(Mods, I know this is forum is for technical information sharing, but I figured a poll of sorts might be OK. Delete if it ain't Kosher)

I read a lot and study videos a lot on reloading.  My mission is to have capabilities to make my ammo if need be, without expending a fortune.

I watch a lot of YT videos. The gamut might be from my end of the spectrum, a fellow who breaks out the press on a table to run ammo periodically,  to some fellow who has an entire room (or building) devoted to his reloading.

Not that I might not eventually throw large money in to it at some point. I'd love to build a small shed just for reloading/shooting stuff. One channel I recall watching was a guy who had the neatest reloading room in his basement. Climate controlled, high end gun safes, a row of Dillons, enough consumables to last decades and he vacuum sealed all his finished ammo in case long term storage was needed. The guy had his program squared away. I'd call his end of the spectrum a "Professor" type. Highly technical and spares no expense to feed his past time. You could tell the guy really enjoyed it as a hobby. I'm the sort...if it was home made, goes bang and doesn't explode the gun, I call it good.

What brought me to here were the two ammo panics of the last administration.  Ammo shelves were nekkid, so my CCW shooting practice was curtailed, bigly. Last panic was the first time I could not buy .22 ammo in a two year stretch. I can now keep myself in practice ammo even if they put Michael Bloomberg in the White House next time. I currently buy most of my practice 9mm/.22 because it is so cheap. An uncle of mine, who used to trade a good bit of Amish folk, told me that the Amish aren't as anti-technology as generally thought. They often have and use modern stuff, but have a creed to not be dependent it upon it.  Might own a chainsaw (factory ammo), but also keep the two-buck whip glinty sharp (make his own). That would be me.

I'd be curious as to what type you reloaders you folks consider yourselves...an Amish sort, the Professor or somewhere in between?

I reload 300blk, 38 spl, 32 long/magnum with a hand press in small batches. I'm not in a hurry and sometimes I'll do one step at a time and pick it up another day when I have a little time. Like today I loaded 100 125g Nosler ballistic tips in brass i had prepped weeks ago.

I started during the first Obama panic because I just couldn’t find reasonably priced ammo to shoot. When things got better I just kept buying supplies.  Then I got the accuracy bug and started loading for my rifles.  Now it’s evolved into a separate hobby initself.

I started with just 9mm and .223.  Now it’s those and .38spl, .357mag., .308, 30.06, and .45acp.

Reloaded in the 70's when I was poor.

As I could afford it I bought vs. reloaded as I did not have the time.

Reloaded for years using a Black & Decker workmate and a single stage press in a very small 1BR place.

ETA now is the time to buy components if you need them.

This is my "bench."  Currently I only load .45ACP.  But I'm thinking about going a little crazy and making some .38s.

I am frugal with my shooting budget and don't use up very much ammo but I replenish my stock of match grade ammo in batches of 500 or 1000 rounds per batch, as needed.  This means that sometimes I don't do any reloading in a given calendar year.

The only good ranges to go to are far enough away that the require me to plan a trip and dedicate a day to it.  Unfortunately.

So I don't get as much practice as I want but I do try very hard to make it count when I'm finally at the range.

I don't waste ammo.  I try to make every shot a good one and pretty much never do mag dumps unless there's a defined purpose for doing so.

I will say that being able to control your rifle well in rapid fire does justify doing some mag dumps.

I reload for the primary purpose of making match grade ammo of the highest quality for about the same price as buying the cheaper commercial stuff.

I'm running about even on cost per .223 round with Winchester Q3131A white box ammo.   But I'm making precision ammo that'll shoot better than me.

Mostly I only reload mags and belts.



But I do have a Rock Chucker so I can reload my own precision rifle ammo.

The draught of the Obama administrations was deep and wide, unlike anything I'd previously experienced.

I was lucky.  I had enough* brass, powder and primers and loaded ammo for a lifetime of self defense, hunting and some very frugal practice.

It was the bullet shortage that really scared me.  I got to the point where I was pricing out the gear to make my own bullets.

Even back then, 22LR ammo was always available if you were willing to buy match-grade, top quality ammo.  Given the huge supply of that which I already had, I was set.


*  Can anyone ever really have enough?

I'm not a high production guy, however that would probably change if I took up steel challenge or other competition shooting.  My first press and gear was bought off a friend whose father passed away, and he wasn't as interested in reloading as his father.  There were items missing, then I picked up a lightly used RCBS kit from a fellow Arfcommer who was in between jobs and needed the money.

Single stage press has been fine for me.  I process brass in sessions where I perform one or two processes at a time (resize and trim, or prime, charge and cap) so I normally have a bunch of prepped brass ready to be primed and and reloaded.  One thing I should be doing more of is sorting headstamps.  I finally have my laptop talking to my Chrony though a serial to usb adapter and Putty, so it's time to build up some precision loads with ladder testing.

S1050 for high volume 9mm/.223

Forster Co-Ax for lower volume .10mm .40 .45 .357,6.5 Creedmoor.

Never thought about categorizing myself as a reloader, but it's an interesting concept.  I guess I'm somewhere between hoarder and professor...LOL!

Like you, OP, I see the real threat of feckless, corrupt politicians...and not just toward guns.  Some of these people are downright dangerous.

So, my professor part would not be in my experience level in reloading but in my desire to learn and know what and why I'm pursuing whatever advantage I'm going for.  I'm an automotive/motorcycle gearhead who raced and even built engines.  Some of that anal personality has carried over to reloading.

I have a decent amount of nice gear, all of which is not absolutely necessary to make "good" ammo.  I'm slowly getting into some precision shooting, and this requires more detail work.

I have stacked completed ammo and reloading components to the hilt.  I'm hoping to have enough "stuff" to either get through any dry spell or perhaps make it to "the end"...LOL!

OP, you don't need the Sinclair or Mid-South Shooters catalog amounts of reloading equipment to produce pretty darned good ammo at numbers that would keep you shooting well into the future.

I wouldn't wait too long, however, because even adding up the basic components to insure your shooting future can ring up a pretty good price tag.  I think most of it will be in components rather than equipment if you don't go crazy on the gear.

Some would say that such fears of potential ammo and gun shortages...or worse...is paranoia based.  Honestly, I'd love to be wrong.  Even if wrong, I'd have lots of ammo to shoot and enjoy.  Who wouldn't like that?

I am much like this, but my precision loads kind of takes it to the anal level...I do everything on a couple of single stages..I like doing things one thing at a time, it allows me to concentrate on every single action....Have thought about making a thread showing my precision load work, just so others can better understand the complexity that precision loading can be versus reloading for a plinker...

My bench...nothing fancy but it works great for me...
Attached File

I shoot almost every week

Feed it with an XL650, 550b, and single stage

Many of my guns have never seen factory ammo

Good to see an Amish brother in the pile. (cool stand...my press is bolted to a 2x6 that gets clamped to the kitchen table)

You mentioned the precision shooting thing. Honestly, that looks like fun stuff. I've actually been quite amazed at how accurate my homebrew 300BO loads have proven out at 100 yards. I have one .308 Win rifle and fooling around with the 300 has sparked an interest in seeing what I could accomplish with that RAR deer gun.

I don't want to go off on a political tangent in a tech forum, but my fear is a time in the not so distant future when reloaders will get the concentrated gaze of the gun grabbers. We could be low hanging fruit in the 2A world. Saw a news article from up northeast somewhere. Article shows the "arsenal" collected from some old guy by police. It's pump shotgun, a lever gun, a .22 pistol and "hundreds of rounds of ammunition". The way the article read it was like they busted Osama Binladen's weapons cache. Hundreds of rounds in the real world of shooting is not even a good start on .22 fodder for the kids to use on a range trip.

Loading is one of my hobbies, in and of itself. It just so happens to feed another hobby. Win-win.

I'm curious about primer storage, long term. You seem to have been in the game a lot longer than I will be alive. Most of mine were actually accumulated just prior to the last panic. Boxes are wrapped in ziplocks (to keep out moisture) and stored in a foam lined Plano pistol case (to prevent temp swings).  I wonder how long they could be stored like this and continue to work.

I reload the majority of my rifle ammo other than 223. I started a couple of years before the last scare and luckily had just bought a bunch of powder and primers a week or two before Sandy Hook happened. So I was able to reload through the panic.

I'm doing it on a single stage Rock Chucker, and I can't imagine going back to factory rifle ammo. Not only do I save a significant amount of money, but I get significantly more accurate ammo than I can buy.

Reloading is also a hobby for me, and I really enjoy most of it. If I had more free time, I'd like to do more of it.

When it comes to 223, up until recently I reloaded it too. I've gotten to the point where I just don't have the free time that I used to, and finding time to reload is few and far between. So if I'm looking for precision 223, I'll handload it, but otherwise I've just been buying factory ammo since it's been so cheap lately. It's accurate enough for plinking which is what I want to do 90% of the time I shoot this caliber.

As for pistol ammo, I know how to reload it and I used to reload anything I shot other than 22. I would again if there was a shortage, but right now I've cut back significantly on reloading 9mm. It's just painfully slow on a single stage press and I have a lot of other things I need to be doing with my time. Factory ammo is also generally accurate enough for me in 9mm, so really the only advantage is the cost savings which recently has only been about $.50 per box. It's just not worth it to me. It's basically like working for $1 an hour.

I keep going back and forth on if I should get a Dillon 650. A big part of me wants to so that I can quickly load handgun ammo, but financially, it just doesn't make a lot of sense for me. The last two Black Friday's I've ended up buying factory ammo for around $6.50 a box. It cost me a little over $6 a box to reload it with cheap bullets. At that savings, and the rate I shoot it would take me about 50 years to save enough to cover the cost of the press and a case feeder. It's just hard to justify that.

I reload for accuracy and sub .300blk
.308, 5.56 for accuracy and hunting.  .300 blk for subsonic only.

Txl

Oregon is proposing a 20 round a month purchase limit.  This would shut down most competition shooters that do not reload or force them to buy their ammo out of state.  Haven't heard if there's any clauses regarding reloading.

Reminds me of the proposed arsenal taxes of the past.  If I have 100 cases and 5000 primers and bullets, how many rounds do I actually have?

Back to topic, I have been able to survive during the panic buys due to stocking up.  Each time I invest in components, I cringe in how much stuff went up since the last time I made an order.

I'd say I'm probably a hoarder reloader.  If I don't have 20K of primers and 50lbs of powder, I feel naked.

I'm a bit of a scientist too, as I like to experiment with different loads and I reload for over 40 calibers now.

I used to churn out a lot of .45 ACP and .38 Special 148 wadcutter for Bullseye practice and competition.

Used an RCBS 4x4 as soon as they came out.
Ended up with two so I could leave them set up.

Still use a Rockchucker for very high accuracy live varmint rounds in a BR style rifle.

Panda Action, R bolt, L port with longish barrels.

I'd say I'm somewhere in the middle of the middle type reloader.

I like it but don't LOVE it. I do it so I can shoot more and shoot more accurately too. I own guns in 14 different calibers and reload for 11 of them from 9mm to .50 BMG.
I shot through both of the last panics like I didn't even know there was a shortage at all because I stockpiled components well before.
I haven't bought any components other than a few thou of one caliber bullet style to try out in over 4 years and I still don't feel low on anything. I cast and powder coat bullets in 5 calibers because that's another part of the hobby I like to do. I have a good stockpile of lead and reclaim most of what I shoot along with friends' bullets.

Right now, with ammo prices low, I've been stockpiling and shooting factory .223/5.56 and 7.62x39. It's not as accurate as I would like but it's good enough for plinking. I still load my own precision rounds in those calibers for when I feel like shooting small groups.

I take pride in making my own ammo but am not anal about any part of it, I have progressives, a turret and single stages so I can make a little bit or a lot. I couldn't afford to shoot much if I had to buy ammo, especially 500 S&W Mag & .50 BMG but I can load those for 1/3rd the price of factory as well as saving a ton on other rifle and pistol ammo.

I like being a middle of the road kind of guy, I'm happy where ever I am.

I believe in economy of effort.  That means that my default answer to the statement "everything matters" is "no, not everything matters."  With the exception of stuff necessary for safety, if an action at the reloading bench doesn't add measurable value on a target (and I literally mean ONE target) or save me some time, then I'm not going there.

I consider myself a handloading heretic.

It's pretty rare when I shoot factory centerfire.  That's been the case since I was a kid.

I started out Amish. Got back into the shooting sports in Spring of 2013. Worst time ever. I started with a Lee Turret to load 38 SPL for a pair of revolvers the wife and I got along with .223 for an AR. I did the math at that time and 1,000 rounds of 38 SPL paid for the press, dies, miscellaneous tools, primers and powder. After that it was just components so I'd be saving a ton of money every 1,000 rounds.

Turns out that's not how this works. That's not how ANY of this works.

Fast forward five years and I have:

• Lee Turret
• Hornady single stage
• Hornady LnL AP
• Much more calipers, micrometers, etc.
• Dies 7.62 x 54R
• Dies for .45 ACP - this is important because I don't own that caliber
• A Star lube sizer. Why?
• Because I have a Lee casting pot
• At least six molds that cast 5 - 8 cavities each
• Two, two cavity molds
• At least five different colors of powder coat paint to coat cast bullets
• A couple of Lee Push Through sizing dies
• A chronograph
• The all important spreadsheet of data
• A log in OneNote
• A paper log
• You get the idea.....

The good news is I have a new mold coming so that I can cast 220 grain hollow point bullets for my 300 BO. Once I get the dies for that, I think I'll finally be able to save some money on my ammo costs.

(to be fair, my ammo costs are cheap. 1k 9mm that will shoot 2.5" groups at 25 yards from a Canik run about $65 this way)

I reload everything I shoot (except shotgun ammo and .22 rimfire ammo).

I buy reloading supplies when I see them on sale/for a good price, not waiting till I need them.

I've been reloading since 1978.

Killed all my deer, ground hogs and crows (only 2) with my reloads.  Only thing I've bought factory ammo for (surplus, really) was when the CMP had really good prices on HXP and I bought a couple thousand rounds of surplus .308 when I went to my first RBC at Ramseur.

Oh, I buy 7.62X39 and 5.45X39 steel cased ammo, but only when I see it for a good price.

I built a reloading shed a few years ago.  Did a lot of reloading in it.  Worked on some rifles in there, too.  When I had the new garage built I built a big heavy duty bench and moved the reloading to the garage.  Still have some stuff in the shed, just haven't need to use it yet.  Plan on turning that one into a lawnmower/yard tool shed when I get around to making the door wide enough for the big mower.

I keep a reloading logbook.  I write down date, bullet used, primer used, powder/amount used, how many rounds made and overall length.  Then I refer back to it next time I want to load more ammo of the same caliber/bullet weight.

I also put a small piece of paper (cut up the primer boxes into 4 pieces) with the same data in the container with the reloaded ammo.

I've been lucky.  I have two 55 grain FMJ loads that shoot really well in all my AR15's.  So I don't need to load different bullet weight/brands/styles for different rifles.

Same for the 9MM loads.  All my CZ's shoot my 115 grain hollowpoint loads great.  Same for the .40 S&W loads.  Hollow point load and lead bullet practice ammo all shoot good in my CZ's.

In 1979 I was given a 270 weatherby mark 5 as a Christmas gift and then I went to buy some ammo for it and was shocked at the prices and when I complained
to the owner he said I should reload . that I single stage LEE loader and dies, 1 can of IMR4350 , and primers has turned into a stockpile of components and presses for all the many guns I own and Im happy as hell he got me started.

I started loading just 9mm for economical reasons when I was shooting IDPA. Went straight to a progressive (Horandy LnL). Then the bug bit and I now load for 10-11 different calibers including precision loads for .223, .308 and 6.5CM. Pistol stuff is mainly bulk with the exception of 10mm, .454 Casull and .45 Colt.

The rifle stuff is where I go more "professor", and I find I enjoy that aspect of reloading more.

I'm in the sub Amish peasant category with my Lee hand loader. But I do try and load for accuracy doing the full length resizing, cut n trim and measuring every charge. That is with off the shelf bullets.

I got into reloading over forty years ago after my dad bought me a 6.5X55 96 Mauser to hunt with. We were poor and venison was a real money saver. First thing we did was sporterize the battle rifle to a wonderful little woods carbine, still have it. Cartridges were stupidly expensive so my dad and I spent some time and minimal cash on a $10.00 Lee "C" press, Lee dies and their inexpensive trim set. Lee because their die sets came the dipper and load data and damned if didn't make some accurate ammo. Bought everything we needed from Lee for about the price of a single box of Norma ammo.

Dad passed this past September (85 years old) and it makes me realize just how lucky I was to have the both of us learn how to make our own ammo. The two of us loved scrounging popular shooting sites for brass and even sifting piles of back-stop sand for bullets. Probably 50 pounds gathered over the years. Unsure if dad's intension was to instill frugality, seflreliance and ingenuity but it he did.

Getting misty-eyed damn it.

Been a single stage reloader and always will be. Volume is not my goal. Finding that sweet-spot for that cartridge/rifle set is zen. Dad and I sighted our rifles in every September just checking for zero as when we put them away using three rounds, any more was a waste and if a new recipe was being tried it was still three rounds to see if the rifle liked it or not. Then we'd start looking for brass.

I started off fairly low and towards the Amish side of things. I only loaded for guns I had, in limited quantities, in ways that made me feel adequate. Rounds went bang, my face was still attached to my skull. Good enough.

My divorce and the obama administration lead to a change in my life.

I have moved on toward what I call the "enthusiast" side of things. I have vacuum sealed my loaded ammo. I have scraped brass shavings into the scrap bucket and recycled it for cash. I have spent in excess of $200 for a set of custom dies for a wildcat caliber. I have ordered 100 lb of lead to cast bullets with because I got tired of buying a different bullet every time I ordered bullets.

I am definitely not the "Professor" as I am still a little messy and unorganized. And I am not a "fanatic" as that sounds kinda crazy. So, I will stick with enthusiast as it fits me for now.

This thread reminds me that I need to check my vacuum sealed ammo to see if it runs in my new AR15 upper.

The quiet old guy next door who loves to shoot. Have about five presses, two tumblers and lots of cool precision measuring devices.

It's a whole separate infatuation for me. I started with .30-30 as a wild eyed 10 year old in a shithole trailer park in Vegas with my stepdad using an old Lee pocket loader with a mallet on the kitchen table that doubled as my bed. As I got older, I got into obsolete calibers, and loved reading what the old timers had to say about different cartridges and their development. I still have a box of those first rounds we loaded together in 1994, and the 1949 94 carbine he gave me. I'm more advanced in my process now.  It's a relaxing thing to do, and I still get the same excitement I did as a kid.

i reload 223 only 75-77gr , .38 and .357 , .45 acp.

i have powder, dies and projectiles to reload 9mm but choose not to at this time.

Heh. I started with a progressive loading bulk pistol ammo and worked my way up to a single stage and precision reloading. Am I devolving?

Man, I started reloading in the early 70's using one of those Lee Classic Loader kits that you use the mallet and scoops with.  I had bought an S&W Model 28 357 magnum and thought I was a bad Mofo.

I bought a can of Alcan 7 powder and started loading.  I remember doing some crazy loads like with 110g bullets and such...after all, I was an expert...LOL!

Frankly, I think if I hadn't been working with a model 28 Highway Patrolman pistol in the robust "N" frame, I probably would have had an accident.

Shortly thereafter I got a Lyman turret press and thought I'd made the big time.  That was a fun time...and still is.

Dinosaur,  Nerd,  Addicted, Hoarder,  Bullet Caster.  All those are probably accurate.
Started in 1975 with a used RCBS Jr press I still use.  First cartridge was 7.62X54R.  Followed shortly by 30-06.
Today load for 19 metallic cartridges along with 12 & 20 gauge. And a handful of black powder guns.
Did a lot of casting but lead wheel weights have disappeared.
I like most that I can build ammo that can't be bought.  38 snake loads,  mouse fart 45-70. Pointy 30-30's  1/2 oz 12 gauge

Start with a basic setup.  Learn the skill step by step. You will want to add improvements year by year.

Take the advise here and lay in some supplies.  My LDS friends keep a years worth of food on hand.  A dedicated reloader should have two or three years of supplies. We can go shoot food if we need to.

You don't need a dedicated awesome center to reload.  I reloaded for over a decade using a simple RCBS Partner press (very light, and affordable) complete RCBS intro kit (with the scale and all), mounted on a board, that I mounted on one of these.  


The whole thing folded up and tucked away in a closet.

As time progressed, I still have that, and interestingly, load most of my precision ammo on it - though I upgraded to an Hornady LnL single stage press on it.  I'm at a point where I also now have enough room for a more permanent reloading center, in the house.  Where I installed a Hornady LnL progressive.

I keep detailed records of everything - and have loaded over 100,000 rounds so far in my career.  I enjoy reloading as a hobby, and make a lot of precision ammo for distance competition.

That said, unless you are shooting an exotic/expensive cartridge, or have need for long range precision shooting; then don't think reloading is the end-game survival item it might seem.  Reloading requires access to bulk components that are just as subject to shortages and regulations (if not moreso) right now.  If all you want is serviceable pistol and 223 ammo, and a few precision rounds for distance shooting from time to time - to be honest, you're just about as well served just stocking up on commercial ammunition, as you are stockpiling reloading components.  Particularly since primer prices still haven't returned to sanity yet, which is impacting total-cost-of-reloading.  (bulk military small rifle primers are still pushing almost a nickle delivered right now)

Right now you can buy .223 brass cased ammo for 25 cents a shot, ready to go; cheaper if you shop well.  And in theory, that brass can be sold for about 5 cents a casing (ish).  So you're shooting ball ammo for pushing 20 cents a shot actual investment.  Reloading buying bulk components is still pushing about 15 cents a shot.  And heaven help you if you're paying retail and buying in smaller quantities.  You can make better quality precision ammo as a reloader, and as a High Power competitive shooter - I have to, since nobody makes 80 gr .223 ammo tuned to your rifles specific throat jump.  But that's a specialty application.  As just a guy, be aware that reloading isn't really the cost-savings you might think.  Particularly since nobody includes the real-economics of 8 buns but 10 hotdogs/pack equivalence you experience with reloading components-inventory costs.  Nor is it the source of reliable supply that you might think - if anything specialty components of "dangerous goods" like gunpowder and primers, are going to be even more difficult to reliably get.  That, and they are considerably more hazardous to have in your home than loaded ammunition, in the event of a fire.

If you want to reload, it's a great hobby - just don't kid yourself into thinking it actually is going to save you money, or secure reliable supply any more than just buying cheap and stacking deep does.

Just my 2 cents, I love reloading personally!

lazyengineer, your B&D setup reminded me of my first unit which wasn't all that long ago.

It is amazing how with a little imagination and economy that one can come up with some pretty effective reloading setups that are mobile and compact.

I bought one of the stronger, more robust, bench grinder, 4-legged stands from Harbor Freight.  Initially I was just going to mount my Rock Chucker on it.

I found that I could mount a really thick, square, chunk of heavy plywood on the stand where it just hung off the edge of the stand's flat top surface.

I ended up with my Rock Chucker, bench mounted RCBS priming tool, inexpensive Lee C-press for depriming, and a small vise mounted there.  All of those can be easily and quickly unbolted if desired.

I used a 2" X 4" heavy duty poly table for other reloading items, and I would easily carry all these items into the living room for reloading sessions.

I now have almost a complete room in the house for a large, heavy, bombproof reloading bench with shelves, storage, etc., etc., for all components.

From compact and mobile to large and in charge...you can do a lot with all kinds of setups.

I have been reloading as long as I have been shooting. I was too young to buy 357 for my revolver that was a gift. I have been

reloading so long I have a hard time buying factory ammo.

I'm the pragmatist.

Reloading is the only way I can afford to shoot as much as I need to in training for USPSA.

Don't have time to fool around, I have one load, in one caliber, and one press, that gets cranked about 30K times a year.

Components are bought in bulk once a year.

That's not to say I don't enjoy reloading;  I really actually do.  It's soothing and therapeutic.  But time spent behind the press is time I can't spend dry firing or live firing so it's done out of necessity only.

When I'm old and busted and can't run around with guns any more I'd like to load for its own inherent pleasures.

To answer your original question the primers stored at normal humidity without giant temp swings would last for decades.  Lead free primers will last considerably less, supposedly.

On the factory ammo thing, I do something that maybe is or maybe not a waste of time.  And I think some were initially under the impression that I was just trying to clone factory ammo...I wasn't.

If I'm going to load a specific bullet in a specific caliber, and there is a factory cartridge using the same bullet, I will usually buy a box of that particular ammo...talking higher quality ammo here, not bulk FMJ and such.

I'll measure that cartridge for COAL and the ogive COAL using my Hornady comparators.  I'll pull a bullet and inspect and weigh the powder...see if it's ball, extruded, etc...realizing there's no exact way to positively identify the factory powder.

With all that documented I fire the round(s) through the chrono for accuracy and velocity in a given gun or guns.

When I start to develop my loads I take all established manual data and even occasionally some data from users on the internet and go to it.

As I proceed, it's interesting to see any comparisons to the factory ammo.  Sometimes very little is seen for comparison, but other times it can be valuable.

For example if I shot that factory ammo and it was extremely accurate, but my first test loads aren't, I can probably dismiss the possibility that my barrel doesn't like that bullet...which sometimes happens.

This would indicate to me that I need to continue to pursue accuracy nodes with different velocities, powder amounts, powder types, distance from lands, etc.

On the other hand, if the factory ammo was horrible in my gun, I might see a node during development that closely matched the data from the factory cartridge that might suggest a direction in which to go.

Obviously my method isn't necessary for successful reloading whatsoever.  Load development often and maybe usually doesn't mirror any factory cartridge anyway.

I just find it interesting and sometimes useful, and even when I don't find a specific element that's helpful, I think I always learn something when getting data from a factory load.

And hey!...I got plenty of time...LOL!

Ive been using a hand press since I started 2-3 years ago. I haven't done much reloading lately as ammo as been very cheap but I will start to buy some more components soon and start stocking up. Currently my whole reloading setup fits in a medium sized rubbermaid bin that I can pick up and carry off wherever. Only reloading for 9mm/223 at the moment but plan to get into 308 mostly for subsonic rounds within the next year, once the stamp comes back. My whole idea with reloading was just being able to make ammo that goes boom. I would eventually like to upgrade to that new lee auto breech lock pro so I could crank out in more volume. Ill continue to buy cheap steel cased blasting ammo and reload more specialty rounds like HST, 77gr OTM, 55gr spire points.