Apparently it's a disease

STW · February 23, 2013, 01:53 PM

I started reloading seven years ago with a Lee kit, a pound of powder, some bullets, a set of dies, and 200 primers. It seemed like an awful lot to save a few dollars shooting 45 acp.

I now have two Hornady presses, over 20 pounds of various powders, thousands of bullets, and 6000 primers just in my don't go below reserve. I had to buy dies last week because I had 400 bullets for a .380 and 80 empty cases.

I wonder sometimes, how I can afford to save this much money, even as I realize what a piker I am compared to many others. Any way out?

Lost Sheep · February 23, 2013, 01:56 PM

Sometimes the only way out is further in. Shoot more.

Consider what other trouble you could be getting into if you DIDN'T reload.

Lost Sheep

McShooty · February 23, 2013, 01:57 PM

No, no way out.

Daggitt · February 23, 2013, 02:12 PM

My name is Daggitt and I am a reload-aholic. It has been 15 minutes since I last reloaded ....

Fire_Moose · February 23, 2013, 02:21 PM

The best way out is to send me yer supplies. I will make it worth your while with 2 hundred dollar gift cards to Safeway.

LE-28 · February 23, 2013, 02:47 PM

It depends, do you load to shoot, or shoot to load.

It's a visious circle.

M4Punisher · February 23, 2013, 02:53 PM

Funny I had 14 .40 bullets left in a box last night and it bothered me so I had to sit down and load them last night... Yes I am also an addict. Won't fill an ammo box but I figure I better use them at the range today (Then I can load more!!!)

buck460XVR · February 23, 2013, 02:59 PM

Days when the weather is nasty and I have no empty brass is the worst........

Misssissippi Dave · February 23, 2013, 03:30 PM

I have a hobby called shooting guns. The guns can get rather expensive. When you start shooting them it costs even more than the gun did soon enough.

I also have another hobby called reloading. This one is much better than shooting. I can reload to cut down the cost of that other hobby.

Buying a gun is an expense most don't think about a year or so after the purchase since the money is now long gone. You still have the expense of trying to feed it ammo to shoot it. Reloading does have an initial expense as well. It is called buying the equipment to be able to reload just as you had to do with buying a gun. After that big expense is paid out, you only need to keep up with components to keep enjoying reloading. Shooting is what uses up all that nice ammo you made. I guess reloading is a virtue and shooting is the vice. I don't have a problem reloading. I have a problem shooting. Just ignore all those containers of components on the shelf. They are an investment and not an expense.

kostner · March 3, 2013, 01:25 PM

Welcome to the club of Reloaders Anonymous and we still love every minute of it. We even photograph our benches & press. Reloading **** and will admit I love it.

sunaj · March 3, 2013, 01:30 PM

Hey,
How can you question a skill that gives you a reason to live,
and an excuse to buy another gun

sunaj

kkb · March 3, 2013, 01:52 PM

Oh, it's a viscous cycle.

When I got a single stage press I had to get a rolling block unloader.
When I stepped up to turret press I had to get a bolt action unloader.
Now I have a manually indexing press and had to buy a semiauto unloader.

What the heck am I going to do when I want to step up to an autoindexing press?

Ozzieman · March 3, 2013, 02:50 PM

A friend gave me 100+ once fired 44 mag cases yesterday. I cleaned it last night and I have left it in a Tupper ware container, I am not going to touch it. I can leave it alone, it’s ok as it is I have 500 cases sized and primed and another 300 loaded so I can leave it alone. It’s not bothering me so I can leave it alone, alone alonealone even though I am shaking.,,,
Sorry have to leave, I can’t leave them alone, but I don’t have a problem.

pathdoc · March 3, 2013, 03:06 PM

What the heck am I going to do when I want to step up to an autoindexing press?

Go into business, I suppose...

shootniron · March 3, 2013, 04:20 PM

It is a disease, and the prognosis is not good...it is progressive. I can't go to the range without scrounging for brass...even calibers that I do not load...never can tell when I will have the opportunity to swap it for some that I do load. Example of this is that I recently swapped some 6.5 Grendel that I had absolutely no use for, for 200rds of brand new in the pack Winchester 44mag brass that I really didn't need...but I have it now and one day I will fill those cases with my favorite loads.

And another thing, if you think reloading is bad...don't even think about starting to cast bullets...oh brother. For years now, I have scrounged for wheel weights as well as brass.

gundog5 · March 3, 2013, 06:21 PM

Yep, i also have a condition called reloadingitosis. I was reloading 50 450 marlin rounds, when down to my last two cases I realized there was only one bullet left, eeeerrrrrr. I sware, i must have put on 200 miles on my truck before finding two boxes of bullets. I have spoken to the finest shrinks a beer could by and they have all concurred that there is no cure.

Huskerguy · March 3, 2013, 06:24 PM

I had to chuckle when I read this. I started small and said I would not go above a 40 S&W. Now I have a 45ACP and am looking at a 44 Mag. One thing leads to another. Good deal on a gun, now have to get dies and powder and large pistol primers and bullets. Oh bullets were on sale - but them, never know when there will be a shortage. Better get into casting (an addition all its own) so you can then have the urge to pour your own and then reload them. Then you will have caught the entire repertoire of reloading madness.

I see the high prices and wonder if I should pick up some bullets here and there and rationalize in my head that primers aren't too bad of a deal at $30-$35/thousand when I just bought some for $26 a month ago. Bullets are sitting all over just waiting for me but I need more. I am a sick man but it appears I am in good company. One piece of advice - don't add the price up on everything - especially with the wife around.

jrdavidson · March 3, 2013, 06:43 PM

This thread is disturbing. Yeah, I got it too.

tmorone · March 3, 2013, 06:54 PM

Days when the weather is nasty and I have no empty brass is the worst........

THE WORST!!!

I've totally got it too.

photosaurus · March 3, 2013, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Days when the weather is nasty and I have no empty brass is the worst........

no kidding...

Jbotto · March 3, 2013, 07:13 PM

Quote:

I had to buy dies last week because I had 400 bullets for a .380 and 80 empty cases.

Quote:

What the heck am I going to do when I want to step up to an autoindexing press?

Go into business, I suppose...

Thanks guys for the laughs! These two quotes made me chuckle. I'm guilty of similar things. I seem to spend equal or greater time at the range scrounging brass as I do shooting. I pick up any brass that isn't rimfire. When I get enough of it, I sell/trade to friends who I know can make use of the calibers I don't have a use for!

Sevens · March 3, 2013, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Go into business, I suppose...

Actually, that WILL do it, for many.
You wanna kill the enjoyment of this? Turn it in to work.

Go ahead, if you think I ain't right on this one.

Ted D · March 3, 2013, 07:39 PM

Since I started reloading last month every time I go to the range I have to come back with more brass than I shot.After every 100 rnds or so I sweep up all the brass around my area.Today I came home with 200 extra cases.Does that make me hooked or do I still have time?

larryf1952 · March 3, 2013, 08:14 PM

Once you decide to start reloading, there is no road back. But, it's not as scary as it sounds. It actually leads to a nice place...kind of "Oz" like.

When I started reloading in '76, I just wanted to make some 9mm ammo. Then came .38 Spl. and .357, then .380, then .45ACP; well, you get the picture. Reloading has allowed my handgun collection to grow more substantially than I ever would have dreamed it would in those early days. If I did not reload, and was still having to buy factory ammo today, I would have ditched the guns and taken up cross stitch many years ago. Which, come to think of it, might have made my wife very happy.

Budweiser · March 3, 2013, 09:40 PM

I have the shakes, hard to sleep, waited 6 weeks for my order of 500 .308 brass and bullets to come from Top Brass and it couldn't have come at a worse time. Kid left his 2 crazy, over active dawgs with us so he could go skiing, working 12 hour day shifts, new Dillon Dies, tool head, got everything just sitting there ready to go. Am off tomorrow, how much cough syrup would be needed to slow down a mini Australian Shepard - Corgi mix to give me 3 hours of therapy?

February 23, 2013, 01:53 PM	#1
STW Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2002 Location: Montana Posts: 147	Apparently it's a disease I started reloading seven years ago with a Lee kit, a pound of powder, some bullets, a set of dies, and 200 primers. It seemed like an awful lot to save a few dollars shooting 45 acp. I now have two Hornady presses, over 20 pounds of various powders, thousands of bullets, and 6000 primers just in my don't go below reserve. I had to buy dies last week because I had 400 bullets for a .380 and 80 empty cases. I wonder sometimes, how I can afford to save this much money, even as I realize what a piker I am compared to many others. Any way out? __________________ "What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter." - Terry Pratchett

February 23, 2013, 01:56 PM	#2
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	Embrace it. Sometimes the only way out is further in. Shoot more. Consider what other trouble you could be getting into if you DIDN'T reload. Lost Sheep

February 23, 2013, 02:21 PM	#5
Fire_Moose Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2013 Posts: 211	Re: Apparently it's a disease The best way out is to send me yer supplies. I will make it worth your while with 2 hundred dollar gift cards to Safeway.

March 3, 2013, 02:50 PM	#13
Ozzieman Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 6,117	A friend gave me 100+ once fired 44 mag cases yesterday. I cleaned it last night and I have left it in a Tupper ware container, I am not going to touch it. I can leave it alone, it’s ok as it is I have 500 cases sized and primed and another 300 loaded so I can leave it alone. It’s not bothering me so I can leave it alone, alone alonealone even though I am shaking.,,, Sorry have to leave, I can’t leave them alone, but I don’t have a problem. __________________ It was a sad day when I discovered my universal remote control did not in fact control the universe. Did you hear about the latest study.....5 out of 6 liberals say that Russian Roulette is safe.

March 3, 2013, 07:39 PM	#23
Ted D Member Join Date: January 27, 2013 Location: Dayton.Ohio Posts: 76	Since I started reloading last month every time I go to the range I have to come back with more brass than I shot.After every 100 rnds or so I sweep up all the brass around my area.Today I came home with 200 extra cases.Does that make me hooked or do I still have time? __________________ LIFE MEMBER OF THE NRA.GREENHORN RELOADER

February 23, 2013, 01:57 PM	#3
McShooty Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2012 Location: Northern Missouri Posts: 480	No, no way out.

February 23, 2013, 02:12 PM	#4
Daggitt Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2011 Posts: 321	My name is Daggitt and I am a reload-aholic. It has been 15 minutes since I last reloaded ....

February 23, 2013, 02:47 PM	#6
LE-28 Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2012 Location: North Carolina Posts: 759	It depends, do you load to shoot, or shoot to load. It's a visious circle.

February 23, 2013, 02:53 PM	#7
M4Punisher Junior Member Join Date: January 4, 2013 Location: Preston, Idaho Posts: 14	Funny I had 14 .40 bullets left in a box last night and it bothered me so I had to sit down and load them last night... Yes I am also an addict. Won't fill an ammo box but I figure I better use them at the range today (Then I can load more!!!)

February 23, 2013, 02:59 PM	#8
buck460XVR Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2006 Posts: 4,342	Days when the weather is nasty and I have no empty brass is the worst........

February 23, 2013, 03:30 PM	#9
Misssissippi Dave Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2009 Posts: 1,411	I have a hobby called shooting guns. The guns can get rather expensive. When you start shooting them it costs even more than the gun did soon enough. I also have another hobby called reloading. This one is much better than shooting. I can reload to cut down the cost of that other hobby. Buying a gun is an expense most don't think about a year or so after the purchase since the money is now long gone. You still have the expense of trying to feed it ammo to shoot it. Reloading does have an initial expense as well. It is called buying the equipment to be able to reload just as you had to do with buying a gun. After that big expense is paid out, you only need to keep up with components to keep enjoying reloading. Shooting is what uses up all that nice ammo you made. I guess reloading is a virtue and shooting is the vice. I don't have a problem reloading. I have a problem shooting. Just ignore all those containers of components on the shelf. They are an investment and not an expense.

March 3, 2013, 01:25 PM	#10
kostner Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2007 Location: Kommifornia Posts: 120	Welcome to the club of Reloaders Anonymous and we still love every minute of it. We even photograph our benches & press. Reloading **** and will admit I love it.

March 3, 2013, 01:30 PM	#11
sunaj Junior member Join Date: February 27, 2013 Location: California Posts: 84	Hey, How can you question a skill that gives you a reason to live, and an excuse to buy another gun sunaj

March 3, 2013, 01:52 PM	#12
kkb Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2004 Location: Western Slope, Colorado Posts: 403	Oh, it's a viscous cycle. When I got a single stage press I had to get a rolling block unloader. When I stepped up to turret press I had to get a bolt action unloader. Now I have a manually indexing press and had to buy a semiauto unloader. What the heck am I going to do when I want to step up to an autoindexing press?

March 3, 2013, 03:06 PM	#14
pathdoc Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2013 Posts: 669	What the heck am I going to do when I want to step up to an autoindexing press? Go into business, I suppose...

March 3, 2013, 04:20 PM	#15
shootniron Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2011 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,599	It is a disease, and the prognosis is not good...it is progressive. I can't go to the range without scrounging for brass...even calibers that I do not load...never can tell when I will have the opportunity to swap it for some that I do load. Example of this is that I recently swapped some 6.5 Grendel that I had absolutely no use for, for 200rds of brand new in the pack Winchester 44mag brass that I really didn't need...but I have it now and one day I will fill those cases with my favorite loads. And another thing, if you think reloading is bad...don't even think about starting to cast bullets...oh brother. For years now, I have scrounged for wheel weights as well as brass.

March 3, 2013, 06:21 PM	#16
gundog5 Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2013 Posts: 116	Yep, i also have a condition called reloadingitosis. I was reloading 50 450 marlin rounds, when down to my last two cases I realized there was only one bullet left, eeeerrrrrr. I sware, i must have put on 200 miles on my truck before finding two boxes of bullets. I have spoken to the finest shrinks a beer could by and they have all concurred that there is no cure.

March 3, 2013, 06:24 PM	#17
Huskerguy Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 348	I had to chuckle when I read this. I started small and said I would not go above a 40 S&W. Now I have a 45ACP and am looking at a 44 Mag. One thing leads to another. Good deal on a gun, now have to get dies and powder and large pistol primers and bullets. Oh bullets were on sale - but them, never know when there will be a shortage. Better get into casting (an addition all its own) so you can then have the urge to pour your own and then reload them. Then you will have caught the entire repertoire of reloading madness. I see the high prices and wonder if I should pick up some bullets here and there and rationalize in my head that primers aren't too bad of a deal at $30-$35/thousand when I just bought some for $26 a month ago. Bullets are sitting all over just waiting for me but I need more. I am a sick man but it appears I am in good company. One piece of advice - don't add the price up on everything - especially with the wife around.

March 3, 2013, 06:43 PM	#18
jrdavidson Member Join Date: June 29, 2011 Posts: 17	This thread is disturbing. Yeah, I got it too.

March 3, 2013, 06:54 PM	#19
tmorone Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2010 Posts: 221	Days when the weather is nasty and I have no empty brass is the worst........ THE WORST!!! I've totally got it too.

March 3, 2013, 08:14 PM	#24
larryf1952 Senior Member Join Date: July 17, 2004 Location: KCMO Posts: 615	Once you decide to start reloading, there is no road back. But, it's not as scary as it sounds. It actually leads to a nice place...kind of "Oz" like. When I started reloading in '76, I just wanted to make some 9mm ammo. Then came .38 Spl. and .357, then .380, then .45ACP; well, you get the picture. Reloading has allowed my handgun collection to grow more substantially than I ever would have dreamed it would in those early days. If I did not reload, and was still having to buy factory ammo today, I would have ditched the guns and taken up cross stitch many years ago. Which, come to think of it, might have made my wife very happy.

March 3, 2013, 09:40 PM	#25
Budweiser Member Join Date: August 1, 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 20	I have the shakes, hard to sleep, waited 6 weeks for my order of 500 .308 brass and bullets to come from Top Brass and it couldn't have come at a worse time. Kid left his 2 crazy, over active dawgs with us so he could go skiing, working 12 hour day shifts, new Dillon Dies, tool head, got everything just sitting there ready to go. Am off tomorrow, how much cough syrup would be needed to slow down a mini Australian Shepard - Corgi mix to give me 3 hours of therapy?