Reloading, not for the squeamish?

[K22]

So I guess I should not have shown the photo of the dead PD parts to my neighbor today? I had him going with the live rattlesnake and the big black widow spider photos from Oklahoma...being all National Geographic and all, then I hit him with the parts is parts photo. He loved it! Found out he hates chipmunks and quietly traps and "removes" them. It was like finding a kindred spirit in my own neighborhood.

Didn't know him well, so I took the chance figuring that if he was upset, so what...I hardly knew him!

If that approach works for you - good. Different strokes for different folks. "One size doesn't fit it all." I'm glad you found a "kindred spirit", we all need more of them in these trying times.

Personally, I don't need the hassle of engaging strangers on firearms or political issues. It's just my experience that they are so entrenched in their bias again the shooting sports that it's a waste of energy to try and debate with them. Also, my blood pressure doesn't need the surge at this advance age. 

Because I do a lot of varmint hunting, some anti's I've met feel it's akin to a Satanic Cult to shoot those 'cute" ground hogs.  Whereas the farmers view me a valiant Crusader removing a destructive pest.

Of course, there are safe zone, the gun clubs, the farms where I hunt, and a few neighbors that are hunters, in other words like minded folks where an exchange of ideas is respected and has value.

 

[DiffEQ]

Please discus

Written like an English teacher....

When I would see that reaction, I would invite them and offer to teach them to shoot.
I've opened a few peoples minds to guns, and when I was single, it was often a successful way to become more intimate with the woman.
The whys are pointless, as that's a philosophical discussion most people are not ready to have.

 

[okie]

I guess I am lucky. Never met an anti-gunner. All my neighbors hunt/shoot. When it cools off in the fall you can hear gun reports all around. Most of the mills allowed guns in your vehicles up until the shootings started. Our lady bus driver kept my buddies .22 on the bus so he could hunt the long lane back to his house in the afternoon. We were allowed to keep guns in our trucks in school back then. Things have changed. For the most part we are still "backwards" here. The kids are not hunting much anymore. varmints/game overpopulated. I can see how it goes away... I like it here. most kids cant wait to leave. "Little Dixie" is what they call it.

 

[Charliemac]

When reading discussions like these, I think of what my dad would say about liberals, anti gun and anti hunting people. "Don't confuse me with the facts, I know what I know".

 

[M-61]

Surprisingly even though this is a very rural part of NY state there are few shooters, other than those that are strictly meat hunters.
Benchrest? Well my best friend and I were it. He passed away a year ago. So I compete against myself and the group on the target. Reloader's?
Except for shotgun, none at all.
Very different from when I grew up.

 

[Twisted Chemist]

Once I saw her expression I would have gotten very exaggerated and ridiculous as to how you were hurt.


Tell something like, while at the reloading bench I was pulling quite hard on my press. That’s the thing that makes bullets explode that haven’t had a chance to be fired through a rifle yet.

As I was pulling on it to detonate the extra bullets I have it backfired and sent the handle through my ceiling. The force I tried putting on the handle with my arm attempting to stop it wasn’t enough and I managed to end up with my arm in this sling.

The handle of the press landed on the neighbors cat. Didn’t kill it but I would guess used up at least 6 or 7 lives.

But don’t worry too much this kind of thing only happens once or twice a month and USUALLY isn’t lethal to humans.

HA!
Interesting, There seem to be a lot of cat related incidents being mentioned. Personally I don't like cats, they are delicious but I won't have one as a pet.

 

[Twisted Chemist]

I woulda told her I spent the nite with Jennifer Anniston and things got a little rough.

This!!
This one, except with Meg Tilly, or Scarlett Johansson or Sean Connery Sean Young.

Edit: Ooppss, wrong name.

 

[divingin]

My question is, has anybody else experienced this type of reaction when mentioning reloading? And why would reloading evoke such a strong negative response?

1) Nope. I do get the "You're into shooting? Guns?" questions though.
2) Drama queen.

 

[Twisted Chemist]

Why care? I don't send no invites and I don't RSVP. If it makes people avoid me that's just fine with me.

I didn't mention she is a Korean immigrant, so maybe there is a cultural component I've overlooked. Her reaction was intense but we continued to have a pleasant discussion leaving the impression that nothing has changed.

 

[Twisted Chemist]

Some reloaders even act as if it's creating the atomic bomb ... So why wouldn't the gen pop ?

Drama is much more fun.

I also get joint strains when i spend 6hrs + in a day reloading. Getting old isn't for the weak.
Ibuprofen & starting on the couch a day does the trick for me.

You are correct, getting old is not for the faint of heart. Old bodies find injuries in places least expected. Someone mentioned earlier about sustaining an injury while reloading. As you said, just spending too much time at the press and, in my case, the press was in a temp site and not sufficiently secured, so I was contorting, pushing and pulling in unusual ways. Then ignoring the pain for a couple of weeks made it worse. Yeah, yeah it is a man thing.

 

[Twisted Chemist]

Add this word to the lexicon of firearms language.
Hoplophobia = Irrational fear of firearms.
This is what the OP had to deal with.

Thanks for sharing, didn't know we had a name for this particular irrational fear,

 

[Twisted Chemist]

I've injured my elbow several times resizing 100's of 223 at a time. Not sling worthy, but I was often reminded (every time I bent it) that it was not 100%. Non shooters that overheard reloading conversations at work didn't seem to care - I am in AR so maybe that had something to do with it.

What part of Arkansas? I live in Conway and work at the Public Health Lab in Little Rock.

 

[Just Say Moe]

What part of Arkansas? I live in Conway and work at the Public Health Lab in Little Rock.

Hot Springs!

 

[Twisted Chemist]

This!!
This one, except with Meg Tilly, or Scarlett Johansson or Sean Connery.

Hot Springs!

My brother in suffering! Man, we need a break from this 100F+ weather, soon.
Where do you shoot? Do you compete? I've wanted to try action shooting for years, but just can't find a place.

 

[BlueWater]

... while at the reloading bench. She didn't understand so I had to explain that I reload my own ammunition.
The look on her face was completely unexpected. It was the "Oh my god, you are feeding babies into a meat grinder, feet first!" kind of expression.

That'd be a good, calm reply to a look on the face like that.

"It's not as though I'm tossing babies into a meat grinder feet-first, here. It's just a slight re-shaping of the brass case so that they'll work properly in the gun again."

In my own experience, when speaking to those seemingly without much experience with gun, I've often found there's some sordid, even tragic, incidents in the past that they are remembering when the topic comes up. (Had one family member, even, with that sort of reaction and a history that effectively explained it.)

With reloading, or shooting, or cleaning, I have frequently found that if someone has the opportunity to just observe without involvement or contribution, then it's not too long before a few hesitant questions begin. At which point, I can answer simply, then start to nudge it in the right direction. I'm convinced that most people simply don't have experience with the stuff and are thus understandably apprehensive, and/or they have a bad incident in the past for which they have understandably bad memories. Can't do much about the latter, as easily, but the former group of folks seems more-easily helped over the hump.

 

[rwj]

I've wanted to try action shooting for years, but just can't find a place.

Use this link to find USPSA clubs near you…

Find a local club - USPSA.ORG

uspsa.org

 

[The German]

Simply stop talking to Snowflakes ;-)

 

[gsardokla]

My Dad and all my Uncles golfed, and if not there, they were
in the bowling alleys. I made good summer money as a caddie
and promptly learned that the richer they were, the lessor the tips.
I never took up golf myself since it's the biggest waste of prime
chuck hunting property.

Back when I was in uniform, occasionally some fellow officers would try to get me to go play a round of golf. My reply, "If I've got time to golf, I could be hunting or fishing." Being from Oklahoma, they mostly considered me to be a redneck and a "gun extremist". Even in the 70's and 80's, we had plenty of politicians-in-a-uniform that were anti-2d Amendment.

 

[Minshooter]

Thanks for sharing, didn't know we had a name for this particular irrational fear,

Ascribed to Col. Jeff Cooper; Author, Father of modern Pistolcraft, and Gunsite founder.

 

[Bojo]

My girlfriend was 49 years old before she fired a gun. 22 pistols. Not only does she enjoy doing it , but actually asks to go.