I started watching Gavin about 15 years ago. He is the reason I started reloading. Now I am helping new shooters get into reloading. One of the things I tell all of the new guys is reloading is an addition you will not be able to break, nor will you want to.
Man, the gear was no surprise, but he's better stocked and with more variety of components than any reloading store I know about. Drooling at that wall of goodness.
As I’m subscribed to both of you I actually prefer watching you reloading it just seams more personal and in depth instead of scripted to just review products. Both channels are great
Time. Time is the issue. Been real close to where Gavin is now with presses, equipment, components, firearms, tooling, lathes, milling machines, etc.. problem is, so much time spent on loading, testing, research, tweaking, maintaining, etc..no time was left to just grab a rifle or two and go shoot to have fun.
I remember shooting my own first handloads. 308, high quality bolt action. But man I wasn't confident at all! A little scared and definitely a bit worried! But I didn't die and went on to shoot a decent group. And now years later so far down the rabbit hole... not 'Gavin far down' but... :D
I have been watching Gavin for a long time. He does excellent analysis and presents the results in a logical and somewhat scientific manner. Something I really appreciate. First came across him when my buddy bought a commercial sewing machine from him. Thanks for sharing. Maybe we can see Gavin at an F-Class match some day.
John, you just reinforced why Gavin truly is the ultimate reloader. And possibly why there is a supply chain issue when trying to buy issue reloading components or equipment … he has it all in his fortress.😂😂
My reloading eye opener was how much my groups improved. I've never shot $50 a box match ammo but my reloads were far better than anything I could afford to buy in the beginning.
And here I though I was lucky just to get 6000 primers.. what a stockpile you got there... Everything sitting in that room is making more money in appreciation than anything in the bank getting beaten up by inflation.
I've watched Ultimate Reloader for a long time. Gavin has impressed me in many ways. Recently I searched for a decapping die and found F-Class John, and was impressed with him as well. If I'm searching for something, and either of these guys have a video on the subject, then I'm watching.
This was AWESOME!!! I love Gavin and his content of his channel.... He helped me when I first thought about starting reloading.....I love his products reviews. And that first bullet you do shoot in your gun is intense. I was nervous pulling that trigger for sure... Thanks for sharing this!!!
Bravo John… that was an excellent interview. Very interesting and entertaining. Your interviewing skills deserve commendation. Gavin is also a great interviewee… like wow… you showered him with a barrage of questions and he answered everything directly with almost no hesitation… even the difficult ones where he could get stuck choosing from a 1000 potential answers. I suspect that Gavin ranks very high in IQ intelligence… he is a very sharp man… but also down to earth and modest. The 99.9th percentile gear freak! The internet is a much more interesting place because of fellas like you and him! 😊👍🏼
John great question and interview of a very public personality in shooting. That said, my friends tease me about being a gear nut. In comparison I'm not in the same universe as Gavin. WoW!
Great video, I follow Gavin for years now he's getting better and better and he's strength is good camera quality and he knows what he's talking about and ofcourse all the research that he does so I do understand that company like Dillon-Hornady-Lyman-Redding-Forester-Lee,and all the rest will send him gears to try out "I hope that he get them after" 🇺🇸🇳🇴👍
Great interview John.....you asked all the right questions. I have been a fan of yours and Gavins for some time. I have learned things from both of you and made decisions to buy equipment based on your videos......Love my Trijacon 10 mile......Thanks
Great video and impressive collection of reloading solutions! It helped me to realize that 30 years of tool and die experience hasn’t made me quite as OCD as my girlfriend makes me feel. Swaging is the most tedious part of my reloading process and I believe that it offers better primer engagement than anything that actually removes material. I had to do a custom grind on an extra support rod to accommodate 6.8 SPC for my RCBS bench swaging tool. I use feeler gauges when switching between different case types and calibers to ensure the correct amount of lead in for the primers that gives me the right “feel” of resistance when priming. I think micrometer bullet seaters and dual ring sizing dies help ensure that everything that is produced far exceeds my skills.
I always tell people: If you're getting into reloading to save money, you don't want to start. Because when you get into it, the "Rabbit hole" is a very deep one. Almost endless.
Gavin, do you not like the Dillon Super Swage 600? While not the fastest process, I’ve turned a lot of 556, 308 and 45Acp into smooth running brass in a 550B. Including some foreign/offshore brass.
Back in the mid-late 1990's, I had to come up with a .338 Lapua hunting load with no data available. No reloading manuals except Vihtavuori existed. And certainly not with any regular or semi-custom hunting bullets. I actually nailed it on my 3rd round in the rifle, so at least all the math worked. That "wonder what's going to happen?" moment when you pull the trigger...especially on a (then) commercially new cartridge/rifle that had a reputation (history) for rifle & cartridge failures. Handloading was a necessity, commercial ammunition (even then) was $90/box, and selection was VERY limited. I could never imagine so much reloading stuff...wow.
Great interview John, Thank you for the great questions. Gavin can be cagy and hard to pin down on products but you did best bringing his well guarded personal opinion out. Thank you!
11:50 Wondering what business or work he does that would amount to a collection of this size. Either way having a total collection would be helpful for us with testing what is best to use.
Milled mak-90s are some of the best AK rifles ever produced. It's basically just a neutered Polytech Legend. It was built in Factory 386 on the same tooling. I've never seen a Factory 386 gun that wasn't great.
Off topic but I have a question. I have some Federal 223 Remington brass which had the primers crimped in place. I resized and extracted the spent primers but can’t install new primers. Is there a remedy for this malady? A tool perhaps? Or should I just discard this brass? Not new to reloading but this situation is new to me. All advice appreciated.
I'm 58, and a 3rd generation reloader and I don't think I have that much stuff. But I've got a load of neat old equipment, does Gavin do any bullet casting,, I've always been fond of that. And all the other stuff too.
Gavin I’m just. Ow starting to reload at 73 and I decided I wanted Joe to all in and I bought the he RCBS model 7 and I’d like to auto load cattides and bullets so what do you recommend that is inexpensive and useful. John in Florida
Darn auto correct just now starting to reload and am going all in and bought the rcbs model7. Auto load cartridges …… my try at correcting my last message John in Florida
He did have what I consider the best all-around Press ---> The excellent "Forster/Bonanza Co-ax" press. Easy access, smooth operation and the dies slide in without a bunch of adjustments and fiddle-faddle. And, it has the handle where it belongs: Top / Center instead of being a knee-knocker model. I did not see it or hear it mentioned but I would have thought a guy who is into reloading and making guns and ammo would have had a "C-H / 4-D Champion" Heavy Duty O-Press in the shop instead of the plastic/pot metal Lee models. That C-H/4-D Champion has lots of serious torque and besides reloading ammo, it can also swage bullets and form cases. Surprised he did not have a "Ponsness-Warren" press. They seem to be quality hardware. Maybe it was missed in the video 🤔?
The only time I was concerned about firing a firearm was the first time I shot a bolt action 50 BMG. That was disconcerting. As to the first time I reloaded and fired a round I was to naive to bother with caring about consequences. that was 31 years ago so...
I think the biggest fallacy in reloading is the quality of gear is judged on it's price. I don't know why some people spend thousands of dollars on a press, the most expensive dies, digital powder dispensers, micrometer everything, and then they load one or two boxes of 9mm ammo a week to spend 30 seconds dumping a few mags in paper at 7 yards then going home. I've figured out range ammo doesn't need to be high precision. Unless your shooting for money, your life, or utter snobbery most reloaders are wasting too much dough on high end stuff for status and not relying on their own skill to make reloading work. Wise shopping is the key to making reloading pay. I started loading in the 70s with a Rock Chucker and a few RCBS dies that I was gifted by a family friend for helping her move. Her ex husband left the reloading gear behind. I also had a Texan 12 gauge press that I bought at a yard sale for $10. I loaded thousands of trap loads on that press and I still use it. I've had all brands of presses but I use my Lee gear the most. It is simple and it all works well for me. I've had to have loaded over a million cartridges and shells in my lifetime. I have 4 Lee presses and a Dillon SDB. I use Hornady and Pacific powder measures for most calibers. Lee and RCBS for very small pistol loads. I still use the Texan 12 gauge press, a Mec 20 gauge press and a Pacific 16 gauge press. I have range brass in barrels. The only loads that I was scared of on the first couple shots were in centerfire rifle. A Browning 81 in .243 Winchester. After that threshold was crossed i've loaded thousands without fear. Spend thousands of dollars to load hundreds of dollars of ammo or spend hundreds of dollars to load thousands of dollars of ammo...your choice!
Ah yes, I agree with Gavin about his preferred shooting pastime, hunting rock chucks. Personally I seek exceptional accuracy from a pair of 223s and a 25-06 and reload about 3000 rounds a year to that end. I even have a part time job so that I can afford components in this crazy upside down world of supply chain economics.
Hi from Australia. Gavin's place in insane! All I have is a Hornady Classic Single stage press and one set of Hornady dies in .223. And I certainly don't have the stock of primers, powders and projectiles he keeps. Primers and powders are hard to find anyway, projectiles not so bad. I would love to spend a day at Gavin's place.
Have a question. I have a 30-30 bolt action rifle Remington Have you ever worked up a load for a regular.308 bullets something like a Hornady sst, eld-X or and other brand? Just asking.
Nice behind the scenes. I knew Gavin had a lot of reloading and gunsmith equipment but the UR name is fitting. The audio is maxed on this. Be careful on headphones 😂
Love the channel but Gaven and several thousand like him that get free stuff from all the manufacturers and have first hand at all the supplies, even if paying for all of it is the reason people like myself couldn't get supplies for ourselves. American companies today don't give a shit about customer service anymore. It's all about them and the only time they care about the small people is when their sales are down. Hopefully one day they will be more companies making reloading materials and ammo so the market would be more spread out and not just catering to the ones that commercialized their name.
Gee, I started with a Lee Loader for 30-06 when I was 12. I still have that loader and although I have had a bunch of presses and gear over the last 50 years, it reminds me to keep it simple.
I don't know how much more accurate a CNC lathe will be. Gavins set-ups are error free from what I have seen. He picks the fly shit out of pepper before he is done . 50 year machinist here.
Mak 90 was one of my firsts also, and I bought it while going to Universal Technical Institute in Phoenix Arizona back in 93. Kinda wish I still had it.
WOW , what a workshop. I appreciate the interview. I look at mostly equipment you both use and review, then I search out that equipment and purchase if its in my budget. Thanks to both of you for your videos on the tube, its valuable information.
