Is it worth starting?
- Thread starter Euro
- Start date
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Eventually you'll branch out and start shooting more things. I should be adding three to 5 new chamberings to my safe in the near future (splitting up Dad's guns) and if I didn't handload I'd be ####ed. I currently load for 10 cartridges (a paltry variety compared to some) but some of those run anywhere from $150-$250 for a box of ammo. Doesn't take long for reloading equipment to amortize with those kind of numbers.
Good points, a lot depends on what you are doing though. Whacking steel in high volume it can get kind of tiresome, but if you are hunting or shooting groups it is way cheaper. Sometimes I feel kind of silly blowing through 200 handloads when bulk FMJ would do the same thing, but when the call is out or the paper is up it's pretty satisfying. Not a bad idea to keep some bulk around when the trigger finger gets itchy though. More than once I have spent hours on the bench only to blow through it all in 20 min.
...and then later one sometimes realizes that you don't need the "perfect" load for every firearm you own. Some are just "good enough".
It depends on the type and quantity of firearms you own and what you use them for. I have some firearms that I want to squeeze out the best accuracy I can and I spend time and effort on load development. I have some that I reload for only purely for cost savings and fun shooting. I have several more that I reload for because there is no factory ammo available.
As you broaden your interests in firearms you start reloading for different reasons, not just accuracy. Reloading gives you that option.
Been reloading for a long time, in the past for long range precision shooting .308 and high volume 9mm round count for IPSC. Now I'm a occasional weekend shooter up at our cabin and the tools I have are for hunting and carrying while out and about on our property.
I now reload for 45-70 and 44 Mag on average 10 to 20 rounds for each calibre every other weekend. More when hunting season rolls around when I'm sighting in and testing loads.
I'm buying and shooting hard cast bullets; 45-70 is running me $0.80/ round and the 44 Mag $0.55/ round.
I like the option to make up plinking round up to full loads.
As for time spend for 20 rounds... I weight each powder charge and use a single stage press so it takes about an hour or more depending on how I'm feeling.
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Lots of good advice but maybe we're over thinking it.
If you shoot regularly and you plan to keep shooting for a good long time, and you do (or will) own multiple firearms - then get started reloading right away. No point in waiting because it's not getting any cheaper.
If you aren't sure that shooting will be a long-time thing for you, or if you shoot occasionally but not a lot - then hold off. Factory ammo will likely be as good or better for you for now.
If you shoot regularly and you plan to keep shooting for a good long time, and you do (or will) own multiple firearms - then get started reloading right away. No point in waiting because it's not getting any cheaper.
If you aren't sure that shooting will be a long-time thing for you, or if you shoot occasionally but not a lot - then hold off. Factory ammo will likely be as good or better for you for now.
Eaglelord17
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Sault Ste. Marie
For me I reload because I can't buy factory ammo for most my rifles (or at anywhere near a reasonable cost). I personally don't like it that much, very rarely am I actually in the mood to reload ammo.
For me it takes about 1-2 hours for 50rds with my single stage press (though I am always resetting up the dies as I reload a variety of calibers). Just last weekend I had a reloading secession from hell where it took 3 hours to make 50rds. That being said I wouldn't be able to bring my 1904 1904 Mauser-Vergueiro out this weekend otherwise. Definitely a second hobby with all sorts of issues and problems that can arise. For example for that M1904, I had to resize brass, make a 6.5x55 crimp die work for 6.5x58 (using a washer to raise the crimp), work with pulled surplus 6.5x55 156grn round nose bullets (which requires several crimping stages due to the bullets being slightly smaller than nominal), and creating my own load data for the round (as otherwise it is next to non-existent).
That all being said it generally costs me .70 cents or less a round to shoot any caliber.
For me it takes about 1-2 hours for 50rds with my single stage press (though I am always resetting up the dies as I reload a variety of calibers). Just last weekend I had a reloading secession from hell where it took 3 hours to make 50rds. That being said I wouldn't be able to bring my 1904 1904 Mauser-Vergueiro out this weekend otherwise. Definitely a second hobby with all sorts of issues and problems that can arise. For example for that M1904, I had to resize brass, make a 6.5x55 crimp die work for 6.5x58 (using a washer to raise the crimp), work with pulled surplus 6.5x55 156grn round nose bullets (which requires several crimping stages due to the bullets being slightly smaller than nominal), and creating my own load data for the round (as otherwise it is next to non-existent).
That all being said it generally costs me .70 cents or less a round to shoot any caliber.
