Recent craziness has brought me back into reloading

chaim · January 12, 2013, 02:53 PM

I used to reload for .38spl and .357mag. I didn't want to chase brass so I only reloaded for revolvers. I don't love reloading, I love shooting, so 9mm, .223 and several other calibers were cheap enough that I didn't mind paying a little more to buy factory, and .45ACP and .40S&W wasn't bad either when on sale. When prices went up, between graduate school and work I just didn't have much time to reload or even shoot enough to really worry about it (and I had a fair amount stored anyway).

Recently, I started spending a lot more time at the range again, and I've shot off most of my ammo stash, then the recent craziness happened...Ammo for my .45ACP, 9mm's and AR is pretty much impossible to find. When it is available, if you don't jump immediately, it disappears (and prices can be a bit inflated).

So, I have bought dies for .45LC (I wanted to anyway since it is an expensive revolver caliber). I have bought components to start reloading .38/.357 again. I am also thinking it is time to add calibers other than revolver calibers. I will be buying dies for 9mm and .223 at least, and probably .45ACP, since they seem to be the most likely to experience shortages (the past few ammo shortages have all seemed to hit .45ACP, 9mm and .223 especially hard).

When ammo is available and cheap, I may revert to buying .223 and 9mm factory ammo. However, having a few thousand pieces of brass, bullets, and primers for those calibers will be nice during the next shortage. Brass is mostly recyclable so it will be in loaded rounds, and bullets, primers and powder for a few thousand rounds is cheaper and takes less storage space than a few thousand loaded rounds.

5R milspec · January 12, 2013, 03:08 PM

Its a bad time to get back into reloading.The primers and powder even well known bullets are all on backorder.Heck I keep the computer hot just trying to see when I can place an order.

Hate to hear that reloading is a pain to ya.Me I wouldn't change a thing,I love the time away from the family.Plus I end up with ammo that I can count on every time I go hunting or to the range.Not saying that you don't with factory ammo,just rather make me own.Goodluck to your reloading and hope you start to enjoy it better.Maybe the backorder problem will end soon,then we all can enjoy or reloading rooms again.

grubbylabs · January 12, 2013, 03:33 PM

I got lucky and wound up buying quite a few things before every one went nuts. I agree now would be a bad time to try and stock up. I would just wait and let things settle then look for bulk stuff you buy if you are only looking to store it for just in case.

chaim · January 12, 2013, 03:43 PM

I don't mind reloading, I just don't love it. I enjoy it for the first 30min or so, then I'm ready for something else.

Anyway, I still have about 400 small pistol primers for .38spl/.357mag, I have some powder, and plenty of .38spl and .357mag brass. I have about 100 rounds of .45LC brass, and I've ordered another 100 rounds of range ammo to make more brass. I have about 1/2 pound of powder, so I will need to find some more powder. I ordered 1000 large pistol primers for .45LC, 200 .45 bullets, and 250 .38/.357 bullets (just enough bullets to get me started) this morning. I'm about to head out to a gun show and hopefully I can get more powder, and possibly more bullets, while there.

Quote:

I agree now would be a bad time to try and stock up.

I'm not really stocking up right now. I am just buying what I need for my current shooting needs (maybe a little extra when I see something at a decent price). I will be stocking up, and more on reloading components than commercial ammo, in the future when this all blows over.

chaim · January 12, 2013, 03:48 PM

Oh, and this thread is accurate in that the current shortages were the final straw on restarting reloading and adding auto calibers and .223. However, I was going to anyway, this just sped it up.

For revolver calibers I wanted to restart just because they are all so expensive now if you want to do a lot of shooting. For auto calibers, I was planning to eventually start reloading for either 9mm or .45ACP because once I started shooting more again, I started thinking about getting into one of the shooting competitions once I finish my masters degree this summer (and thus had more free time). Reloading would make the amount of practice needed for competition more affordable, and it could be better quality ammo.

Lost Sheep · January 12, 2013, 04:51 PM

Two words: Brass Catcher.

Lost Sheep

Ole 5 hole group · January 12, 2013, 06:24 PM

Ya, that brass catcher for $60.00 is just fine if shooting from a bench but is a PITA when shooting off-hand.

Primers and powder don't go bad even if you store them rather poorly, so when you're able, just stock-up on components for your type of shooting that will last you a year or two - you'll never regret that decision unless someone steals everything.

You're probably using a single stage press - a progressive can make reloading a lot easier and that press will last a lifetime with minimal maintenance.

grubbylabs · January 12, 2013, 09:07 PM

I agree with the progressive idea. It did wonders for my reloading enjoyment. I cast my own bullets for a few pistol calibers and one in rifle so I have a good supply of bullets for those. Its nice to stay a few hundred rounds ahead of my shooting. The progressive makes it very painless.

chaim · January 14, 2013, 11:15 PM

Yeah, I'll probably have to buy a progressive once I have more space. For a while now I've been in an apartment or condo. My current reloading press is a Lee Hand Press. Better than the little single caliber reloaders Lee makes, but still not the easiest and quickest way to reload. But, until I have more room, it really is my best option. I suppose it is possible that I will find I love reloading in a couple years when I buy a house or townhouse and am able to have a full reloading bench set up with a nice progressive press.

grubbylabs · January 15, 2013, 12:38 PM

Having a full bench will make a big difference.

Justified · January 15, 2013, 02:42 PM

My 15 year old is a great brass retriever. He knows if he wants to shoot he has to grab every piece of brass he can. What we don't use we can always trade.

Justified

January 12, 2013, 02:53 PM	#1
chaim Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2001 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,095	Recent craziness has brought me back into reloading I used to reload for .38spl and .357mag. I didn't want to chase brass so I only reloaded for revolvers. I don't love reloading, I love shooting, so 9mm, .223 and several other calibers were cheap enough that I didn't mind paying a little more to buy factory, and .45ACP and .40S&W wasn't bad either when on sale. When prices went up, between graduate school and work I just didn't have much time to reload or even shoot enough to really worry about it (and I had a fair amount stored anyway). Recently, I started spending a lot more time at the range again, and I've shot off most of my ammo stash, then the recent craziness happened...Ammo for my .45ACP, 9mm's and AR is pretty much impossible to find. When it is available, if you don't jump immediately, it disappears (and prices can be a bit inflated). So, I have bought dies for .45LC (I wanted to anyway since it is an expensive revolver caliber). I have bought components to start reloading .38/.357 again. I am also thinking it is time to add calibers other than revolver calibers. I will be buying dies for 9mm and .223 at least, and probably .45ACP, since they seem to be the most likely to experience shortages (the past few ammo shortages have all seemed to hit .45ACP, 9mm and .223 especially hard). When ammo is available and cheap, I may revert to buying .223 and 9mm factory ammo. However, having a few thousand pieces of brass, bullets, and primers for those calibers will be nice during the next shortage. Brass is mostly recyclable so it will be in loaded rounds, and bullets, primers and powder for a few thousand rounds is cheaper and takes less storage space than a few thousand loaded rounds.

January 12, 2013, 03:08 PM	#2
5R milspec Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 360	Its a bad time to get back into reloading.The primers and powder even well known bullets are all on backorder.Heck I keep the computer hot just trying to see when I can place an order. Hate to hear that reloading is a pain to ya.Me I wouldn't change a thing,I love the time away from the family.Plus I end up with ammo that I can count on every time I go hunting or to the range.Not saying that you don't with factory ammo,just rather make me own.Goodluck to your reloading and hope you start to enjoy it better.Maybe the backorder problem will end soon,then we all can enjoy or reloading rooms again. __________________ life is great but its better when you can own as many guns you wish to own.for me I haven't bought enough yet.

January 12, 2013, 03:33 PM	#3
grubbylabs Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2009 Location: Hansen Idaho Posts: 1,465	I got lucky and wound up buying quite a few things before every one went nuts. I agree now would be a bad time to try and stock up. I would just wait and let things settle then look for bulk stuff you buy if you are only looking to store it for just in case. __________________ * (Swinging club) Whack! whack! whack! * Nope, the old nag's still dead . (Capt Charlie)

January 12, 2013, 04:51 PM	#6
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	To the O.P. Two words: Brass Catcher. Lost Sheep

January 12, 2013, 09:07 PM	#8
grubbylabs Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2009 Location: Hansen Idaho Posts: 1,465	I agree with the progressive idea. It did wonders for my reloading enjoyment. I cast my own bullets for a few pistol calibers and one in rifle so I have a good supply of bullets for those. Its nice to stay a few hundred rounds ahead of my shooting. The progressive makes it very painless. __________________ * (Swinging club) Whack! whack! whack! * Nope, the old nag's still dead . (Capt Charlie)

January 12, 2013, 03:48 PM	#5
chaim Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2001 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,095	Oh, and this thread is accurate in that the current shortages were the final straw on restarting reloading and adding auto calibers and .223. However, I was going to anyway, this just sped it up. For revolver calibers I wanted to restart just because they are all so expensive now if you want to do a lot of shooting. For auto calibers, I was planning to eventually start reloading for either 9mm or .45ACP because once I started shooting more again, I started thinking about getting into one of the shooting competitions once I finish my masters degree this summer (and thus had more free time). Reloading would make the amount of practice needed for competition more affordable, and it could be better quality ammo.

January 12, 2013, 06:24 PM	#7
Ole 5 hole group Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2002 Location: Red River Valley of the North Posts: 203	Ya, that brass catcher for $60.00 is just fine if shooting from a bench but is a PITA when shooting off-hand. Primers and powder don't go bad even if you store them rather poorly, so when you're able, just stock-up on components for your type of shooting that will last you a year or two - you'll never regret that decision unless someone steals everything. You're probably using a single stage press - a progressive can make reloading a lot easier and that press will last a lifetime with minimal maintenance.

January 14, 2013, 11:15 PM	#9
chaim Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2001 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,095	Yeah, I'll probably have to buy a progressive once I have more space. For a while now I've been in an apartment or condo. My current reloading press is a Lee Hand Press. Better than the little single caliber reloaders Lee makes, but still not the easiest and quickest way to reload. But, until I have more room, it really is my best option. I suppose it is possible that I will find I love reloading in a couple years when I buy a house or townhouse and am able to have a full reloading bench set up with a nice progressive press.

January 15, 2013, 12:38 PM	#10
grubbylabs Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2009 Location: Hansen Idaho Posts: 1,465	Having a full bench will make a big difference. __________________ * (Swinging club) Whack! whack! whack! * Nope, the old nag's still dead . (Capt Charlie)

January 15, 2013, 02:42 PM	#11
Justified Member Join Date: January 14, 2013 Location: Midland Michigan Posts: 21	15 Year Old Brass Retriever My 15 year old is a great brass retriever. He knows if he wants to shoot he has to grab every piece of brass he can. What we don't use we can always trade. Justified

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