I started reloading to be able to use Partition for hunting with my 7RM, as they were not avail in factory ammo at that time. I've bought a box of factory ammo here and there over the years since then, some shot good, some didn't, some made it to velocity claims, many didn't. That is the thing that gets me with fctory ammo, lack of consistency from lot to lot, availability of a good lot in volume also. I do have one gun I haven't bothered reloading for, a 300H&H, as the factory ammo I got was sub-moa, and a bunch from the same lot was available at the time, and I needed brass for it anyway. It's a hunting gun though, not a range gun, and at the time, ammo was under 50.00/box for it.
Reloading has allowed me to buy guns I would never have bought, if only using factory ammo, and let me shoot some disciplines I would only have dreamed about over the years, and never would have participated in.
Where reloading is worthwhile to me, is being able to shoot the bullet I want to use, when I want to use it, use the gun I like, when I feel like using it, and shoot as much as I please, whether it be gophers or range shooting. In the last three yrs, I've bought 5 boxes of centrefire factory ammo to test out two new guns, about 2000 bullets, 5 lbs of powder and an extra 3-4000 primers before they disappeared a couple of yrs ago, and around 1500 rds of .22 ammo. Still have 4-500lbs of lead I can cast bullets with. I may have to load some 20ga lead #8 sometime this year, have to evaluate that yet, I have lots of waterfowl ammo still, may use the .22 instead for chickens this year.
It isn't what many people want to do, I have friends that may only shoot 3-4 boxes of centrefire ammo a year, reloading isn't worthwhile to them, that's their life, they aren't into rangework and gophers though.
