Reloading for others?

[wisconsinteacher]

I was talking to a guy at work about how I reload. Today he came to talk to me and asked if I would reload for him. He would buy all the supplies and I could make up the loads. How would you feel about doing this for a friend/co-worker? I have never had anyone shoot a reload of mine before.

 

[DrMike]

No! Too many possibilities for trouble, and you aren't that experienced. If you ignore this advice, make certain you have a lawyer on retainer and take steps to immunize yourself from judicial repercussions.

 

[muleman]

Wisconsinteacher,
Please listen to DrMike on this - Sage advice!
Nothing wrong with teaching the basics and letting someone roll their own. It's cheap to get started. They should load their own.
If you did some brake work on their car and something went wrong the liability cost could be terrible - same difference.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

That is what I was thinking in the first place. I just wanted to talk to others to feel them out. Now would you offer him your bench and tools while you sat there and worked with him to make his own ammo?

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

My rule is simple.
Close personal friends and family only.

 

[HeathSexton]

Like Antelope_Sniper I have a very simple rule, mine is just flat out no. As was stated, too many variables and way too much hassle to do for other people.


I tell them I will be more than happy to show them what I know if they want to buy their own setup, but I will not load for them.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Thanks guys. This guy is a good friend and we run the conservation club at school together. He has reloaded in the past with his grandpa but does not have a bench or press. I will talk to him and let him know what I do not feel comfortable reloading for him but if he would like to get a press, I could come over and assist him in reloading.

 

[hardcorehunter5]

Im going to buck the system here and differ from the others. My reason is this I make safe handloads that will function properly in any modern firearm. If they didn't I wouldn't shoot them myself, because my guns are more important to me then my friend's gun. If you cant trust your friends then who can you trust when it comes to the "liability" bs. More importantly would I load for a stranger, no. For a friend yes.

 

[Mountain Goat]

I load for a few friends and a few friends only. I insist on them leaving the firearm with me and allowing me to clean it as I please. I will not touch a trigger, bedding or alter the rifle in any way. They bring me the components of their choice, but I must be comfortable with their powder selection, or I will not load for them, period. Usually we sit at the bench together and get the load development accomplished.

 

[Guest]

I've had several people ask me to load for them over the years. My answer is always the same, "No, I won't load for you. But if you want to come over, I'll show you, and let you use my bench/equipment for a while to get your feet wet." All but one are now reloading at their own bench. One just didn't have the patience for it and consequently didn't make accurate ammo, which was his pursuit in the first place. I don't have any trouble letting others use my setup for a while, as long as I'm there. I've even started several people out with just their own brass, if I already have dies in that chambering. It's not too expensive to give away 20 primers, bullets, and charges, IMO. I won't take responsibility, though, and we double and triple check everything with the manuals first, too.

 

[ScreaminEagle]

I have no problem reloading for others. I take their gun and find the best load I can for it. I'm so anal about everything that I make very safe loads. Some people like to push the limits and find the hottest load that they can, but I stay away from max loads when loading for others. I'm 110% confident that any load that I develop is going to be safe.

 

[SJB358]

I load for close friends and of course, my family. I take their rifles and load them specifically for THEIR rifles. I have taught a bunch of folks on my gear, but have pushed them to attain their own gear. That is really the message I try to send, most of the time, it isn't long before they are doing it themselves on their own gear. Scotty

 

[big rifle man]

I load for family and three close friends. I've had other people ask but I encourage them to start on their own and I will help them with the start-up process

 

[DrMike]

Rule No. one for a long and happy life, "You don't know anyone." You cannot predict what a "good friend" will do, much less a casual acquaintance. Working with someone to roll their own ammunition is not the same as making ammunition. Even then, in a litigious environment such as we now occupy, there is a measure of risk. Working up a load in someone's rifle and providing them the recipe is likewise quite different from making ammunition and giving it to them. The risks of making ammunition are immense. I know my ammunition is safe, especially if I worked up the load in the rifle it will be fired in. However, once that ammunition is out of your control, you cannot guarantee what will happen with it. I have witnessed people who assumed because ammunition went "Bang" in one rifle, it would be safe in another. Others have rubbed ammunition in oil and fine grit and complained that it was "hot" because it wouldn't extract. I've also witnessed on multiple occasions people who threw together some components and accused someone of making an unsafe load. It is far wiser to avoid the problem then to spend your retirement on lawyers to explain to a judge and jury why you are not culpable.

 

[jmad_81]

I load for me, myself, my wife (with my rifle), and am helping a good friend get her feet wet in hunting. I have loaded a few rounds for her, but I get her rifle clean it, and make sure that they are not even close to max load. I'm also trying to convice her to get her own gear. As much as I load for myself, it gets to be a pain to switch things around on my bench and press all the time.
I'm doing it to help her get started, and that is it. As often as she shoots, she might find it worth her time to just shoot factory ammo.

 

[BeeTee]

I was talking to a guy at work about how I reload. Today he came to talk to me and asked if I would reload for him. He would buy all the supplies and I could make up the loads. How would you feel about doing this for a friend/co-worker? I have never had anyone shoot a reload of mine before.

If not for mentors, I certainly wouldn't be a shooter. I'd treat this as as opportunity to share a great lifelong sport. If your friend/co-worker is teachable and willing to learn, have him learn on your equipment - with you teaching him the basics. He'll/you'll know soon if he's the sort to embrace the opportunity. If he finds it rewarding he'll want to get his own equipment before long.

Jim

 

[JD338]

No! Too many possibilities for trouble, and you aren't that experienced. If you ignore this advice, make certain you have a lawyer on retainer and take steps to immunize yourself from judicial repercussions.

+1 to what DrMike said!

JD338

 

[super-7]

I load for close friends and of course, my family. I take their rifles and load them specifically for THEIR rifles. I have taught a bunch of folks on my gear, but have pushed them to attain their own gear. That is really the message I try to send, most of the time, it isn't long before they are doing it themselves on their own gear. Scotty

This statment pretty much sums it up for me aswell, My BIL and I bought the newer LnL ap press together, mostly my shop and bench are welcome to be used by a few close friends but I over see everything. They obviously supply the ingreidents.

 

[Kodiak]

Not only NO, but h*ll NO!

Even family members will sue you for everything you own.

Take my word for it,

Jim

 

[OldMan]

I made the mistake of reloading for a couple of my friends, but never again! They both had 30-06 rifles and shared the powder, bullets, and primers and I loaded up 6 each for them to try. Both claimed they shot great and wanted that load. One came back from an elk hunt claiming he shot an elk right behind the front shoulder and it ran off, then it came back by and he hit it behind the opposite shoulder. "It ran off from both hits, hit behind each shoulder!" . The other killed a 6 point bull and a large 4 point buck with his and was happy.

I would like to have been with the guy on the first elk and probably would have found an elk at the end of a short run on both shots, but I ended up being the bad guy that loaded up crappy handloads! I will never again load for anybody, but I am willing to show them how and let them use my equiptment