How much time do you invest into reloading and what is your result

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geotndtwine

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Personally I do not have kids so week nights and ends are free, except for spending time with the wife and other family things. Just wondering how much time others invest into reloading. During the winter I personally spend half my weekends casting for average 4-5hrs. Weeknights average about two times a week 3hrs, so average winter 12hrs a week and summer is around 3hrs a week with camping and fishing taking the priority. Just wondering what others do. My collection is getting fairly large as I live in a city and only get maybe 40weekends a year with shooting. I mean there are those who only reload to hunt so reloading only a couple hundred rounds a year is good, while others do not cast and when the money is gone reloading stops. I was just wondering how much you all invest? My wife says I have a problem but hey, BETTER then mindless TV.
 
I reload when ever I need more ammo.Most times I'll go for three days straight reloading all my pistol calibers maybe 2500-3000 rounds in 9mm .357 and .45 ACP.Not using lead anymore just plated Cam-Pro.This will probably last me about 3-4 months till next time.I find it alot of fun so don't look at it as a chore,plus I'm retired so what I can't get to today I'll do it tomorrow.
 
For pistol ammo I usually spend a couple of days to stock up, if I'm doing rifle ammo it seems to spread over a week at a time but in short 1-2 hr bursts
 
Whenever I am low on ammo but usually I get brass prepped and primed and lay in a supply then powder and bullets as needed. Basically an hour or so at a time.
 
Basically everyday that I'm home I'll load something. Pretty much the same as shooting, which is everyday I'm home weather permitting that I'm not hunting.

There's always a new rifle that needs a load, or a old rifle that needs a new load, or something to test.
 
I'm in my "room" mostly on weekends during the winter months.....I've cooked up several loads with my pc cast bullets
just waiting for the roads to dry up to my favorite shootin' place...then it's WOOOHOOO time
 
2-3 hours a month. Enough to prep and load 20 rounds 2X a month to keep up my hunting position shooting. Probably 8-10hr in a month when building a load for my or a friend's rifle. Camp work, kids, and marriage #1 still working consume a lot of time.
 
Interesting topic. I'm getting into reloading as well I'm currently trying to decide which progressive press I'm going buy purchase. I'm curious as to how many an hour you guys are puting out and how many rounds you guys put out when you first started. I'm mechanically Inclined and have a good idea on what I'm doing and what hard wear I need although I have never actually reloaded at all yet I'll be loading 9mm, 45acp and 223/556.
 
I have 2 dillon 650s. One setup for large primer other for small primer. 9mm i can load aprrox 1000 rounds an hour same with all pistol calibers basically. I load 44 mag a little slower but basically thats the results. If I have my .223 shell prepped, i can easily do 600 plus an hour or more if i push it but i check them a little more often.
 
for pistol I am doing it by 1000 batch for each cal two or three times a year takes me around 4/5 hours for .40s&W, 10mm, 45ACP doen't take long with quick changes plates on my dillon 650

for rifle it's another story
308 for my long range
260AI soon
maybe 4 to 6 hour a week mostly on saturdays and some times 1 to 2 hours on the evening week for brass prep
 
I only load for difficult to find and expensive full size rifle calibers, with the exception of match loads. Everyday loads and bulk rounds are easy to find and with only so much free time I have to prioritize what I can reload. Handgun loads, 12G, 5.56, and x39 are simply not worth my bother. Time is valuable too.
 
Reloading and casting are my main interests with range time the lesser pleasure. I do a lot of loading for obsolete cartridges and I am frequently trusted with collectors guns for fabrication of ammunition, including on occasion, the casings or paper cartridges. I then follow through with range time assessing that the loads are both accurate and safe.

That said, I can spend as much as 40 hrs a month at the reloading bench.
 
I am a new dad for the second time just 7 months ago, so my time has been limited recently. With only one vehicle in the family the last year, my opportunities have been few and far between!

I work two weeks in and one week out from fort mac, So time is not my friend, or in abundance lately! Lol!

During my week home I spend about 2-3 hours "nearly" every day in and around my loading room. My wife is excceedingly understanding of my obsessions! I am very fortunate indeed!

When I cant leave the house due to weather, I am planning each project firearms load development process. I plan all my loads and changes the day i last did my shooting, so as to be sure I have not forgotten anything. Then use my free time to reload and prep for the next opportunity to go shooting.

My hunting/shooting room is my sancutary, and my eldest boy (5) is always welcome to spend time with me when I am there.

If I had my way, I would spend 2-3+ hours every day at my hobby/obsession.

Just two weeks ago we got our second vehicle back, so many more opportunities to go shooting has arrived! Woooohoooo!
And its bear season! Week off, heereeeee I come!

This is my little personal sanctuary that I spend as much time in as possible:









 
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Love the Bear in the middle of the room that is really great addition to the room. Looks really nicely done too, only thing I would be afraid of is kids petting the bear. Would not want it to look like the ones at bass pro.
 
There's an awful lot of hobbies that compete with volunteer work for my time. Most of my reloading is done during the winter months when my wife wants to spend time with me. Being the 2nd marriage, I tumble cases in the garage, de-prime in
my loading room, but clean the flash holes, uniform the pockets, trim to length, and re-prime in the family room while watching a movie with her. I can get 2-300 cases done a week if the weather's bad but generally average 150.
Test loads are built up during the winter as well, ready for spring and better weather for shooting. Not too late, or the cooler does not keep the rounds cold enough for proper testing.
Anytime I need extra rounds from an approved recipe for whatever purpose, I have hundreds of cases ready to fill. Since I get home an hour earlier than she does, I can do 50 of them up and she'd never know, or I can extend my time (and she knows to let me) and do 100 up while she is making supper. She's quite a great 2nd wife. She knows her place, I know mine, and we try to support each other's hobbies.
There are far too many things that take my time up as summer approaches and my acreage needs attention. Now with the snow gone I can look out the window and see that my apple trees need topping, the yard needs aerating, and the garden now needs work (well, maybe next week when it's a little drier)...

ETA:
Time? As much as I can. Result? Calm. Since I have to concentrate, it forces me to relax, stop thinking, etc.
 
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I hit my reloading room when the mood hits me.It is my quiet place where I go to unwind after a stressful day at work. Small little tasks every day or two add up to a large amount of prepped cases over a period of a few years.

Casting I usually do while I am camping.If I have a site that has power I will spend the day with my electric pot making bullets.Out in the bush I will turn wheel weights or pure lead into ingots with my turkey burner and a cast iron dutch oven.

If you scrounge brass, cast your own bullets and keep a good supply of powder and primers you will never be short of ammo. Somethings cost dearly but if you have them you can make almost anything even the old obsolete calibers. There is not a single gun that I own that I do not have ammo for.
 
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