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Come checkout our new Dillon Precision products listings!
We have presses, kits, parts, accessories, and much more! You can filter by brand on our website to see all the Dillon Products we offer.
https://www.westernmetal.ca/shooting/
Dillon Precision Products - Now Available!
- Thread starter Western Metal Inc
- Start date
Come checkout our new Dillon Precision products listings!
We have presses, kits, parts, accessories, and much more! You can filter by brand on our website to see all the Dillon Products we offer.
https://www.westernmetal.ca/shooting/
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Don’t entirely do it for the cost savings, but rather another aspect of the hobby and able to fine tune reloads the way one wants.
Obviously used to be cheaper but for me, easy numbers for 147gr 9mm would be:
50$/1lb of powder. 120$ for a 1000x bag of 147gr. 1000 primers 130$. Of brass can be scavenges from the range for free… 300$ per 1000 rounds of 9mm loaded the way you want.
Obviously used to be cheaper but for me, easy numbers for 147gr 9mm would be:
50$/1lb of powder. 120$ for a 1000x bag of 147gr. 1000 primers 130$. Of brass can be scavenges from the range for free… 300$ per 1000 rounds of 9mm loaded the way you want.
1lb of powder for exactly 1000 rounds of 147gr of 9mm? Or will there be enough powder left for more?
$300 for 1000 rounds is really good!! And yes I am only doing it to save on ammo and plus I think I will enjoy doing it and while having coffee or tea with music on the background.
- Location
- Edmonton area, Alberta
Jumping into a progressive never having made a single cartridge is a very steep learning curve. You'd best cruise youtube for set up videos and how too tips. Alternatively, buy a manual before everything else and read the first few chapters a few times. All the information is there.
Handloading your own ammo offers many advantages:
- Tailored 'match' ammo is one, whether you are loading for a comp'd open gun, powder puff production loads, specific loads for 3 gun or precision rounds for fullbore or PRS. Or even just a weekend plinker.
- Purchasing for future use when supply and demand make it advantageous to do so to lessen the overall costs of the shooting sports.
Obviously now is not the time to be purchasing components that are in short supply and hot demand, but it is time to be thinking of getting into handloading so that the next time this bump comes you'll be prepared. This goes beyond the 'buy it cheap and stack it deep' mentality of people that just shoot factory loaded ammo in my opinion.
- Some may see it as another hobby, but I see it as an extension or another chapter (or three?) of knowledge that every shooting enthusiast should have an understanding of - whether they actually partake in handloading ammo or not.
Referencing your question on cost, I'm still loading 9mm ammo from 20$ per Lb powder, 25$ per thousand primers and 60$ per thousand 124gr. plated bullets.
That’s the gamble you take within this country lol. My last primers to add stock I paid 16.99/100. Crazy yes, but I like to keep a fair inventory. Some expect supplies to replenish and prices to drop a touch… they may. They may not.
I never started with a single stage but rather a turret style press before even considering a full progressive.
All in what you prefer or want, some background research does help tremendously.
But now we are in the weeds and taking away from the product ad of Westerns Dillion items….
I never started with a single stage but rather a turret style press before even considering a full progressive.
All in what you prefer or want, some background research does help tremendously.
But now we are in the weeds and taking away from the product ad of Westerns Dillion items….
You will still need basic reloading gear like scales and calipers. IIRC the 750 ships with one cartridge conversion kit but you may want to check on that.
Adding a case feeder costs a few hundred bucks but I wouldn't use a progressive like a 750 without one.
Savings on 9mm is marginal at best. If it’s pure economics don’t forget to account for your time. If you calculate this way, assuming you have at least an average job, then you lose when reloading.
Pure monetary cost I average approx 10cents per round cheaper loading 9mm. That jumps to about 35-40cents/round cheaper with .45ACP. Jumps nearly two-fold again when doing .32S&W Long. Rifles, even more.
Advantages for me:
1- Tailored ammo to each firearm.
2- Flexibility. Many components are cross compatible. (Can also help with bulk purchase savings)
3- Greater self sufficiency. You’ll be less affected by market swings/panic buys.
Edit to add:
I started with and still use a Dillon 550. It’s a manually indexed progressive and was perfect for me. With a few accessories it reliably loads the aforementioned .32S&W Long competition grade ammo. Handles all larger pistol cartridges with ease. Can diligently load a few hundred/hour. Works well for my rifles as well, however I’m only loading hunting ammo and not doing any precision centerfire rifle shooting.
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Great news that another Canadian dealer is carrying Dillon products! Back in the day you could save money and shoot tons more. It’s just a fun relaxing hobby that you can enjoy making every round perfect.
The more stores that carry stuff in Canada the better for all of us.
The more stores that carry stuff in Canada the better for all of us.
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Reloading component supply / demand issues are not new, but this is the worst I've seen it in 25 years of handloading.
While I agree that you should account for your time, it is a hobby after all. Life is not all work and no play, and if it was, you wouldn't be shooting as a pastime, never mind handloading.
But, certainly some of it and the total cost of components should be compared to say a case-lot of ammo that you'd otherwise engage in hand loading. For a thousand rounds of 9mm compared to the cost of the components alone? Only you can answer this.
9mm is one of those cartridges I wouldn't even bother loading for if times were good and ammo was cheap (like 2019) It was actually difficult to buy 9mm not long ago.
This would be different if I competed with 9mm and had to make power factors or wanted a certain type of ammo.
This would be different if I competed with 9mm and had to make power factors or wanted a certain type of ammo.
It can be very rewarding.
I'm still loading 38 Special practice rounds on my Dillon 550 for $0.06 each with components I bought in 2019. If you cast your own bullets you can get wheel weights from your local mechanics for free and the casting gear pays for itself in a quick manor.
Those of us that have been around for a while know the prices will drop some... not back to 2019 because of inflation but demand subside as stocks go up and prices will drop. A lot of it depends on the US. When trump was in there was a surplus of AR15's, S&W M&P's were $620 and as recent as Oct 2019 Federal actually had a mail in rebate on primers!!!! I think I paid $30/1000 for them when at the time they were $45 in stores.
The Dillon 550 can load about 300-350 an hour in my hands. It's the best all round press as you can use it like a single stage if you choose. I like it because caliber swaps can be done easy and I don't have a lot of bench space in my room. Buy once, cry once. Since I bought mine I have gotten more into shooting and have about 10 different caliber setups I use with it. Looking at Western Metals link I see cal conversion kits are now $110 plus tax, shipping... kind of pricey if you're not making lots of a particular caliber such as in precision reloading for a bolt gun.
I still believe at least a cheap single stage press is handy though. I use a Lee Classic Cast and it's been great but since I've bought and used a Lee APP I'd be recommending that to people as a secondary utility press on the cheap. They're very versatile and a brilliant design.
I'm still loading 38 Special practice rounds on my Dillon 550 for $0.06 each with components I bought in 2019. If you cast your own bullets you can get wheel weights from your local mechanics for free and the casting gear pays for itself in a quick manor.
Those of us that have been around for a while know the prices will drop some... not back to 2019 because of inflation but demand subside as stocks go up and prices will drop. A lot of it depends on the US. When trump was in there was a surplus of AR15's, S&W M&P's were $620 and as recent as Oct 2019 Federal actually had a mail in rebate on primers!!!! I think I paid $30/1000 for them when at the time they were $45 in stores.
The Dillon 550 can load about 300-350 an hour in my hands. It's the best all round press as you can use it like a single stage if you choose. I like it because caliber swaps can be done easy and I don't have a lot of bench space in my room. Buy once, cry once. Since I bought mine I have gotten more into shooting and have about 10 different caliber setups I use with it. Looking at Western Metals link I see cal conversion kits are now $110 plus tax, shipping... kind of pricey if you're not making lots of a particular caliber such as in precision reloading for a bolt gun.
I still believe at least a cheap single stage press is handy though. I use a Lee Classic Cast and it's been great but since I've bought and used a Lee APP I'd be recommending that to people as a secondary utility press on the cheap. They're very versatile and a brilliant design.
