Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What got you into reloading your own ammo?

In 1999, I had two deer rifles and bought two boxes of ammo for each for the upcoming season. 4 boxes of ammo was, to me, too damned expensive. I had a couple of buddies who handloaded and I had dabbled in it myself, so I got into it to save money. Since then, I think I've only shot two animals with factory ammo.

Along the way I've found that 1) I can get good to excellent accuracy with my handloads,
2) I can use whatever bullet my heart desires, 3) I can download velocity for reduced meat damage or for youngsters, and 4) I get a GREAT deal of enjoyment and satisfaction from it.

GMAFB.

Started in 1974, I wanted to shoot better bullets, (I thought) Really, like other have said. I wanted to load my cartridges to the proper level of horse power, to gain better marksmanship.

Owning a .270 Weatherby Magnum

For me it's responsibility and ownership, being responsible for the loads, where they go, and knowing they'll get there, like the shot, knowing you can make it. It just follows with practice of making meat. As stated above by others, it's all part of the process, it might have started partly for saving money, but in the end it's more than that.

Started loading 20 gauge shot shells with a Lee Hand Tool when I was 12 due to the cost. Metallic rifle when I was 16, handgun when I was 20, then started casting bullets. It's been a slippery slope of addiction since. I now load for 25 different cartridges. And I saved money ??? Yeah Right.

Hand Tools and Single Stage Presses are "gateway" tools to the real addiction.

Think of all the money I'd have saved if I'd spent it on whiskey and women.

Flyer

I would say economics and a fascination with the reloading process.

I started out loading shot shells with a Lee handloader kit when I was a dirt-poor private marching in the legions. My only entertainment at my first duty station was whacking jack-rabbits andI couldn't afford to buy the quantity of shells that was needed for my endeavor.

I think the loader kit was about $20.00 or less, a pound of Unique maybe $10 if that, a 25# sack of #5 shot $10, and a bag of wads were too cheap to factor in. Factory shells at that time were $5 or so. So with that initial outlay for equipment and components, I shot very cheaply for a long time.

Things just kinda took off from there.

Nowadays, I often stock up on components and dies in preparation of buying a new gun.

When I was stationed in the Aleutian Islands on Adak, (think deadliest catch islands)little to no ammo was available. However powder and bullets could be ordered in, loaded ammo was "hazardous" . I had a 6.5X55 and it at the time was not something that was easily found. Never turned back and now reload for all pistols and rifles except the now hard to find 22LR.. I will admit that I do not reload for shotguns, I don't shot enough to beat the prices I can buy it for.

I was fortunate to meet people in my life who reloaded. Thirty years ago my neighbor gave me his old Lee 20 gauge reloader. He explained the different powders, primers, wads, and cases that go into the recipes and I never looked back. For a long time the only shells I bought were steel shot.

So, I had to buy a reloader for my 12 gauge, then 30-06, then even a different press and die set for my 7mm-08. But, all along I had people who I could talk to about different reloading companies and all the individual components.

Then the Campfire entered my life and all hope that I might purchase over the counter ammunition was lost from there on out. I don't have the vast backgrounds that most people do here with a whole range of calibers, but I understand what is being talked about. I think I love reloading because it is something I 'create' and tweak to fit what the gun likes within the parameters of safety. Big Fun Always!!!

When I turned 8 my grandpa gave me a 12 gauge. I shot so much that when I turned 9 he gave me a reloading set for shotgun. We lived 30 miles from town and I shot so much it made it nice to keep me stocked in shotgun shells. I started reloading for rifle when I was 12. My parents don't own guns (but always supported my hobbies)so I'm not sure why they thought letting a 12 year old reload on his own was a good idea but I turned out fine. I figured I would save money loading my own boy was I sure wrong hah. You end up just shooting more which isn't a bad deal. Been reloading for 16 years now.

I bought a 300 win mag once, ammo was expensive so I started reloading about 7 years ago. I no longer have the rifle, but I own dies for every gun I own now, and dies for stuff I don't even have, just in case.

I was brought up with guns and hunting being brought up in Utah.
In the mid 80s my soon to be wife told me that guns kill people and I started the lesson on her.

I bought her a little 22mag derringer and in a dumb move looking back at it. I loaded it up cocked the hammer back set it in the middle of our living room and told her to leave it alone for a week. After the week was over I told her did it shoot us, did it aim it self at us. Guns don't shoot people. People shoot people.

Then I took her to a range and she was having a lot of fun with it. A competition shooter wanted to know what kind of a toy we were shooting and we let him shoot it. Then he took my soon to be wife over and let her shoot his 7mm comp. rifle.

We were young and just starting out. She got the fever and my first hand gun was an S & W model 57 41mag. ammo was expensive and hard to find. So I bought an RCBS Rock Chucker and started reloading. We shot up a 1000 rounds almost every week end and I reloaded every night so that we could.

We were robbed and lost all of our firearms. I sold all of my equipment and moved to Cali. for work. I lost the wife (no great loss).

I now reload 16 different calibers and have a lot more advanced equipment to reload. Started casting about a year and a half ago. when I could not get slugs.

It is one of my hobby's.

Helped a carpenter buddy out one summer, and he insisted on paying me with my first handgun, a S&W 66. I loved the blast and accuracy and started shooting a lot. To meet the NEED for ammo, I bought one of the Lee handloader and dipper kits and started picking up wheel weights. Next came a powder measure, then a bench mounted press, then a turret press....

Ella

I got into reloading at about age 7 as my grandfather's reloading monkey making .38 Special target rounds for his league shooting. On my own I wanted to shoot 165 gr bullets in my .30-'06 when the only factory choices were 150 gr, 180 gr and 220 gr. Today it is 200 gr...

jim

Started in 1969 at age 15, had just bought a custom Springfield '06 (having saved my lunch, small chore, snow scooping etc., money for almost a year). Economics and accuracy were the drivers; Mom took pity on my, bought me a couple boxes of Remington ammo to have some empties, a Lee loader and components.

Became something of a compulsion, sort of most over-the-edge fly fishers who won't consider buying a fly.

It started out so I could shoot more for less. Now 30+ years later, I still enjoy rolling my own.

FWIW: You really aren’t loading your own unless you are swedging you own bullets. Before anyone asks, yes I have.

I also have made several sets of hand dies for myself and given a few away to friends. If you have a lathe and know how to use it hand dies are only a couple of bucks.

Also to add I cannot remember buying a box of factory ammunition in the last forty years.

Before anyone asks what?

I started reloading in the early 50's (last century,) because I couldn't afford a box of cartridges for the O3-A3 Springfield I got from the DCM for hunting. The first reloading setup I bought from RG Wells, which was identical to the Herter's, and I paid $26 for the whole setup, dies, primer swage, scale, powder measure and press. Still have that first bill and if I dug it out I'd know the exact beginning date. I was then able to shoot more for less $$ than a box of shells. Economics. Learned totally from experience as there wasn't much available in books or magazines, and there weren't many reloaders around.

I also joined a DCM club for benefit of the surplus ammo they provided, which gave me brass to reload. Surplus powder was cheap and primers and bullets were readily available. Factory ammo was awful then and even a novice reloader could do much better than the factory stuff. The handloaders were always at the top in friendly competitions.

Still have some of those Wells dies. MM