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Old July 3, 2013, 02:13 AM   #1
Silver00LT
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What's YOUR investment into reloading?

Just curious what all of you have in your reloading stock and equipment. I decided to go ahead and compile a list for my computer that way I can track everything, etc.

Well...now I wish I didn't...got to hide those files from the wife. Thank god for separate bank accounts! And to think I'm researching on casting equipment and components.

Top file is the list, bottom file is a picture of the reloading room(man cave) that the wife actually helped me setup. She even swept for me...love her to death. She loves firearms, but I know I'll get a arm slap when she sees the investment I've done over 8 months. Well really two. The first month and this past month of spending.
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Old July 3, 2013, 02:27 AM   #2
Jim243
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Quote:
Well...now I wish I didn't.
I don't want to know (LOL), I have a rough idea, but I don't want to know.

And you think that 8 months is expensive, try 8 years of reloading.

But, the equipment is not the expensive part, try adding up all your components that you have purchased, now there is a real expensive hobby. I have over 20,000 rounds loaded and brass, primers, powder and cases for another 10,000 rounds. I would guess that that is a least 3 times what I have spent on equipment. And that does not count what I shot up over the last 8 years (LOL).

My wife complains about how much I spent on purchasing guns, good thing she doesn't know anything about reloading.

Hell, guns are cheap even at todays prices, bullets are expensive (LOL).

Jim
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Old July 3, 2013, 02:30 AM   #3
Silver00LT
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Exactly!

My 8 months is NOTHING. Once my Classic Turret comes in I know I'll be in there playing with it and have a couple hundred rounds out the first day. Wish the press became available last week so I could spend this shutdown week reloading at night.

I know some of you guys component wise alone are in the high 10s of thousands or more.

There is one guy on another forum showed pictures...yeah jaw dropper. I am going to love it when if I get hired on from temp at my job. Nearly 3 buck raise. LOL! Wife's already spending it though on saving for vacation. DOH! But keep her happy...I can enjoy my hobbies(shooting and reloading).
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Old July 3, 2013, 03:08 AM   #4
AL45
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LEE Items: Press-30.00, .45 Colt Dies-30.00, 7.35mm Dies-40.00, .308 Lee classic handloader-25.00, Lyman beam scale-50.00, Frankford electronic scale-25.00, calipers-12.00, funnel, case trimmers, deburring tool, primer pocket cleaner-25.00, Lee powder dipper set-12.00, Powders:2 lbs Blue Dot-free, 2 pounds H4895-free, 1 pound IMR4064-free, 1 pound Trail Boss-free, 1 pound Pistol Power-free, 1 pound Universal-free, 1 pound Unique-25.00, 1 pound H110-25.00, 1 pound IMR 4064-25.00, 2000 rifle and pistol primers-free, 500 .45 Colt Speer 255 grain swc-30.00, 50 .45 colt Sierra 300 grain JSP-20.00, 50 .45 Colt Hunter's Supply 325 grain LFN-20.00, 50 .45 Colt Hunter's Supply 357 grain LFN-20.00, 500 .45 Colt Rimrock 250 grain RNFP-50.00, 100 .308 Sierra 150 JSP-25.00, 100 .308 Hornady 150 JSP-25.00, 100 7.35mm Hornady 128 JSP-25.00, 300 Starline .45 Colt brass-75.00, 100 Lapua .308 brass-40.00, 60 7.35mm Norma 7.35mm brass-45.00, Lee reloading manual-25.00, 2 Lyman reloading manuals-free, plastic ammo boxes-50.00. TOTAL-774.00.
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Old July 3, 2013, 07:42 AM   #5
David Bachelder
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Im too scared to look.

Right now I'm all stocked up, except for powder. I'll soon need more Hodgdon Universal and possibly Varget. If I could find a few cans I'd scarf it up.
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Old July 3, 2013, 08:10 AM   #6
schmellba99
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Between equipment, components, fired components, loaded ammo, the material cost of setting up my reloading bench.....yeah, I really don't want to know.
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Old July 3, 2013, 08:57 AM   #7
Farmland
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Less than the cost of my farm. I don't know if I could ever figure out the total cost of components over 20 some years.

Hard equipment is easy and really after the first few years of putting it together it has tapered off to well under $100 each year if that.

Lets say three pressed at $3,000 including all dies,change kits etc. to load the 380, 38, 357 9mm, 40, 44 mag, 223, 30-06, 35, 45-70.

Another $1,000 for things such as tumbler, scales along with all the other things you need.

So I would think a good number is $4,000 so lets say that breaks down to $200 a year for my hobby not including components. Of course if I had to buy it all today that number would be much larger as the price of equipment has gone up.
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Old July 3, 2013, 08:58 AM   #8
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Yep. It cost me two marriages. From an investment standpoint, I would say that the financial losses eclipsed the gains, if you factor in those two divorces.

Nonetheless, the hours of enjoyment when balanced against the financial losses I think still leave me in the black!

After some reflection, I think perhaps it was the getting married part that was the poor investment decision. LOL. So I remain a bachelor.

Enjoy your life, enjoy what you have. It all goes by so quickly.

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Old July 3, 2013, 09:21 AM   #9
jmorris
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Not totaling my equipment is my way of pleading the 5th.

I would bet all of the money I do have in reloading that she doesn't know how much money she has into shoes and purses...
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Old July 3, 2013, 09:33 AM   #10
Swampman1
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Well, I went a little more expensive than I could have...I went with the Hornady SS press kit, Hornady dies, and components. Bought the Thumbler's Tumbler also. Just what's been charged to the CC (shipped already) is about $550. Backorders items(including 3 die sets), powder, primers bullets(all bulk items) total about $700. And yes...my wife knows everything All this since April, and I haven't reloaded a single round yet. Still waiting on dies and powder.
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Old July 3, 2013, 09:45 AM   #11
BumbleBug
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Congratulations Silver00LT on a nice reloading set-up!

Reloading is a great hobby & I predict your investment will continue to grow with your interest. I now have multiple presses, powder measures, scales, trimmers, primer seaters, bullet pullers, tumblers along with a multitude of gadgets. Of course at some point bullet casting came into the picture & my investment side tracked off into multiple molds, multiple sizers, hardness testers, pots, etc.

Gee, I'd hate to add up my investment! It's hard to use that line any more "I reload to save money!"

...bug
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Old July 3, 2013, 10:06 AM   #12
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Been loading over 30 years, casting for the last couple. I'm a confirmed bachelor (most years ) so I do what I want. I'm deep into four figures just considering dies, presses, benches, scales, moulds, pots and measuring equipment. Then there's the 18X21 casting/case cleaning workshop I'm building.
These days I figure each new cartridge I load for costs me about $300 to get set up, including a small supply of brass, dies, moulds, shell holder, sizing dies and custom flaring tools (as necessary).
Costs a lot of money to save a few bucks on ammo!
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Old July 3, 2013, 10:15 AM   #13
AllenJ
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The vast majority of my reloading equipment has been given to me in the form of birthday and Christmas gifts over the years, so I feel very lucky to be able to say I am reloading because it is cheaper! I did purchase a RCBS Chargemaster last year though, nobody wanted to buy it for me
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Old July 3, 2013, 10:37 AM   #14
g.willikers
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Anyone remember the picture on the web of the reloading room, about the size of a two car garage, full of reloading presses?
Rows of them.
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Old July 3, 2013, 10:41 AM   #15
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No need for blemished .224

Silver-
FYI, Midway has 55grn .224 Nosler bullets for $15/100 new which is the same price as your 500 blemished rounds. Just picked some up and thought I would share. I try to look for bulk too, but sometimes it's not such a deal.
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Old July 3, 2013, 11:26 AM   #16
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I have an Excel spreadsheet with all of the expenses I have into my reloading equipment more as a reference guide to my wife if I should die of something other than old age so she will be aware of the (retail and resell) value so she can sell the reloading equipment if she decides that is something that she wants to do.

The monetary expense of my reloading equipment does not concern me. I place a higher value on the knowledge and skill that I have gained by learning to reload ammunition and the investment in using my reloading skills to consistantly improve my shooting skills which goes hand-in-hand with reloading. How do you put a price on that?
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Old July 3, 2013, 11:27 AM   #17
Don P
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Guess I'm lucky that I got involved in 2006 before prices sky rocketed. My total for Lee auto index turret, tumbler, separator, etc. 38 spl, 357mag, 9mm, 40s&w, and 45 acp, dies and some incidentals is $340.00.
I also back when supplies were available I stocked up on primers ($22 per K) and powder (Titegroup $112 for 8 lbs.). To date 34,000+ rounds reloaded
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Old July 3, 2013, 11:52 AM   #18
rclark
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Since my dad and I went together on getting a complete reloading kit back around 1980, that was about it. Still using the same o' Hornady Single Stage press. Same beam scale, same powder measure, same tumbler. I have bought die sets as needed as new calibers came along, and also went to a RCBS Hand primer sometime back there.... Probably the most recent acquisitions was a set of check weights which just brought piece of mind as the scale was still right on, and a lee de-priming die.... Must say my investment has been kept under control. If it isn't broke ... don't fix it! More money to spend on cases, powder, bullets, ball, primers, caps . Just got in the mail another 1,500 .45 Colt 250g RNFP bullets for example .
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Old July 3, 2013, 02:31 PM   #19
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Don't ask, don't tell. Close estimate counting componenets would probably pass $10K. But that's stuff accumulated over 59 years and change. Much of it has been casting equipment, mainly molds. never could pass up a mold for something I shoot if the price was right. I'm pushing 75 real close now, less than a month and a half away. Where in hell did the time go?
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Old July 3, 2013, 03:07 PM   #20
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HAH! a question to which I have NO answer... After 20 years of reloading, I couldn't even begin to inventory what I have invested over the years. Just think how much I SAVED! Probably coulda bought a nice sports car...
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Old July 3, 2013, 03:12 PM   #21
armoredman
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My basic setup was all a series of gifts, so I have tried to keep the tradition going by gifting reloading equipment to new reloaders. I bought dies, molds, jacketed/plated bullets, primers and lead over the years, but that's about it. All mounted on a condemned TV stand.
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Old July 3, 2013, 03:41 PM   #22
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I once added up my account at Midway. I was shocked to see I had spent 8 grand over the 8 year period. That was back about 6 years ago. If you get stuff from Midway, there's a way to view your past orders then add them up.

That didn't account for the components, or orders from other online sources. I would guess that during that period of time, I had at least double that for components. It IS an expensive hobby. But no where near what the same amount of factory loads would have cost. Besides, casting my own, I can load shells that you cannot get anywhere!
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Old July 3, 2013, 04:11 PM   #23
Silver00LT
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Snuffy - 3/4s of my stuff is from MidwayUSA

The rest eBay, Bass Bro Shops, Georgia Arms, Shotgun Sports, B&B Pawn etc.
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Old July 3, 2013, 04:18 PM   #24
Ted D
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Just yesterday I spent 320 on 4lb powder,new manual,500 bullets and 100ct .44brass.I don't want to tell you how much the .44 brass cost you would sh** your pants.But that's all I could find.
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Old July 3, 2013, 04:19 PM   #25
Misssissippi Dave
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I don't want to know. I have 2 Dillon presses and load for a few different pistol calibers. I load about 25k more or less a year. I'm good for the rest of the year and maybe a bit longer now. Since the money has been spent I don't really want to know what it may have been. Last year it was probably too much to say the least. I normally stock up prior to election years.
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