I never handloaded because it's less expensive. I handloaded to manufacture a custom cartridge for my rifles. The variables are unlimited to my personal choices of cartridge; equally, choices of firearm. Personally, I believe that it cost a handloader more money than a non-handloader. Handloaders are always purchasing components and shooting more often, whereas a regular hunter may practice with one box prior to the season to line-up their rifle........................I can't imagine the cost for target shooters.
9 reasons reloading is better than store bought
- Thread starter PPCLI-Jim
- Start date
Like others, i dont reload because its cheaper.
I load because I’m neurotic and detail obsessed. (Not saying we all are) and loading gives me an outlet for my disorder. Lol.
I also like to play with loads a lot, especially in the area of slowing things down.
I have 308 and 243 and 223 loads that use powder measured in single digits.
Cant do that with factory ammo. Everyone is obsessed with speed.
Tons of fun to plink with and much more challenging to get very low SD’s but can still be accurate out as far as my range goes.
I load because I’m neurotic and detail obsessed. (Not saying we all are) and loading gives me an outlet for my disorder. Lol.
I also like to play with loads a lot, especially in the area of slowing things down.
I have 308 and 243 and 223 loads that use powder measured in single digits.
Cant do that with factory ammo. Everyone is obsessed with speed.
Tons of fun to plink with and much more challenging to get very low SD’s but can still be accurate out as far as my range goes.
I reload because I can, it’s a process I enjoy and it’s fun hunting for cheap components.
Not to mention I can tailor my ammo to each rifle and I am all about learning how to do things analog and for myself. Why pay for it when I can sit down at my bench throw on a YouTube tutorial and learn something new?
Not to mention I can tailor my ammo to each rifle and I am all about learning how to do things analog and for myself. Why pay for it when I can sit down at my bench throw on a YouTube tutorial and learn something new?
That's only because you don't want to compare them with wages, and the cost of everything else between the two time periods.
They're more expensive across the board than they were when that OLD article was written, but the article is still very relevant.
Maybe you weren't in the sport at the time it was written, or you were and refuse to pay new prices? Whatever, a lot of people get stuck on such things.
There are people saying they aren't saving any money because they're shooting three times as much, which is also a "personal issue" simply because it would cost them three times as much to shoot as much as they want to, if they were buying commercial off the shelf ammunition.
Handloading isn't for everyone, and if we're going to throw saving money into the equation, shooting sports are not for anyone who has rigid monetary constraints, whether self imposed or situationally imposed.
If you're on a strict budget, don't get into the shooting sports.
I hear it on a regular basis, when people state, "When my Dad/Grandfather/Uncle, etc dies, I'm going to get the rifles, handloading equipment, etc."
They usually shoot up all of the ammo, don't know or want to learn how to use the reloading equipment/components, and go to the LGS to purchase ammo, OOPS STICKER SHOCK sets in and they find out they must have a license to purchase what they want and to own their newly acquired firearms. So they either lock it all away, until they pass on to the next plane, or sell it all for whatever they can get from the circles they hang in.
saskgunowner101
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- near Prince Albert
Your time has no inherent monetary value unless in the employ of others. While there's always better uses of ones time, you're not out actual $$$ whether you scroll cgn for an hour, have a nap, pile firewood, or hoe weeds in the garden.
Clearly you've never taken an Econ course that discussed opportunity cost...
Allowing you to shoot more for the same cost IS saving you money...
Unless your shooting the cheapest 223/308 out there or find a crazy deal on the few popular cartridges its always much cheaper to reload. Just about everything is 40$ per 20 rnds up to much more. I shoot 243 87gr vmax at 1.10$ current prices with varget. The same round would cost nearly 3$ each. But its not just saving cost, i also like reloading.
How much are you making when you're here on the forum? How many opportunities did you miss? Same difference except when you reloading you actually accomplish something.
it's relative to the time the percentage of saving is the same
There is an opportunity cost to everything you do. Time has value, because you could be spending that time doing something else.
The fact I choose to spend my free time on CGN is wholly irrelevant to whether my time has value. That just means I sometimes choose to spend my time on things that don't create value - which is fine, it's my time I'm free to do with it what I want.
Correct. I was reloading for my Antique Veterlli and was getting low on powder, not unusual. I've bought lots of powder since I bought the lb, I was using. But when I compared stickers same shop, pre and post plandemic, it went from 42+ tax to 110+ tax. Should never look back.
Then we agree that "your time has value" argument is irrelevant.
Time has value only if we get off our ass and do something of value. If you replace 3 hours of surfing internet with 3 hours of reloading, we didn't lose any opportunity.
If you're doing something you like then it has value, and the person saying that reloading is not worth the effort might be making excuses to avoid something he doesn't like.
No, we don't agree. You think time only has value if you're using your time to do something of value. I'm saying time is a finite resource and thus always has value regardless of what you're doing. You could be wasting that value, in fact we all do exactly that, but the fact i can waste time doesn't mean that time had no value.
saskgunowner101
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- near Prince Albert
Clearly, just as it's clear you're not a truck driver. I'm still not sure where in what I've said above (relating to the "monetary value", key being monetary, not value, of ones own time, wasting it or not) is wrong? Can you ELI5 it for me?
If I can be spending that time doing something that makes me money then it has monetary value, regardless of whether I'm actually spending the time to make money.
To the contrary. It's fun to handload, I enjoy it immensley. Most of my handloading is in the winter, when there is little to do. I conduct alot of load development during this time, temperatures are close to the November climate, plus barrels cool-off quickly. It's time well "spent".
How does that fit with the earlier post saying reloading is not worth it if you factor in time?
If i value my reloading time why should some anonymous person who is obviously wasting time surfing the internet feel qualified to tell me reloading isn't worth the effort?
