Forget Tennis Elbow; I'm getting reloading elbow... and I love it!

[musicman]

I go through phases with my reloading as time, finances, and my general appreciation for not doing anything all ebb and flow. Due to a bunch of things in life, I pretty much put my firearms hobby on hold in 2008 and started getting back in slowly around 2011. Looking back in my notes, I didn't load a round from early '08 to just after Thanksgiving '11! My shooting and reloading were still sporadic through 2012, as we were focused on getting rid of our last bit of debt, rebuilding our emergency funds, and shoring up savings in general.

The last six months I've finally gotten back into a heavy rhythm of shooting and loading, as lots of overtime at work has given me some play money. It's really fun jumping back in at full steam! I spent most of last week simply sorting and polishing brass, then doing a bit of priming. This week I've loaded quite a bit of 38, 40, and 44. I mostly reuse store-bought ammo boxes and trays, and I have my own stick-on labels I use to identify date loaded, caliber, bullet, and powder charge. It's a trip down memory lane when I pull out a box and read the old label... I had one box tonight from May of '07. That was one of the last boxes of .40 I loaded in my old townhouse, about 6 weeks before I got married. I had the press bolted to a 1x10 pine board, and clamped to my coffee table! I sat on the edge of the couch, all hunched over to work that silly thing... every 25-30 rounds the board would start to slide, I'd readjust and re-tighten it down. It was a pain in the butt, and I loved every minute of it!

I'm on a crazy depriming/resizing spree now... I did a full 2 gallon bucket full of 44 mag tonight, and started in on some more .40! My goal is to finish the roughly 3,000 more .40 cases tomorrow night, then start on the 357 mag Saturday after some range time.

I'm in the midst of a 2-3 week slow period at work where we're building out the last of the 2013 guitars, and then it'll be balls to the wall crazy when the 2014s hit the line. (I can't wait for some of the new colors, especially this gorgeous deep blue/green on the SG standard! But you didn't hear that from me!) Anyways, I'm taking full advantage of the extra time at home, and my right elbow is definitely feeling it!

What about the rest of you? Do you reload pretty consistently, or sporadically? Do you just load what you plan on shooting that weekend, or stockpile?

Haha... I just realized I'm a sporadic stockpiler. :-)

[Superman]

Good deal.

 

I usually just load as I shoot, but that is going to have to change. My brother and a couple of his friends came up from Alabama and I offered to take them shooting. Bad idea, lol. I didnt have much reloads at all so had to dip into my new ammo stash. That was the most expensive range session I have had in a long time. But we all had a good time, thats all that really matters. Going to stockpile some now so that dont happen again. Been working on it this week, probly have about 4k cases primed and ready to start adding powder and bullets.

Edited September 20, 2013 by Superman

[RED333]

And ya wonder why I teach my son to reload. :wave:

[musicman]

I feel your pain, Superman... took a couple buddies pistol shooting last weekend... went through 850 rounds... not counting the half brick of .22 we shot. Yea, I'm always the guy taking new shooters out... and they never understand how pricey that range time really is! Enjoy your time loading up your stash! :-)

Red... do you rent him out? I pay in spent 9mm and 45 brass! :-)
(I don't load those calibers yet, so I have small buckets full of stuff that gets mixed in with my range brass.)

[TNMTBik3r]

I'm ready for my daughter to get big enough to help me sort through my brass...still have a few years though.

I have a few hundred rounds of each pistol loaded, and supplies to load a few hundred more. I haven't shot my pistols much lately, but I usually replace what I shot plus one box.

I have been reloading my 30-06 a lot, working different loads for accuracy. I usually do batches that I plan to shoot for the weekend, but my target rounds I will load up as time allows and let them sit. Last night I loaded about 50 rounds, 20 of which are test #2 of a Sierra GameKing load that I shot last week - 5 shots in 1.3 inches, best 3 were 0.6 inch spread.

[SonnyCrockett]

im considering getting a single stage press for de priming only

It does make the Dillon 550 lots smoother when the primers are already out

[musicman]

Trade you  my Lee Turret for your Dillon!  :x:

 

 

Well...dinner is settled time to head out to the garage and get to work!

[SonnyCrockett]

Trade you  my Lee Turret for your Dillon!  :x:

 

 

Well...dinner is settled time to head out to the garage and get to work!

 

 

I learned on a Lee Classic Turret from the suggestion of Dolomite on here

[giggidy]

I'm jealous...not only do you get to build guitars for a living, but you have time to reload too.  My loading bench is a mess and is beginning to gather a layer of dust because I haven't had time to do any loading lately.  Really sucks because I've finally gotten my punches and dies for my LAM II and I'm itching to get it up and running.  Oh well...maybe next weekend...

[Raoul]

I load when the weather is bad. Can't shoot so I might as well load.

[itchytriggerfinger]

I pumped out 500 9mm in a few hours this afternoon. Love the Dillon 550b!

[Luke E.]

 I like to have a stock to shoot out of and then load what i'm about to shoot or just shot. My shooting tends to be spur of the moment and I also like to have enough on hand that I can take a new shooter or visitor out and not have to police their rounds. If I can help make it fun for them their first time out there is a better chance that they will join in with us. I took out my future Brother in law and his buddy (both from Ireland where firearms are limited to what you can PROVE a use for) out to the range where they shot pistols, AR's, scoped guns from a bench and a pro trap set up. My most conservative round count for the day is 1,200 rounds but was likely much more if you count the .22 they shot. I enjoy loading so it's not a headache for me to spend some time on it.