Reloading is on its way out

[crockett]

More a general topic, not just 10mm related.

I think reloading will be a thing of the past in 20 or so years. Many reloaders I know have been dying away, and I see very little new folks coming in from younger generations.

All local kids, teens and folks in the 20s, that I know, are into cell phones, console or computer video games, anime, TikTok, and that's about it.

Its like the online bubble replaced most hobbies and passions with addiction to anything that feeds a very short attention span.

Do you guys know any folks getting into reloading while being in their 20s or 30s?

[John A.]

In all fairness, I don't think it's going to die out.

I was probably in my 30's before I started reloading on my own.  Truth is, I was never exposed to it, so I was very hesitant to try and didn't really know where to start either.

If it wasn't for a few guys online who really helped me get started, I probably still would be stuck buying everything too.

With that said, I have 3 sons all largely in the age range that you posted that I have offered to show everything I know to.  The 2 younger ones reload much of their own stuff that they shoot.  Granted using my stuff whenever possible     But, still. 

[The_Shadow]

As I look around the various groups and forums most of the younger people are what I call the "Want It Now" types.  They are not the DIY types. They live at home with parent or parents.  Yes, they hold on to the latest and greatest electronic phones and video trinkets, as the bury themselves into those things.  Many never go outside and do any real-life things.

The companies that are producing the equipment are pushing the "high end" loading products which are not cheap for someone starting out!  Also these big presses with all the various tool heads take lots of room for setup and storage... 

Now factor in the current pricing of Primers, Powders, Bullets all of which have commanded higher prices if in stock.

When I started in 78 handloading it was with a RCBS Jr. press (still in use) making 30-30, 44, 357 mag/38spl and 30'06 Spr and 308 Win.  The little Jr. press lacked on the leverage for the resizing of the long bottle neck cases.  I found a RCBS Big Max press that makes short work with its compound leverage for resizing everything.  Even got a LEE 12 ga loader which I heavily used for loading Duck Hunting shells before the lead bans were in place. 
I also was into casting my own bullets and fishing jigs and weights as I was able to get quality wheel weights and other lead from my side jobs.  This paid dividends for shooting much cheaper.

Speaking of jobs, I worked as a firefighter, and I brought my press and stuff to the station which was mounted on a 24" x 30" table I made on folding legs.  So, I was producing some ammo when there was down time at the stations.  When they implemented "(911)" our call volume was greatly increased so I brought everything back home.  Oh, speaking of home I designed and built the home I currently live in even working the fire dept. and side jobs... Side Jobs: Old house Renovations in New Orleans Garden District, Other construction jobs, Two Water Well Drilling companies, even Shrimping.  It was good to be young, strong and healthy to be able to those jobs.
One thing that I enjoyed with my 30+ years of service with Fire Department was "Hazardous Materials" which I was part of our team & loved the training and science of the chemicals.

Now thinking about today's youngsters that lack work ethics or motivations to get out their own way is probably why we don't see them as interested in the handloading hobby!

In closing I have taken time to teach a few people about the Handloading Hobby and allow them to sit and work on my presses so they can get a feel for things and then they can shoot the ammo they made for their rewards.

[sqlbullet]

I think it's waning. I see four causes.

1. Wrong perception of the cost of entry.  It's $100 give or take $10. People never believe me. I showed a friend just yesterday.  They were budgeting $250-$400 for gear, and they would have had a very nice set-up, but that is a lot of money to "find out" if you will enjoy the hobby.  They live across the country from me, so loaning them some of my gear wasn't an option.  I hopped on marketplace in their area and in 10 minutes had found three serviceable Herters Super 300 style C presses with on press priming for an average of $40.  The best deal was $50 as it already included the herters->standard shell holder adapter.  If you have to buy that it's $22.  So, at a budget of $62 we have a press and a priming solution.  9mm Luger 3 die carbide set (lee) is $41 on that jungle site.

$103 and done.  Lee dies come with a dipper. Your guns chamber is your cartridge gauge and a factory round can be used to establish reasonable COAL and crimp.  I even wrote up a google doc for him explaining how to make ammo with just those tools. 

I want to be clear, at the very least a scales and set of calipers are in the near future for anyone that likes the hobby.  But for $100 in gear and another $200 ish in components you can make 1K rounds of 9mm.

2.  Most folks shoot 9mm and 223 these days.  Thousand primers, lb of powder and 1K 115 grain fmj is gonna run you $180-$210.  You can buy loaded 115 grain FMJ for 189. Now, if I really shopped and bought large quantities of components I think you could get you component costs down to $150/k (Servicio Adventuras or Ginex primers on sale 10K at a time, 10 lbs of American Reloading MP265 and 115 grain pulled FMJ). And this isn't new.  I didn't really get into reloading until I had a reliable source of lead to cast my own bullets.  Georgia Arms Canned heat in 10mm was basically the same price as components.

3. Overblown concerns about lead.  When my oldest son was 12 he suggested to his middle school science teacher that he could bring in some lead for the show and tell in class. She was horrified and said that if he brought even a few grams they would have to evacuate the school and call a haz-mat cleanup team.  (We had words.)

But I see this over and over in modern gun forums.  Guys who won't by FMJ ammo becuase it has an exposed lead base, or find out they have been shooting it and want to know if they should go to the ER for lead exposure.

Is lead toxic? Yes! Is there any reason for a human to consume any? No! As a result there is no "known safe" amount to consume.  Nothing good comes from ingesting lead.

But...

People don't seem to understand that doesn't mean that any lead ingesting is "bad". There is also no known safe amount of granite to consume. We don't need to eat granite.  Doesn't mean you should rip out your kitchen counters. You need a fair bit of lead exposure as an adult before you will suffer ANY negative effects. And youngins with developing brains should not be exposed to lead.

We gotta educate people that we aren't advocating eating lead, but with proper understanding, precautions and procedures you may actually reduce you lead levels while taking up reloading.  Awareness will spill over into other parts of your life.

4. I'm looking at the man in the mirror....This may be the big one, and it's us.  Or past us.  We stood by and let them kill the arts and trades programs in our schools.  Those programs were essential in ways we didn't understand in building neural pathways that make a DIY'r. It's not modern tech displacing it. Modern tech, social media, etc has made me 10 times the DIY'r I was before those learning channels. But by not stimulating certain mental pathways at the right developmental phase with music, art, craft and trade classes as part of the required curriculum, we built generations of kids that lack.  I don't know how to fix the ones that are now baked, but the ones still baking need those programs back.

[The_Shadow]

I will say that one part in particular that I have really had great enjoyment as far as the Handloading Hobby was studying just what companies were using in their commercial ammos.  This led me into the study of smokeless powder, load data and pressure values.  Then able to apply those studies to the pulldowns for "What's Inside"!

I will say thanks to those who shared their ammo for the Documenting of these pulldowns that showed us all some things about what was being used and sold to us as true 10mm ammo and other cartridges as well.

Also, glad that some others have taken to pulling and documenting what they found in their ammo as well.  Some actually have made contact with me to help ID the powders they found.

While there are so many different powders and types, I will apply what is seen through the loading data comparing yielded velocities with the various powders, trying to determine what was found.  It has been said that there are "Proprietary Powders" and that is possible for some of the commercial stuff, but most have been the same stuff as canister powders.  The rifle powders (Ball Type) can be quite the challenge but still try to make a determination through visual process of elimination vs. actual load data vs. velocities yielded.

So for me it has taken me to a great level of appreciation for Handloading.  Sometimes I wish I would have started my own Ammo company back in the early 90's as I was making great 10mm ammo then.

[crockett]

1. Wrong perception of the cost of entry.

4. ...by not stimulating certain mental pathways at the right developmental phase with music, art, craft and trade classes as part of the required curriculum, we built generations of kids that lack.

I think those 2 issues get to the root cause.

I didn't start reloading and handloading to save money. With the tools and supplies I stocked, I will never break even with factory ammo prices, and I bought it all before cost went up.

Reloading should be promoted as a passion and hobby, not so much to save money. Once you factor in the time needed and its value, single stage reloading costs more, even with the cheapest used tools and supplies.

Reloading 1k rounds takes a few hours in that setting. Those hours could be invested into work that brings in 100+ bucks.

And here comes the other point into play. If we can't sell a cheaper price, how can we motivate folks that never learned to be handy or crafty to begin with?

That we sold out our working middle class manufacturing jobs to China and Mexico, for decades, doesn't help.

And once we have even less folks being interested in reloading or firearms, the easier it will be for the left to push for more regulations and less freedoms in this field. That will be the final nail.