Lee Loader

I've been talking to my friend LarryW when his wife Lisa lets me. We both love our guns and handloading. I say handloading just because it sounds more relaxed than reloading. We both have come to the conclusion the real joy of reloading comes from the time taken to enjoy our hobby, not from the ability to produce ammo faster. For instance we both enjoy each step of case prep. I could go on and on about powder measures, dies, bullet seating, etc......
I do have and use a progressive and enjoy its ability to knock out both quality and quantity but getting there is interesting, perplexing and fun too.

What do you hate/enjoy?

daboone wrote:
What do you hate/enjoy?

Love getting up in the morning, hate getting old, not of the age itself, but that it's starting to limit what I can do anymore. Hate buttermilk, love sweet milk, I drink to much of it my Doc says. What's he know..okay, I know that's not what you meant Dan.


I enjoy the "full" spectrum of rifle loading, the case prep, trimming necks, flash holes, primer pockets, the whole "everything I can think of to do to make it the best" thing. All loads constructed on a single stage press as well as I can do them. May not be saying much as a whole, but it'll be the best I can make. Pistol rounds, ehhh, not so much. All done on a progressive press, carefully, not "blazing fast as I can speed", but I move right along with them. But that's because I also enjoy the presses for themselves maybe as much as the actual making the ammo part. I enjoy just watching them do their job. While in your reloading area have you ever just gone over and cycled your press(es) just because you wanted to? I do that often. (actually I'm just trying to remember how they work... ) but hey, I enjoy it right?

I "hate" shooting alone anymore, enjoy having company. That's the main reason I shoot very little now-a-days. Seems difficult to get a couple guys together at the same time to shoot, always something else going on that "needs" to be done. That could be because it now takes us so much longer to get something done anymore... Oh, I also enjoy naps.....a lot.....

Gus, now that you mentioned it there a lot of room for interpretation! And I agree with several. Shooting alone isn't as fun as with family and friends. In fact I don't do it alone anymore. The hunting days are over for me. Well I did shoot a mongoose with an Benjamin air rifle not long ago when back home.

Glad to hear your doing alright/well. When the winter gets you down come visit us in AZland. It's 72 outside today!

daboone wrote:Glad to hear your doing alright/well. When the winter gets you down come visit us in AZland. It's 72 outside today!

72?.....man you know how to hurt a guy. Foggy, cloudy, rainy, icky, muddy, AND cold here today. Not sure why I'm still up here on this mountain. Actually I kinda do, if I moved I'd have to clean out my shop... disaster...
Now coming down and visiting with you and Larry fits right in with the OP, that's something I would very much enjoy. Doubtful it will ever happen but would be a real pleasure. As far as being well, just saw my doc the other day for my yearly blood work and physical. He came in the room, looked at me at said I looked healthy as a horse (little does he know I have three of them buried just below my house ) I told him thats cause you can't see the inside. He just laughed. Bill (my Dr.) and I are pretty good friends, kinda funny how as you get older that can happen... You stay well and make sure Larry does the same. Your Pard

When I was very early in my handloading career, I had a squib; no powder in a reload. I nearly ruined my gun trying to get the bullet out (it was stuck half way between the cylinder and barrel). Since that time I WILL NOT hurry through any step in my reloading process. I too enjoy reloading, just to quietly get involved in the process and all aspects of reloading. I have a couple manuals in the house (with my 11 others in the shop) and I'll often scan some loads while relaxing in my chair. I even like boxing up the finished handloads and printing a label (great satisfaction of a job completed). I think if I ever needed a bunch of ammo right now, I wouldn't rush through a reloading session, I'd just buy some factory stuff...

I enjoy handloading in the spring, summer and fall. Summer evenings that is. Winter time I hate it, don't do much handloading (casting boolets is ok) due to the fact my loading bench is in my garage which is not insulated. Today the temp got up to 47. Whoo pee!

Handgun on turret press is a job that has to be done when shooting IPSC. Rifle is on the single and is relaxation. I only usually do 20 at a time. Nice shiny brass, carfully weighing every charge and seating slowly to get best consistency in OAL. Winter is time to go over rifles and handguns to give deep cleaning and relubrication of trigger mechanisms, springs etc.

Currently -7 Celsius with 35-40 centimetres of snow on ground. More coming later this week.

Macd wrote:
Currently -7 Celsius with 35-40 centimetres of snow on ground. More coming later this week.

Not sure what those numbers really mean but the minus in front of the 7 AND 35-40 anything of snow doesn't sound good to me.... Your sig line says "far east". Just how far east are you. Pretty sure if I keep going East far enough...I'll end up back in the West....

I seldom clean my guns, unless I drop them in something "dirty".....does anyone ever wonder that maybe your dog keeps bringing the ball back to you simply because he thinks you enjoy throwing it ?? hmmmmm, curious. I probably should go do something....

Horse that's a balmy 20° and only a ft or so of snow .......

The loading process ?
I loathe initial brass prep . Primer swage , and case trimming in particular .
Pistol I set up and prime 100 , flair and drop them in an appropriate tray spaced so I can get to them and run them under the powder drop , mine drops within .15 gr over under , give them a quick look for even fill , and seat a tray at a time .
Mostly the same thing with rifles but I weigh every charge , and the 45 ACP , 40 S&W , and 380/9mm trays will hold 50 each rifle cartridges .

I guess I enjoy casting bullets most .

Newfoundland about 10 miles from the most easterly point in NA.

19 F and 14 inches.