The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

HH1 - I use a Lee Loadmaster for loading .357Mag however it has been somewhat modified to suit my needs and I still prefer to throw powder off the press. It does a great job. We will be moving to a Dillon XL650 to keep up with the requirement for .357Mag and 30-357 loading very shortly and the Loadmaster will be reconfigured for 30-30 which is a lower volume output. Carbide dies are a worthwhile investment for volume straight wall case reloading.

I still use a standard press for all other cartridges and these days the majority of powder throwing is with a RCBS Chargemaster with modified output tube.

Learned the basics from my dad in our home made armoury in the loft, had everything from turret presses to tumblers, this was back in the late 90s when I was a pup. Still remember most of it but was mostly pistol calibre I helped load. Recently been relearning with a friend on rifle rounds and can remember most of it from pistol loads can be transferred over just got to make sure you're extra cafe full with the rifle loads.

Hmm! Seems my post was redirected as a new topic See topic title >course<

I learnt to reload when I was knee high. "helping" my dad load on a progressive press in the living room when I must have been around 6. This was pistol calibre (.357/.38).
I took up full bore shooting 5 years ago and pilfered the progressive press. took out the indexing and set it up for .308.
With a lot of help from this forum, quickload and the internet I put together my first rounds. 30 of which, that soon had to be pulled when i got a decent set of calipers.

I went on to reload them to the correct length and they fired fine.

I've been refining my technique ever since.

Ah, I do remember your first forum venture into reloading

Reading people's experiences especially te younger users seems to all be along the same lines, passed on from an older generation. It's interesting to see that, I'm the same as TG, had my reloading gear passed down from my father as a sort of heirloom, except I've been told to keep everything even if I don't use it incase there's an apocalypse

In the mid-1970s, we upgraded our indoor range to C/F pistol. We had one experienced reloader in the club and he formed a syndicate. Each member would have a job---mine initially was resizing and decapping cases which was more difficult than it sounds as the 9mms were all berdan primed. We had bullet casters, case polishers re-cappers and so on. Once a month, we all got together---about 7 of us--- and reloaded all the cases which went into the club armoury and were sold back to us as required for 4 pence each. I remember that primers cost us $7 a thousand at that time. As the money accumulated, we would go over to John Longstaffs shop in Pudsey and re-stock on powder, primers, brass etc. We would also buy the club 22 pistol ammo at the same time: this was government surplus Ely and came in a wooden crate which I think held 5000.
Fred

1978 My first was a lee loader in 9mm for my 1944 P38 (made in august in a mauser factory by slave labour my research found out) barrel finish was rough as a badgers, as of course by that time quantity was a bit more important than quality . Then got an RCBS partner which I have just sold to a friend starting reloading for the first time. second caliber on the RCBS was the mighty 38S&W for my enfield service revolver.
in the 80s, got a dillon progressive for knocking out 45acp for my Gold cup. Got all my info, pre- Youtube, from guns review and guns and ammo magazines. happy days

I bought a .308 and wanted to be able to shoot to 1000yards with it, that meant not buying the HPS ammunition I used at my first Phoenix shoot and loading my own.

I was very lucky to have lived close to Ovenpaa and Christel and, over the course of many cups of coffee, discussions and e-mails, they set me straight on how I should be going about things. I bought a Lee Classic press and cracked on with it. I'm not sure I could have had a better introduction to it and for that I thank them.