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JohnK
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 12:13pm | IP Logged
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How did you learn to handload? In the past I'd guess that most people learned from their father or some other close family member, but today I doubt that's the case for most people. No one else in my family handloads, my dad is the only close family (geographically) who even shoots. I learned on a Dillon 550 and a Speer manual. Eventually I found the NRA's BBS and learned some from there but that was it. A friend got a Dillon Square Deal the same Christmas, we pretty much stumbled through it. We both still have all our fingers and no extra scars so everything worked out Ok inspite of ourselves. :)
So with that in mind the homepage poll is now:
How did you learn to handload?
Self taught, books and experience
Family member taught me
Formal class
Learned over the Internet
Other
Don't forget to go vote!
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Tailgunner
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Self Taught. Classes and internet were not options back than, and no family members reloaded.
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Aaron
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 1:13pm | IP Logged
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Taught myself through trial and error. Started with shotgun hulls and then went to 45/70. When I started loading pistol rounds I was fortunate enough to have found this chat room as I picked up some really good stuff from a lot of helpful people.
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Ranch 13
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Learned from my Dad and uncle and some other old fella's. Read and still read alot of reloading stuff, and continue to stumble my way around. Seems like you can always learn something new.
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mlspmk
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Self Taught - bought a Speer Manual in 1980, read about it, then did it.
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Boomer
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 2:09pm | IP Logged
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Dad taught me.
Had me convinced that factory ammo was over priced and had looooousy accuracy! But I think that was just from listening to him tell Mom how much he was saving by reloading, so ya, he did need that other set of dies!
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pepperbelly
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 3:06pm | IP Logged
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My dad taught me too. When I was about 8 years old I convinced him to teach me how to load shotgun shells. I thought it was fun, and I guess he liked it too.
Later when I was a cop he gave me a Rockchucker for Christmas so I could load for my .45acp.
Now I will be loading for several rifle calibers and I am sure he will still help.
Jim
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joed
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 3:24pm | IP Logged
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Learned from friends 25 years ago. Didn't really master reloading until the last 2 years though.
When you learn from someone else you learn the good along with the bad. It took many years to overcome the bad.
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Paul5388
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 3:49pm | IP Logged
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joed,
You're so right about that! My dad and the group he hung around with weren't overly concerned with putting too much powder into the cases! Sure, they used reloading manuals, but the most accurate load that was closest to max was THE load.
However, I caught the bug from them and still have it.  This seems to be a trend for us older folks.
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ancien
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 3:50pm | IP Logged
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Self taught back in the early 1970s. I read about it in a shooting mag and was tired of paying a lot of $$ for 300 Win Mag. Went out and bought Lee's very expensive dies (you know the ones you use a mallet with instead of a press) and a RCBS balance beam scale.
I've come along way since then. Own a couple Dillon progressives and Rockchuckers.
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M Hicks
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 4:25pm | IP Logged
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Self taught.
I started about a year ago, I know, I'm a rookie, to make cheaper and more accurate rounds. I bought a Lee anniversary kit and some components for my 270 Winchester. My first round I didn't use any powder. It might have been a good thing seeing how I seated it entirely too deep and buckled the shoulder. It was a learning experience. I truly enjoy this though and hope to pass it along to my children. Still have to pick some of those up though. Anyone know of any god discount stores?
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BigBlue
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 4:30pm | IP Logged
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Like others, I had no one to turn to for handloading advise in the mid 70's, so Sierra, and Lyman load books gave me my first lessons. I bought a Rockchucker press, which I still use exclusively, and started loading .357 mags and .45 ACP's. Truth be told, I'm still learning, from some of the world's greatest handloaders, YOU GUYS!
Thanks for the lessons. 
Don
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joed
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 4:40pm | IP Logged
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Paul, I still try to find the most accurate load near the maximum load in the manual.
Been thinking about buying a chony for awhile now as I'd really like to see what some of my loads are doing.
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Paul5388
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 5:57pm | IP Logged
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jed,
You really don't want to know. It's discouraging to find out a whiz-bang load is only 2500 fps! OTOH, it's encouraging to find out your reduced load is only 200 fps slower than your max load! 
So many answers and not enough questions! Or something like that.
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JohnK
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 6:02pm | IP Logged
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I haven't ever loaded much for rifles, my big eye opener about published velocities vs real world velocities came from measuring the 357 Magnum in a 4" revolver. That screaming 1,800 fps load doing only in the neighborhood of 1,300 fps was quit a disapointment at the time. 
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"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on those who would do them harm"
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gstanfield
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 6:07pm | IP Logged
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I read a lot, always have, so I bought a Lee Loader set, and started off. I bought some powder scoops, the loader, some cases, and primers from Cabela's in Sidney Nebraska, and started loading as a chep way to give my brother a case of bullets for Cristmas. I found I really liked it, so I bought a RCBS master kit, and it's been one big snowball from there.
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TNrifleman
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 6:09pm | IP Logged
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A good friend took the time to teach me. He even loaned me a press, scale, Speer manual, and components (powder, bullets, and primers)to get started. I had lots of once fired cases. I bought a set of used RCBS 280 Remington dies, and we sat down in my basement and got started. That was over 20 years ago. I now load for many calibers and guns. Reloading is one of my favorite past-times. I'm still thankful to him for his generosity. I have "paid it forward" several times and helped several others get started in ammo making. 
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Kragman71
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 6:18pm | IP Logged
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Hello,
When I started,in 1948,I knew nobody who reloaded amunition,and I was looked 'down'on as the cheapest of the cheap,who was to cheap to buy amunition.
The good news is that I had all the free brass that I could use;and all of it only once fired.
I relied on manuals by Lyman and Belding & Mull;as well as Sharpe's book on handloading.
I made a lot of mistakes,but survived.
Two years later,I met a reloader who was also a Toolmaker.He gave me the reloading press the he had made because he made a better one for his own use.It was not strong enough to full length resize but a big improvement over the 'Nutcracker'that I had been using before.
He was a great help for reloading,hunting and target shooting.I owe him a lot.
Frank
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Guests
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 6:27pm | IP Logged
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My Uncle is who I have to thank for getting me started in this wonderful art form known as handloading. First it was casting bullets for muzzle loaders. Next it was casting bullets for 45 long colt. One thing lead to another and now I have 3 presses, 14 sets of dies, and some very good memories of an 9 year old boy and his Uncle. One day in the near future I hope to pass this knowledege( if one can call it that) to my nephew.
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SMITH
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| Posted: June 22 2004 at 6:29pm | IP Logged
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I am self taught too, read a book or ten and went to it. Started with a single stage press bolted to a dresser and a used set of dies. One box of 38 specials later I had a Dillon 550. I've never been real shy about getting into something eyeball deep right off the bat, and I don't like to do things halfway. I started casting shortly afterward, and it has spiraled out of control from there. I have a pair of 550's, several single stages, lubrisizers, and on and on. I last counted over 20 calibers that I load for currently.....
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Handloads.Com Forum : General Discussion
Topic: Poll: How did you learn to handload?
