[Mike / Tx]

I certainly understand your predicament.

Granted I was started out as a youngster sittin on my pop's knee while he loaded rounds for his rifles. I got into the act at a somewhat VERY young age. Around the age of 8, I was, with strict supervision, loading both his and my rounds for hunting and practice. When I was 12 I got my first 12 gauge shotgun, and well it only took a month before he came in from work with a single stage Pacific loader for me. He said we could simply not afford to feed the shotgun and me too so something had to give.

Since those first rounds well over 40 years ago, I have dipped my toe into plenty of nick knacks to add to my "hobby", and I do save a LOT of money loading my own rounds. I learned years ago to purchase in bulk, and pick decent bullets per caliber and stick with them. Pick powder which will cover several calibers well and don't sweat getting one that only works great for only one caliber.

Like you I also load for a 44 mag, as well as several other revolvers and auto's. Some like the 357 and 44 I can find a decent price on ammo, considering some prices nowadays, but for my 41mag and my 10mm, or the 454 Casull, there aren't any specials going for sure. Toss in a few oddball calibers and wildcats in my rifles and just the savings on those alone, I can feel good about my stash of components and my cabinet full of dies.

Yep it can be whatever you want or feel it should be. The key is, stick with the basics and be happy with your end results. My pop loaded and shot for three rifle calibers for the most part of 40yrs and was not only successful with his loads, but happily content he could put some together the week before heading out to hunt and know that they would be right there with what he had been shooting all along. He was also one of the type that you didn't throw hard cash on the barrel and tell him he couldn't hit something, as he would quite easily take your change and even smile about doing it.