Why do you reload

Ryan7943 said:
I see yOh have the kids help. Is it as dangerous as some have said? Of course anything can be dangerous if you don't follow the necessary precautions.
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My kids are pretty young so I have to watch them carefully and they NEVER operate the press on their own. They have fun cleaning and sorting brass, helping me weigh powder and measure completed rounds, and filling magazines.
 
Diddo...diddo... to most of the above.
It is therapy for me. I think I shoot in order to have empties to reload.

Where else do you find things like:









Yuck, yuck, yuck!
 
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started out because 380 at the time for the wife to shoot at the range was pricey and hard to find. now it is a calm relaxing time in the man cave now it is 9mm and 380 / 45acp and the 45 I like to shoot a lot of it and I do save a lot by reloading. would not have it any other way.
 
Ryan7943 said:
Was just curious as to why people reload. Is it more of a hobby or is it really that much cheaper. Or does the cheaper part depend on which size caliber you are shooting. Totally new to this whole owning a gun and buying ammo. But watching videos on reloading looks like it could almost be therapeutic.
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I don't really enjoy reloading pistol or plinking rifle stuff, I do that pretty much for the money savings. Precision rifle reloading I find enjoyable, which is good because it takes 10x as long. You can go as crazy as you like... neck turning, uniforming flash holes etc.
 
Used to be just to save $$ - (still is for metallic cartridges -for 12/20 ga. shotgun now it's ~ break-even reloads vs. on sale)
now it's to squeeze the best accuracy out of a rifle for shootin' matches
for light-recoil revolver loads to allow more practice/less pain
to use high performance hunting bullets (unavailable or wicked expensive)
to get open choke patterns for skeet from a full choke shotgun with spreader wads (X-shaped section in middle of cup)
{ http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Dispersor-Spreader-Wads/products/743/ }
 
I got into reloading because I shoot a lot of .44MAG and .45ACP, the cost saving there is tremendous. Aside from that I genuinely enjoy going down into the basement and loading up some of my own stuff. You get a extra sense of joy when you hit the range and your new ammo is right on point.
 
Ryan7943 said:
Was just curious as to why people reload. Is it more of a hobby or is it really that much cheaper. Or does the cheaper part depend on which size caliber you are shooting. Totally new to this whole owning a gun and buying ammo. But watching videos on reloading looks like it could almost be therapeutic.
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It is therapeutic, and if you bought your components right, its as therapeutic as pulling the arm on a slot machine only the press pays off with every pull.[smile]
 
Bulk stuff is simply for cost.

Precision rifle ammo is for accuracy.

If you buy good equipment it will be enjoyable. If you go cheap, you'll deal with a lot of frustration.
 
Hoon said:
Bulk stuff is simply for cost.

Precision rifle ammo is for accuracy.

If you buy good equipment it will be enjoyable. If you go cheap, you'll deal with a lot of frustration.
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Don't buy cheap stuff unless you are mechanically inclined and like to tinker.
I have a few Lee presses I bought for the one reason..... they are cheap. Press with dies are 150$ Lee pro 1000
My intent was to load up my supply of 30 carbine which would last me many years then use the lee for small runs of 32sw and 9mm. Well I then picked up a,pro 1000 for 223 to load my 55 grain plinking loads.
So the Lee's to some tweaking and refinement to get running well. I can get through 1000 rounds with out issues now.
I don't try to load a lot in one session rather a 100 here and there. I will not recommend Lee progressive press unless you like to tinker
Good luck
 
Salyeica said:
What's the initial investment (roughly) to get started with one pistol caliber and one rifle caliber?
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You can get buy as little as this (I would load 38spl on Sundays after breakfast up the club) We would pick up lead of the range my dad would smelt and cast on a old Colman stove then load up 38spl. I got to shoot 1 out of 5 rounds loaded...
Back when I was a kid there always someone with one of these at the range loading as they shot...


I had one of these for a while , picked it up at a yard sale for 10$ with 45cap die set up. Honestly though if your going to go ultra cheap the classic posted above I like better.


I decided to go with a hornady classic

Now I have more time to load than I do to shoot so single stage is not a problem for me. Although my arthritis is really starting to bother me trimming so a nice power trimmer case prep unit is in the works.
I have the Lyman prep center and bought it at a introductory price of 69$ when it came out. It's ok but the bits are on the poor side the so called crimp remover does not work. Over all its a fancy primer pocket uniformer.
I do have lee pro 1000 one for 223 plinking loads and one I used to load up all my 30 carbine that should last a good five years and now on to load up 9mm. It will be then used to load pistol cal in small batches like 32sw.

Again don't by inexpensive stuff and expect to be trouble free. I only bought the Lee's on sale and for a specific purpose.I needed to do some mods and tinkering to get it working well. Start by something all the flashing left over on the moving parts. I will most likely sell them after I load up my ammo....if I load all my ammo up I could most likely shoot until I am physically in able to shoot.

I keep telling myself I'm going to get a progressive but every time I save up the money I end up buying bullets,primer,powder or another gun.
 
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1. I shoot a lot of now obsolete out of production black powder cartridge rifles so making your own is the only recourse.
2. It's interesting and fun.
3. Many rifles don't truly shine accuracy wise until you develop a loading they mesh with.
4. The quality you get is what you put into it.
5. Cost savings over factory ammo.
6. Keeps old retired farts busy in the garage grumbling to themselves instead of pissing off everyone in the vicinity. [grin]
 
knfmn said:
For most calibers, you can save some money by reloading. For some you can save a ton by reloading.
I reload to save money and because it's a lot of fun. Some folks reload because they like shooting obscure calibers that aren't available anymore and that's the only way they can get them.
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The first reply sums it up well. Even reloading 9mm in bulk like myself, it saves money as I shoot a lot. This past week, I shot about 100 rounds of 44 magnum which I would never have done if I did not reload.
 
I reload primarily so I can shoot more. It also allows me to keep plenty of ammo on hand, load obscure calibers inexpensively and make reduced loads for people who don't tolerate recoil well. Reduced loads are also great for old guns that you don't want to beat up.
 
I always say that I reload (and cast) so that I can shoot all the old antique guns that I keep acquiring. Turns out to be an expensive hobby. BUT, relatively speaking I save a ton. Just one example. I have put at least 1000 rds through my 3 Martini Henry's in 577/450 (probably more). At a low of $90.00 for a box of 20 loaded rounds to a high of $135.00 I conservatively would have spent $5,000.00. Instead I spent more like $500.00. Still not cheap, but a huge difference.
 
I started to reload to save money but then I was able to shoot more because I had more ammo on hand. I think I'm spending more these days because I hit the range pretty much every week at least once, and in the warmer months I'm doing various pistol competitions sometimes twice a week.
 
I started reloading so that I had a constant supply of quality ammo for when ever I decided to go shooting, mostly odd times that my schedule permits. Don't need to run around beforehand to find 9mm or .45 anymore. I buy components when I find them at a price that works out as a savings too. You never know when your going to run into a bargain or a special sale. And just for chits and giggles I needed 1 more expensive hobby, old trucks, old motorcycles, and guns just wasn't enough.
 
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I just can't throw anything away!

Matter of fact, a little "Scotch" tape and these 9x19mm cases will be reloaded again:

ISTcNVCl.jpg
 
I started because .455 Webley.

I kept going with more common calibers because it turns out I really enjoy it. The cost savings are nice, but not as important to me.

Plus, it's always nice to be able to do stuff for yourself.
 
I shoot mostly .45acp in USPSA. Even cheap factory ammo costs about $0.32 per round. Right now I am loading for about $0.15 per round. If you invest $500 in reloading equipment, you will recover that in savings once you load 3300 rounds. I have been active in USPSA for only about two months, and I am already half way there.

Besides, factory .45 ammo is much higher in velocity then it needs to be for optimum performance in competition (talking about the ammo's performance, not my own [smile]). By loading your own, you can tailor the bullet weight, velocity, and powder selection to get the feel you are looking for while reaching a specified power factor. That is my primary purpose for reloading, and the savings is just a bonus.
 

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