# Reloading 48 years June 2017



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I started reloading way back in June 1969 for my 16ga shot gun with a Mec 650JR I bought thru Hearter&#8217;s. That loader is so old they didn&#8217;t use bushings to change the powder charge or amount of shot you bought a different bar. It was about 5 years later I am guessing they finally came out with one bar and different bushings. I was totally happy with what I had so never changed it. When I finally broke down and bought a 12ga shot gun I bought a new Mec 650JR loader with the bushings. But my brother and I were sharing that one so I really only paid half the cost. Later we went together and bought a 3d one for our 20 ga and bought the die set up for a 410 for our sister and would switch out the 20 to 410 and back. 

In the fall of 1969 I bought a RCBS O press and dies so I could reload my own 30-30 ammo instead of my dad buying reloads from a fellow he worked with. Wasn&#8217;t long and I had dies for Winchester 32 special and that is what my brother deer hunted with. I also bought what I felt a more suitable caliber rifle for Moose hunting a 308 so dies for that followed me home one day shortly after. 

Dad and I planned on a moose hunt to Ont. Canada for the fall of 1970 along with a cousin. My rifle was a Winchester Model 100 Auto Loader*. I think I had fell and banged my head or something as I would spend a long time picking up my brass every time I shot it.* I was so dumb about the rifle I told my brother serving overseas in the military how nice it was. He wrote a letter and told my dad if he ran across one to buy it for him. Dad found one for him and put it away till Rob came home. I never did hunt with that rifle; my 30-30 did everything I hunted for requiring a rifle and the trip to hunt moose fell thru for 1970.

Dad bought a Winchester model 88 in 284; I bought dies to load for that too. Dad really liked that model 88 despite getting a scope eye brow shave with it before every deer season till I bought him a Ruger 77 - 243.

My brother was released from active service June 1972. We were out shooting at our home range Robs rifle was having problems feeding rounds in the chamber so we took it to our local friend owner of a gun shop. They deemed the chamber was overly tight so re reamed it and honed it smooth. It was returned early Oct 1972. A really nice Saturday afternoon Rob and I were out at our home range shooting feeding single rounds into the chambers. Next thing Rob is hopping around and his pants are smoking in the groin area and he quickly sat down and started taking his boot off his right foot. Blood is flowing from a hole in his foot which I quickly wrapped with his sock and my hanky. Told him to set still and ran to the house and told dad to get his truck and get Rob to the hospital.

I picked up 172 pieces of that rifle warped them all up in a old sheet. Took that sheet full of rifle parts tour friend the gun smith gun shop owner, he took the pictures which I still have some place around in my old picture files.

I was afraid of my model 100 after that so sold it to our gun shop owner friend and bought a used Remington 700 in 243. At first I was using it to snipe wood chucks and crows and on occasion a red fox or two. Kept experimenting with different hand loads till I finally found what worked and I liked even for deer.

Winchester tried to say Rob&#8217;s rifle blew due to reloads but they could not find anything wrong with over 500 rounds the lawyer, gun shop owner and the Winchester rep checked. Today we know it was a broken firing pin after Winchester did a recall on them for that reason. Any way part of the settlement was Rob could pick any fire arm they built. He chose a model 70 in 243. He had already bought a Remington 760 carbine in 308 for deer season while they were fooling around decideding the reloads were not the problem with that 100 that blew up.
So with my 243, Rob&#8217;s and dads I was loading for all 3 of them. A cousin came to visit and dad loaned him his Rugar to shoot crows with us. He liked it so well he bought a Stevens in 243 for himself. He and Rob got to shooting milk jug caps and betting on most centered hit on them at some long ranges.

I got the chance to go to Canada moose hunting with a fellow worker in 1974 so I did get another 308, Remington 700. I figured I was all set till about 1994 when deer hunting down in the thick cedar swamp with a Winchester 94 in 32 win special with a peep site and decided I needed a rifle with a scope on it yet short. I was talking about the 7MM 08 on the phone one day with a friend which Kare overheard part of the subject. She went out and bought me a Remington 700 mountain rifle in 7MM08. So I got dies and started reloading for it, about 6 months later I finally told her I really had wanted a Remington model 7 in 7MM08. We went and bought one the next day, is a great little thick cedar swamp hunting rifle with the Pentex light seeker 2x7 scope on it.
Then Kare finds a Remington 700 custom shop in 300 win mag she bought me because it has beautiful wood. Makes a great long range rifle for shooting deer across cranberry bogs at the UP deer camp, of course I reload for it.


I had wanted a 22 center fire varmint rifle really a 220 Swift for many years. Every time I heard of one for sale I would go look at it. Came home empty handed a bunch of times because I didn&#8217;t want a rifle with a huge bull barrel. Finally one day I called a gun shop and he said he had just want I was looking for. I didn&#8217;t think so but went the next day to look at it.
A Ruger tang safety 77- 220 Swift medium weight barrel and I also bought the dies so I could reload for it. Took forever to find someone who could adjust the trigger on it, It is a 3 screw unit similar to a Remington trigger. Seems it is a rare trigger on V model Ruger&#8217;s. 



My son and I were shooting sporting clays every week end several rounds so I bought a pair of Mec 9000G's one for 20ga and one for 12ga. Can load a lot of shot shells per hour with them.

 Al


----------



## ovendoctor (Jun 28, 2006)

nothing more satisfying than home rolled rounds and sharing loading with your kids.:goodjob:

Doc.


----------



## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

Lot of good memories there!


----------



## tamarackreg (Mar 13, 2006)

Tx for sharing your story.

I'm on the verge of a .243 right now and will reload for it. Been reloading for 29 years for handgun and shotgun. Rifle cartridges will be a new adventure.


----------



## blanket (May 28, 2013)

I started a couple of years before that. My father had a 12 gauge loader made by Safari and bushel baskets full of paper shells. Red dot, Herters ring waxed wads, and CCI battery cup primers. Had to knock out the primer cup from the shot shell primer and put the anvil back in and seat a new cap in. I still have a box of them. Cast bullets on the kitchen stove as well


----------



## Texaspredatorhu (Sep 15, 2015)

I bought a 7mag and unfortunaeately I had sold over 200 empty cases a few months prior to getting it! Kinda sucks but I didn't know I was going to happen into this rifle either. Bought 2 boxes of federal 155 grain whitetail stuff(can't remember what t is) and a set of dies the same day. Went to the range and broke in the barrel and now I have 40 cases that'll work great. Best part of loading for anything really is that you can develop a load tailored to that rifle to make it the most accurate it can be or to load a round that has a dedicated purpose, like rock salt in a 12 gauge!


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

started loading shot shells with my day about 25 years ago to keep up with out trap shooting , then started loading metallic cartridge about 7 years ago with 44 mag

it wasn't long and I was loading 30-30 , 30-06, 9mm , 40 S&W , 45acp , 223 , 38spl and I just started loading 300aac blackout


----------



## ovendoctor (Jun 28, 2006)

Welcome to the addiction called reloading :nanner:

Doc.:grin:


----------



## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

In the early 70s I had a Remington Sportsman 58 12 ga. semi-auto. It was a picky bugger. Premium factory loads cycled fine but cheap ones, like Holiday, jammed it up. I wanted to take up reloading so I bought a Ponsness Warren Duo-matic 375. The shells went in a full length resizing die for the whole reloading process. There were no crumpled sides and they fed in the 58. 

I spent many a winter's night loading shells and thinking about summer and trap shooting. Had fun trying different loads for hunting. 

When my nephew showed interest in trap shooting I bought a mint used Ponsness 800C progressive loader. They claim you can load 600 rounds an hour. I am able to do 400 at a comfortable pace. It's just what I need if I am ever under siege by zombies.

I moved to the country later in life and took up deer hunting. It's not as much effort as going Rambo through the swamps for ducks and late season pheasants and I have been slowing down. The first deer I harvested was with the 12 ga. I decided it was not conducive to accurate shooting and clean kills so I got a 30-06. I bought a Rock Chucker and most of the accessories off Craig's List so now I am into metallic cartridge reloading. Then I got a deal on a S&W 586 357 revolver so now I am loading for it too.

I decided to follow the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) so all shotguns are 12ga., rifles are 30-06, and handguns are 357.


----------



## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

So.....anyone start with a Lee Loader (bop a mole)?


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

My hunting buddy had one (Lee Loadall) back in the mid 1960's, he worked second shift so one morning he started loading up a box of shells for the up coming week end pheasant hunt we had planed. Next morning when he woke up he found a full box of loaded ammo for his trusty 870 wing master. Saturday morning found us at a farm with unharvested soy beans and some standing corn. After a bit the dog flushed a rooster in front of Rick and he lifted the 870 and swung on the bird and nothing happened, he racked the shot gun and again nothing happened.
His lovely bride had watched him load a few rounds and figured she knew what to do but had failed to punch out the spent primer and insert a new one.


 Al


----------



## blanket (May 28, 2013)

did not start with a Lee loader, have used them tho


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

hunter63 said:


> So.....anyone start with a Lee Loader (bop a mole)?



welcome back it has been a while


----------



## tamarackreg (Mar 13, 2006)

hunter63 said:


> So.....anyone start with a Lee Loader (bop a mole)?


My Dad used one when I was a kid, so yes that is how I got started.

I use one now for BP shotshells.


----------



## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> welcome back it has been a while


Yeah, Thanks.....
Has been a while...usually I check in on my Birthday...when I get a reminder.

Working with Chrome...doesn't know my password....
Could check in with IE....but that just give me...........(dots)

Finally got ahould of administration to change password.
So, I'm good.

Been reloading close to 30 years...
Started with the Lee Loader as it was the only set of dies(?) that fit a odd caliber......225 win.
Have since found dies......and moved on to Lee presses, dies, molds......

I like a single stage press....take my time, check after each operation and find it relaxing.


----------



## krackin (Nov 2, 2014)

I started loading way back in '73. I've been around awhile.


----------



## FireMaker (Apr 3, 2014)

I started in 78. Lee hand loader for a 6.5 carcano. Could still buy ww1 ammo for nothing. Reloading was even cheaper.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

and now the Carcano is about worthless without the clips there was a local shop that had a beautiful monticarlo stocked Carano for cheap and no one would buy it , it had no clips with it.

I sold one , that was a not very good sporter job , I think the guy was as interested in the brass and clips I was selling with it as he was in the gun


----------



## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

I started with a Lee loader. Made some outstanding rounds with it. I now have a single stage press. I know some guys like to crank out the reloads. I take my time. It will take me hours just to come up with a box full but I think it's worth it. If anything goes wrong I know it's from me and my lousy trigger control and not the rifle or the ammo. When I get my head straight I get one ragged hole. when it is real straight the hole aint ragged. 
This unfortunately does not happen as often as I wish.


----------

