Reload or buy remanufactured?

[ToeRag]

I'm starting to get into this hobby... and my boss is trying to convince me to get into reloading.

I really only want to have a piece to protect the home( S&W 686), and a rimfire to plink at the range.

Obviously I will be taking the S&W686 to the range to stay as sharp and normalized with handling a big gun, but most of my range time will be with my Model 41.

I found a site mastercast.net that has GREAT prices on remanufactured ammo for my .357 / .38 special needs. I can't really see trying to save money by loading my own. How much cheaper will it be, buying remanufactered verses homegrown?

[Smokey Joe]

No, not noise level. Toe Rag--At the volume of shooting you propose:

I really only want to have a piece to protect the home( S&W 686), and a rimfire to plink at the range.
Obviously I will be taking the S&W686 to the range to stay as sharp and normalized with handling a big gun, but most of my range time will be with my Model 41.

you probably won't be burning up enough ammo to justify the $$ outlay for all the materials and equipment needed for reloading. Reloading is basically a separate hobby all by itself; requires quite a lot of study and preparation to do safely, and costs to get into.

Might I suggest buying one book, The ABC's of Reloading, reading it, and THEN making a much better informed decision as to whether or not you want to "take the plunge." The ABC's is a very complete discussion of the subject.

You have another asset--yr boss who is trying to persuade you to try it. He must be a reloader himself, so get him to take you home and "show you the ropes." There again, you'll be much better informed as to what you might be getting into.

If you start shooting a lot more, or, heaven forbid, get into pistol competition, then reloading becomes much more attractive, almost an economic necessity, given the amount of practice ammo a competitive shooter burns.

Buying "remanufactured" ammo, i.e. paying some company to reload it for you, will save you some $$ over buying the same ammo new. You want to make sure, though, that the commercial reloader's work is of good quality. There are some good ones (police departments often use them, ask there for advice) but IMX some of them do make bad ammo, too.

BTW, good choice on the pistols. I like both the 686 and the 41 myself.

Bottom line: Welcome to the shooting world. Glad you're aboard. Consider carefully, any decision about reloading.

[Musketeer]

It does not sound like you will be going through enough to really warrant it. General shooting can be done with 38s which are very reasonable. Run some 357 through from time to time to stay sharp. The prices on those are not so bad if you are not going to be going through piles of them each day at the range.

[sundog]

Remfg'd ammo? Not hardly. Reload your own or buy factory stuff. If you are not going to shoot it that much, buy factory. Find a cartridge that works well (try several) that is marked for personal defense, and buy several boxes or a case of the stuff all the same lot number, store it properly. Use it a little at a time to stay proficient. When you run low buy some more if you have not started to reload by then. Save your brass.

[ToeRag]

Thanks for the feedback.

Yeah, my boss already offered to show me his reloading equipment / operation. I just don't really feel the need nor desire to get into it. The $ savings was my only motive.

I did find that website (http://www.mastercast.net) that many people have good things to say about. I find their prices to be VERY reasonable compared to NEW factory ammo.

Once I start shooting and saving my brass it will get even cheaper. I really don't intend to get into competition other than myself. 55years old and my eyes aren't what they used to be. I just want to get comfortable shooting, and get the piece to feel natural or second nature to handle safely and accurately.

I bought an UltraDot for my model 41, and crimson laser grips for my 686, a bunch of ammo for both guns - all I need is my permit. I'm just alittle over half way on the 8 week wait... Sure does take a LONGGGG time, when your looking forward to the first shot!

[HOGGHEAD]

I have been reloading since 1975. I did not start reloading to save money. I started reloading and casting bullets because I enjoy doing it.

The bottom line is if you keep your expenditures low then you can save a lot of money reloading. Especially when you let the years enter into the subject. I have been shooting the same 38 Special cases for 15 years(I picked up 2500 cases from a range, and I load them light). However I would not reload if I did not enjoy doing it.

If you decide to reload-do not buy cheap equipment. Buy good tools and they will last a life time. You can get great deals on used equipment on E-Bay if you take your time. You can also contact the mfrs. and buy blems and repaired equipment. I have bought three presses like that. Tom.

[Sigma 40 Blaster]

I might send mastercast.net an email asking if the prices are current. I mistook his site for mastercastbullets.com, sent an email asking if the prices were current, and they were FAR higher than what was listed on the site.

If you're not going to be shooting a lot (over three-four hundred a month) just get some Blazer or Winchester factory ammo.

[SL1]

Cheap remanufactured ammo can be a safety problem. It usually is not that it is over-loaded and will create excessive pressure (which is the typical bane of handloaders who want more power). The more typical problem is that it infrequently has rounds that have little or no powder, or the primers are not seated properly and do not fire full strength. One round like this may leave a bullet stuck in your barrel. That by itself is only an inconvenience. But, if you do not realize that has happened before you fire the next shot, the bore obstruction will probably do sustantial damage to your gun and may hurt somebody.

The good news for you is that it is less likely to hurt you in a revolver than in a semi-auto pistol. So, I have shot remanufactured ammo CAREFULLY in my revolvers from time-to-time, but would never do it in a semi-auto, ESPECIALLY if it involved rapid-fire. The cheaper ammo from big-time manufacturers (e.g., Speer Blazer ammo) is worth the risk-reduction for me.

SL1

[DEDON45]

I've never had much luck with remanufactured ammo; those "gun show specials" tend to be pretty cruddy in quality and consistency. That said, if you can find a maker that does make consistent reman ammo, sure, use that... I gave up on that idea myself years ago. Just got back into reloading recently... sure, I save money, but I also end up shooting more, and I enjoy the reloading process too. If you shoot very little, just shoot Blazer, etc. If you find that's a bit too pricey, then look at getting an inexpensive Lee setup. While I'm not a big fan of Lee (their progressives, etc. need more fiddling and use more plastic for critical parts than I care for), that's what I, and I'm sure many others, started out on... there's not a less expensive way to get into the hobby other than getting the equipment for free.

[gandog56]

Don't know if I trust other peoples remanufactured. Rather do it myself.

[TexasSeaRay]

I've shot a little remanufactured (nice word for someone else's reloads) through my own guns, but wasn't crazy about it. After a few squibs and a couple of really HOT loads, I said to hell with commercial reloads--if they're not MY reloads, I'm not putting them in MY gun.

If your boss reloads, then I'd simply save my brass and work out a deal with him to reload for you, since at this point it doesn't appear you're going to be doing a lot of centerfire shooting.

Buy the primers, powder and bullets and give them to your boss. Do a one-to-one deal where for ever round he reloads for you, he reloads one for himself. You'll still come out ahead.

Jeff

[crowbeaner]

ALL my ammo is "remanufactured"-- BY ME! That way I know just what is in it, and the loads are carefully tailored to squeeze the utmost in accuracy out of my guns. SJ's advice is good; read a lot first, and if your jefe is willing to take you under his wing and show you how, by all means avail yourself of his experience. If I had to buy a semiauto .22, the 41 is at the top of the list with the 46 right behind it. Your 686 will digest just about any sane load you can assemble for it and will serve you well for decades with proper care and feeding. Both are outstanding choices, and you are well armed. "Beware the man who only owns one gun; he probably knows how to use it".

[benzuncle]

If you go to the range and get "hooked" like so many of the rest of us, you will find that reloading is a logical next step. I'm not so sure that I'm saving money, even though I'm loading 45ACP for 12 cents a round ($6.00 for a box of 50) less the cost of the brass because I now shoot more, AND LOVE IT! The brass can be picked up off the floor, etc. I chose to reload as much as a hobby as for saving money. But honestly, can you buy 50 round boxes of 230gr 45ACP ammo for $6.00? I don't think so. Now, the cost of reloaoders: the range is broad. And many owners are zealots concerning their make and model, with good reason! The internet is an incredible place to lurk, listen and learn. Personal reviews give you the real skinny from in the trenches. (I mean hell, any manufacturer can tell you how good their product is.) If you do enough looking and lurking, you'll usually find the answers to your questions before you need to ask them. Having said that, I'll risk letting you know how I started this last January: I bought a Sig Sauer P220 Compact because I fell in love with the way a 45ACP shoves. Ammo ain't cheap. My wife had gotten me a handgun magazine as a Christmas stocking stuffer and I stumbled on an article about reloading. I read it so many times I almost memorized it. Next to the internet. I checked out the major brands, Dillon, Hornady, Lee, RBCS, etc. I dug up as much as I could find on the models and types: single stage, turret, progressive, etc. After weeks of pouring over the info, I chose the Lee Classic Turret Press. I bought it from www.kempfgunshop.com in a kit form. (I added some of the "extras" for a special price deal when purchasing the kit.) I'll call it semi-progressive. Every 4 pulls of the lever "builds" one round of ammo. At that rate with that machine, and checking each and every round for perfection by dropping it in a case gage, I can build 150 rounds per hour without rushing. This is my hobby after all. I bought the press, the 45 caliber dies, the powder measurer,dispenser, a scale, the primer feeder, a tumbler for cleaning and shining up my spent brass, a workbench and flourescent light and enough bullets, brass, primers and powder to build the first 500 rounds for $677. Since Mid February or thereabouts, I've "built" 2500 rounds of 230gr 45ACP and another 500 rounds of .380ACP. (The cost of adding that next caliber was about $70 for the dies, the 4-hole turret and the case gage.) Other systems will cost less, and still others will cost more. The Lee Classic Turret Press was the right one for me. Many will tell you that Dillon is the best reloading equipment and I would be hard pressed to disagree with them. The cost difference was the clincher for me, not the quality of the Dillon line. The only problems I've had with the Lee equipment is pretty much my problems, but their instructions are a little lacking. As I'm not a rocket scientist, I figure most any adult and a lot of kids could figure it out also. I wish you only the best in your deliberations and decision. BTW: I've shot some very decent reloaded ammo from a place in FL called www.spacecoastbullets.com. I now buy my reloading supplies from them. Good Luck and remember: Keep your booger hook off the bang switch until you're ready to ventilate something!

[WESHOOT2]

www.georgia-arms.com
www.roze.com

(and check links on the www.uspsa.org site under "ammo").

I used to; its quality was as good or better than any big-factory 'new'.
Of course, it wasn't as cheap as much "cheap remanufactured"; you often get exactly what you pay for, so my sympathy level is nonexistent for those who complain their super-cheap ammo acts that way LOL.

[Sevens]

I agree that it doesn't sound like you do enough shooting that reloading is a "must." But... if you started reloading, you would start shooting MORE, and then you'd need to reload to support the habit.

Many folks get in to reloading to "save money." There's a half dozen ways to argue about whether or not you actually save money, so I won't do that.

But the bottom line for me is that I would reload even if it cost the same or more. Reloading really does become a hobby all unto itself which, for some of us, (me too, I think) is even more enjoyable than shooting.

HOW? You might ask? For me, it's simple. I can reload for 30 minutes or 4 hours on any day at any time I'm at home with a little free time. Shooting, on the other hand, requires that I gather gear, acquire targets, haul it to the range, set it all up, weather pending, shoot, more targets, more shooting, gather brass, clean up my gear, clean up my targets, clean up my mess, haul it out, haul it home, sort it out, clean it up, etc.

Not that shooting is a chore, just that it's a planned event.

Reloading is a hobby like jumping on a discussion forum. It's fun, easy, gives a sense of accomplishment and I enjoy it even more than shooting. It's also a way to be doing "gun stuff" without leaving home, making a lot of noise and, well, you get the drift.

[Sevens]

...one thing I forgot to address: Remanufactured ammo: Wow, it's getting a pretty bad rep in here. Obviously, a lot depends on where it comes from. I've bought some scuzz in the past, but not all re-man is bad.

Let's not forget that Black Hills was --ALL-- re-man before they grew a little bigger and I used to LOVE their product. I bought a lot of it when I was building my supply of brass many years ago. All their ammo was built from once-fired brass.

[swmike]

Reloading, for me, is the other part of shooting. I can't be at the range every day but by reloading I can have enjoy the sport almost every day. Reloading can be inexpensive with a good reliable setup costing under $100 if you are a good shopper/trader. Or you can invest thousands for a progressive with case feeder and lots of goodies.

Shooting your own reloads is, as far as I am concerned, far more rewarding than factory or reman's.

I started well over 30 years ago loading for a .357, 100 rounds at a time. Loaded once a month or so. Today it is 2,000 round sessions for a 9mm and .223 (AR), monthly.

It is just a matter of how much fun you want to have with your hobby.