Remembering Ron Reiber

Remembering Ron Reiber  ·  By Lane Pearce

Contrary to the usual purpose of a “remembering someone” column, the soon-to-be retired Mr. Reiber is alive and doing well. In fact, he’s about as frisky and vocal as he was the first time I met him at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas many, many years ago. He was hosting a gaggle of gun writers visiting a new ammunition facility just outside of town. I was a fledgling freelance writer in awe of everything I’d seen and experienced—especially meeting the fellows I’d avidly read in popular gun magazines.

Soon after, Ron joined Hodgdon Powder Company, and for nearly 30 years he has helped it grow into the leading propellant supplier to hobbyist reloaders. He and I have developed a friendship and shared interesting circumstances—sometimes even unrelated to guns and hunting. But I’m not unique in this regard. Ron has cultivated countless friendships with many gun scribes and other industry friends over the years. Let me share a few comments I have received from a few of Ron’s friends and business acquaintances.

Friends, Hunts & Stories

Rod Herrett and Ron have been friends forever. They invited me to join them on their annual varmint hunt in southern Idaho and northern Nevada. Rod and Ron shoot varmints with bolt-action, single-shot handguns, specifically Remington XP-100s and Sako L461 barreled actions fitted with Rod’s custom-made stocks. My first trip with them was an eye-opening experience!

We shot hundreds of varmints, and they competed to see who could shoot the most. Often distracted by their rants and jabs at each other, I’d take too long to line up on a critter, and they’d bust it while I watched through my scope. They rarely missed, but as Rod recently confided, “Ron’s the better shot.”

John Haviland reminded me that Ron “is many things and ‘gentleman’ is always one of them.” John met Ron on a prairie dog shoot years ago. Ron took the time to coach the new shooters on how to judge wind conditions and how to shoot from field positions. During a break, Ron brought out his XP-100 and “mowed over nearly every prairie dog in sight.”

John also recalled a recent pheasant hunt in Kansas, saying, “Ron patiently waited at every flush until everyone had taken a shot at the rising birds. Then he stepped forward and cleared the sky of roosters—with his .410 double!”

Mr. Wizard

Bryce Towsley often has a reloading feature in the Hodgdon Annual Manual, and he related that early in his gun writing career, if he got snagged on a propellant question, he was usually told to “call Reiber.” He’s lost count of how many times he’s called Reiber! Bryce said Ron has been his “go to” guy for powder questions for longer than he wants to remember.

Steve Gash, another regular contributor to the Annual Manual, told me he always refers to Ron as “Mr. Wizard” in person and on the phone.

The Space Shuttle Connection

In addition to my having similar reloading experiences with Ron and working with him on articles for the Annual Manual, he helped me resolve a propellant issue with the Space Shuttle program. Years ago, as an engineer with a company that supplied NASA with explosive devices, I called Ron to inquire whether Hodgdon had a viable substitute for a commercial small arms propellant that had become unavailable. Ron talked to J.B. and Bob Hodgdon about my dilemma, and then he promptly responded, “Hodgdon will help with whatever NASA needs.” From then until the Space Shuttle program ended, Hodgdon’s 4227 was used to cut the umbilical between the Shuttle and the launch pad and to release the two Solid Rocket Boosters from the External Tank 123 seconds after liftoff.

He will be missed.