I started saving brass when I started shooting in the early 80's. By 2000, I had quite a collection. I started seriously thinking about reloading about 1998, and finally pulled the trigger on the project in December 2000, buying a RCBS Rockchucker Master Reloading Kit at the recommendation of folks on shooters.com.
What drove me to do it?
1) I read somewhere way way back that I could manage recoil. I was never a puss when it came to recoil, but if I could get nearly the same velocity with much less kick, I was in.
2) Cost. I could shoot more for less $.
My first attempt was some 44 MAG. It was a horrible failure. I sent the expander die about a quarter way down the case. I still have them somewhere.
My first 30-06 load was an off-max 165 grain Hornady SP over IMR4895 that shot better than any factory load I'd ever bought. It also did well in every 30-06 I owned at the time. I switched to H4895 at some point a few years later, and it still remains my favorite deer load. Funny, but the first time I tried to shoot a deer with it, all I got was a click. That's been the only bad primer in 14+ years. The next morning I shot a nice doe with the same batch of ammo.
