Do U Reload Ammo?

[Westy]

Just wondering. I was thinking about getting into reloading, but I had NO idea of the cost of equipment. I get most of my ammo from Midway or Ammunition To Go, and prices have come down over the last year. I would need dyes for .223 Rem, .45ACP, .40, .45 Long Colt, 30-30, and 12 Gg. OK That's well over a hundred in Dies alone. Then the tumbler, scales, uni plate, powder, primers, etc. I was amazed at the price. How much do you think I'd have to shoot before the initial outlay became cost neutral? I'm thinkin' I should just keep buying my ammo, giving the brass to my buddy, and let him reload whatever he wants. Any thoughts?

[tswaney]

I reload .45 ACP and 30-30 Win on Lee equipment and 12 gauge on an MEC Sizemaster. Will probably add .223 Rem in the near future.
For me, it's more of the Zen of doing it rather than saving money.

[krystar]

what equipment u buy depends on your target effort per round. if you're going to be reloading for that many calibers, you're prob going to want a bench mount multi station rotating press. accessories such as powder dispenser, brass tumbler, tumbler media, etc etc etc can easily drive the price up.

for me, i only reload my 7.5swiss and only about 200 rounds cause that's how much brass i got. i use a simple hand press and auto primer and I just turn on the tv while doing it. it is quite relaxing so i can understand tom's comment.

[Rob Channell]

On the high end you have Dillon Precision but you'll need to really reload a lot to recoup your investment. The absolute cheapest way to try it out is to get a Lee Handloader (we nicknamed it the Thighmaster) setup and just try out one caliber to see if it is something you'd like to continue. You can make some decent ammo with this setup although it is a little slower than the progressive types. It is a small portable setup that is easy to use.

Tom has a point about the Zen thing. I always wondered if it might have to do with the calming effect of Nitro-glycerin being absorbed through the skin as you work.

[m21sniper]

Agreed. A Lee Single stage press is very inexpensive, but you won't be setting any world speed records with it. And if you're doing different calibers, you'll spend half your life setting it up.

[Westy]

I've been doing reseaqrch on different machines for the last few hours. I think my best route is gonna be to buy the dies and give them to my buddy who has all the equipment. Then I can buy powder, primers and bullets and we can load while playing,oh, maybe some Seager, and have a few beers. Win win for everyone!

As always, thanx for your responses.

B.

[legion]

Get a Lee single-stage (skip the thighmaster/handloader), a good electronic scale, and a set of dies for the caliber you shoot the most. You should be able to get going for around $150.

If you decide this hobby is for you, I'd get a turret press and an automatic digital scale. This setup, while not as fast as dedicated progressive presses, is a good compromise between cost and speed and allows you to reload multiple calibers on the same press.

[Westy]

Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. This year I'm already out about 2K for ammo and a couple more 'toys'. I can afford the progressive loader, I just want other things. Like a new carb and bumpers for my Z28, a battery for the P-Car, beer. Gotta have priorities.

[krystar]

lol thighmaster. that's a good one. that's how i do it too haha.

[Joeaksa]

Buy a Dillon, keep it for the rest of your life and enjoy the time reloading. They have a lifetime guarantee for anyone who owns it.

[Jeff Higgins]

RCBS, Hornady, Lyman, and Lee - and probably a few more - make complete reloading kits for guys who are starting with nothing. I bought the RCBS kit over 30 years ago and still use every tool that came in it. As a matter of fact, I still prefer to use the single stage press that came in that kit. And no, you will not "spend the rest of your life" setting it up for different calibers (I currently reload for 15 different rifle, pistol, and revolver calibers). Once the lock rings on the dies are set, it takes less time to change them than it took to type this sentance.

If you are looking to save money through reloading, look somewhere else. Everyone I know (myself included) spends far more on ammunition because they reload. We just shoot that much more. But - and this is a big "but" - the hobby itself has to be interesting to you. Everyone I've known who has picked up reloading just so they could crank out the ammo has soon given it up. If it's just a means to an end, like producing enough ammo to feed some ammo-gobbling beast of an AR-15 or something like that, you are better off scrounging deals on surplus ammo. Otherwise you will start to feel like a slave to you Dillon when you are not shooting.

The guys who tend to stick with reloading are the guys who see it as a hobby unto itself. The guys who are constantly tinkering with different loads for all of their guns, trying out new bullets, powders, and the like. It almost crosses over into shooting as an excuse for reloading. This is the crowd that comes closest to "recouping" costs on the equipment investment, but that's only because they are not counting anymore...

[MT930]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

RCBS, Hornady, Lyman, and Lee - and probably a few more - make complete reloading kits for guys who are starting with nothing. I bought the RCBS kit over 30 years ago and still use every tool that came in it. As a matter of fact, I still prefer to use the single stage press that came in that kit. And no, you will not "spend the rest of your life" setting it up for different calibers (I currently reload for 15 different rifle, pistol, and revolver calibers). Once the lock rings on the dies are set, it takes less time to change them than it took to type this sentance.

If you are looking to save money through reloading, look somewhere else. Everyone I know (myself included) spends far more on ammunition because they reload. We just shoot that much more. But - and this is a big "but" - the hobby itself has to be interesting to you. Everyone I've known who has picked up reloading just so they could crank out the ammo has soon given it up. If it's just a means to an end, like producing enough ammo to feed some ammo-gobbling beast of an AR-15 or something like that, you are better off scrounging deals on surplus ammo. Otherwise you will start to feel like a slave to you Dillon when you are not shooting.

The guys who tend to stick with reloading are the guys who see it as a hobby unto itself. The guys who are constantly tinkering with different loads for all of their guns, trying out new bullets, powders, and the like. It almost crosses over into shooting as an excuse for reloading. This is the crowd that comes closest to "recouping" costs on the equipment investment, but that's only because they are not counting anymore...

This is extactly what I have found as well. Very well said !

[Tim Hancock]

I just started reloading solely for the purpose of making soft shooting 9mm ammo for IDPA. Presently WWB costs about $11.00/50 at Walmart and it costs me about $6.50/50 in materials to reload (takes about 1 hour to reload and box 300 rounds at my present rate with a Lee Loadmaster w/ case feeder).... not a huge savings, but it is the only way I can get the soft shooting 147gr 9mm in large quantities at an "affordable" price. So far I have cranked out about 2000 rounds.

[Jeff Higgins]

Another great reason to reload, Tim - you can make ammo that is either not commonly available, or not available at all.

In my own case, I can cast bullets I cannot buy, and load them in a manner that the factories either cannot or won't. That's the real attraction for me. If I were just cranking out volumes of factory available stuff, I would soon get bored with it. Granted, there was a time when handloading was a great way to "beat" factory ballistics, with better bullets and carefully tailored loads for a given gun. Nowadays, a handloader cannot really improve upon factory available ammo. Any bullet you can name is available factory loaded, and now they are using non-canister grades of powders not sold to reloaders, so they can beat our velocities as well. About the only place we can still "beat" the factories is in accuracy, but only for a specific gun.

[legion]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

The guys who tend to stick with reloading are the guys who see it as a hobby unto itself. The guys who are constantly tinkering with different loads for all of their guns, trying out new bullets, powders, and the like. It almost crosses over into shooting as an excuse for reloading. This is the crowd that comes closest to "recouping" costs on the equipment investment, but that's only because they are not counting anymore...

That's exactly why I suggested he get a single-stage press, just to see if the hobby was even for him.

If not, he can buy stuff by the pallet or get reloaded stuff from Georgia Arms for relatively cheap.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

I just started reloading solely for the purpose of making soft shooting 9mm ammo for IDPA. Presently WWB costs about $11.00/50 at Walmart and it costs me about $6.50/50 in materials to reload (takes about 1 hour to reload and box 300 rounds at my present rate with a Lee Loadmaster w/ case feeder).... not a huge savings, but it is the only way I can get the soft shooting 147gr 9mm in large quantities at an "affordable" price. So far I have cranked out about 2000 rounds.

You know lighter weight bullets will kick a lot less Tim. They also have a flatter trajectory.

Try loading some 115's.

[dhoward]

There's a power floor in IDPA, I believe.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by dhoward

There's a power floor in IDPA, I believe.

EXACTLY...... 147s with a light load that just make power factor feel like a .22 compared to the snappier factory loaded 115 stuff I was shooting prior to getting my reloader. Nearly ALL the top guys use 147s for 9mm at IDPA shoots.

[dhoward]

That's why when I shot IPSC (USPSA later) I stuck with .45 rather than trying to make major power factor with a marginally safe, snappy .38 super. I found it hard to find a powder that generated enough gas to get the most out of my comps.

[Henry Schmidt]

I do not reload but I recently acquired a massive amount of reloading stuff with a purchase of a gun collection. I need help to decide how to dispose of this stuff. 1000s or perhaps as many as 10 thousand. Rifle and pistol bullets and cartridges. 30 cal, 7mm, 6.5, 44, 223 and more. Even a bunch of lead bricks.
Any Ideas? PM or email with any ideas. I would love to sell it all in one spot. Thanks more picks available.