Where do you reload?

solocam72 · December 19, 2012, 09:04 AM

Sorry if this has been hammered on before. I have seen some pretty darn neat setups over the years, my favorite that sticks in my head is a friend that has a building out in his yard that totally appears to be a fancy doll house, painted the part and all, has a really neat little porch you walk up to enter it, I would guess the dimensions to be 10x16 ft maybe a little bigger? It has 2 little vinyl double pain windows in it, when you walk in you definately realize its not the doll house it appears, he even has a reclining couch in it! Its heated with a radiator type oil heater with thermostat, on a cold day when you walk in its a very comfy controlled temp. Its a neat idea to say the least! I personally have a designated bedroom for my loading room, hunting, and fishing gear. I couldn't imagine having my loading stuff outside in a non controlled heating, cooling building, my stuff cost way to much to chance rust and corrosion, and being uncomfortable to boot! My wife is quite understanding about it and what it would cost to replace, its simply not an option at our house for me to move it!! Where do you guys load?

Woody55 · December 19, 2012, 10:15 AM

I have a little shop about 100 feet from the house. My stuff is set up on about 1/4 of the built in workbench space. The rest is for other projects. And the shop also holds a bunch of large equipment (riding mower, log splitter etc.) and about 1/4 of the area (a corner) is another room that has fishing stuff and stored stuff in it.

There is a wall AC unit, but no heat. I keep it all oiled and wipe it off before I use it.

jwrowland77 · December 19, 2012, 10:17 AM

Mine is just out in my garage. It simple, and easy.

Xfire68 · December 19, 2012, 10:22 AM

I have a spare bedroom that has turned into my reloading room.

I have 4 presses on the bench. Hornady LNL AP, Lee Classic turret, Lee Single stage and a Lee Load-All for shotgun loading.

I had this all out in the unheated garage but, the northern IL winters can be a little chilly for reloading. I have used a torpedo heater but, even that would not do the trick on the coldest days.

It's a good thing my girlfriend loves shooting or I think that the spare room would have been off limits!

Jim Watson · December 19, 2012, 10:35 AM

The new house has a dedicated shop opening off the garage.
The small lot left me with a choice, conventional two car garage or one car and a real shop.

The old house on the same lot had a separate shop but no garage.
The shop was not damaged when the house burned but I had it taken down any way because I wanted a different layout on the lot.

old roper · December 19, 2012, 12:46 PM

We had house build about 20yrs ago had 3 car garage build attached to house and inside was 40ft wide and 26ft deep. I took furthest bay from entrance to house split that in half build reloading room. I've got heat,phone and cable and same as house have fans for cooling. On the outside wall entrance to gun room and set up to cleaning rifles and storage for cleaning rods etc and other walls storage for target frames,bulk targets, rifle rest etc.

We had some extra storage area build so I keep scope boxes extra rifle case rifle stock etc up there kind of my junk room.

Kevin Rohrer · December 19, 2012, 01:19 PM

I have a dedicated reloading room in the basement that also holds my board wargames and (paper) magazines. It is cool and quiet down there and far enough from bubble-headed women that I can have some peace and quiet. It DOES need cleaning so I can find room for an easy chair and reading lamp. But that will have to wait, as I have way too many cases to fill.

William T. Watts · December 19, 2012, 01:46 PM

When I built my home I set aside 345 sq ft in my garage that allowed me to finished two 13.6" X 12.6" rooms for my reloading hobby. I have concrete floors in what I call my shop/reloading area, otherwise they are finished out like the rest of the house plus they are heated and cooled. this is my man cave that people stay out of unless invited in. I was going to use one room for a ham shack but I never got around to setting up my Amateur station, my call sign is KB5CH.. William

Hogeman · December 19, 2012, 02:20 PM

I retired in 99 and built a shop for all my tools and have a reloading bench setup in it. The building is 20x20 with a 6ft. porch added on the front and with a covered roof. Sure makes it nice for wood working and shooting. Heated in winter and can shoot out window at 50yrd target stand. Works out great for me and my son. Everyone should have something

DJK Frank 16 · December 19, 2012, 02:27 PM

I reload in my garage as well. I have a workbench that is pretty much dedicated to reloading.

m&p45acp10+1 · December 19, 2012, 03:42 PM

My bench is between my living, and dining area, about three feet from the front door. I live in a small 1 bedroom duplex so not a whole lot of places to put it.

I may post a pic of it in a while, it is time to go grocery shopping with my wife now.

David Bachelder · December 19, 2012, 03:45 PM

I use a very small bedroom in the house.

603Country · December 19, 2012, 03:46 PM

I have a metal barn out behind the main house. I had the barn divided in half, crossways, and one half is used as barn and one half has a workshop (20x20) and a small bedroom and bathroom (10x20). Fridge, TV, microwave, coffeemaker, stereo/DVD is in the workshop. Another TV, bunk beds and couch are in the bedroom area. Window units for AC. And I have a covered slab on one end of the barn where I keep the tractor and my shooting bench. Targets and earthern berm are 107 yards away. The workshop is primarily for woodworking, but I can set up quickly for reloading. I'm very happy with the setup, and my wife is too, since she calls it my "office" - where I spend most of each day and walk home (100 feet) after 'work'. I'm having a very nice retirement.

Edward429451 · December 19, 2012, 04:17 PM

I started out in the closet (LOL) with my SS RC press bolted to an apartment size table that would just barely allow me to close the bi-fold doors on it, and on the weekend I would pull it out to the living room and batch process while watching tv.

It grew and grew and now my warroom is most of the basement. Three big benches with two Dillon 550Bs, my ss Rockchucker, two Lyman 450 sizer/lubers, RCBS Trim-Pro, and a Corbin CSP-1 press bullet swaging press for swaging or can be quickly converted to a single stage reloading press. and a plethora of of related stuff.

It just grows by itself it seems.

dwhite · December 19, 2012, 04:28 PM

I have a microwave cart in my living room with my press
clamped to it. My dies and other hardware are kept in a
Home Depot "Homer Box" tool box in a closet in the
bedroom.

It works. It's a testament to minimalistic reloading.

All the Best,
D. White

FrankenMauser · December 19, 2012, 04:57 PM

Heated, air-conditioned room the previous owner built as an office.

The adjacent, concrete storage area stays between 58 degrees and 68 degrees, most years. (This summer saw some spikes above 70 degrees, but it was still perfectly acceptable.)
Ammunition, primers, powder, and cleaning supplies are happy there.

Quote:

It works. It's a testament to minimalistic reloading.

Been there. Done that.
As I've said before -
My first personal setup was a press clamped to the top of an entertainment center. When not in use, everything was locked inside one of the compartments.
It worked, but wasn't very stable.

spacecoast · December 19, 2012, 05:06 PM

You guys with basements and available/usable garage space are lucky. My part of Florida has no basements and my garage barely holds two cars, and I will NOT park outside. Not to mention the garage is unbearably hot at least 6 months of the year.

So I am relegated to my "office" desk, which also serves as the main parking spot for most of the paperwork and honey-do stuff in the house (I work hard to keep it as clear as I can). Hence my need to do all reloading with a hand press and keep it all tucked away when not in use. I just got an old Lyman S-T and mounted it on a board so I can put it on my desk when needed and then put it away when I'm through.

TheNatureBoy · December 19, 2012, 06:26 PM

Detached garage about 10ft from the house.

jepp2 · December 19, 2012, 06:46 PM

In a 1600 sq. ft. basement that is almost a constant temperature year round and humidity runs about 25%. I have 3 different reloading benches. 1 for handgun, 1 for rifle, 1 for shotshell.

Bare concrete floor and lighting and electrical everywhere that I installed when I moved in.

arch308 · December 19, 2012, 06:49 PM

I use my front living room for my hobbie room. Have a nice reloading bench built in there and also store my fishing gear in there.
Yeah, I'm single. My whole house is my man cave. I even have Mossy Oak curtains in my den.

oneoldsap · December 19, 2012, 08:00 PM

I have my entire basement for use as my gun repair/reloading shop , about 600 Sq.Ft. .

leadchucker · December 19, 2012, 08:12 PM

I have a nice little 300 sq ft shop adjacent to the garage in the basement. Just recently got a dedicated gun cleaning/repair/loading bench set up in there next to my main workbench.

reynolds357 · December 19, 2012, 08:18 PM

I have a reloading room in my basement.

tkglazie · December 19, 2012, 08:50 PM

Front room of the house (similar to a 4 season porch) that is very tight, lots of windows, laminate floor, loading on a 3 legged Lee press stand in a bright corner with a big bench to my right and a trunk full of supplies to my left.

Heaven.

Mike38 · December 19, 2012, 10:01 PM

I have an old home that has what my wife calls a sewing room. It’s small, about 10x6. But it houses all of my guns, ammo, and a small bench that I reload on. Three locks on the door. An old skeleton key lock, a dead bolt keyed on both sides, and a hasp/padlock. Keeps the grandkids out, might slow down a thief, might. While reloading, I lock myself in so I do not get interrupted. I have a strong belief that an interruption may make for some bad reloads.

December 19, 2012, 09:04 AM	#1
solocam72 Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2012 Location: Great Northwest Posts: 222	Where do you reload? Sorry if this has been hammered on before. I have seen some pretty darn neat setups over the years, my favorite that sticks in my head is a friend that has a building out in his yard that totally appears to be a fancy doll house, painted the part and all, has a really neat little porch you walk up to enter it, I would guess the dimensions to be 10x16 ft maybe a little bigger? It has 2 little vinyl double pain windows in it, when you walk in you definately realize its not the doll house it appears, he even has a reclining couch in it! Its heated with a radiator type oil heater with thermostat, on a cold day when you walk in its a very comfy controlled temp. Its a neat idea to say the least! I personally have a designated bedroom for my loading room, hunting, and fishing gear. I couldn't imagine having my loading stuff outside in a non controlled heating, cooling building, my stuff cost way to much to chance rust and corrosion, and being uncomfortable to boot! My wife is quite understanding about it and what it would cost to replace, its simply not an option at our house for me to move it!! Where do you guys load?

December 19, 2012, 10:22 AM	#4
Xfire68 Senior Member Join Date: March 31, 2010 Location: Communist State of IL. Posts: 1,562	I have a spare bedroom that has turned into my reloading room. I have 4 presses on the bench. Hornady LNL AP, Lee Classic turret, Lee Single stage and a Lee Load-All for shotgun loading. I had this all out in the unheated garage but, the northern IL winters can be a little chilly for reloading. I have used a torpedo heater but, even that would not do the trick on the coldest days. It's a good thing my girlfriend loves shooting or I think that the spare room would have been off limits! __________________ NRA Life Member, SAF Member

December 19, 2012, 12:46 PM	#6
old roper Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2007 Posts: 2,155	We had house build about 20yrs ago had 3 car garage build attached to house and inside was 40ft wide and 26ft deep. I took furthest bay from entrance to house split that in half build reloading room. I've got heat,phone and cable and same as house have fans for cooling. On the outside wall entrance to gun room and set up to cleaning rifles and storage for cleaning rods etc and other walls storage for target frames,bulk targets, rifle rest etc. We had some extra storage area build so I keep scope boxes extra rifle case rifle stock etc up there kind of my junk room. __________________ Semper Fi Vietnam 1965 VFW Life member NRA Life Member

December 19, 2012, 01:19 PM	#7
Kevin Rohrer Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2010 Location: Medina, Ohio Posts: 1,049	I have a dedicated reloading room in the basement that also holds my board wargames and (paper) magazines. It is cool and quiet down there and far enough from bubble-headed women that I can have some peace and quiet. It DOES need cleaning so I can find room for an easy chair and reading lamp. But that will have to wait, as I have way too many cases to fill. __________________ Member: Orange Gunsite Family, NRA--Life, ARTCA, and American Legion. Caveat Emptor: Cavery Grips/AmericanGripz/Prestige Grips/Stealth Grips from Clayton, NC. He is a scammer

December 19, 2012, 01:46 PM	#8
William T. Watts Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2010 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 1,074	When I built my home I set aside 345 sq ft in my garage that allowed me to finished two 13.6" X 12.6" rooms for my reloading hobby. I have concrete floors in what I call my shop/reloading area, otherwise they are finished out like the rest of the house plus they are heated and cooled. this is my man cave that people stay out of unless invited in. I was going to use one room for a ham shack but I never got around to setting up my Amateur station, my call sign is KB5CH.. William Last edited by William T. Watts; December 19, 2012 at 02:17 PM.

December 19, 2012, 10:15 AM	#2
Woody55 Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2012 Location: East Texas Posts: 407	I have a little shop about 100 feet from the house. My stuff is set up on about 1/4 of the built in workbench space. The rest is for other projects. And the shop also holds a bunch of large equipment (riding mower, log splitter etc.) and about 1/4 of the area (a corner) is another room that has fishing stuff and stored stuff in it. There is a wall AC unit, but no heat. I keep it all oiled and wipe it off before I use it.

December 19, 2012, 10:17 AM	#3
jwrowland77 Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2012 Location: Conway, Arkansas Posts: 1,398	Mine is just out in my garage. It simple, and easy.

December 19, 2012, 10:35 AM	#5
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,537	The new house has a dedicated shop opening off the garage. The small lot left me with a choice, conventional two car garage or one car and a real shop. The old house on the same lot had a separate shop but no garage. The shop was not damaged when the house burned but I had it taken down any way because I wanted a different layout on the lot.

December 19, 2012, 02:20 PM	#9
Hogeman Member Join Date: December 1, 2012 Location: Ohio Posts: 27	I retired in 99 and built a shop for all my tools and have a reloading bench setup in it. The building is 20x20 with a 6ft. porch added on the front and with a covered roof. Sure makes it nice for wood working and shooting. Heated in winter and can shoot out window at 50yrd target stand. Works out great for me and my son. Everyone should have something

December 19, 2012, 02:27 PM	#10
DJK Frank 16 Member Join Date: August 23, 2012 Posts: 17	I reload in my garage as well. I have a workbench that is pretty much dedicated to reloading.

December 19, 2012, 03:42 PM	#11
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	My bench is between my living, and dining area, about three feet from the front door. I live in a small 1 bedroom duplex so not a whole lot of places to put it. I may post a pic of it in a while, it is time to go grocery shopping with my wife now. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

December 19, 2012, 03:45 PM	#12
David Bachelder Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2011 Location: Trinity, Texas Posts: 636	I use a very small bedroom in the house. __________________ David Bachelder Trinity, Texas I load, 9mm Luger, 38 and 40 S&W, 38 Special, 357Magnum, 45ACP, 45 Colt, 223, 300 AAC, 243 and 30-06

December 19, 2012, 03:46 PM	#13
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	I have a metal barn out behind the main house. I had the barn divided in half, crossways, and one half is used as barn and one half has a workshop (20x20) and a small bedroom and bathroom (10x20). Fridge, TV, microwave, coffeemaker, stereo/DVD is in the workshop. Another TV, bunk beds and couch are in the bedroom area. Window units for AC. And I have a covered slab on one end of the barn where I keep the tractor and my shooting bench. Targets and earthern berm are 107 yards away. The workshop is primarily for woodworking, but I can set up quickly for reloading. I'm very happy with the setup, and my wife is too, since she calls it my "office" - where I spend most of each day and walk home (100 feet) after 'work'. I'm having a very nice retirement.

December 19, 2012, 04:17 PM	#14
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	I started out in the closet (LOL) with my SS RC press bolted to an apartment size table that would just barely allow me to close the bi-fold doors on it, and on the weekend I would pull it out to the living room and batch process while watching tv. It grew and grew and now my warroom is most of the basement. Three big benches with two Dillon 550Bs, my ss Rockchucker, two Lyman 450 sizer/lubers, RCBS Trim-Pro, and a Corbin CSP-1 press bullet swaging press for swaging or can be quickly converted to a single stage reloading press. and a plethora of of related stuff. It just grows by itself it seems.

December 19, 2012, 04:28 PM	#15
dwhite Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2007 Location: Wake County, N. Carolina Posts: 379	I have a microwave cart in my living room with my press clamped to it. My dies and other hardware are kept in a Home Depot "Homer Box" tool box in a closet in the bedroom. It works. It's a testament to minimalistic reloading. All the Best, D. White

December 19, 2012, 05:06 PM	#17
spacecoast Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: Sunshine and Keystone States Posts: 4,461	You guys with basements and available/usable garage space are lucky. My part of Florida has no basements and my garage barely holds two cars, and I will NOT park outside. Not to mention the garage is unbearably hot at least 6 months of the year. So I am relegated to my "office" desk, which also serves as the main parking spot for most of the paperwork and honey-do stuff in the house (I work hard to keep it as clear as I can). Hence my need to do all reloading with a hand press and keep it all tucked away when not in use. I just got an old Lyman S-T and mounted it on a board so I can put it on my desk when needed and then put it away when I'm through.

December 19, 2012, 06:26 PM	#18
TheNatureBoy Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2007 Posts: 1,204	Detached garage about 10ft from the house.

December 19, 2012, 06:46 PM	#19
jepp2 Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2008 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 1,476	In a 1600 sq. ft. basement that is almost a constant temperature year round and humidity runs about 25%. I have 3 different reloading benches. 1 for handgun, 1 for rifle, 1 for shotshell. Bare concrete floor and lighting and electrical everywhere that I installed when I moved in.

December 19, 2012, 06:49 PM	#20
arch308 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2011 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 876	I use my front living room for my hobbie room. Have a nice reloading bench built in there and also store my fishing gear in there. Yeah, I'm single. My whole house is my man cave. I even have Mossy Oak curtains in my den.

December 19, 2012, 08:00 PM	#21
oneoldsap Senior Member Join Date: September 16, 2009 Location: I live in the foot of the Green Mountains of Vermont Posts: 1,602	I have my entire basement for use as my gun repair/reloading shop , about 600 Sq.Ft. .

December 19, 2012, 08:12 PM	#22
leadchucker Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2011 Location: NC Posts: 252	I have a nice little 300 sq ft shop adjacent to the garage in the basement. Just recently got a dedicated gun cleaning/repair/loading bench set up in there next to my main workbench.

December 19, 2012, 08:18 PM	#23
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	I have a reloading room in my basement.

December 19, 2012, 08:50 PM	#24
tkglazie Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2011 Posts: 558	Front room of the house (similar to a 4 season porch) that is very tight, lots of windows, laminate floor, loading on a 3 legged Lee press stand in a bright corner with a big bench to my right and a trunk full of supplies to my left. Heaven.

December 19, 2012, 10:01 PM	#25
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,710	I have an old home that has what my wife calls a sewing room. It’s small, about 10x6. But it houses all of my guns, ammo, and a small bench that I reload on. Three locks on the door. An old skeleton key lock, a dead bolt keyed on both sides, and a hasp/padlock. Keeps the grandkids out, might slow down a thief, might. While reloading, I lock myself in so I do not get interrupted. I have a strong belief that an interruption may make for some bad reloads.