Yep, I enjoy reloading. That, and the flexibility to make whatever you want is the reason I reload, not financial savings
Is it worth it to reload.
- Thread starter riverview
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Yep, I enjoy reloading. That, and the flexibility to make whatever you want is the reason I reload, not financial savings
Depends on how many rounds you'll shoot in your lifetime. But in any case, if you don't reload your brass, pick it up and sell it in the EE. At least you'll get something back and it'll get used a few times instead of going firectly to the scrapyard.
Financially? Not unless you shoot a lot.
Emotionally? Can't speak for others but for me it is very satisfying to see group sizes shrink or a game animal drop on the first shot.
Range Time? It will increase as you want to get out and see how you did.
Competition? I could not compete if I didn't reload. 5k 9 mm, 2k 45 ACP, 1k 357 Magnum. Cost less than half what it would cost to buy. And I only took time from watching TV.
Emotionally? Can't speak for others but for me it is very satisfying to see group sizes shrink or a game animal drop on the first shot.
Range Time? It will increase as you want to get out and see how you did.
Competition? I could not compete if I didn't reload. 5k 9 mm, 2k 45 ACP, 1k 357 Magnum. Cost less than half what it would cost to buy. And I only took time from watching TV.
Not at all cost effective for me. I get a drive to find a better load than the last and then better again. I have so many half used boxes of slugs and types of powder and types of primers that if I had just bought factory ammo I would be many thousands of dollars ahead. Which I would have promptly wasted on another project. Then as soon as you get a good load, suddenly nosler bullets are as rare as hens teeth and you need to start over with a new slug until nosler picks up production. That's my honest take on it. Bulk pistol or rifle ammo loading would be a different story. But if you're interests will drive you to shoot small groups you might find yourself with a lot of unused components. However it has been pretty good lately to find components with so many online retailers.
It seems for a lot of people, cost is what limits how much they shoot. They keep saying "You shoot more so it costs the same". For me I would shoot as much if I stopped reloading. So it would cost more, because reloadaing makes each round cost less. Maybe I've got more disposable income. Maybe my shooting time is just more limited.
But one thing is sure, I wouldn't have bought a reloading press just for 9mm. The savings there aren't that great. I reload 9mm because I already have the equipment. I won't be reloading 223 at all because the savings are so minimal and the amount of work is so high for rifle rounds that it's ridiculous. I'd rather spent 1 hour reloading 3 times as many 44magnum than 223. Other calibres offer different economic. Usually, the more expensive the ammo, and the more saving there is at reloading it.
And a final note concerning the price of the equipment: most of it doesn't lose much value over time. A lot of my equipment I could probably sell used at a profit because I got it during a good sale or bought used in a good deal. Dillon, Hornady and RCBS offer lifetime warranty, so a used press is essentially a new press, but maybe a bit dirty. So don't count the cost of these items and just divide it by the number of rounds, you'll get some of your money back when you'll sell, maybe most of it.
And as I said before, sell your brass if you decide not to reload. It's good for your wallet and for other reloaders. Sending good brass to the scrapyard makes as much sense as sending a good car to the scrapyard.
But one thing is sure, I wouldn't have bought a reloading press just for 9mm. The savings there aren't that great. I reload 9mm because I already have the equipment. I won't be reloading 223 at all because the savings are so minimal and the amount of work is so high for rifle rounds that it's ridiculous. I'd rather spent 1 hour reloading 3 times as many 44magnum than 223. Other calibres offer different economic. Usually, the more expensive the ammo, and the more saving there is at reloading it.
And a final note concerning the price of the equipment: most of it doesn't lose much value over time. A lot of my equipment I could probably sell used at a profit because I got it during a good sale or bought used in a good deal. Dillon, Hornady and RCBS offer lifetime warranty, so a used press is essentially a new press, but maybe a bit dirty. So don't count the cost of these items and just divide it by the number of rounds, you'll get some of your money back when you'll sell, maybe most of it.
And as I said before, sell your brass if you decide not to reload. It's good for your wallet and for other reloaders. Sending good brass to the scrapyard makes as much sense as sending a good car to the scrapyard.
hometownhero
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Depends what you load for 9mm. I can load 9mm for the less then build 22lr. I cast my own bullets that is how it is so cheap.
Also depends what you are loading for 223. I load varmint bullets and can load cheaper then similar store bought. For fmj it might be hard to really save much.
That's not reloading that's casting. I can make ammos for free if I make my own powder, primers, smelt my own brass to make my own casings and cast my own bullets. But none of that is reloading. And my time isn't free.
That being said, my feeder dies require jacketed or plated bullets, and with my automatic bullet feeder, they easily double my output rate, so no cast for me.
Your point about 223 varmint is still kinda moot. I still save more on 3 rounds of 44magnum than the price of 1 varmint 223. I save more on one 300WSM than the price of one varmint 223. 1x223, 1x300wsm or 3x44magnum take roughly the same time, so I'll spend my time and effort where it adds the most value. So until I find a way to quickly prep rifle brass, 223 doesn't make sense to me.
hometownhero
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Toon Town, Sk
Still have to reload cast bullets. They wont fling themselves faster then the speed of sound.
Nosler varmageddon ammo is about $30. I can load the same thing for $10-15. If that isn saving anything I don't know what is
Why I reload, but first, how I got started over 40 years ago: It was intriguing, with cool equipment and mechanical processes (I like that kind of stuff, which is likely how I ended up an Engineer LOL).
- I like to shoot a lot, and it is a considerable saving each and every time you reload. Currently I shoot 4 or 5 thousand rounds of pistol ammo through three centerfire pistols, each a different calibre, each year. I used to reload 1000s of shotgun shells when I shot trap and skeet each year too.
- Inconsistent factory ammo; got restarted reloading when I bout 1000 rounds of imported 9mm, and got two seriously over-loaded rounds in the first box that resulted in damage to my pistol.. The dealer let me return it for a credit, with which I bought powder, bullets primers and dies (I already had a press, scale and powdermeasure); and I have never looked back.
- Accuracy, I shoot tighter groups with my homloads in my pistols, than I ever could with cheap, bulk factory ammo.
- Accuracy II; I hate reloading .223, but was content with cheap, bulk, Federal American Eagle 55gr FMJ; I could shoot 2-3 inch groups at 100 yards with my Remiington 78; then I built an AR; groups went to about 4"; I had some varmint home load 55gr HPBT (Sierra Match I think) I made about 20 years ago, and some new ones with Hornady red polymer tipped 55gr varmint loads as well. My AR went to >1MOA first group; rans some through my 78, >.75 MOA regardless of which bullet (Powder and charge was the same for each bullet). I will no longer buy American Eagle. I will be starting to reaload in earnist.
- You can not always buy the load/bullet combo you want or think you need.
- It is relaxing and fun.
Reloading is cheaper than therapy I started about 3 years ago - made mistakes (learning curve) but now my ammo is very accurate - not crazy about loading to the max or stretching the bullet into the lands. One thing for sure you can always spot a reloader at the range they usually have their hands in the spent brass buckets (myself included)
Reloading is worth it in many aspects as many have said. For me it's not just about $$$, I have learned a lot about ammunition and the production of ammunition - from components anyways. Making ammunition has also helped me understand my various guns better. I truly enjoy it and consider it a productive activity.
So you save 15-20$.
In the same time, I reload 60 rounds of 44mag. 30¢ instead of 1$/round. 36$ saving in the same amount of time. Almost 3X.
I'll reload my 44 and buy my 223, you do you
Do you have a buddy that loads?
You might have to buy a set of dies. He would have the press and scales, etc.
Buy a box of bullets and a pound of powder and he can show you how to load up the cases you have been saving.
You might have to buy a set of dies. He would have the press and scales, etc.
Buy a box of bullets and a pound of powder and he can show you how to load up the cases you have been saving.
To me it's definitely worth it.
For the amount I shoot it would perhaps have been financially better to work a few more hours and buy factory ammo then spending hours on case prep and loading etc. But to me it's another part of the shooting hobby that I really like and can do at home.
Currently shooting mostly "cheap" calibers but just bought myself a .357 Mag gun so now the savings can begin
For the amount I shoot it would perhaps have been financially better to work a few more hours and buy factory ammo then spending hours on case prep and loading etc. But to me it's another part of the shooting hobby that I really like and can do at home.
Currently shooting mostly "cheap" calibers but just bought myself a .357 Mag gun so now the savings can begin
Reloading isn't for everyone.
One thing that is in really short supply for many shooters is TIME. IMHO, TIME is one of our most valuable and limited commodities.
We sell our TIME to people that want to pay for it in return for providing services or labor. Then we have girlfriends, wives, children, other hobbies, SLEEP and the list goes on but the thing they all have in common is they are all competing for our LIMITED TIME.
IF you have or are willing to give some TIME to hand loading, IMHO it's well worth it.
Reloading offers a lot of good things to the hand loader.
Reloading requires the the individual FOCUS his/her ATTENTION on what they're doing. Not because of a catastrophic failure but to produce an acceptable cartridge that is consistently accurate and dependable.
Many people just CAN'T FOCUS on anything. Attention Deficit is a real issue for some of us. Often, it's just boredom/fear of the unknown. Sometimes there are other causes. I read a study on first grade students, which if memory serves, was done at UCLA to determine the attention span of children starting in the elementary school system. They found it almost impossible to find a median because it changed with area and of course living standards of the students.
In poverty stricken regions, attention spans were from 1 minute to 5 minutes, with an average of 2.1 minutes over 100 students. In relatively affluent regions attention spans were from 1 minute to 16 minutes, with an average of 6 minutes. Recovery time was anywhere from 20 minutes to 5 hours.
There were all sorts of reasons but the main one was feeding unfamiliar or misunderstood information into them, that their brains couldn't process, which usually shut them down from anything coming in after as well.
Hand loading is beneficial in that when approached properly, such as learning the nomenclature of the components, learning their relationship to each other, as well as the firearm, it teaches some individuals to FOCUS. I've seen the effects of this on my grandson. He had a learning disorder and a very short attention span. It turned out he was completely ambidextrous and that included his brain. The thing is, he hadn't learned to FOCUS his attention on anything and both sides of his brain were competing against each other. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for him to go through the things he did to alleviate this issue.
Three of them that were very useful were shooting, which taught him to coordinate his eyes, reloading, which taught him to FOCUS on one subject at a time in a repetitive manner and Fly Tying, which satisfied his artistic side and of course provided him with lots of flies for fishing, which is his other passion.
He is 14 and works 8 hours a week at a local vehicle mechanics shop. He sells his excess flies there and has gone from failing in his grades to close to the top of the classes he takes. I'm very proud of what he's achieved. I don't believe that it would have happened if it weren't for hand loading being included in his regimen.
Now, if you're anal about accuracy, there is no other way to scratch that itch without hand loading.
Having a reliable mentor helps a lot. Sometimes that isn't possible.
Cost??????? That depends on what you find valuable.
I haven't shot a commercial cartridge at a game animal in 40 years. The reason for this is because once I learned what was possible with my components when properly matched with my firearm, there was no way I could get that consistency from commercial ammunition.
If you get into it seriously, purchase your components in BULK QUANTITIES if you want to save cash. Buying in bulk also has the advantage of guaranteeing CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE of your cartridges over a lot of cartridges, rather than changing from box to box, or lot to lot. Not all components are made exactly the same every time.
TURF THE LIBERALS IN 2019
Liberals really like POOR people, they're making more of them every day
If you can't vote CPC, stay at home in protest
One thing that is in really short supply for many shooters is TIME. IMHO, TIME is one of our most valuable and limited commodities.
We sell our TIME to people that want to pay for it in return for providing services or labor. Then we have girlfriends, wives, children, other hobbies, SLEEP and the list goes on but the thing they all have in common is they are all competing for our LIMITED TIME.
IF you have or are willing to give some TIME to hand loading, IMHO it's well worth it.
Reloading offers a lot of good things to the hand loader.
Reloading requires the the individual FOCUS his/her ATTENTION on what they're doing. Not because of a catastrophic failure but to produce an acceptable cartridge that is consistently accurate and dependable.
Many people just CAN'T FOCUS on anything. Attention Deficit is a real issue for some of us. Often, it's just boredom/fear of the unknown. Sometimes there are other causes. I read a study on first grade students, which if memory serves, was done at UCLA to determine the attention span of children starting in the elementary school system. They found it almost impossible to find a median because it changed with area and of course living standards of the students.
In poverty stricken regions, attention spans were from 1 minute to 5 minutes, with an average of 2.1 minutes over 100 students. In relatively affluent regions attention spans were from 1 minute to 16 minutes, with an average of 6 minutes. Recovery time was anywhere from 20 minutes to 5 hours.
There were all sorts of reasons but the main one was feeding unfamiliar or misunderstood information into them, that their brains couldn't process, which usually shut them down from anything coming in after as well.
Hand loading is beneficial in that when approached properly, such as learning the nomenclature of the components, learning their relationship to each other, as well as the firearm, it teaches some individuals to FOCUS. I've seen the effects of this on my grandson. He had a learning disorder and a very short attention span. It turned out he was completely ambidextrous and that included his brain. The thing is, he hadn't learned to FOCUS his attention on anything and both sides of his brain were competing against each other. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for him to go through the things he did to alleviate this issue.
Three of them that were very useful were shooting, which taught him to coordinate his eyes, reloading, which taught him to FOCUS on one subject at a time in a repetitive manner and Fly Tying, which satisfied his artistic side and of course provided him with lots of flies for fishing, which is his other passion.
He is 14 and works 8 hours a week at a local vehicle mechanics shop. He sells his excess flies there and has gone from failing in his grades to close to the top of the classes he takes. I'm very proud of what he's achieved. I don't believe that it would have happened if it weren't for hand loading being included in his regimen.
Now, if you're anal about accuracy, there is no other way to scratch that itch without hand loading.
Having a reliable mentor helps a lot. Sometimes that isn't possible.
Cost??????? That depends on what you find valuable.
I haven't shot a commercial cartridge at a game animal in 40 years. The reason for this is because once I learned what was possible with my components when properly matched with my firearm, there was no way I could get that consistency from commercial ammunition.
If you get into it seriously, purchase your components in BULK QUANTITIES if you want to save cash. Buying in bulk also has the advantage of guaranteeing CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE of your cartridges over a lot of cartridges, rather than changing from box to box, or lot to lot. Not all components are made exactly the same every time.
TURF THE LIBERALS IN 2019
Liberals really like POOR people, they're making more of them every day
If you can't vote CPC, stay at home in protest
Depends how much you will reload, and how much you might want to reload in future. If you're a one rifle guy, shoot less than 100-150 rounds per year then just buy factory ammo. If you'll shoot more than that you should look at reloading.
Some good info in this thread: What BASIC equipment do I need to start reloading?
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bearhunter very touching story and good on you for taking the time.
I have a grandson and granddaughter who will both be given equal opportunities to shoot, reload, cast and perhaps hunt with papa. Should they so desire. They both live in a city and I sure hope I can expose them to some rural opportunities.
Back to topic. Totally worth reloading. Been doing it for 46 years and I’m only 62. Couldn’t imagine going through life without the affliction. My dad never even owned a gun. Go figure!
I have a grandson and granddaughter who will both be given equal opportunities to shoot, reload, cast and perhaps hunt with papa. Should they so desire. They both live in a city and I sure hope I can expose them to some rural opportunities.
Back to topic. Totally worth reloading. Been doing it for 46 years and I’m only 62. Couldn’t imagine going through life without the affliction. My dad never even owned a gun. Go figure!
