Hey guys. First off, I'm pretty new and so some things that might be obvious to you may not be so to me. I appreciate any guidance.
I have a Glock 9mm that I *love* to shoot and want to shoot a lot more but the local prices of ammo (and anything else) are pretty high compared to other places. This weekend, I started saving my brass so that I can get into reloading. This weekend I am going to pick up a Lee's 50th anniversary reloading kit to get myself started along with a 9mm die set. I am in Victoria BC but I am going to drive 90 minutes to Nanaimo to buy this equipment because my local dealer is asking $209 for the reloading kit. Yes, seriously. The one that everyone else sells for $129 all over Canada.
In terms of consumables, I probably won't buy brass but will just buy factory ammo and then save my brass as I use it, turning that into my reloading stock. What I AM going to need a lot of is primers, bullets and powder. When I've looked locally, there's been very low availability, and any time I inquire about special orders, I get told I will be called back and I'm lucky if I get a callback at all. So, at this point I've pretty much given up on local shopping (though I would prefer it if there was a dealer who actually stocked stuff) and am going to expect to have to buy my consumables online.
Right away, I assume that the shipping cost might be a tough hurdle because of the high weight of bullets (buying 500-1000 at a time). Are there other issues such as not being allowed to ship via certain methods (or at all) that I need to consider? Or any other tips for an aspiring reloader you'd think prudent to point out?
I've already ordered the Lyman's 49th edition reloading manual, so it's on the way.
I suspect bulk bullets are going to be the most difficult thing for me to find locally, since primers and powder should be generic. I'm not picky about fancy brands or anything, I just wanted jacketed rounds and I'm good to go. So, where's the cheapest place in Canada to order them who actually has stock and is pleasant to deal with?
I have a Glock 9mm that I *love* to shoot and want to shoot a lot more but the local prices of ammo (and anything else) are pretty high compared to other places. This weekend, I started saving my brass so that I can get into reloading. This weekend I am going to pick up a Lee's 50th anniversary reloading kit to get myself started along with a 9mm die set. I am in Victoria BC but I am going to drive 90 minutes to Nanaimo to buy this equipment because my local dealer is asking $209 for the reloading kit. Yes, seriously. The one that everyone else sells for $129 all over Canada.
In terms of consumables, I probably won't buy brass but will just buy factory ammo and then save my brass as I use it, turning that into my reloading stock. What I AM going to need a lot of is primers, bullets and powder. When I've looked locally, there's been very low availability, and any time I inquire about special orders, I get told I will be called back and I'm lucky if I get a callback at all. So, at this point I've pretty much given up on local shopping (though I would prefer it if there was a dealer who actually stocked stuff) and am going to expect to have to buy my consumables online.
Right away, I assume that the shipping cost might be a tough hurdle because of the high weight of bullets (buying 500-1000 at a time). Are there other issues such as not being allowed to ship via certain methods (or at all) that I need to consider? Or any other tips for an aspiring reloader you'd think prudent to point out?
I've already ordered the Lyman's 49th edition reloading manual, so it's on the way.
I suspect bulk bullets are going to be the most difficult thing for me to find locally, since primers and powder should be generic. I'm not picky about fancy brands or anything, I just wanted jacketed rounds and I'm good to go. So, where's the cheapest place in Canada to order them who actually has stock and is pleasant to deal with?
