January QOTM doesn't seem to be living up to it's name

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alphalimafoxtrot
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Re: January QOTM doesn't seem to be living up to it's name

Post by alphalimafoxtrot »

Gas,

Aren't you the Lee Loader Lowlife Jedi Master who spawned the interwebs-famous "psychological gun rules" quote? Sorry, but I always love that thought because it totally applies to me, personally! That phrase needs a TM or Copyright stamp to go along with it.... :lol:
When I was in the middle of reading over your reply to Rich's original QOTM post it made me rethink about my clearly psychological reasons for reloading. So I got into this thought process of what benefits do I get back from this enterprise - I mean I don't "have" to do this, it is a choice, right?

Top reasons "why am I reloading" for "xyz" ammo, from my take:

1. I have a magnetic pull towards tinkering with anything mechanical on my workbench (or on the shop floor/living room table/truck tailgate/parking lot/under a shade tree/etc.) Reloading aligns perfectly to fill this obsession. The infinitely unique levels of detail, modification, adjustment, and personalization available to the reloader just naturally clicks into my personal schema.
2. My never-ending, embedded passion for history in all shapes and forms relates perfectly with the study of the shooting sports, history of firearms, and of course the development of cartridges. I can't pass up any ammo case I find scattered about the ground where I shoot these days at the local WMA. I always end up picking up a bright shiny (or totally tarnished) case, inspecting it, and doing a fair bit of reflection about it whether it is a common-as-nails 9mm or 5.56 (around here) or a 7x7 Jap. I start thinking, "wonder what rifle this guy was shooting today with this ammo. Is he still here? Where did he get that gun - how does it shoot?" Yeah. You know it!
3. Reloading keeps me off the streets, and out of trouble. OK I'm not really kidding (sort of) but without having hobby interests to engage my brain, old Adam gets to be a crotchety pain in the keester. Especially to my wife and anyone within a 12-mile radius! I do not sit still. Can't sit still. Man, I just realized I am exactly like the third graders I am teaching!!! "Adam, sit down and be still, or you get a time-out!" Now, that is just cruel. Give me back my Lyman case mouth tool or I am going to have a fit!
4. Last thing I noticed about my collection of psychological reloading rules? In my case, money doesn't enter the picture for me. Well, not exactly but I mean that when I jumped into this, I was not thinking about doing it to save the pennies from buying factory ammo. There is certainly a cost involved with anything you do in life, especially with one's hobbies or activities beyond "need" - but I do it for fun, not for need.

Gas, Rich, thanks for your patience! Got a bit deep into that tangent. What were we talking about? +zzz
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Re: January QOTM doesn't seem to be living up to it's name

Post by Ranch Dog »

Oops, left out my 35-30. I shoot to reload. If I only owned one cartridge, I would shoot the hell out of it just to reload it. That's where I started as a kid.

All my pistol cartridges are set in stone and moved to the Load-Masters for volume reloading with one exception. When I recast bullets, I will powder coat them. My 30 Carbine and Mini-30 (7.62x39) fell into this category, but I went back to jacketed bullets with them.
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Re: January QOTM doesn't seem to be living up to it's name

Post by Fyodor »

I load:
.38spl smokeless
.38spl black powder
.45Auto lead
.45Auto FMJ
.44-40 smokeless
.44-40 black powder

And I own a die set for .223Rem and 7,5x55 Swiss.

So even if I load 6 loads, it's only 3 cartridges, and two more that I plan to do at some time.

But of the cartridges I load, I load a lot. Last year it was 1300 .44-40 BP alone, and a total of over 6000 rounds.
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Re: January QOTM doesn't seem to be living up to it's name

Post by farmerjim »

RD 2 questions. In 22 cal you only list the 218 bee. Why no 222,223. 22-250, 220 swift ? I love the 223 with 1.5 grains of 700X.
Did I read correct, Are you going to try powder coating?
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Re: January QOTM doesn't seem to be living up to it's name

Post by daboone »

alphalimafoxtrot "Liked" the above response cuz it mimics the way I think. I too am a low life Lee lover.
At one time long ago I did reload to save money but 60 year later I tend to search for ways to spend it on reloading gadgets. I've stop collecting war time weapons, indeed most of my collection now lives with my kids. But I made them tell me some facts/history about each one before it move to its new home. Also made them promise not to sell but give them to the grandkids. I've given up doing the extreme load workup and now just enjoy loading plinking stuff that my personal reloading logs proved to be successful. I've also given up casting/sizing/lubing/powder coating because of 2 friends ( one is LarryW) that give all the bullets I need. Now days I still do the family and friends shoots. I also enjoy reloading for my 3 sons and a SIL who also help replenish the components locker. For me handloading and messing around at my benches is a joy and keeps what left of the brain cells content and me personally off the streets harassing the good folks I pass by.
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Re: January QOTM doesn't seem to be living up to it's name

Post by Ohio3Wheels »

Let's see if I can do the list with out digging into the backs of the cabinets:

9mm Parabellum the one that started it all
357 mag and its short brother
357 Herret not so much anymore
7mm TCU
6.5mm TCU
32-20
6.5-06
7mm Mauser
6.5x55mm
7.5x55mm
30-06
35 Remington
44 mag
5.56 Nato
357 Sig
38-55 coming soon
45 ACP
45 Colt
7.62x54R
7.62x39
40-65 black powder and smokeless
45-70 ditto
243

I think that's all of 'em. Some I load a lot some not so much anymore.

Make smoke,
Curt.......makin' smoke and raising my carbon foot print one cartridge at a time +guns +guns
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Re: January QOTM doesn't seem to be living up to it's name

Post by scotland »

I started out with .45 and then 9mm parabellum and makrov and now added 38 spl and 357. Still learning and adding more dies.
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Re: January QOTM doesn't seem to be living up to it's name

Post by orerancher »

Handloader,Bullet Caster..
Always lookin for the Perfect load for each Gun.. Get to do a lot of Shootin, workin up to find that load...
New Mold? start over...New Powder? start over...Get to do a lot of shootin...
.22 Hornet
.222
.223
.22-250
.243
.6mm Rem
7tcu
7-30 Waters
.284 Win
7 Rem mag
7mm-08
.264 Win mag
25-06
30 Carbine
30-30
30-40 K
.308 Win
.300 Win mag
7.62x54R
300BO
7.62x39
303 B
.35Rem
.35 Whelen
.44 mag
.444 Marlin
47-70
.38 Special
.357 mag
9mm
,40 S&W
41 mag
.45 auto
.45 Colt
454 Casull Have more then one of most of these...Each is It's own Critter, needing loads worked up for It..
I get to shoot alot :D
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Re: January QOTM doesn't seem to be living up to it's name

Post by Macd »

Rifle
.223/5.56
6.5 Swede
7.5 Swiss
.308
.30-06
.303 Brit
8mm Mauser
.35 Remington

Handgun
9x19
.38 Special
.357 Mag
.45 auto
.45 Colt

I load 38 and 9mm for competition and that means volume. Economy is important as is getting the best power factor.

The rest is simply a fun and interesting hobby associated with older rifles that have a history of their own. I load to shoot some of the old warriors but some I shoot to try yet another load for accuracy. I have dies for every calibre and molds for most. I used to work on hunting loads but my hunting days are limited now. I rarely make a trip to the range without several handguns and rifles. Some of my range time is practicing for shoots but most is ... shoot, read chronograph, look at target and record results. So I guess I am just another slightly confused senior who goes to the bench to load 500 9mm and ends up spending 3 hours setting the perfect jump for a new .308 bullet in a 7.5x55 K31 made before he was born.
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Re: January QOTM doesn't seem to be living up to it's name

Post by GasGuzzler »

I guess to conform to peer pressure I will post my cartridge list too.

9X19
.38 Special
.357 Magnum
.30-30 Winchester
.45 Colt
.45 AUTO
.222 Remington
5.56X45
7.62X39
.32-20 Winchester
300BLK
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