Is it worth it?

ted_dent said:
.....Whether it is worth it or not all depends on how much you intend to shoot....
Click to expand...

Couldnt' agree more ! But regardless, I still reload all my 12 ga. target loads ... very little savings over "promo" shells... but a far superior load.
Besides, what else are you going to do with some 20,000 old style "AA's" on hand ?

I load for 4 different rifle calibers at present ... and do save a fair bit over factory loads. Over the years, my press, dies & gear have been, Im sure, long ago
fully depreciated ! For several years, I probably averaged 200-250 rounds a month of 44 Magnum target loads with my own cast bullets. Could'nt have afforded
that much volume with factory loads ... even if factory light target semi-wadcutter rounds were readily available.

Reloading IS a fine hobby ... every bit as satifying as catching trout on your own flies or shooting ducks over your own decoys.

And as the OP said he doesn't watch T.V. ... Nor should you when reloading, fly tying or carving decoys !
No distractions ... concentrate on what you're doing.
 
If you shoot much, it is worth it. Lately I've been shooting 400 to 600 rounds a week. If I use lead my 9mm cost me 11 cents per round, $5.50 per 50 rounds. If I use copper plated it costs me 12.3 cents per round or $6.15 per 50 rounds. If I buy 500 rounds of Winchester white box 115 grn it costs me $147 per 500 or 29.4 cents per round. I save money reloading. Period. Brass is very available and admittedly this is where much of the savings lies.

Do I shoot more because my ammo costs less? Yes I do and that's a good thing because I'm into shooting. Win win.

Now get into 38/357, 45, 44-40, 30-06 etc, the savings are incredible.

I bought my guns to shoot and reloading allows me to use my guns more. This is good. I practice more and am a better shot for it. I also enjoy the reloading process - bonus round!
 
Yes it's worth it!

I started reloading .45ACP because I missed shooting my 1911 as my primary pistol. You see, I have two young kids and was only shooting 9mm and .22lr handguns due to the cost of .45 ammo. My revolver would see a box of .38spl once in a while and no .357mag at all.

I enjoyed this new hobby so much that I soon started reloading .223 rem. Not much saving there but my groups are half the size they were with factory ammunition, so that makes it worth it for me.

I added .38spl to my reloading bench in the past year and will hopefully add .45lc in the next one.

Get some books and watch some videos. Reloading is not just a hobby, it's a passion. It brings a whole new dimension to the shooting sport and the only regret I have is not starting handloading years ago.
 
jongun said:
In most cases there is money to be saved as well pride in making quality ammo to your preferences and customized to your specific firearms.
Click to expand...

Good point, I have a pistol that likes 0.050" longer rounds than my other in that calibre. Not a problem for a reloader. No savings but a better functioning gun is worth the reloading comittment.
 
Try finding 300 HH mag shells just anywhere and you learn to reload right quick let alone a 45-70 and 375 HH mag. I seen stores in small town Alberta when I lived there that if it wasn't 30-06,300 Win Mag or 7MM you were out of luck most times and the 30-06 was always some weird buller size like 220 grain roundnose.
 
I find shooting therapeutic, all the focus and attention required is like meditation, I find the same is with reloading, requires all my focus and attention, the worries of the world fall into the back round and it is me and the machines. So if you think you can benefit from some meditation shooting is good for you, and so is reloading. If you factor in the savings on bullets and the benefits of exercising your mind, I think that reloading is will save you money and promote good healthy living.
 
ReloaderRick said:
I wore out my Lee 1000 and bought a 550.
Click to expand...


How did you wear out your lee? Mines at least 30 years old and has done tens of thousands of rounds by now, I'm sure. I've got carriers and tool heads for 9mm 38 357 44-40 44mag 45 colt 45acp.. Going to try doing my 300 AAC on it soon :)

Would love a Dillon, but can't invest a few grand to do everything the little pro1000 is doing
 
Remisteel said:
I find shooting therapeutic, all the focus and attention required is like meditation, I find the same is with reloading, requires all my focus and attention, the worries of the world fall into the back round and it is me and the machines. So if you think you can benefit from some meditation shooting is good for you, and so is reloading. If you factor in the savings on bullets and the benefits of exercising your mind, I think that reloading is will save you money and promote good healthy living.
Click to expand...


I use a similar line on non-shooters, just to throw them off of any Rambo mall ninja mental images they may have. I tell them shooting is for me a moving meditation. It's true all the same. Reloading is the same. I may not like the more tedious prep work, but dropping the charge and chunking that thing in the press is satisfying. I like a nice piece of home made ammo as much as I do the gun that empties it
 
White-Spring said:
You would have to be an avid shooter to save money when you factor in the cost of reloading equipment
Click to expand...

Ever buy a box of Norma factory loads for a 470 NE? $250 for 10. 416 Rigby will set you back almost $200 for 20. I'm going to hazard a guess that my press and gear is well paid off by now. YMMV.
 
To the OP

Amortize the cost of the press, dies etc. over the rest of your life.

I bought a RockChucker when I was 23 and still have it and still get warranty service 39 years later. That press owes me nothing.
I bought a Dillon 650 when I was about 35 and just got off it a minute ago.

Anything you buy you will be able to sell for a fair price as used gear, easily.

Good used brass is easy to find and will last 5 loadings at least.
All you are paying for when loading is powder, primer, bullet.
 
you may not save a lot of money when you start reloading but in the long term you will save lots of money as ammo costs are going up every year.
 
BigUglyMan said:
Ever buy a box of Norma factory loads for a 470 NE? $250 for 10. 416 Rigby will set you back almost $200 for 20. I'm going to hazard a guess that my press and gear is well paid off by now. YMMV.
Click to expand...

The big guns are an example of where it really pays off. With the Rigby I can sit down for an hour or so, load 100 rounds and save $800. Well maybe "save" is the wrong word, because there's no way that I would have bought something that had to be fed with $200 a box ammo. Drop that down to under what many people pay for factory 30-06 loads and it starts making sense again.

Some aspects of handloading don't pay off as well. Shot-shells? Forget it now. Casting thousands of handgun bullets is a poor excuse for a hobby if you put in a days work for what you can buy for 50 bucks. Casting a large bore rifle bullet is an efficient use of time when each one replaces a 2 dollar jacketed bullet that isn't needed for practice and was hard to get in the first place.

I mostly load for accuracy and performance. Once the loads are developed there is a real savings on rifle ammo, if you can ignore the 10 open boxes of bullets and the 5 open cans of powder that never made it.
 
Duty-Bootie said:
Hi All.......Fairly new here and to gun ownership in Canada. Not had guns since my 20's back in the UK.....till they took them off us that is.

Anyway. Looking into the cost of buying bullets vs reloads. I guess the labour saving is there for sure. But by the time I buy all the bits and pieces is it worth reloading myself?

I can sit evenings and do it as I don't watch TV. Bit like when I tied my own flies. Off season....

Just interested.

Thanks.

RH, North Saanich B.C.
Click to expand...

Reloading is more expensive than just buying them off the shelf - but look at it this way: if you want another hobby that is rewarding then give it a try!
 
Duty-Bootie

Your British so my advice is start reloading, that way you can load ammo for the British actor playing the Marshal from a small southern town in "The Walking Dead".

This way the "British" actor will have plenty of ammo to shoot Zombies and you can root for the home team sitting in front of the TV (telly) and crank out his ammo and yours.
(just make sure you put some bullet proof glass in front of the TV in case you get carried away and try and help him out of a jam)

WalkingDead_zpsd5ce6745.jpg


I just don't understand why if I watch BBC television I can't understand half of what they are saying but a British actor can come to the USA and pull off a great job speaking real southern American English.

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!
 
150 once fired cases $25
150 primers $6
cast boolits $6
Powder $15
total $52

7 boxes of 20 rounds at $20.00each = $140

Yah.....dont bother, its way cheaper to buy off the shelf...

(btw $200 Lee press, dies, mold; paid for itself in two years)
 
I have spent thousands on reloading equipment. My reloading bench is now mostly redding....and its payed for itself in spades.

When i got to the range, i blow off easly 200-300 .308, or 100 .338LM, sometimes both. i make that trip about once a month.

my cost off horrinady match grade bullets for .308.... about 70-80 cents a piece... as apposed to buying it for like 2.80 a bullet.
on .338 im shooting sierra 300/250 mk's or barnes TSX. I reload for under $2 a bullet... as apposed to buying at 7-8 a bullet... so once range trip with the .338 i save around $600 on ammo reloading vs off the shelf. its about 2 hours of work to make those bullets....

so in 6 months by reloading its paid for all my gear and saved me cash compared to what i would have spent to shoot the same amount... and with an hour drive to the range... i go to shoot all day not just pussy foot around with a box or two of ammo.
 
ALMAR said:
If you like precision shooting, reloading is a must. You cant get the optimal if you don't customize the round.

If you like shooting just for plinking and such, or shoot a lot for fun then it may be worth it, but keep in mind that reloading involves many factors, initial cost, research, component availability, learning curve etc...if you want to cast and save more then it's even more learning, work etc. Some may find this not to be worth the money they save.

If you are the typical hunter, if you just zero your rifle and use one for a buck every year...probably not worth it.
Click to expand...

I'd like to add to my comment.

I got into reloading because of the instability of ammo prices. I wanted to have a large buffer to prevent cost prohibitive prices preventing me to do what I liked. If you have a large amount of lead powder and primers you are basically independent of price fluctuations. But this initial interest evolved into something different. When you make your first few rounds you open a new realm of control over what ends up on the target. The variables are extensive and I'm the type of person who gets really interested in exploring new ways to improve what I do.

When you learn enough about it, you can make the ultimate round for your firearm, it is tuned perfectly to your system and to me there is no price to this. I will be in a very desperate situation if I ever have to buy factory ammo again for my rifles. I retract my comment on it not being worth it for the typical hunter. After some thought I believe that it's worth it for anybody who has an interest in shooting their rifle to it's full potential.
 
Dogleg said:
I mostly load for accuracy and performance. Once the loads are developed there is a real savings on rifle ammo, if you can ignore the 10 open boxes of bullets and the 5 open cans of powder that never made it.
Click to expand...

Yup. But those orphans eventually get used. That's what's I keep telling myself.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom