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arcee

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
37
Lee loader 1961. Wife bought me my first Rock Chucker 1973. She still stares at me if I try to by "factory" ammunition.

"Are you out of components AGAIN?" She figured out the cost per round in our second year of marriage and bought me the reloader, a bullet mould, and a set of dies....

50 years married to the same woman and 48 years reloading with my wife....
 

Rclark

Hunter
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
3,533
Location
Butte, MT
40 years or so as late teen. Started on a Pacific O Press. Used that up until a couple years ago when I acquired an Iron Press. Still using a single stage as it meets my simple reloading needs.
 

robho40

Bearcat
Joined
Feb 25, 2016
Messages
17
59 years for me, Alabama, California, Arizona. Missed last year because of components shortage and ridiculous prices!
 
Joined
Jan 13, 2022
Messages
18
I started at 13 on a lee load all 12ga. Set shooting aside for a few years in my early 20's ( started racing motorcycles) then started again in my late 20's. I'm 51 now and still load my own and cast bullets. Been casting for about 10-12 years. I load for 4570,308,3006,270,280rem,7mm08,243,22-250,223,221fireball,20 practical
Handguns. 45colt&acp, 44mag/spl, 357mag/38spl,9mm,380,327mag,32mag
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2017
Messages
1,743
Location
Idaho
I got interested watching my dad handload ammo. Likely started with him helping when I was around 12. By myself around 1974 when about 18 years old. Started buying my own loading gear around 1977. So around 48 years.
Handload handgun and rifle ammo. I casted bullets in both for many years. After having a coffee can of every lead bullet I use I sold all that stuff. Handloaded 12ga lead ammo for a few years. After the MEC loader sat unused for 5 years In sold it.
Only centerfire round I have not hand loaded is the .380 acp.
 

Paul B

Hunter
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
Messages
2,131
Location
Tucson, AZ
I started hand loading my own ammo 58 years ago, August of 1954 on my 16th birthday. Stared out with a Lyman 310 tool and dies for .38 Spl., 30-30, and 30-06. Cast on an antique gas stove that was in the basement of our house. Lots of Lyman #358156 and #311291 cast bullets went downrange. A lot of full power ammo went through the barrel of the S&W 38/44 Outdoorsman I had. Took down a about 250 pound Black Bear with it that was chewing on a lady camper back on Labor Day weekend, 1959. I bunch of deer passed from that Lyman .30 caliber bullet from the 30-30 or 30-06. I had to save my pennies, nickels and dime to buy primer, powder and gas checks for the cast bullets but lead was usually free. Tire shop were just throwing away used weights and were glad I found a use for them. I made up plenty of bullets gave some to the tire shop guys so they got their piece of the pie. Around 1957 shortly after graduating from high school, I got a full time job that went a long way toward getting some jacketed bullets for the rifles, more rifles and a 1911 .45ACP. I don't have that old milsurp .45 anymore but do have a Colt Combat Commanders that is a daily carry piece. I haven't done any reloading since Dec 2019. On 1/2/2020 I was in a bad vehicle accident to totaled my 2015 F150 4x4. On 2/27/21 I had a heart attack and in Feb 22 I was diagnosed with cancer which apparentley I bdeat as informed by my oncologist just last week. The chemo did its job but has left me a bit messed up physically. Still have to a some radiation. Doc is trying for a five day session and watch and wait, and no surgery or a 28 day regimen and surgery which I am opposed to. Basically, what all this means is I haven't shot a gun or reloaded any ammo for three years and I'm not happy with the withdrawal symtoms. If I can, I wouldn't mind snagging a reasonably priced cow elk hunt later this year. FWIW, I'm 84 years old.
Paul B.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
9,675
Location
Dallas, TX
I started loading .243 Win and .220 swift about 14 years ago.

Started with an RCBS single stage and now have an RCBS turret press and a Hornady progressive for 9mm.
 

Newtire

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 23, 2022
Messages
27
Location
Idaho
Mo, I doubt many here get close to were you are at. I don't consider myself a re-loader because I cheat. I only do 12 gauge shot-shells and barely half of what a shot-shell re-loader does. And I do it all by hand, no press and some of my tools are home made. Suffice to say if I live another 20 years I won't get close to where you are at. :)
56 here. Started at 16 loading with a Lee whack-a-mole 12ga. Bought a pound of AL-5, a pound of Red Dot, 5-pounds of #6 and 5-pounds of #4 some 1/2" Feltan Bluestreak wads, 200 Alcan 209's, some .135" nitro-cards and some new style Air-wedge plastic over powder wads. We loaded a box each of 1-1/4 oz. and 1-1/8oz. loads and tied my buddy's old Iver Johnson single to a tree. Hid behind another tree and shot one of each load. Wow! It didn't blow up! 35 grains AL-5 and 23 grains Red Dot using nitro cards. My Dad told me not to shoot those damn reloads in his M-12. Of course I did. When I told him I did, he just asked me how they worked..Told him fine and he said, "Let's load up a couple boxes and go up to Grandma's and shoot some clays." Found a place where no hogs were being raised and shot clays. I couldn't have been more proud!
 

buckaroo

Banned
Joined
Oct 8, 2022
Messages
360
Location
U.S.A.
Hey New, it sure surprised me all these long time re-loaders here. It's neat to hear most are still doing it to. Your dad sounds like a neat guy, very cool he didn't angry with you.
 

Rclark

Hunter
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
3,533
Location
Butte, MT
Looking over the responses ... where are the 'new' young reloaders (say less than 10 years)? I wonder. See, in my R/C Plane club, most of the guys are over 50, and most are pushing over 70. No one under 30.... So it makes me wonder if we have a trend here.... Speaking for myself, none of my 3 boys reload or even shoot much anymore.
 

Black Fly

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
466
Location
Lake Nice, VA
Started late summer when I was 13 with a 32 Special and 12 guage Lee Loader. Graduated to genuine Northern guide approved Herters stuff about two years later. I'm 74 now. I think that makes about 61 years. I still have the IMR4320 can that started with. The Old Unique can got lost along the way.
Bfly
 
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