How many are handloaders?

[iratollah]

I handloaded pistol many years ago when 9mm and .357 was >20 cents/round. Then the price on ammo dropped. A couple of years ago I had to take up handloading again to support my daughter as she competed in High Power Rifle. First thousand rounds paid for the reloading setup. And the long distance ammo is longer than magazine length and really must be sized for the individual rifle. Commercial 80 grain .223 is about $1/round and isn't as good as what I can make.

 

[malladus]

Took a recreation science course on it in college in the early 90s, reloaded all through college on club equipment. Graduated and stopped, then started up again this last January. Mostly load handgun (9mm, .38, .357, and 45) with a little rifle (223 and 308) on the side.

malladus

 

[glock9]

Been at it about 8 years now. Currently own two Dillon 550s progressive presses. One set for small primers the other with large primers. Half a dozen tool heads so I can switch between 9mm, 40cal, 45apc pistol, .223, .308 & 6.8spc rifle.

Also have a Hornady progressive 12 gauge press and a rock chucker single stage.

I typically was reloading ~1k round per month but not so much now a day.

Brass and powder are plentiful. It's finding primes these days thanks to the Kenyan that is such a bitch.

Glock9

 

[jay524288]

I reload for handguns - 9mm, 45ACP, 500 Magnum. I don't do much rifle shooting, so I haven't gotten around to reloading it yet.

I started reloading almost as soon as I started shooting. I've always used a progressive press (Dillon XL650).

Some people claim to enjoy reloading. I'm not one of them. I find it to be a chore and I only do it to make shooting more affordable. When commercial ammo is cheap, or I'm short on time, I use that instead of my reloads.

 

[rl69]

just started 270 30/06 32long 25/06 thats all the dies i have right now

 

[longtooth]

I confess. I are one.
Loaded my first round of 30-06 w/ a Lee hand loader in 1971.
That is 38 yrs ago.
I now load for myself, wife & Mom.
Mom:
25-06, 9mm, .380
Wife:
9mm, ,380
Me:
300wsm, 308, ,45acp, ,38sp, .357, & about to add .40.

 

[FM-793]

Started loading sophomore year in high school in 1977. Loaded for 10 yrs, then moved to NYC for 15 years. Started loading up again about a year and a half ago. Load .45 ACP, 9mm and 7mm-08 on a Lee Turret.

 

[oldguy]

40+ years now, 45acp, 40s&w,45lc,38sp,9mm,9x18(makarov) 380
223,22-250,243 and at one time 12 gauge. I prefer my ammo over commerical
feel more confortable and know where it will hit on target.

 

[Charley]

My list:
Rifle: .223, .22/250, .243, .25 Remington, .257 Roberts, .25/06, 6.5x50 Japanese, 6.5x55, 7mm/08, .30/30, 7.62x51, .30/06, 7.65x53, .303 British, 7.7 x58 Japanese, .32/40 WCF, 8x57 Mauser, .338/06, .351 WSL, .35 Whelen, .375 Winchester, .38/40 WCF, 10.4 Swiss, .444 Marlin, .45/70, and 577/450.
Handguns: .32 ACP, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R, 7.62x38R, 9x19, .38 Super, .38 Special, .357 Mag, .44 Special, .44 Mag, .45 ACP and .45 Colt.

Things kinda grew...

 

[byronw999]

I've been reloading on and off since 1976.. Back then I just had a Lee handloader for the 357/38.. Got lazy in the 80s and 90s with cheap and plentiful reloads at the gun shows etc...Didnt shoot all that often anyway as most available $$ went to raising kids and such...

Got back into shooting real heavy after the kids were grown and gone...

Now I have a Hornady LNL with case feeder for cranking out tons of ammo, a Lee Turrent for small batches and a Mec Grabber for loading shotgun...

I load:

357 Lots for Cowboy Action shooting. Both smokeless and Black Powder
9mm Quite a bit since my Beretta 92s are my main carry guns and try and practice a lot plus I have a couple 9mm rifles
45 acp
45 long colt
12ga Mostly black powder for the cowboy matches
9mm mak
223
45/70 smokeless and BP

Have the dies for 308,30-06, etc but havent shot off enuff of the factory loads to do any reloading yet.Usually try and buy at least 1K factory round and use them before reloading..

 

[Okierifleman]

I started when I was 13, jeeezzz that was 27 years ago. Probably up to 12-13 rifle calibers and 9mm,40, and 45. \m/

 

[Zen]

I'm 26 and finally started a couple of years ago. I load for 9mm, .45ACP, .223 Remington, .308 Winchester and .30-30.

Gonna start loading some .243's for my old man's deer rifle here pretty soon.

 

[Major Woody]

10 yrs. .45, .223 and .308. I buy shotgun shells.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Yes, 30 years, 380 auto, 9mm, 38 super, 38 special, 38/44 HS, 357 magnum, 357 maximum, 357 sig, 40 s&w, 10mm, 44/40, 44 Automag, 45acp, 25-06, 7-08, 30/30 & 308.

I am sure I missed some, but that is the off the top of the head list.

 

[randmplumbingllc]

Have been reloading for a few years. Price of ammo forced me into it. Now, I find that I actually LIKE it.

I load .9mm, .40, .45 and .223 now and hope to add a few later on, when funds and supplies become easier to find.

Bought a Dillon 650 and never looked back. Best move I ever made. Have die stands set up for each caliber, so switching is VERY EASY. I am lucky cuz a friend of mine runs a range in Phoenix. ALL the brass I want. Even so, I find myself picking up spent brass anyway. Habit I guess .

Find I save about 40 - 50 % , as compared to Winchester WWB or the like. To me, it's a no brainer. Shoot 40- 50 % more, for the same dollar.

Save money ? HELL NO. Just shoot MORE for the same dollar. PLUS, shoot the loads I like, not what the factory wants me to shoot !

 

[Gungle George]

Been reloading since the mid 60's. Started with an old used Pacific single stage 12 ga.
Now I load 10mm, .45 acp, .38/.357, .41 mag, .45 colt, .38 super, .32-20, 12 ga, 28 ga, 16 ga, 220 swift, 25-06, .375 H&H, 30-30 WCF, 444 Marlin, 45-70, ah heck, I can't remember them all.
I enjoy spending the evening in the loading room.

Cheers,

Gungle George

 

[djspump2003]

Have been reloading for a few years. Price of ammo forced me into it. Now, I find that I actually LIKE it.

I load .9mm, .40, .45 and .223 now and hope to add a few later on, when funds and supplies become easier to find.

Bought a Dillon 650 and never looked back. Best move I ever made. Have die stands set up for each caliber, so switching is VERY EASY. I am lucky cuz a friend of mine runs a range in Phoenix. ALL the brass I want. Even so, I find myself picking up spent brass anyway. Habit I guess .

Find I save about 40 - 50 % , as compared to Winchester WWB or the like. To me, it's a no brainer. Shoot 40- 50 % more, for the same dollar.

Save money ? HELL NO. Just shoot MORE for the same dollar. PLUS, shoot the loads I like, not what the factory wants me to shoot !

Read this post and felt like I had a similar story. I started reloading back in 2003 b/c I couldn't bear to pay $16 for 100 rounds of .40 cal. That was WWB that is what about $30 now? I started reloading for the economy, but grew to enjoy it. I can reload that 100 rounds of .40 cal for about $10 or so now. Granted, I did switch over to lead entirely for .40 cal now b/c bullets are just so expensive. I bought the Lewis Lead remover tool and am about as happy as I could be.

My dad finally let me have the RCBS Ammomaster 5-station press that had been sitting in his shop for years that someone else gave him. (He has one of the Dillons set up in his reloading room so I wasn't taking anything special from him). Man alive that press cut down my reloading time to 1/3 of what it used to be. I was using a Lee hand press for all of my 9mm, .40, 5.56 and .308. I still use it and the Competition dies for my .308 reloading, but I use the press for everyting else. I know the Dillon press is better, but the shellplates for the RCBS are only $30 as compared with much more for the Dillon. Plus, I think Dillon has forced RCBS to come around on their customer service. They are quite good now.

I try and get my other shooting buddies to reload b/c it just doesn't make sense not to, especially in these economic times.

Oh yeah, but I probably don't save much money either as compared to my friends. I just shoot at least twice as much for the same money. Technically, I'm saving money! And there is just something down right therapeutic about reloading that I just can't explain that you can't put a price tag on. I like it just about as much as shooting the bullets I make.

 

[newshooter1970]

Are primers readily available again? I thought about getting into reloading 9mm, but all the components were not readily available, so it did not seem worth the investment in reloading when I can still get ammo (even though its expensive). Are things getting better?

 

[ROGER4314]

Been loading since about 1966. Started with 12 gauge and loaded an incredible number of shotgun shells. Soon, I started loading pistol calibers.......mostly 357 mag and 45 auto. I shot bullseye and later combat quick draw competition, hunted small game and shot at trash dumps for years......... all with reloads.

For about 7 years we've been shooting high power rifle at 200, 300 and 600 yards with mostly reloads. At 600 yards, it's all about quality bullets and in keeping them supersonic for the entire trip downrange so handloading is pretty common. I prefer the service rifle classes so most of the loading was military caliber.

Started shooting 17HMR at 200 yards so we've slowed up a bit on the rifle loading. !7 HMR is scary accurate at 200 yards and the availability of the ammo is a major consideration. It's one of the only rounds available at WW now. It shoots great so we will go that way until ammo and components become more common in 30-06, 308 and 223.

Flash

 

[dtalley]

about 24 years, .... 380acp, 9mm, 38spc, 357mag, 45acp, 45colt, ---222rem, 223rem, 6mm rem, 270win, 308win--- 20ga.