Considering Getting Into Reloading - Cost Savings/Equipment Needed?

[JRC]

Alot of good responses to the OP. I have reloaded off and on for 20 years, for many years using a friends setup and mainly loading 22-250 as we use to have alot of groundhogs to shoot, no so anymore. Several years ago when my kids were getting to the age where they could handle more powerful firearms, I got the the point where I needed to either purchase more guns or reload lower recoil ammunition. At the time money was tight so after doing some research I decided to get a Lee kit, and have never looked back. Did it save me some money, yes I believe it did, but more so it allowed me to cater the ammunition to a certain gun and shooter. Another bonus was I was able to purchase firearms in calibers that I would not even consider if I did not reload. An example is the 7MM-08, factory ammunition is not always readily available, and tends to be expensive. I now have a couple in the safe and they are both a dream to shoot and I have a wide selection of bullets to choose from.
Another huge advantage that helped my sons become better marksmen is the fact that I don't have to worry about how much they shoot in an outing at the range, if I was purchasing factory ammunition I would seriously have to limit the amount of rounds fired per outing. I also get alot of satisfaction when an animal is harvested with a round that I developed, we tend to evaluate how any given bullet performs on an animal taken as much as how well it groups at the range.
And last but not least, is when there are other shooters at the range and you walk out to check your targets. Of course other people look at each others groups on paper. I have had it happen more than once where people stop and comment on our tight groups and start asking questions about how we are acheiving them. It is amazing how many people are satisfied with a 3-4" group at 100 yards !!
So my advice to you for now would be to purchase a basic setup such as a Lee kit and other items and components for one caliber you shoot and have some fun with it over the winter months. There have been many people post setups that can be set up and taken down in an apartment etc... where space is limited. You do not need to have a dedicated bench/area to start with so don't let that scare you away. I don't know of too many people who try reloading and regret it, usually they end up like the rest of us who spend thousands on the addiction !!

Good Luck !!

 

[Freyr_255]

Freyer,

Thanks for the hand reloading kit link. I don't really have space for a workbench except in my backyard, and as much as i'm on good speaking terms with the neighbours, it's probably not the best idea to reload outside - so the hand reload kit might be the way to go.

As another user mentioned, time is definitly a premium these days but since I only shoot a handful of times a year, if it takes me a month to knock up another 500 rounds its not a big deal.

I like the appeal of reloading. I can't quite explain it but I like technical hobbies (lego's and meccano's when I was a wee lad, cars and bikes as a grown up), and reloading seems like it would be in-line with that.

I've made a note of all the useful advice from members for the future.
I think for this year i'll just buy ammo in bulk but save the casings incase I do end up going down the reloading route.

Maybe i'll build a shed out back and make room for that RCBS kit...that setup looks sweeeeet.

Thanks again for the input everyone.

Cheers

Personally I use a 50th anniversary kit and really I don't have any major issues with it. It does what it's supposed to. Yes it uses plastic in a lot of parts like the safety prime, powder thrower and such but honestly if you don't abuse things they work fine. I also have the hand press and really it's not that much worse than using a bench mount. It's biggest issue is having to balance it while loading a new case into it and occasionally catching a finger in the lever(that stop point is killer). That being said you can also reload while watching a movie or something as well. So it's convenience is unmatched. Just make sure if you're full length sizing you lube every case. It doesn't have nearly the force of a bench mount.

So really the hand press can be the best way to get into reloading as it's cheap and unique in portability. It'll give you the flavour of what you want/need and then you can take it from there. Really my issue right now is I started with th 50th kit and sort of expanded with most of th Lee line of equipment to see what I liked/used. So I want a new cast iron press but can't justify it because this one works for the moment.

 

[GeoTrekr]

Hello All,

I'm thinking of getting into reloading but am not really sure if it can be justified from a cost-benefit perspective.
My shooting patterns are pretty erratic in that I'll probably make it out to the range a couple of times a year, but when I go out, I'll spend a few hours and few hundred rounds.

There's probably no point reloading .22LR since it's cheap and plentiful, but for .223 and 9mm I'm thinking there might be some advantage. Am I mistaken? 7.62x39 is corrosive and non-reloadable but also pretty cheap for non-corrosive bought in bulk so I might skip over that too. Down the road when I pickup a 12Ga I might look into that as well.

In the event that I do go down the reloading route, I was going to start with a read thru the Lyman reloading book (and many...many online guides. I'm pretty competent when given instructions to follow, but safety first and all that).

For tool kits, are there any recommendations? Key decision factors are probably speed v. cost. I'd like to keep cost low, but if there's some equipment that's more beginner friendly, I'm all ears. Space is a consideration, and storage space is at a premium. Since I'm dealing with multiple calibers/dies, a turret might be the way to go?

Thanks in advance. Looking forward to the discussion.

.22LR cannot be reloaded (or at least not without a lot of difficulty).

The cost-savings on .223 and 9mm can be marginal to non-existant depending on the source of your components. CanadaAmmo was selling crates of .223 for $0.25/round, a price you would be hard-pressed to match in powder/primer/bullets, nevermind brass. I buy commericially re-loaded 9mm for only a cent or two per round more than it would cost me to reload it, so I don't bother wasting my time. It also means I don't have to chase my 9mm brass all over the range like I do with my .45 ACP, which to me is another bonus.

7.62x39 can also be had for $0.25/round or less, and there is likely NO way you can load a .30 cal cartridge for equal or less than that. I bought 2 crates of it - I won't bother buying dies.

You might be able to load 12GA cheaper than factory, but it depends on what you plan to load. There are savings to be had with slugs/buckshot, but forget about price-matching target loads unless you have a really cheap source of lead.

What reloading WILL do for you in all the cases above is allow you to shoot customized ammo, tuned to your guns for accuracy/better performance. You can load premium hunting bullets into your 7.62x39 cases if you want to hunt with your SKS (as surplus FMJs are NOT suitable for this purpose of course), or load FMJs for plinking ammo, HP/Varmint bullets for gopher hunting (even in light-for-calibre configurations if necessary), and everything from lead to jacketted HP in the 9mm.

The ability to shoot everything from very light popper loads to fire-breathing HPs through my revolvers, all using magnum brass, is what constitutes most of the draw for me. The savings over factory ammo are secondary, but can also be very important in other cartridges you did not mention - there is NO reason .357 magnum needs to cost 2x what a box of .38 special does for example. Ammo for my .260 Rem would cost me $2/round, but isn't anywhere near that in assembled components. Savings can add up quick depending on the cartridge you're loading for.