I stepped up my casting pot to a RCBS Pro-Melt and followed that up with a Rebel 17 pin tumbling outfit. That's as far as I've gotten. While tempted, I've not drank the Kool-Aid of powder coating. Part of me says to try it, not as a replacement to my old ways, but as one more trick in bag. Powders are another issue. Sure, there are new and better to be had. I'm just comfortable with my old ways.

One more thing. The other day a life long friend was wondering, where'd all our money go? I replied, mine got spent on guns, gal's & guitars...I threw the rest away.


Murphy

[toallmy]

I started loading my own ammunition in the early 80s , batch loading in blocks and hand weighing charges wiping down the case with a rag to remove the case lube also , for metallic cartridges .
Come to think about it I just finished prepping some brass the same way , well it just works and I enjoy doing it like that .
The biggest game changer for me was discovering the computer and the internet around 2015 . I had all but quit shooting handguns , it just wasn't worth the trouble , than I found Cast Boollits website . That's when everything came together loading handgun ammunition , powder dispenser , progressive reloaders , cast boolits .

[M-Tecs]

What worked in the past still works today. People change or don't change for a variety of reasons. I stated reloading in 1968 and those methods produced good ammo but through the years both volume and accuracy requirements dictated up grading to the state of the art equipment and methods. Also my personality type and background as an advanced machinist/toolmaker steers me to quality equipment.

[David2011]

Although I had reloaded a little in the late ‘70s, I didn’t get my own equipment until the early ‘80s. The first press was a well used RCBS Jr 2. I was only loading for .38 Special/.357 and buying commercial cast boolits. After a year or two I added a Blackhawk in .45 Colt. During this time I learned to cast from a friend. By the early ‘90s my wife and I were shooting a lot more, with friends. We got together during the week and loaded the weekend batch of .38s and emptied them on Saturday. It didn’t take long to decide it was time for a Dillon 550. The 550 was all I needed until I discovered USPSA and started shooting a LOT. I added a Dillon 650 to feed the USPSA habit. Since I was casting and loading for 1500-2500 rounds/month the extra speed of the 650 was a big help. In 2011 I moved to an area with far less shooting activity but built a nice air conditioned casting and loading room. It was the only choice in the desert heat. Some time after that I started powder coating. I love the way PC keeps the gun so much cleaner. That’s my evolution.

[GhostHawk]

I have learned a lot since becoming a member here back in March of 2014.

Citric acid washing my brass was a big one.

I found a RCBS Universal hand primer that did not need shell holders. Ran with just one for a long time, now I have 2, 1 large, 1 small, both bought used here.

Went from casting on nat gas stove with 7" cast iron to a small Lee electric dipper pot, to a magnum melter dipper pot.

Single biggest change was learning about Ben's Liquid Lube.

I did reload back in the late 70's and 80's but it was mostly all copper condom stuff.
Now its all cast all the way down the line.

Read about "The Load, and Red Dot" here, never looked back. Now almost everything runs on Red Dot.

Lots of changes, all for the better.

[brass410]

I started in 84 with a trip to a little gun store in Ft Myers Fla. If memry serves It was run by a guy Joe Friday seems odd but anyway.long story short I enquired about reloading (no former knowledge), And he set me up with everything I would need, Big Max single stage, on press priming die with all acc's, a lyman case trimmer with all the mandrells, rcbs dies for my 243, 10-10 scale,chamfer tool,go no go gages for primer depth and case gage,all the little hand tools primer flippers etc, bullet puller collet set complete all mandrels (you never know what you might get). I've only had to update to pin cleaning I still do everything one at a time on that press, the hobby has given me hundreds of hours of pleasure with my spouse quietly across the bench punching out shotshells on her mec 12 and 410 presses. Its usually how end a hectic day of work in winter with the dogs snoring behind the wood stove in our great room. Best 1500 bucks I ever spent.

[rbuck351]

I started loading in 1962 IIFC, with a Lee whack a mole in 12ga. For my 14th B day, my dad took me to a lgs and bought me the loader, a lb of red dot, a box of primers, 5lbs of shot, some Alcan wads and a Speer loading manual. A few years later I bought a RCBS jr reloader special in 38 spl so I could afford to shoot NRA 50' indoor with dads Colt Officers Model 38 Spl.

For me even store bought cast bullets were expensive so I bought a lyman 2c wadcutter mold and a dipper and started to learn to cast the hard way as I didn't know anyone that cast bullets. You can't use a tin can to melt your lead as the can joints are soldered and will melt, Smearing lube on a bullet is a pita and sizing a cast bullet can be necessary.

My objective for loading and casting had usually been cost but moved to accuracy and availability of non normal rounds and speed of loading. In order to do this I have moved from the single stage to turret to progressive. In the process I keep hearing how this or that press or method of loading, lube sizing vs pc, brass prep and such are THE BEST and have bought a lot of different presses, dies, brass cleaners, lube sizers and a bunch of other toys including a mini lathe to test for myself.

I keep telling myself I have the best for me when someone comes up with a new tool that I just have to try. Although a have over twenty presses, I rarely use more than my four favorites, being the Bonanza CO-AX, RCBS RC, Lyman AA and the Dillon 550b. Some day I hope to start saving money by reloading. In the mean time I keep getting different tools and trying different methods to see if there are better ways to get where I'm going. So far, I'm not too old to learn.

[Walks]

I started in the late 1950s, hanging on a press handle. Don't remember the brand, probably Lyman or RCBS. I was 3-4 years old. About a year later I was priming cases with 310 tong tool. Probably why I had such a powerful grip for so many years.
When I got out of the service in 1975, I started My own reloading/casting setup. I dipper cast a lot of bullets out of Lyman/RCBS/Lachmiller/Ohaus 1-2 cavity molds. Started with A Lyman Spartan press and an OLD Redding oil reservoir scale. Moved up to a Rockchucker and 10/10 scale within a year. Got a Lyman XX bottom pour furnace and some H&G & Lyman 4cav molds. Dad gave me some stuff including a MEC 650. Upgraded to a Hornady APEX in 1990. Started cleaning cases by trying them into a shot bag and putting them thru the washing machine. Dried in the oven.
Electronic scale, tumbler, RCBS Green Machine, dillon 450, tumble lube, powder coating, Electronic case cleaner etc.
I've constantly upgraded over the years. My list would probably go to at least 3 pages.
Things come and go, ideas and thinking changes.
Even old timers like My Dad will try new idea's. A few weeks before He passed, He bought 3 used Lee 2cav aluminum molds in .44cal for "Cowboy bullets" in our Colt .44Spl's. That was in May 1988. He was always ready to try new stuff and new ways to do things.

[slohunter]

I started in 1978 with the Mequon & Hammer, then a Lee Turret in 83, a Challenger 2000 in 85. Nothing has changed, I'm still using the same stuff that other reloading people told me were junk decades and thousands of rounds later.

[gwpercle]

I started in 1967 .
I'm basically loading and casting the same way , with better equipment . My Lyman Spartan is now a Pacific Super Deluxe , Eagle Cobra , Lyman A-A Turret and two Lee Hand Presses .
Tried bottom pour pots ...but didn't like it ... have gone back to Lyman ladle , open top Lee Magnum Melter 20 lb. pot , pressure casting with a 20# Lee Magnum Melter . Tried the other ways to clean brass but went back to dry treated walnut shell . Don't like water mess or having to dry brass . Never got the urge to go Dillion or other type of high volume loading on a machine .
Have enjoyed using NOE moulds ...the selection is vast and Lyman was dropping so many moulds it isn't funny ...they don't make ANY 41 cal moulds anymore . I bought a Lyman 450 lube sizer in 1974 and haven't looked back ... one cycle and boolit is lubed, sized and gas checked ...one and done . I saw no need for coated and painted boolits ...so never went there .
I enjoy reloading as a hobby so I'm not in a rush nor do I need vast quantities , I can take my time and enjoy what I'm doing .
Gary

[Land Owner]

I've "saved" so much money reloading and shooting, by reinvesting in machines, components, and "gear" for hunting, that I'll never HAVE TO purchase another thing - for hunting or shooting - EVER again...but, if I live long enough, I most likely will.

The investment has payed dividends through the current market sale, at marked for quick sale price, of left overs, excess, and estate purchased and inherited machines and components that have turned a not-price-gouged profit for which I am satisfied. The "bulk" of this hobby, near end of life (whenever that is), can be converted into cash for NOT LESS THAN the original investment, if not a reasonable profit, and one can STILL reload and shoot to their last breath.

[Big Wes]

I started out loading with a Dillon 550b in 1994 and since then added two more Dillons, SDB and a 650 i bought used. Recently, I bought a MEC metallic single stage, am I regressing? lol

[robertbank]

Started back in the early 70's using a RCBC Rockchucker. Sold everything when I moved to Ontario. I move back West in the mid 90's found me with a used Dillon 550B, which spawned a Rockchucker Supreme,. A used RCBS Lubricator from MI via ebay came with the Dillon. Somewhere around 2003 an RCBS Chargemaster replaced the balance beam. I have gone through 3 vibrating cleaners and now have a Hornady using corncob media. Two years ago a Star Lubricator was added as my demand for lubed pistol bullets got way out of hand.

Still learning handloading, exploring new loads and trying to find a pistol that shoots more accurately and faster than the last one was supposed to do. With two shoulder replacements in the past three years rifle and shotgun shooting has declined but a fix is in sight. There are new nuggets if information rising from this forum with every new discussion. Without this forum my reloading and casting would have remained in it's infancy. Thanks to BruceB, Al, Felix Char-Char, Tim down Texas and the Mods who I had the honour of working with and many others the ride has been a blast and continues. Life is good.

Take Care

Bob