I was always a "gun nut".....even from the age of 8-10. At the time (late 1960's) when most everyone in my area considered gun to be a "tool" to do a job.....I considered them to be fascinating forms of art. I would tear them down to the smallest parts and put them back together.....just to see how they worked.
Reloading was a natural extension of my interest in guns. I was just as fascinated by the process of loading ammo as I was by the inner working of guns.
I was already involved in muzzleloading and black powder so reloading ammo was a natural extension of what I was doing with loose powder.
As far as reloading was concerned, I started with a Lee Load-All to load shotgun shells (which was the "main" gun used at that time). Shortly after I moved on to rifle and handgun ammo with a Lee press.
I never even considered the cost savings of reloading ....although it did become apparent that I could shoot a lot more with reloads than I could with factory loaded ammo. I also quickly discovered that I could load more accurate ammo than factory and choose the bullets I used rather than just take what was loaded by the factory.
The real appeal to me was being able to "custom" load my ammo for a particular purpose. I could load heavier than factory level loads for guns like the 7x57mm (which at the time was loaded VERY weak by the factories) or load light for use on small game.
Later I began to trade guns and try new things and reloading allowed me to never worry about the chambering of a particular rifle. You've never lived until you load for something like a 7.5x55mm MAS. I never even knew there were such things as a Berdan primers.....or the "tricks" needed to load one. Just try to find ammo for a .22 Savage High Power or .303 Savage (and be prepared to pay dearly).....or simply pull the lever and have ammo as quick as for a common .30-30.
Another real advantage of reloading appeared in the 1980's when "steel" shot was required for waterfowl. I've HEARD (but will never admit to taking part) that some reloaders used to load lead shot in hulls marked "steel"....until the Game Wardens began to carry magnets with them. The appearance of Bismuth made this unnessisary for older guns (except for the cost). SOME loaders might still be loading lead....so I've heard.
Reloading has become a lifetime hobby (although I do still use some factory ammo from time to time). I like the process of loading ammo as I like and experimenting with different loads cost is a factor, but not nearly the first consideration for me.
