New to the board, hello.

[MALiberty79ks]

Hello folks,

My name is Branden and have been shooting non-competitively most of my life. My first blood was a chickadee with a .177 Crossman pump I shot while waiting for dad to find the dove he had shot over yonder. My dad got me out in the field as often as he could, and Boy Scouts, hunting, and other outdoors recreation naturally led me to love shooting anything that God would help me to hit a target with.

 

I want to shoot more. I'm not good enough yet to throw myself into competition, but love the atmosphere. Dad has started shooting in a club and my son and I tagged along with him on an informal evening shoot. I am a staunch proponent for the Constitution, and have a firm grasp on it's purpose.  I understand the 2nd, and why it was 2nd on the list. I want to preserve my country and my freedom, and want to pass on the ability to do so to my sons and daughter. I want to impart on them the burden of responsible citizenship, gun ownership, and the joy of training those related skills.

 

A friend told me that if I want to start shooting more, that I need to start reloading. I asked around and discovered that one company above the others was truly great at this thing called warranty service. Made in America too! Not imported from Timbuktu and assembled here mind you, MADE in America. So, good stuff, made in America, and great service? A unicorn, where? Sold, Dillon Precision it was. Well, I guess I'd bite. I bought an elderly friends Dillon 550, and a few of his other pieces. I started getting my bench cleared and making appropriate plans for construction - and a shopping list. I am, after all else fails, good at buying stuff.

 

I looked up Dillon's website, discovered that there are lots of things I didn't get with my "new" press, and started my "Google" reloading education adventure. I bought a book about reloading, which was quickly lost to a magazine stack in a waiting room... duh Homer... and went right back to the internet. I watched every video I needed to understand how to set up a new 550. I watched videos on how to lubricate and care for a 550. I watched videos comparing the 550 to the 650, and yes, I know the 550 is right for me right now. I got so pumped about reloading that I went ahead and bought my first AR. I mean, hey, now I'll be able to afford the ammo. (this was two years ago...) Looking at 223 prices I'm getting offers on in the mail today makes my press seem more like an extra step now.  Ammo seems to be coming down to reload price! So much for saving money making my brass effective again at home ... Good I like a challenge.

 

After buying the first AR - a Smith and Wesson M&P15 PSX (piston operated S&W AR with Troy Mfg. furniture... cool, right?) It was so pretty I shot 5 or so rounds through it and put it back in it's box. The guy at the range I went to said that it's likely to become a collectors gun because they stopped making it, and because of the awesome S&W rollmark on the lower... I don't know about that, but I knew I had to own another good AR, and one I could shoot the crap out of... I bought a BCM recce mid from Brownells and put a handguard and stock on it. I've fallen hard. I immediately thought to myself, "Self, how cheap could you build an AR?". Back to Google. Somewhere in the waves of pages I saw a new button. "Wildcat" it said. Hmmmm. Long story short, my new "cheap" build became a 20" stainless ARP15 build in 6.5 Grendel. And now, I'm in love all over again. But I've gone down the rabbit hole, forgive me.

 

So, here I am, old 550 in a box in the garage unused while I've managed to spend what it would have cost me to build a bench with a 1050 with an auto drive... And my boss calls a meeting to let us all know that our new company (merger/purchase) doesn't know what our future looks like, and  Damn.

 

So, now I realize that if I am to shoot at all, it will have to be making my own. And am now re-beginning my reloading journey, and I discovered the Enos board. I read the rules, and got a feeling for the intended purpose of the site. And, after reading more about some of you in similar circumstances, and some of you whom I would like to emulate, I joined up. I posted something last night in the Dillon thread about suggestions for my new bench and equipment. Today, being off work, I plan on changing the oil in two cars, and doing some more cleaning getting my bench ready to don my press. I am really glad I have found this board, I hope to use your collective wisdom and experience to my advantage.

 

Thanks for reading, see you around.

[Sarge]

5 minutes ago, MALiberty79ks said:

Hello folks,

My name is Branden and have been shooting non-competitively most of my life. My first blood was a chickadee with a .177 Crossman pump I shot while waiting for dad to find the dove he had shot over yonder. My dad got me out in the field as often as he could, and Boy Scouts, hunting, and other outdoors recreation naturally led me to love shooting anything that God would help me to hit a target with.

 

I want to shoot more. I'm not good enough yet to throw myself into competition, but love the atmosphere. Dad has started shooting in a club and my son and I tagged along with him on an informal evening shoot. I am a staunch proponent for the Constitution, and have a firm grasp on it's purpose.  I understand the 2nd, and why it was 2nd on the list. I want to preserve my country and my freedom, and want to pass on the ability to do so to my sons and daughter. I want to impart on them the burden of responsible citizenship, gun ownership, and the joy of training those related skills.

 

A friend told me that if I want to start shooting more, that I need to start reloading. I asked around and discovered that one company above the others was truly great at this thing called warranty service. Made in America too! Not imported from Timbuktu and assembled here mind you, MADE in America. So, good stuff, made in America, and great service? A unicorn, where? Sold, Dillon Precision it was. Well, I guess I'd bite. I bought an elderly friends Dillon 550, and a few of his other pieces. I started getting my bench cleared and making appropriate plans for construction - and a shopping list. I am, after all else fails, good at buying stuff.

 

I looked up Dillon's website, discovered that there are lots of things I didn't get with my "new" press, and started my "Google" reloading education adventure. I bought a book about reloading, which was quickly lost to a magazine stack in a waiting room... duh Homer... and went right back to the internet. I watched every video I needed to understand how to set up a new 550. I watched videos on how to lubricate and care for a 550. I watched videos comparing the 550 to the 650, and yes, I know the 550 is right for me right now. I got so pumped about reloading that I went ahead and bought my first AR. I mean, hey, now I'll be able to afford the ammo. (this was two years ago...) Looking at 223 prices I'm getting offers on in the mail today makes my press seem more like an extra step now.  Ammo seems to be coming down to reload price! So much for saving money making my brass effective again at home ... Good I like a challenge.

 

After buying the first AR - a Smith and Wesson M&P15 PSX (piston operated S&W AR with Troy Mfg. furniture... cool, right?) It was so pretty I shot 5 or so rounds through it and put it back in it's box. The guy at the range I went to said that it's likely to become a collectors gun because they stopped making it, and because of the awesome S&W rollmark on the lower... I don't know about that, but I knew I had to own another good AR, and one I could shoot the crap out of... I bought a BCM recce mid from Brownells and put a handguard and stock on it. I've fallen hard. I immediately thought to myself, "Self, how cheap could you build an AR?". Back to Google. Somewhere in the waves of pages I saw a new button. "Wildcat" it said. Hmmmm. Long story short, my new "cheap" build became a 20" stainless ARP15 build in 6.5 Grendel. And now, I'm in love all over again. But I've gone down the rabbit hole, forgive me.

 

So, here I am, old 550 in a box in the garage unused while I've managed to spend what it would have cost me to build a bench with a 1050 with an auto drive... And my boss calls a meeting to let us all know that our new company (merger/purchase) doesn't know what our future looks like, and  Damn.

 

So, now I realize that if I am to shoot at all, it will have to be making my own. And am now re-beginning my reloading journey, and I discovered the Enos board. I read the rules, and got a feeling for the intended purpose of the site. And, after reading more about some of you in similar circumstances, and some of you whom I would like to emulate, I joined up. I posted something last night in the Dillon thread about suggestions for my new bench and equipment. Today, being off work, I plan on changing the oil in two cars, and doing some more cleaning getting my bench ready to don my press. I am really glad I have found this board, I hope to use your collective wisdom and experience to my advantage.

 

Thanks for reading, see you around.

You should start up a conversation with board member 57K! Bwahaha!

welcome to the forums!

[Hi-Power Jack]

1 hour ago, MALiberty79ks said:

 

My name is Branden and have been shooting non-competitively most of my life

 

I want to shoot more. I'm not good enough yet to throw myself into competition

 

A friend told me that if I want to start shooting more, that I need to start reloading.   I bought  Dillon 550

 

After buying the first AR - a Smith and Wesson M&P15 PSX (piston operated S&W AR with Troy Mfg. furniture  ...I bought a BCM recce mid from Brownells and put a handguard and stock on it. my new "cheap" build became a 20" stainless ARP15 build in 6.5 Grendel.

 

 

Welcome aboard, Branden.     

 

I've summarized your introductory story for you - makes it easier for people to follow.

 

Are you shooting any handguns, yet, or just the AR?

[MALiberty79ks]

54 minutes ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

Welcome aboard, Branden.     

 

I've summarized your introductory story for you - makes it easier for people to follow.

 

Are you shooting any handguns, yet, or just the AR?

I shoot my Sig Mk25 every time I go out. So, 9mm, 223, and the 6.5 Grendel are my current big calibers.