The Lee reloading press.
Right after my beautiful wife and I got married, we went on
an Alaskan cruise onboard the Norwegian sun, we had an incredible time learning
about our own and the other’s likes and dislikes on a whole new level
(especially given that we had waited until after the wedding to have sex or
anything like it) one night we decide to go to one of the onboard shows. Now I
am not normally a huge fan of onboard cruise ship shows, they all seem the same
to me, but this one was very different, it was a comedy show. The comedian’s
name was Sam Griesbalm. He was an overweight cowboy from Texas and I don’t remember
a time since when I have laughed so hard. I was gasping for breath and crying
trying to stay in my seat, it was hilarious! After the show I wanted to meet
him but the opportunity didn’t present itself, so when we returned home I
looked him up on face book to tell him that I loved the show, and to thank him
for the fun. He responded with a friend request. Since then we have had some
fun political discussions, (we are both very conservative) and shared shooting
triumphs. It has been a fun relationship especially given that we have never
met.
I had bought a hundred rounds of federal gold medal match
.308 for my Remington 700sps and had tried to make them last, but the day came
when I had shot the last of them and couldn’t afford to buy any more. I was however
friends with a coworker that had a bunch of reloading equipment that he said he
would let me use, so I bought some powder, primers and a box of 168gr sierra
match kings, and went to work with the plan to set up a time to use his press.
That sadly was my last day at that employer. I and 44 other employees were laid
off, and because it was a secure facility with government contracts, I had no
way to make my reloading date. I got a new job very soon after and then set out
to make my reload. I went on Facebook and asked if anyone had a press I could
use for a bit in the Salt Lake area. I only got one response. It was Sam (who
still lived 1500 miles away) he asked for my address, and told me he had a gift
for me and that I was to pay it forward. A week later a huge box arrived at my
house. It had a lee press, powder scale, powder thrower, trickler, a primer seating
tool, a primer pocket cleaner, a reamer, two reloading manuals, and a book on
how to reload. I was blown away. I contacted him and thanked him like no one I
have ever thanked anyone, and asked why he would give it all to me. He
responded that he had upgraded to a progressive press and his son had no desire
in shooting. His plan all along was to give it to his boy, but the boy was now
30 and did not shoot, so he wanted it to go to someone who would use it. I have
made many thousands of rounds on my little single stage press, and I still love
using it. There is something down right relaxing and gratifying making your own
ammunition. I have been able to make my
308 far more accurate with bullets tailored to the barrel, and make .223 so
fast that they have almost no drop at 300 yards. My wife and I have a “hobby
room” where my bench and press live, and she has her craft/ scrapbooking desk
right across from it, from time to time we go there together and talk while we
work on out hobbies. As of paying it forward I have done a lot, but I doubt I
will repay Mr. Griesbalm’s generosity in the near future; it’s quite a debt to
pay.
If you are in need of a good laugh, go check him out he has
a few videos on YouTube.
