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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 13,404
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 13,404 |
I loved Herters, bought my first press and dies from them. I also bought a single shot 22 hornet rifle for $21.95 mail order when I was 14. Shot it a lot but brass did not last long. I loaded them with a Lee loader, perfect open sight turtle gun. I also bought a Lee loader copy made under the Herters brand for 30-30, Didn't size cases right but the decapper is still in my stuff. I still use Herters dies made for 222 for some of my 223 loading, Still use a set of 30-30 dies from them also. All this bought before I was 16. I have a set of their 264 Winchester dies new in the box which is made of wood. I ordered one of their recurve bows but it had the upper limb twisted and I sent it back. $55. was a lot of money for a kid mowing lawns.
Dog I rescued in January ![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/yYDjsxrQ/IMG-0124.jpg)
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,639
Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,639 |
we also made an exact copy of the Forester case trimmer. It was advertized as utilizing a hardened ground and honed bearing.....it fact it was simply a 12L14 screw stock steel that was reamed to .490 diameter cutter that was made from the same 12L14 steel purchased in 1/2" stock. The cutter was case hardened and ground to .489 and was actually a pretty functional fit.....except for one thing.....after case hardening and grinding we took them to a hand screw machine (Hardinge) and sharpened them.....removing the .010 deep case hardened surface.....they cut for a while but quickly dulled.....the Forested trimmer was vastly superior to Herter's.....
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Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 2,621
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 2,621 |
Wonderful read, Fellas.
I’m originally a Californian and had only heard of Herters and I’m not quite sure of the source. Always seemed like an iconic store that I lived too far from to ever visit.
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,639
Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,639 |
vapodog,
At one point I heard Herter's loading dies were "RCBS seconds." I doubt that. Got some suck RCBS dies in the late 1970s, but they were still better than the Herter's dies.
I seriously doubt that.....but stranger things have happened.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,999
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,999 |
Years ago, I won the bid for a massive Herter's Super 234 six station turret press Despite the large amount of cast iron used to make up the press, it was not very rigid. No amount of torquing down the turret head fastening nut would prevent the turret head from moving vertically in response to raising the ram. The problem was in the design. First, the turret was not supported on the side opposite the ram. Secondly, the excessive distance of the die holes away from the axis of rotation added to the problem. Oh well, my winning bid was only 5 bucks at an in-person farm auction so it was not an expensive lesson on buying Herter's products. For the several years that I had it, it worked OK with pistol cartridges.
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5,468
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5,468 |
Grew up in MN. Herter's was the place.. Giving away my last Herter's reloading press, a big heavy cast iron one that will last many lifetimes. Good times indeed. Many rifles and accessories that can not be found nowadays. Sold with a bit hype as well...
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,742
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,742 |
Paul, I too remember Herter's Wasp Waist bullets. I, in those days(1968) being poor as a church mouse, was always on the lookout for cheap stuff. I ordered some in 130 grain 270 and actually killed a small four-point buck with one. I was a sucker for the hype.
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 570
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 570 |
I had many of their fishing products. They had a good heavy duty styrofoam minnow bucket in a wire enclosure for carrying and my grandfather had a Herter's jonboat. It was around 18 feet long and made using a fiberglass mat with an aluminum frame. There was no gelcoat so you just saw the matting. My grandfather bought it back in the 50's and used it into the 80's. It was heavier than a similar aluminum boat.
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,208
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,208 |
Spent many a night as a kid with a flashlight and that catalog under the covers. In my imagination I think I put together about every caliber of J9 and U9 available with their semi-finished stocks.Still use a 4x rimfire scope on my old Rem 582 and their sizer/luber for cast bullets.
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,639
Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,639 |
Paul, I too remember Herter's Wasp Waist bullets. I, in those days(1968) being poor as a church mouse, was always on the lookout for cheap stuff. I ordered some in 130 grain 270 and actually killed a small four-point buck with one. I was a sucker for the hype. Wow.....wasp waist sonic bullets.....I also bought some.....130 grain for the .270.....extremely fragile but it worked for some. I went back to Sierra after that box of 100 expired.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 38,869
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 38,869 |
.... The dies totally sucked.... You certainly got that right!
Not a real member - just an ordinary guy who appreciates being able to hang around and say something once in awhile.
Happily Trapped In the Past (Thanks, Joe)
Not only a less than minimally educated person, but stupid and out of touch as well.
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,116
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,116 |
I had their big, heavy cast iron press, some dies and their scale. This Springfield wears a French walnut Herter's stock. It started out with the huge roll over comb. After removing a bunch of wood, this is what was left. I did skip-a-line checkering and rose wood inlays. I later had a .270 McGowan SS barrel fitted. That's back when I was in high school, didn't know about .270's back then...  I fitted a Timney trigger, glassed and free floated it. It's actually pretty accurate, although a bit heavy. DF ![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/wB8Qy9b.jpg)
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,579
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,579 |
When the Herter's catalog arrived we would be all over it.
Bought duck decoys, down vest, books, owl decoy, etc.
Those were the days to be kids.
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,639
Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,639 |
When the Herter's catalog arrived we would be all over it.
Bought duck decoys, down vest, books, owl decoy, etc.
Those were the days to be kids. I've heard good things about their decoys.....and yes....those were the days to be kids.
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,205
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,205 |
You mean the "Worlds Largest Manufacturers of Reloading Tools and Supplies" is out of business?  ![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/HnD1ZGBX/DSC-0068.jpg)
Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.
John 8:32
A lie doesn't become truth; wrong doesn't become right; evil doesn't become good, just because it's accepted by the majority...Rick Warren
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,402
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,402 |
I still have a Herters reloading set up press, dies, powder scale and powder thrower. Got them in 1964. Also a recurve bow that the head of the archery dept., think his name was Barrie, arranged when I was there with the then field archery champion. Great old memories.
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Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 482
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 482 |
I think the 401's were made for Herter's by Sauer and Son. I thought I read somewhere they offered those guns in other chamberings. Does anyone know what all they were available in???
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 9,245
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 9,245 |
My peeps are from right there, “Rossers”, “Hunts” and “Bryants” I remember a goose down Herter’s Jacket and Vest were a Godsend over the cold weather crap from the late 60’s and 70’s. Summer vacation was a trip from the Mississippi coast to Valley Head Alabama to visit PaPaw and Nana. Lookout Mountain stood silent sentinel over their farm. Big Wills Creek carved its way through the fecund soils that fed their pasture and their vegetable garden. I can still hear the sound of the spring that kept their basement door closed, and that special basement smell was always a warm welcome back from a day afield with our BB guns and cane poles.
In the basement in a rough hewn gun rack resided a JC Higgins 22 semi-automatic, and two custom rifles built on Remington 722 actions. One was a 244 Remington with a mid-weight blued Douglas Premium barrel. The other was a 22-250 with a stainless Douglas Premium heavy barrel. It began life as a wildcat. PaPaw showed me how he necked down 250-3000 brass to make the hot rod 22-250. He could hit a groundhog from 400 yards away with the Weaver 6 power scope showing the way.
Below the gun rack was another rack with a few small cubbies. Those cubbies held Herter's bullets in several weights and calibers. Some of those bullets were Herter's Wasp Waist bullets. I opened the box and stared at them in wonderment several times each summer. On the bench beneath the bullets were assorted tins of IMR powder. On the edge of the bench was mounted a beast of a Herter's cast iron press.
Off to the right was a stack of Herter's catalogs. Those too were plied several times each summer. The few color printed pages offered laminated Herter's stocks in a gorgeous blond and dark walnut two tone color. I was fascinated with them. One day, I too would order things from the Herter's catalog, I dreamed.
Last edited by JohnnyLoco; 05/17/21.
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,080
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,080 |
Herter's catalog was better than Sears.I had ordered one of the J-9 or was it U9 Rifles in7 mag .I think they were BSA.( I can' t remember).They never delivered.Then I ordered a 401 Powermag. Ditto. In 1974, I did big order from them, but was disappointed in it. I sent it all back and the shorted me a sleeping bag on the return.I guess to make up for the loss of the sale.I never ordered from again.
I still have a set of 7mag Herter's dies and a big slicing knife.Some of their stuff was pretty good, but most of it was Harbor Freight quality if that.
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,116
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 37,116 |
You mean the "Worlds Largest Manufacturers of Reloading Tools and Supplies" is out of business? And, also the best in the world.... I still have some 150 gr..308 bullets. DF
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