Back in the saddle again, the reloading saddle

Janderso

Janderso

Jeff Anderson
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Mar 26, 2018
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Hey guys.
It sure feels good to do a bit of reloading again.
All the decades of acquiring multiple presses, dies, reloading accessories, tools .... I lost it all in the fire.
I told myself I wasn't going to start over. But, I have a Winchester 94 -30-30. I can't find any ammo.
A fiend gave me two simple RCBS presses and quite a bit of reloading equipment.
Well, since I can't buy ammo. I'll load it.
I also have a S&W 626, 38 Special.

Long story of acquiring the items required I finally spent a couple hours loading new brass.
Dang it feels good, I really enjoy reloading. I'll never get back what I had but I think I'll set myself up for a few of my favorite chamberings for my favorite few firearms.
 

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I sure enjoy it. I have several calibers in my fleet that were "odd" way back when.
264 Win Mag
300 Holland and Holland
257 Roberts
25-06
218 Bee

First handloads I ever made were the 264 with the original Lee Loader. No press. You and your well aimed hammer....

Lee Precision, Inc.. Classic Lee Loader

For over 60 years, more shooters have chosen the famous Lee Loader for their first reloading tool than any other. They realize it is all they need for good, accurate ammunition. In fact, at one time ammunition loaded with a Lee Loader held a world record listed in the Guinness Book of World...
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I was a bit shocked at the prices I had to pay for the very few items available.
It seems the entire industry is on back order. For years now.

When I first started reloading I bought the RCBS Rockchucker kit.
I could find dies, brass, bullets and Primers!! At a pretty low cost.
The local Sportsmen’s Warehouse wants $62 for a pound of Varget!!! I remember paying around $25.
 
Janderso said:
The local Sportsmen’s Warehouse wants $62 for a pound of Varget!!!
Click to expand...
Wow !
I haven't bought any reloading components for quite a few years (still have a pretty good stock). Back in the 70's and 80's I did some competitive pistol shooting so I did a LOT of reloading. I bought all of my powder in 8 lb canisters and was paying around $7 - $9 a pound. Bought primers for a little less than $.01 each in 5000 packs. Times have changed.

Ted
 
When I first started hand loading, 100 - 44 bullets were about $20, primers $1.00 per hundred, powder $10.00 per pound iirc.
Haven’t loaded anything in a while, but the price of anything to do with going bang is through the roof.
My favorites are 44 mag, 45 acp, 280 rem, 300 Win mag, 25-06,6.5x55, and
oh never mind, I like to reload and shoot em all

Chuck
 
Reloading is a deep, deep rabbit hole! It's also a necessity, since boxed ammo is exorbitantly expensive. I shoot about 400 rounds a month in pistol matches (which is small compared to many others), and I wouldn't be able to do it any other way. Even with $40/lb powder, $0.10 primers, $0.05 brass, and $0.12 cheapo plated projectiles, I'm barely saving $0.06 per round. The benefit is I get chronographed, soft-shooting competition loads that work in tuned pistols. Every time I buy supplies, I cry a little, because I know how much it cost when I started: under $0.10 a round.
 
I have handloaded for many years, my favorite is 38 - 55 Winchester, this is the first cartridge that was used in the model 94 Winchester rifle, they later necked it down to create the 30 - 30 cartridge. My uncle gave me a not well cared for octagon barrel model 94 that he bought after he came home from WW1, the bore looked like a plowed field, I had it rebored and rifled for 38-55 and also bought a high wall to take the same ammo.. Last time I tried to buy powder, they did not have any ---.
 
I used to load .45 230 FMJ for $0.08 / round. Primers are more than that now. Last time I *tried* to buy some they were $150 / 1000 (they were $16 / 1000 before the madness started). I remember thinking that the brief period when they were $35 was bad... I've been living on my backstock, which *was* substantial, but I'm about out of pistol primers (large and small). Still have several years of rifle supplies though.

I also started with a Rock Chucker ("Master Reloader") kit back in the 80's. I'm down to around a dozen presses now and should probably thin the herd some more - some of them are more decorations than tools at this point. I've probably used and sold another dozen presses as well, but I still have my original Rock Chucker!

GsT
 
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