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May 15, 2021, 08:49 PM | #26 |
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Before I started reloading, I shot to sight in the guns and hunt.
I would wager that I averaged less than 30 rounds a year, total, except for my varmint gun (.204). I probably used 80-100 rounds in that. Back then, I bought factory rifle ammo for between $20-$30/box. I spent over $500 on my initial reloading purchases, and the only rounds I "save" significant money on are the ones I most likely wouldn't even buy if I hadn't started reloading. It's hard to say you're really "saving" money if you're spending money to build ammo you wouldn't have bought if you weren't reloading. Even just straight up cost comparison, I probably save an average of $10/20 rounds... so at that rate it would take me 10+ years to make up my initial purchase. If only I hadn't spent more than the initial purchase on additional tools since. Chronographs, case gauges, trimming equipment, various trinkets and doodads... This, besides that fact that I have fired uncounted hundreds, probably thousands, of rounds I would never had fired if I weren't reloading. I fire more *test* rounds than I would have ever fired total shots before I reloaded. Far from saving me money, it has cost me in the thousands. On the other hand, it was never about saving money for me. I did it because I *wanted* to reload my own ammo and I *wanted* to shoot more rounds and different rounds... try finding .243AI in Cabela's.... In that sense, I don't care what it has cost.
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May 15, 2021, 08:53 PM | #27 |
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We should collaborate on a book. We could call it "Zen and the art of reloading ammo."
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May 15, 2021, 10:44 PM | #28 | |
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If you would otherwise take a second job but your reloading time prevents you from doing so, then your time spent reloading is costing you money. I don't work two jobs, I have no interest in working two jobs, so time I spend reloading is time I would otherwise spend tinkering with an old Jeep or doing something on the computer. My reloading time is free -- and I suspect that's true for a lot of people who reload.
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May 16, 2021, 10:47 AM | #29 |
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Seeing the Alternative (have to purchase), Hell no, Hell no sir.
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May 16, 2021, 11:03 AM | #30 | |
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May 16, 2021, 11:17 AM | #31 |
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I doubt most people that take two jobs is because they just like working. I sure as hell would not take a second job to afford re-loading etc. I get it that a lot of folks like re-loading as a hobby. However, A lot of things to consider. Space, conditioned room etc. And other hobbies. I prefer to be outdoors when possible. Scout deer all year round, during normal pre-riot days, spending time shooting outdoors was a big thing. I love nature even more than shooting. Spend a lot of time in the woods and last year invested in a nice camera. I also want to pick up primitive camping again. And of course there is fishing. I live on the coast with great Ocean and many lakes to do just about any fishing I like.
And while many love to reload as a hobby, many get bored with it. My personal opinion is to start with a very low cost hand Press, scale and hand primer for starters. Just focus on one box of 50 and do in stages. Then move up the ladder if you still like it. Investment is small and you will always have the hand press for special occasions. JMO I actually enjoyed the hand press and still do. |
May 16, 2021, 11:42 AM | #32 |
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Dad and I bought a single stage Hornady press kit back when I was a teenager in early 80s. I used that orange O press until last year when I decided to splurge on an Iron press. Still using the same beam scale and powder dispenser, and hand priming tool. Sure I've bought dies down through those years, but I've more than 'paid' for the reloading tools over the thousands of reloaded cartridges compared to commercial ammo. I never felt the need to try different presses, or electronic gadgets like scales, dispensers, etc. For me then, it was a 'one time' investment. Use it, until there was a reason not too... which has never came. Only reason I bought the iron press was I had a little extra cash and I wanted to try the easy lock system. Turns out I like it, so retired the orange press after many years of service. I don't envision buying another press in my life time.
That said, reloading is as expensive as you want to make it.
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A clinger and deplorable, MAGA, and life NRA member. When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Single Action .45 Colt (Sometimes colloquially referred to by its alias as the .45 'Long' Colt or .45LC). Don't leave home without it. That said, the .44Spec is right up their too... but the .45 Colt is still the king. Last edited by rclark; May 16, 2021 at 02:58 PM. |
May 16, 2021, 12:54 PM | #33 | ||
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If your state of mind is stuck in the '80s, then you definitely won't be saving money. Quote:
Be proactive and plan ahead. Reactionary reloaders always fail to find it worthwhile.
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May 16, 2021, 05:51 PM | #34 | |
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May 16, 2021, 06:59 PM | #35 | |
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May 17, 2021, 05:32 AM | #36 |
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I dont particularly like reloading. I do like the results.....accurate ammo in forms that I cannot buy. I can shoot more than I could afford to if I did not load my own.
I have fifteen presses - rifle, pistol and shotshell - distributed over four reloading benches in two homes. Much of what I have has been given to me by people who tried reloading and did not pursue it. I am extremely lucky in the component department....most of the folks who gave me equipment also gave me components. In effect, much of the ammo that I use costs me only my time.
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May 17, 2021, 09:44 AM | #37 |
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This idea of “saving money” is a red herring to me. Shooting is my hobby.
When I was shooting league .45acp I would load three boxes of cast semi- wadcutters under a pinch of Bullseye every week. Accurate target loads. At that time, you simply could not buy that. I was also shooting skeet. I loaded two boxes of 7/8 oz. 12 gauge loads for my 686 Ultralight every week, reusing the shells, not throwing them away. (Which I now regret trading, but kid was in college.) but at that time, it was a load I could not purchase. 20 gauge light load in a common 12 ga. shell. My 30-30 contender? You think 30-30 doesn’t benefit from pointy nose bullets or fancy ballistic tip hunting bullets? Where can I buy 100 grain plinkers with 3 grains of bullseye? I had fun with that rifle, shooting everything from popgun loads to... well over saami spec bullets. .357 Maximum? The incremental cost of that is zero except for the brass. It was fun learning about “too much of a good thing.” The whole idea of saving money is silly. The cheapest thing is get a second job and give up shooting as a sport. What kind of life is that, living only to work and hoard money? No, at present I am looking forward to tossing some 180grain cast bullets over a bit of Unique down the 100 yard range from my 30-06. Subsonic. thut thut thut. Maybe toss in some 150 g. Plastic tips, see how they group at low speed. It’s not cheaper, it’s part of my hobby.
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May 17, 2021, 12:01 PM | #38 |
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I have learned far more about guns and ammo and am a safer gun owner since I have started reloading for myself. This is a craft for me as I can customize my ammunition within legal limits to make it do whatever I need it to do. I can, with good adherence to process, produce better quality & more consistent ammunition than most non-mil factory ammo. I have invested much in my reloading gear. With what I've got I can produce 50 rounds of high quality FMJ ammo for my .40 for about $4 in materials. I can make custom JHP's that perform better than factory for around $7 / 50. So will I " save $$$ " over the lifetime of shooting - undoubtedly yes if I STOP buying toys and tools now..... ;-)
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May 17, 2021, 01:30 PM | #39 |
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I began reloading in 1975. I didn't take up reloading to save money. I did it because I wanted to. I was going to college on the GI bill, so I certainly didn't have extra cash.
I presently reload for 340WBY, 300WBY, 6.5-284, 7MAG, 223, 44RM, 357. Way back then I was reloading for a couple of buddies. There were 300WM,7.7Jap, 6.5-55, 30carbine, 9mm, 30-30, 45-70 and 380. The only reason I have bought commercial ammo was to get the brass. 300WBY, 150gr soft point was $25 a box at the local Scheels. I bought 3 boxes. You couldn't get new WBY/Norma brass for that price at the time. Reloading centerfire and sharpening knives is therapeutic for me. It occupies my mind and my hands. There is considerable satisfaction in producing quality ammunition. You get to see the results, in either a very small group or a very dead Mule deer. We all know that the cost is a very important aspect. You can justify the price in the volume you are able to shoot and if you enjoy shooting as much as I do, the cost becomes a secondary consideration. I have spent more in a year on cigars than I did on my basic RCBS kit back in 06. Can you put a price on joy? There are people I know with some very expensive hobbies such as powerboat racing. They justify the cost with the joy they receive in the process. |
May 17, 2021, 01:44 PM | #40 |
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I don't save any money ... but I sure do shoot a lot more for the money I spend .
The other aspect is ... this is my hobby and I enjoy doing it . I even take pleasure in casting bullets , sizing and lubricating them . Having all the bullets I want ... all the ammo I want ... special loads for special tasks ... making custom tailored ammo you could never buy ... it is all rather satisfying . Gary |
May 17, 2021, 04:53 PM | #41 | |
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May 17, 2021, 06:57 PM | #42 |
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I just got set up for reloading last year. Figure I spent about $700 for a Lee turret press and all the fixins for 9mm and .223. At around $0.25 per round (free brass from the range) versus $0.60 to $0.90 for factory ammo, I’ll break even at around 1400 rounds.
BUT I consider it a hobby. I shoot twice as much as before, and enjoy the reloading almost as much as the shooting. I actually look forward to an evening on the press w my grandson. If it was drudgery, I wouldn’t do it. |
May 17, 2021, 08:00 PM | #43 |
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Save and shoot more, the therapy is worth the expense.. then I cast bullets..
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May 18, 2021, 11:37 AM | #44 |
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If I could afford them I would smoke Padron 1926. I like handrolled cigars. La Gloria Cubana, Cohiba, Alec Bradley, Maria Guerro, Joya de Nicaragua are all good.
When I was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone, back in the 70's I was a groomsman at a pal wedding. The reception was at the Balboa Yacht club. An older fellow gave me 3 cigars. You can buy Cuban cigars in the Republic of Panama. That started me down the cigar road. I like the smell of a good cigar. |
May 18, 2021, 12:40 PM | #45 |
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Maybe you have unrealistic expectations about cost and the practicality of reloading.
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May 18, 2021, 02:38 PM | #46 |
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Is reloading too expensive?
Well, for some calibers right now, reloading is the ONLY way to get more ammo so the expense part sort of pales. For a newcomer? It depends on what they want. I've been having fun with 32s these last some months, but that's only because I can reload them. For someone just getting into it I'd counsel them to either not buy a gun in a caliber with hard to find factory ammo or to put it in the safe until the market finally comes back to something like normal. As we all now this is a bad time to be just getting into shooting. Alas that I finally bought a 44spl and 327 Fed Mag less than a year before The Panic started. Had just enough time to get *some* brass, but not nearly what I wanted. The other more common calibers I shoot I'm still fairly well stocked up on though I'm not shooting them much lately to conserve supplies. |
May 19, 2021, 10:39 AM | #47 |
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It’s cheaper to reload than purchase…always has been and always will. Even when you could get a box on 9mm for $3-4 a box I can reload it for $2.50 (50)…brass is/was always free, the rest you have to be smart about buying it. I purchase in BULK every couple years…BULK. I lucked out this time as I need components in late 2019 and made my “normal” purchase…1 ton of shot, couple hundred pounds of powder, same for bullets and just under 100k primers…yes it cost a lot, but as mentioned it’s a lot of stuff and I only do it every 2-3 years. The amount I shoot per year is pretty consistent, so the components I’ve purchased will last me until around mid-2022 or early 2023. Not bragging, just showing how I do it…you have to buy in bulk, if you don’t you will run out at the “wrong” time.
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May 19, 2021, 11:49 AM | #48 | |
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I, and many others, have spent multitudes more reloading "cheaper" ammo than we would have ever spent if we didn't reload. Yes, each round is "cheaper"... yet, if I didn't reload each round would be *non-existent* and would have cost precisely $0. Your circumstance is another good example... the quantity that you buy every "2-3 years" would last me literal multiple lifetimes. The price of those components is no doubt "cheaper" than buying a pound or three here and there but also undeniably multitudes more expensive than I will ever spend in my entire life. "Cheaper" is not always... cheaper. It's always relative to the individuals circumstance.
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May 22, 2021, 07:56 AM | #49 |
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If your only reason for handloading is to save money you probably need to give up shooting and take on a second job. Unless you are a high volume shooter or shoot an oddball caliber you’re not going save a whole lot of money. I load for my two sons, wife and myself. We like to shoot a lot. Reloading is the only way I can afford it.
I bought a RCBS Turret kit several years and the dies we needed for around $500. I’m still using that same equipment 20 years later. I have added a few Lee case trimmers for another $50 or so. I don’t think I have saved anything but with all of the shooting we have done I would have spent thousands and thousands more had I not taken up reloading.
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May 22, 2021, 08:37 AM | #50 |
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Nothing is inexpensive in the gun world these days.
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