Reloading zen

[jwc]

Relatively recently I started reloading simply for the savings; I'd put off getting started in it because I thought it would be a lot of unpleasant work.

Oh, how wrong I was. Man, do I enjoy it, and have no idea why. After a 'complicated' day at work I am amazed at how an hour or two of reloading can recharge me and put me in a smooth pleasant place.

Zen and the art of Reloading?

 

[M77]

I like the peace and quiet of my gun/reloading room. It is the perfect place to get away from the normal pressures of life (and family somedays). The concentration from reloading to knowing the satisfaction of the ammo you are producing, for me, is almost as relaxing as sitting by a ripple free lake 50 miles away from any person, watching fish jump and deer coming to the waters edge for a drink. No I won't tell you where this lake is but it does exist about 3 hours from me !!

 

[Doc M]

+1 for that... I just got into things myself, and I really do enjoy cranking out a few hundred rounds. Something about the repetitive but not monotonous process just soothes.

-M

 

[XXXXX]

jwc, what equipment did you need to start reloading?

 

[smak_daddy]

I love reloading too.

My routine is to put Howard Stern on the radio and have at 'er.

 

[M77]

I have a Lee 35 anniversary starter kit. Came with everything except dies, case length guage, powder, bullets and primers. Lee has a new 50th anniversary kit which my brother just bought. The new kit is very good as well except it doesn't include a reloading manual. Cost of kit and the rest around $200.00. You can make 100+ rounds of 30-06 from a lb of powder so your kit is paid for very quickly. Others like RCBS, Lyman and Redding products but for the money Lee gets my vote and mine is working just fine.

 

[blacksmithden]

I've found the same thing. That was of course after I took the Lee Pro 1000 progressive off my bench and deposited it in my "must look in this bin at least every 5 years to remember what's inside it" bin

 

[Cerdan]

Totally.

With the weather getting nicer, I only wish I could set up outside and crank out cartridges all afternoon. But where I live, that would have two undesired consequences: spook some over-sensitive neighbours, and give the possibly not-so-law-abiding ones some ideas.

 

[jwc]

jwc, what equipment did you need to start reloading?

I started off ambitious and bought a Dillon 650.

I'm no expert, but really, to start, about all I would have needed would have been a press, a set of dies, case trimmer, scale, micrometer, a shell holder for the intended caliber, and components (bullets/powder/primers). Some items really depend on what you are going to load and the precision you are going for.

Oh, and a reloading guide and safety glasses!

I think a few of the companies make starter kits that are relatively cheap and have everything you need other than dies to get started.

There are lots of other things to spend money on as well...

 

[Jaffray]

Rita McNeil tape while reloading 45-70. and I dont need safety glasses. I wear brial glasses, since I cant see sh*t 3 feet in front of me.

 

[hoochie]

Oh, and a reloading guide and safety glasses!

really? glasses?
I wear latex gloves for lead protection and to keep the rounds free of any moisture off my hands, but never glasses.

 

[Blackthorne]

Rita McNeil tape

They still make those LOL!


Yah. In my job and life in general multitasking has become the norm.

It's nice to just focus on ONE THING for a while.

 

[jwc]

really? glasses?
I wear latex gloves for lead protection and to keep the rounds free of any moisture off my hands, but never glasses.

I've heard a lot of horror stories about primer incidents. On the reverse, I've never worn gloves - sounds like a good idea.

 

[Jarlath]

really? glasses?
I wear latex gloves for lead protection and to keep the rounds free of any moisture off my hands, but never glasses.

I've heard a lot of horror stories about primer incidents. On the reverse, I've never worn gloves - sounds like a good idea.

Since I wear glasses anyways, I have that covered
I wear latex gloves as well. More so since I load lots of cast bullets. Make sure they are powder free latex! So much nicer when my kids come around for attention that all I have to do is strip off the gloves and grab them

Gloves are cheap. And it makes lubing cases less messy IMHO. Go handle 500+ lubed .223 cases for FL sizing... Yuck...

If you do lots of tumbling and sorting use a dust mask too to be on the safe side.

 

[Jarlath]

I've heard a lot of horror stories about primer incidents.

Heard of them yes. However I've sheared and mangled primers on my Lee-1000 on occassion (Probably a half dozen butchered primers out of 5000 or so) Never had any "explode" on me. Never had a failure to fire that wasn't firearm related (broken firing pins SUCK!!!).

 

[BCFred]

It's true that there is alot of pleasure to reloading. I even load shotshells for trap just because I enjoy it. I'm sure a guy is probably as well off buying a flat or two. Had one set of my prescription glasses made out of safety glass for reloading and have started wearing gloves during the last year. Some of the new kinds of gloves are very good. I like those blue, nitrile (?) types. They seem to give very sensitive feel for what one is doing.

 

[apu]

really? glasses?
I wear latex gloves for lead protection and to keep the rounds free of any moisture off my hands, but never glasses.

I never thought much about safety glasses, probably because I have worn glasses for my ####ty myoptic vision from sun up to sundown for the last 35 years. Recently I spent a small fortune getting the eyes lasered, now I am like a safety glasses nazi at the reloading bench. Funny what changes your perspective.