Is reloading even worth it now?

[jethunter]

For the last 20 or so years, the trick is to buy when it's available, and buy extra. Price keeps going up, so a few years down the road the brass or powder you thought was expensive at the time looks pretty good in comparison to current pricing.

Brass that costs $1 each actually cost 20 cents per load if you reload it 5 times.

I don't load 12 ga or 9mm but some of the older uncommon or obsolete ammo is still much less expensive to reload than buy factory.

For hunting ammo I reload so I can use the bullet I want.

 

[boxhitch]

If I see any ivi 223 brass I scoop those up as It is great brass for reloading

PMC or LC here. Trade?

 

[Deathrawt]

I e got some Pmc and LC brass too
I reload all of it lol

 

[Gumboots]

When 7.62x39 SP is tickling $2/rnd, yes, reloading still makes sense. It's all about caliber. 7.62x39 should not cost the same as .308.

I hunt with an SKS. I like that I can reloading hunting ammo for well below retail costs.

 

[Licensed to kill]

It is worth reloading for the savings for some (even if those savings are small) and is worth doing for the pleasure of it to others, regardless of the savings. Then there are those that find loading tedious and boring so won’t do it unless the cost savings is significant and those that aren’t interested in doing it and don’t care about the cost of pre-rolled. People just need to be honest with themselves as to where they fall and act accordingly. Point being, while people can share their experiences, only you can know which category you actually belong to and then, you know if it is worth it to you or not.

 

[OldDude]

Then there's the thought that you don't save any money; you just shoot more when you reload.

 

[Lastgun]

I figure ammo is like food...You can eat takeout and shoot factory or you can live high on the hog and cook gourmet and reload custom tailored ammo...Yeah reloading is definitely worth it.

 

[Licensed to kill]

Then there's the thought that you don't save any money; you just shoot more when you reload.

No “thought” went into that position.

 

[jethunter]

455 webley is $100 a box. I can reload for under $25. Bullets are $2 per pound, brass lasts forever. Primer is the most expensive component.

 

[Huntsman]

Agreed as mentioned above. One of my favourite parts of reloading is when I visit my gun club they have ‘range brass buckets’ for 50m and 100-300m, it’s alway a pleasure to see what brass could be in there. Someone left some fancy Weatherby brass one time, I reckon about $40-50 in value.
I tend to leave any nickel plated brass there.

 

[Huntsman]

Every time I go to the range the first thing I do is take a stroll and eye up the ground for potential brass pickings
I check the bin for discarded brass too
I usually come home with a couple handfuls of brass of various calibers
If I see any ivi 223 brass I scoop those up as It is great brass for reloading

Some of my best groups were with IVI 556 brass and 24.5grs BLC-2. I scored a bag full of IVI 556 at the local shooting pit near Wawanesa Mb.
And about 10 yrs ago I scored another 100 or so of ‘78 IVI 7.62 at my LGS in st Albert

 

[Fox]

Agreed as mentioned above. One of my favourite parts of reloading is when I visit my gun club they have ‘range brass buckets’ for 50m and 100-300m, it’s alway a pleasure to see what brass could be in there. Someone left some fancy Weatherby brass one time, I reckon about $40-50 in value.
I tend to leave any nickel plated brass there.

We have a brass drop off at our club, they take it in for scrap value and then have a big fireworks display for the kids in the summer.

I have suggested that they sort, tumble and sell the brass but that means a gun show table or listing on places like here, they fight to get it sold, etc, etc, so they just take ownership once it ends up in the bin and then sell it for scrap.

Things like Weatherby ammo, or alike, it is sad to see it get sold for simply scrap.

 

[manicmechanic]

Agreed as mentioned above. One of my favourite parts of reloading is when I visit my gun club they have ‘range brass buckets’ for 50m and 100-300m, it’s alway a pleasure to see what brass could be in there. Someone left some fancy Weatherby brass one time, I reckon about $40-50 in value.
I tend to leave any nickel plated brass there.

The nickel plated ones make eye catching keychain ornaments for friends

 

[Huntsman]

The nickel plated ones make eye catching keychain ornaments for friends

Alway happy to provide for one’s endeavours ;-)

 

[serg777]

Agreed as mentioned above. One of my favourite parts of reloading is when I visit my gun club they have ‘range brass buckets’ for 50m and 100-300m, it’s alway a pleasure to see what brass could be in there. Someone left some fancy Weatherby brass one time, I reckon about $40-50 in value.
I tend to leave any nickel plated brass there.

Nickel-plated brass is my choice. In theory, it has a bit harder and slicker surface than bare brass, and also provides better corrosion resistance, which reduces feeding issues in harsh conditions. That’s why it’s often used in premium-grade ammunition and by LE. Another little bonus is that after multiple wet-tumbling sessions, the nickel plating gradually starts to wear off, and the yellowing effect becomes a good indicator of how many times the casing has been reloaded.

 

[Huntsman]

I avoid nickel plated brass as they are harder than brass making them harder on your dies. After use, the nickel plating will start to flake off which in turn could wedge or stick onto the interior surface which cause scratches on your brass cases. Nickel brass can’t be annealed either.
ymmv

 

[VICIOUS]

Law enforcement use NICKLE cases due to leaving loaded rounds in the firearm for years. Green cases due not come out easy for reload at speed.

 

[iron cat]

Law enforcement use NICKLE cases due to leaving loaded rounds in the firearm for years. Green cases due not come out easy for reload at speed.

Interesting, the RCMP where I live have never used nickel cases , always brass- but they do not reload those cases anyway
Cat

 

[iron cat]

When people talk about the increase of the price of powder and primers, just think that gas a few years ago was 80 cents a litre , now it is 180.00 . I am sure everyone uses more gas than the other. Shooting factory ammo , somehow just seems wrong if you are a real shooter. I even cast all my own bullets except a few cf rifle.

I wouldn't be able to afford to shoot as much as I do if i didn't hand load.
To add to that, some of my ammunition is unavailable, such as my 95 grain .223 match ammo or my 8.15x46R Schuetzen ammo
Cat

 

[209jones]

Reloading also gave me the ability to shoot some guns I never would have bought were I depending on factory ammo, also talked myself into buying some in spite of the cartridge it was chambered for, because it was too good a deal to turn down. And it gave me the chance to try out some different disciplines I may not have otherwise, and learn some variations of stuff along the way.