Will reloading disapear with the new too lazy to do it generation

Ray B · Mar 2, 2026

From what I understand of the various labor laws and contracts if an employee is considered full time then there are assorted benefits (health insurance, matching funds to retirement, vacation, sick leave and such) that the employee receives. Part time jobs and "contractors do not receive these benefits. As such and employer who hires two 20 hour per week employees will get an output similar to one 40 hour per week employee, but without all of the additional costs- so to be competitive, the employer will go with the two part timers.

Ridge Runner · Mar 2, 2026

Safari Dave said:
Reloading aside (which my 28 year old son has completely covered at this point).

It may be about where hey live and their life circumstances.

I live in the "deep-south" USA, where being "manly" still carries some weight.

I doubt my 25 year old daughter would even date a guy who wasn't a sincere Christian, and didn't know how to do manly things (mechanics, home repair, shoot, fish, etc.)

I don't think I see any "soy-boys" in her future, but he has reached the point of being very professional without a serious partner. My wife and I are praying that the right guy comes along.

LOL....

"........right guy comes along."

No such thing!

When "daddy" {a real dad} is raising a daughter. Especially in the "deep south". ..."soy-boys"... see/meet and greet a daughter "daddy" cleaning a double barrel shotgun suddenly realize they could end up as "gator bait", or "claimed to never have been last seen" by daughter daddy the "soy-boys" suddenly find an excuse to no longer "court" daughter daddy's "little" girl.

LMAO......

Mommy and Daddy know, but don't want to know about their "baby's" 16+/- yo daughter's ...aahhh ...humm...."Mother Nature" "inquisitiveness" with boys/young men.....Just that daughter knows about.....aaahummm.....precautions on avoiding aaahuummm.....getting.....aaaahuummm. avoiding a precarious.....aaahummm....a wedding that might include a presents of a shotgun, or 20 .....to insure the groom says, Yes at the rather appropriate question asked by the presiding cleric/Justice of the Peace.

"Death Do You Part" is subjective till After the wedding.

Bob Nelson 35Whelen · Mar 3, 2026

Ridge Runner said:
LOL....

"........right guy comes along."

No such thing!

When "daddy" {a real dad} is raising a daughter. Especially in the "deep south". ..."soy-boys"... see/meet and greet a daughter "daddy" cleaning a double barrel shotgun suddenly realize they could end up as "gator bait", or "claimed to never have been last seen" by daughter daddy the "soy-boys" suddenly find an excuse to no longer "court" daughter daddy's "little" girl.

LMAO......

Mommy and Daddy know, but don't want to know about their "baby's" 16+/- yo daughter's ...aahhh ...humm...."Mother Nature" "inquisitiveness" with boys/young men.....Just that daughter knows about.....aaahummm.....precautions on avoiding aaahuummm.....getting.....aaaahuummm. avoiding a precarious.....aaahummm....a wedding that might include a presents of a shotgun, or 20 .....to insure the groom says, Yes at the rather appropriate question asked by the presiding cleric/Justice of the Peace.

"Death Do You Part" is subjective till After the wedding.

@Ridge Runner
When my daughter was dating I had a bbq apron that said
I have a daughter
I also have a shotgun a shovel and an alibi.
My daut didn't like it but I'm sure a few prospective boyfriends got the message especially when I was sharpening a knife then shave my arm and say that will do and smile at them.
My daughter used to say my boyfriend is coming to dinner can you be nice to them. My reply was I'll try.
Bob

Jim Golden · Mar 3, 2026

Long ago I went to pick up a girl at her house to go on a date. Her dad was cleaning his Hawes single action .44 magnum revolver (she laughingly told me later that it was to see my reaction). I told him "Interesting, never heard of that brand. Looks like a Ruger. I have a S&W M-629." He laughed. She dumped me later but I always liked them.

I was going to say....I just bought a 6.5x54 and got a set of RCBS dies for it as I don't see them on the shelf at the hardware store very often

Frederik · Mar 3, 2026

Without reloading I wont be able to shoot at all ammo cost just way too high to buy.
My son knows the basics has not really gotten into it yet but if he wants to shoot he'd better start reloading I am at a point where I am going to tell him to start reloading himself I will supervise, at first he is 21 btw.

MS 9x56 · Mar 3, 2026

I don’t think it is laziness for most of them. In my experience it is a lack of confidence and fear of making a mistake and having it blow up in their faces. That and a decided lack of mentors.

dlmac · Mar 4, 2026

I will continue to reload just because. I am still buying components when available. Now, looking for fresh powder. Mostly, riding the Western/Ramshot wagon for now. Corporations all seem to be buckling under to the liberal financial system. When I die, there will be plenty to divide up.

Bob Nelson 35Whelen · Mar 4, 2026

dlmac said:
I will continue to reload just because. I am still buying components when available. Now, looking for fresh powder. Mostly, riding the Western/Ramshot wagon for now. Corporations all seem to be buckling under to the liberal financial system. When I die, there will be plenty to divide up.

@dlmac
I'm in the same boat.
My son has worked out I have enough supplies for his 308 to last him at least 10 years using 2208/ varget and even more if he uses CFE 223 after um gone. Also has enough to run his 222 REM and my 25 for a long long time.
Bob

MS 9x56 · Mar 4, 2026

Us old duffers must make a concerted effort to teach our reloading skills to the next generation and explain the importance of doing such to them.

Bob Nelson 35Whelen · Mar 4, 2026

MS 9x56 said:
Us old duffers must make a concerted effort to teach our reloading skills to the next generation and explain the importance of doing such to them.

@MS 9x56
I taught my son well BUT it's usually
Dad in a bit busy can you load up some 308s for me please.
When you go make sure you leave the data for my reloads so I can use it please, and don't forget the data for the 222,25s etc.
Ive loaded him 200 150gn SST for his 08 after that he is on his own.
Such is life at least he has the knowledge, skills, capabilities and equipment. Thanks dad.
Bob

Grumpy gumpy · Mar 5, 2026

I started reloading at ten years of age with my now deceased ex-brother in law ( I always got on better with him than my sister, mmm, no, my brothers sister, I don’t have one, just some bitch blood relative, long story ) and did so (reloading) until my shi…, er, manure for brains father put a stop to it. I started again years later, my children, girls, aren’t interested in learning, dad can reload for them and they use my rifles anyway , and they live two hours away from me which doesn’t help much. They know that I will teach them the details if they want to start
I have taught a few friends and mentored some people at the rifle club I’m a member of.
Gumpy

Doug Hamilton · Mar 5, 2026

MS 9x56 said:
Us old duffers must make a concerted effort to teach our reloading skills to the next generation and explain the importance of doing such to them.

I don't think there's any lack of willing mentors. There seems to be few youngsters that have a desire to learn how to do it. Hunters and shooters and therefore reloaders seem to be in a declining trend.

akrifleman · Mar 6, 2026

dgr416 said:
I went back to Alaska last year for 5 months after being gone 16 years .I was shocked that reloading was disapearing in Alaska big time with people under 35 .I also went to several large gun shops and very few had reloading supplies .I dont know any kids down here that reload .I did see lots old reloading equipment left to their kids and it was being sold by their kids .I took lots of kids hunting but only got to teach one to reload .Its alot of work in Alaska my ammo for 338-378 weatherby and 416 rem mag was crazy high .I tried to find some shotgun reloading stuff up there this summer there was none .Sportsmans warehouse use to have tons of reloading stuff they didnt have much like they use to .We better start teaching kids this quick or poof its gone .

Arctic Ammo has most everything, which (the business) didn't exist 16yrs ago. We have a thriving competition community, and as an RSO all valley ranges have a ton of shooters with reloaded ammo. Secondly, Sportsmans had nothing for three years after China Virus. That they have so much now is a blessing. Everything gets snapped up FAST. Relax.

Mostly, you don't know where to go anymore. The entire valley has changed... just because Anchorage was always the City closest to Alaska, it's becoming California rehomed, just like all Western states. Everything is elsewhere.

Austin AH · Mar 6, 2026

The idea that young people are lazier than the older generations is a fiction on par with believing the Earth is flat or that sacrificing virgins affects the weather.

"Nobody wants to work" was a common complaint in the US after Covid, but the permanent drop in labor force participation matches up perfectly with the lower than average number of retirements in 2019 followed by a massive jump in 2020 (about 2.2 million in 17/18, 1.4 million in 2019, and 3 million in 2020).

As for reloading, it's just not cost effective unless someone is a high volume or high precision competitor or shooting unusual calibers. It's a fun and satisfying hobby but for what a single jacketed projectile costs for my .375 h&h, I can (with some patience) get an entire factory loaded round of .308 Win or two+ rounds of 9mm or 12 rounds of .22 LR, ready to be shot.

Rez Exelon · Mar 6, 2026

Austin AH said:
The idea that young people are lazier than the older generations is a fiction on par with believing the Earth is flat or that sacrificing virgins affects the weather.

"Nobody wants to work" was a common complaint in the US after Covid, but the permanent drop in labor force participation matches up perfectly with the lower than average number of retirements in 2019 followed by a massive jump in 2020 (about 2.2 million in 17/18, 1.4 million in 2019, and 3 million in 2020).

As for reloading, it's just not cost effective unless someone is a high volume or high precision competitor or shooting unusual calibers. It's a fun and satisfying hobby but for what a single jacketed projectile costs for my .375 h&h, I can (with some patience) get an entire factory loaded round of .308 Win or two+ rounds of 9mm or 12 rounds of .22 LR, ready to be shot.

To be fair, never once in my life have I particularly WANTED to work. I've had good jobs, but given the option of staying home, making art, being with friends, reloading and shooting, and doing any number of 1000's of other things instead of working I would gladly not work. However, considering no one is just giving me money for the joy of living, I do have to work I suppose.

Doug Hamilton · Mar 6, 2026

Rez Exelon said:
To be fair, never once in my life have I particularly WANTED to work. I've had good jobs, but given the option of staying home, making art, being with friends, reloading and shooting, and doing any number of 1000's of other things instead of working I would gladly not work. However, considering no one is just giving me money for the joy of living, I do have to work I suppose.

That's pretty much the way I felt about it. So while I worked to pay everything off and set up three income streams. Now I'm retired and can afford to do most of the things I want to do. You are right, not working is more fun.

Now, as my grandmother used to say, retirement is wasted on old folks. It would be more fun to be retired when you're young enough to actually do whatever you want. I just never figured out how to retire when I was young!

Andrew NOLA · Mar 6, 2026

This post started with a comment that no reloading supplies were in stores.

I haven't gone into a store to buy underwear, much less reloading supplies, in years. I buy everything online. Stores are going to stock what sells to walk in customers.

It seems that there has been an increase in the number of different competitive shooting sports over the last years. F class, PRS, 3 gun. 20 years ago, I had never heard of any of those things. That might result in new reloaders.

I would be curious what Redding and Hornady would have to say on their business volume and what they are seeing. UPS still pulls up to my house with disturbing frequency.

I do agree that the quality of loaded ammo has gotten better. The accuracy of rifles you can just buy has gotten better as well. Better rifles shooting better ammo resulting in better accuracy certainly reduces the incentive to reload.

I still roll my own. Same reason I wont shoot a rented rifle. For the volume we shoot out of a big bore, likely hard to justify the economics, but the satisfaction of pulling the trigger on your own is why I reload.

akrifleman · Mar 6, 2026

Andrew NOLA said:
This post started with a comment that no reloading supplies were in stores.

I haven't gone into a store to buy underwear, much less reloading supplies, in years. I buy everything online. Stores are going to stock what sells to walk in customers.

It seems that there has been an increase in the number of different competitive shooting sports over the last years. F class, PRS, 3 gun. 20 years ago, I had never heard of any of those things. That might result in new reloaders.

I would be curious what Redding and Hornady would have to say on their business volume and what they are seeing. UPS still pulls up to my house with disturbing frequency.

I do agree that the quality of loaded ammo has gotten better. The accuracy of rifles you can just buy has gotten better as well. Better rifles shooting better ammo resulting in better accuracy certainly reduces the incentive to reload.

I still roll my own. Same reason I wont shoot a rented rifle. For the volume we shoot out of a big bore, likely hard to justify the economics, but the satisfaction of pulling the trigger on your own is why I reload.

Good point. I'd also say few guys under 50 wants their parents reloading equipment.

Everyone is looking at neck tension, thousandths of bump, concentricity, annealing, etc... So, your not using historic dies and presses anymore. Guys are buying automated presses for 9s and 223s, and using precision presses like the Co-Ax, Zero Reloading, SAC, etc... Half my dies are SAC modular sizing dies, and the rest micrometer (usually Redding or Wilson). I don't have a Lee or RCBS die anymore except my RCBS Linebaugh die. No matter if you agree or disagree, I about can't give away an RCBS or Lee anything (technically Lee owns Mark7, I'm refering to the original brand line). I sure don't want them. Am I really going to crank out 5000 pistol rounds on a Rockchucker when I have a Mark7 or Dillon with autodrives? I'm sure not going to make FClass or PRS ammo without my SAC dies and Co-Ax and I still use automation for case prep and annealing. I'm not remotely alone in this, as nearly everone can get single digit ammo made anymore. Making 200 rifle match rounds a week will wear you out.

Much of that gear (as Andrew mentioned) can only be direct ordered, so you'll never pick it up in Cabelas, Sportsmans (although I just did pick up 500 .257 134g Bergers locally), etc... I know the UPS and Amazon driver better than some of my neighbors.

Rez Exelon · Mar 6, 2026

akrifleman said:
Good point. I'd also say few guys under 50 wants their parents reloading equipment.

Everyone is looking at neck tension, thousandths of bump, concentricity, annealing, etc... So, your not using historic dies and presses anymore. Guys are buying automated presses for 9s and 223s, and using precision presses like the Co-Ax, Zero Reloading, SAC, etc... Half my dies are SAC modular sizing dies, and the rest micrometer (usually Redding or Wilson). I don't have a Lee or RCBS die anymore except my RCBS Linebaugh die. No matter if you agree or disagree, I about can't give away an RCBS or Lee anything (technically Lee owns Mark7, I'm refering to the original brand line). I sure don't want them. Am I really going to crank out 5000 pistol rounds on a Rockchucker when I have a Mark7 or Dillon with autodrives? I'm sure not going to make FClass or PRS ammo without my SAC dies and Co-Ax and I still use automation for case prep and annealing. I'm not remotely alone in this, as nearly everone can get single digit ammo made anymore. Making 200 rifle match rounds a week will wear you out.

Much of that gear (as Andrew mentioned) can only be direct ordered, so you'll never pick it up in Cabelas, Sportsmans (although I just did pick up 500 .257 134g Bergers locally), etc... I know the UPS and Amazon driver better than some of my neighbors.

Sorry but did you say you had free rcbs and Lee dies?????

akrifleman · Mar 6, 2026

Rez Exelon said:
Sorry but did you say you had free rcbs and Lee dies?????

Oh, I've sold or given away most of them, but I probably have a few left. I've got an old Lee dipper die I'll keep for posterity, and I think my 300 H&H is *probably* an RCBS, which I'd keep until I found a Redding, but whatever is left sits on my table at the shows. I also put a Savage Weather Warrior .243 and a .308 DPMS Oracle out, and never get offers, but that's neither here nor there. I'm thinking I probably still have a 220 Swift, 8x57, 7mm-08 trim dies, and maybe a 243. That's off the top of my head. I've long since sold any pistol caliber Lee/RCBS/Redding dies outside of the 475Linebaugh, outside of Lee factory crimp dies (which I'll keep).

Will reloading disapear with the new too lazy to do it generation

Ray B

Ridge Runner

Bob Nelson 35Whelen

Jim Golden

Frederik

MS 9x56

dlmac

Bob Nelson 35Whelen

MS 9x56

Bob Nelson 35Whelen

Grumpy gumpy

Doug Hamilton

akrifleman

Austin AH

Rez Exelon

Doug Hamilton

Andrew NOLA

akrifleman

Rez Exelon

akrifleman

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