How long you been reloading and What brand reloading gear?

[Elkman]

Started in the early 60's still use my first original Herters C press, and a set of Herters dies. Have lots of RCBS stuff now, did replace my Herters scale with a used 505 earlier this year. Those old press's have a lot of steel in them. Started using nosler Partitions around the same time, and am still loading those for my hunting. "I am still learning" and have learned from others here. :grin: :grin:

 

[Elkman]

I use a RCBS press and dies, also have a few sets of Hornady dies.
I have been reloading for 30 years, right out of preschool!
Regards,
JD338

JD was precocious as a child, I was slower to develope, I didn't start until I was 16. :grin: :grin:

 

[rick smith]

I started in th the early 60's with the Lee hammer type kit. Have been through most of the equipment over the years. Now my primary single stage press is a Co-Ax. Progressive is a Dillon 550B. Have a Rock Chucker I use for collet bullet pulling, forming certain brass and loading 45/70. Use an old Hornady single stage with a universal deprimer die to correct primer mistakes or if I need a single piece of deprimed brass. My dies are mostly Redding, Forster, Dillon and RCBS.Rick.

 

[kendog]

I have been reloading for about 23 years, started with handguns and a lee turret press, then 15 years ago got a rcbs rockchucker along with mostly rcbs gear with a couple lyman accesories thrown in and a set or 2 of lee dies.
Got my oldest son into it a year ago when he was 15.

 

[BK]

I've been at this hobby for roughly 24 years. I started out with an RCBS Partner press, and it loaded a LOT of ammo. RCBS dies, scale, powder measure, micrometer, and all the other little stuff you need. Bought a set of Lee dies when I bought my first .44 Magnum, didn't really like them (still have them, though). Bought a set of Hornady dies when I bought my .25-06, and never really warmed up to them, either, though I bought another set for my 6.5 Creedmoor (simple economics, everything else was 2x the cost). I was given another set of Hornady .223 dies when my parents' neighbor passed away, so that makes three sets of Hornadys (and, strangely, three sets of .223 dies). I was also given a Rock Chucker and another Uniflow powder measure at the same time. I went through a stage where I bought a bunch of Redding dies... eight sets, I think. Lately I've been buying a few sets of Forster dies... .257 Weatherby and an Ultra Micrometer seater for my 6mm.

I'm thinking about upgrading/augmenting some of my gear. I'm looking at a Redding Turret press, and a new measure, and maybe a new electronic scale. Another case trimmer is a little further out. I'm probably going to get some Redding Profile crimp dies for .38/.357 Magnum, .44 Special/Magnum, and .45 Colt. I'd love to replace all my seating dies with micrometer units, but I'm not too sure that will happen.

 

[big rifle man]

I've been reloading for roughly 28 years. Started with the 30.06 as it was my main Deer rifle. I've been using RCBS and Redding since day one. I do have Lee collet dies in 7-08 and 30.06. My digital scale is RCBS and my balance beam is an RCBS. Every component (dial calipers, shell holders, precision bullet seaters are RCBS). My Bersin tool (checks and straightens runout) is a great piece of equipment and accomplishes what it says it does.

 

[Richracer1]

I started with handguns and 12g shotshells initially, about 2004. I then got into rifles loading, using my 270WSM. My first presses were a Lee Turret press w/the 4 hole turret and a used MEC Grabber for 12g. I still have the before mentioned presses, but have added a MEC 9000G for 20g and a the Forster Co-Ax press for rifle cartridges. So in 7 years, I went from loading for 2 handgun cals, 2 rifle cals and 1 shotgun guage to loading for 12 rifle cals, 2 shotgun guages and still at 2 handgun cals.

I do it because it's cheaper, and I think it's awesome and a great sense of accomplishment when I find a laod for a specific rifle and then be able to harvest an animal with ammo that I developed and loaded.

 

[joed49]

I've been at it for 34 years now. Started out with a Lee Loader for .25-06 if any of you know what a Lee Loader is. From there I graduated to an RCBS Rock Chucker. Then I started doing .357 and 9mm. That was it for 24 years.

Eventually I started shooting pretty heavy while living in FL. At that point I outgrew the single stage and bought a Dillon 550b. Was a nice start till I got carried away. Now there is a Dillon 650 for small primer stuff and a Dillon 1050 for large primer cartridges. I still use the single stage for rifle rounds though, you can't beat it if you don't need high volume.

I've loaded for quite a few cartridges in the last 10 years as I've expanded the population in the safe. Rifle, pistol I've done quite a few. Even looked at shotshell loading but wrote that off.

I have all sorts of equipment by various name brand manufacturers. All have stood up well to 34 years of use.

 

[C.Smith]

I've only been at since 1997 (13 years). Started with a loaned RCBS JR which I used until last year when I gave it to my nephew (it was his grandfathers and felt he should have it). I started loading for my .270 mainly so that I could afford to shoot it (then the sickness set in and it turned into it's own beast of a hobby). I now use a smaller RCBS RS2 not sure about it, it was given to me and works great for all my rifles.

I also have a Dillon 550B for handgun and 5.56 love that machine. Dillon powder scale had for 12 years and a hodge podge of dies.

Corey

 

[1Shot]

I have been hand loading for 31 years. I started out with a Lee hammer job in 30-06 and have used a great deal of every-bodies stuff since then. I have three presses right now. A Pacific that I use most, an RCBS the one that is just a little bit smaller than the Rock Chucker and a Lee hand press. They all get used for different things. My die shelf looks like a rainbow with all the different color (maker) boxes on it.

 

[barge]

Started loading shotgun shells mid to late 60's, would have to check with my brother who got me started loading rifle ammo at age 16 or 17. Late 60's refers to about 13 or 14. I have a rock chucker press and many different dies ( RCBS, Hornady, Redding, ect.) for rifle and a Hornady lock and load progressive press for pistol. Many other names for extra gadgets to help or confuse.

 

[JD338]

This is an old thread so need to update it.
I have been reloading for 36 years now. Boy the time has flown by!

JD338

 

[spires5d]

I've been reloading off and on for the past 30 years or so. I started reloading for my 7mmMauser which ammo was hard to find back then. My Dad's cousin got me interested in it when I was 13 and I started when I was about 20 when my wife bought me an RCBS Junior press for Christmas back then. I'm still using that old single stage press to load 7mmMauser,7mmMag, .308,30-06 &30-30 for myself,son's and grandsons. Most all of my dies are RCBS with 1 set of Hornady and 1 set of Lyman. For the money,RCBS has good equipment. Welcome to the forum and happy reloading!




7mm's Forever and a 30 cal. will "Slam Dunk Um"

 

[Desert Fox]

I started 22 years ago. I bought a used RCBS JR kit for my 9MM and 30-30 from a friend of mine. It's now been replaced with a Lyman Orange Crusher, a Redding Ultra-Mag, Dillon Square Deal for my Pistols and a K&M Arbor Press. I also have a Lyman DPS II and an RCBS 10-10 scale. My dies are a mixed bag. I use mostly Redding and Hornady. I have a few Foster and RCBS. I also have Wilson die.

 

[YoteSmoker]

7 years. Started out with my dad's rockchucker supreme reloading kit with both RCBS and Redding dies. I still use the Rockchucker II press but sold everything else and have moved on to the RCBS hand primer, Lyman caliper, Lee case length trimmers, RCBS 1500 chargemaster, RCBS case prep rotary station, cheap Frankford Arsenal tumbler, Stoney Point modified cases w/ OAL tool now Hornady Lock and Load name, RCBS bullet puller, Pro-chrony, Caldwell "The Rock" front rest, and Protector rabbit ear rear bag. I think that's about it from bench to range.

 

[SJB358]

I started when I was 14-15 years old and am 33 now. My old man got me a Partner Press RCBS kit from the NRA. I saved and worked for my other gear. I now have a Forster Coax and have mostly RCBS dies but have recently started buying more Redding and Forster die sets. My 7RM was my first cartridge and the 22-250 was next. Now I have a bunch of different cartridges I load for. Anyhow it is a great hobby. Hope it never loses it's cool factor for me. Heck I wouldn't be able to afford to shoot some of my rifles if I didn't load for them. Scotty

 

[barthowes]

Started reloading 20ga shotshells about 5 years ago with a LEE load-all. Last year I bought a lee turret press kit with RCBS competition dies with LEE's neck sizer and Factory Crip dies. This combo is deadly accurate. You just can't beat LEE's prices on the kits and dies. Onlt reason I bought the RCBS set is because the comp seater has a bullet loading window, and once you try that you'll never go back to traditional seater dies. :mrgreen:

 

[257 Ackley]

Started reloading in 1982 after I bought a Ruger M77 in .280. There was only one factory load (165 grain cor-lokt) available, and that was loaded for the semi-auto and pump rifles Remington was making. I know that the caliber could do more in a bolt action and didn't figure I needed 165 grain bullets for deer sized animals. I used the 139 flat base bullet from Hornady with IMR4064 for the first few years before graduating to better compnents. Does anyone remember when Remington changed the name to 7MM Express and finally came out with the factory 140 grain bullets? :roll: I convinced two co-workers to buy rifles in that caliber after they came out with the factory loads. Wish I still had that rifle, but it went the way of alot of rifles I was buying and selling back in the 80's and 90's.

I bought a Rock Chucker kit that included most of the essentials to get started. I used RCBS dies for the first 20 years, but have since gone to Redding for all my dies. The one new big addition in the last year has been the Hornady "complete prep station". It has shortened cartridge prep time by more than half, which makes it worthwhile in my book.

 

[tecumseh]

2 years. All my reloading stuff including dies are Redding.

 

[BK]

.257: yeah, I do. Remington screwed he pooch big time on the .280 (and .260, and 6mm, and the SAUMs, and...). There for a short period they were thinking of renaming the .280/7mm Express to 7mm-06, until they realized that had a bit of a headspace problem if they did.