Hey I'm a young guy who is trying to decide whether to get into reloading. I had a guy reload some for my Weatherbys and he did a phenomenal job while still being cheaper than factory ammo. But reloading is still pretty expensive, the guy who reloaded for me moved away and now I'm trying to decide if it's worth it for me to learn it. I don't know anyone who is willing to teach me so that poses a big problem in my opinion. But you guys out there have more smarts and experience so what do you think?
New to reloading
- Thread starter wbymag101
- Start date
Welcome new guy. There is a Reloading forum that has a wealth of information in it and there is a long running thread in that forum on whether it is worth it to reload or not:
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/is-reloading-even-worth-it-now.2579068/
The short answer is that it is worth it for higher volume shooting, custom ammo to suit unusual uses and for cartridges that are rare or very expensive to buy factory ammo for. If you shoot a common calibre and only run a box or two of ammo through per year then it isn't worth it. Based on you shooting Weatherby rifles, you may find reloading well worth it.
Mark
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/is-reloading-even-worth-it-now.2579068/
The short answer is that it is worth it for higher volume shooting, custom ammo to suit unusual uses and for cartridges that are rare or very expensive to buy factory ammo for. If you shoot a common calibre and only run a box or two of ammo through per year then it isn't worth it. Based on you shooting Weatherby rifles, you may find reloading well worth it.
Mark
It's as hard, and expensive, as you want it to be. There is plenty of videos online to help, and every reloading book generally has the in and outs of the basics in the front of the book. If one wants to just reload inexpensive hunting ammo it is very doable with a Lee reloader, or even a hand press. Combine that with some on sale soft points and whatever powder is available (from the book) you should have paid for the components and press in a couple seasons. However... If you have short attention spans and are not very mechanically inclined it may be a bit more of a challenge (or outright dangerous). That being said, follow the printed load data, don't alter more than one variable at a time and it is a rewarding hobby.
Putting your location in your profile might help you find someone in your area to help.
That being said, many factors to consider when getting into reloading. If you are loading 20-30 rounds a year for hunting the cost of starting up isn't worth the $$$ spent for the equipment. If you are shooting several hundred rounds a year the cost per round is cheaper. However now you are going down a rabbit hole loading more and shooting more. It is a vicious circle.
That being said, many factors to consider when getting into reloading. If you are loading 20-30 rounds a year for hunting the cost of starting up isn't worth the $$$ spent for the equipment. If you are shooting several hundred rounds a year the cost per round is cheaper. However now you are going down a rabbit hole loading more and shooting more. It is a vicious circle.
Reloading is awesome.
I never had anyone teach me (no utube either) and no issues.
It's not very difficult to get the hang of and dozens of utube vids to watch if you need.
I started with a Classic Lee loader in 22-250 and 30-06 and then got a press a couple years later.
I never had anyone teach me (no utube either) and no issues.
It's not very difficult to get the hang of and dozens of utube vids to watch if you need.
I started with a Classic Lee loader in 22-250 and 30-06 and then got a press a couple years later.
Thanks for that. The thread is very interesting. Based on the facts that I like my Weatherbys and basically anything that's really big or kind of weird, that would probably be a good idea for me to start learning it since it won't get any cheaper than it is now.
As I understand, there is reloading, and then there's the Weatherbys reloading on top of that.....
They have unique brass and the neck is the heart of their design. alot has to be paid attention to that....
Mostly you just going to have to find factory brass to work off of.
Im not totally sure if you can adapt others to fit your chamber by fire forming them.
The dies and other things for their specific shape are pretty much themselves... might be hard to find here or at least really expensive to get in...
They have unique brass and the neck is the heart of their design. alot has to be paid attention to that....
Mostly you just going to have to find factory brass to work off of.
Im not totally sure if you can adapt others to fit your chamber by fire forming them.
The dies and other things for their specific shape are pretty much themselves... might be hard to find here or at least really expensive to get in...
MosinMan13
CGN Regular
- Location
- Thornbury Ontario
I would just alter the perspective a little away from cost to quality and quantity. That’s said to your original question it’s absolutely something you can teach yourself utilizing YouTube, a good manual and friends/CGN for questions. For what it’s worth Lee has a whole loading set line that utilizes a mallet to strike the dies together, so it can be really simple and primitive, and you can piece your collection of gear together with very minimal tech until you work yourself up to very high tech/high end gear.
- Location
- Delta B.C.
I think you will be fine.. You started by asking questions. Do you want to? Do you think you will enjoy it or will it be like a chore? Be honest with yourself when thinking about it. It's not cheaper until your set up and rolling your own unless you inherit the equipment to start with. I think most of us Canucks have been self taught through reading and watching then doing and redoing.. Tell us a little more about why and what your doing it for.. Cheers
So like I mentioned a had several Weatherbys. Now it's down to one but I'll probably pick up more in the future. I'm also considering getting into competitions. So I feel like it would be a good thing for me to learn. I think it's something I would enjoy, it's very intriguing to me.
If the reloads your friend made up for you worked good in your rifle then it’s worth it to get the gear and keep making the ammo your rifle likes
Hopefully you have the load data/components used so you can duplicate what your friend did
Hopefully you have the load data/components used so you can duplicate what your friend did
OP, if you only shoot a couple of boxes per year, it's not worth it, if the factory ammo you get is accurate in your rifle.
If you decided to purchase a rifle for competition, or just practice, instead of letting the Weatherby magnums beat you up, then it's also worthwhile getting into handloading.
If you decided to purchase a rifle for competition, or just practice, instead of letting the Weatherby magnums beat you up, then it's also worthwhile getting into handloading.
saskgunowner101
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- middle of Sask
While it's nice for someone to take you under their wing to teach you anything in life, there's a lot you can do before you even start asking people "How do I do this?"
Go find a few reloading manuals, Modern Reloading 2nd edition by Richard Lee, Lyman 48, Hornady 10th edition. You should be able to find these online. All of them will get you a solid understanding of what you need to do.
One thing for sure is if you reload you will end up shooting more! I started because I wanted something that wasn’t easily available for my 9.3x62, now I reload for everything 308, 30-06, 8x57 and so on!
I bought a Lee precision kit( I wouldn’t go that route if I knew better) and still use some of the kit, press mainly and I upgraded a few other things to make my life easier/less frustrating.
First of finding out the load recipe that your friend was loading for your rifle and see if you can find the component locally( especially powder and primers) then I assume you kept most of the brass you have shot in your rifle, if so you might not need to buy new brass for awhile!
Buy a FEW reloading books, lots of info and you can cross check between books to see if there is consistency(typo have been found in the past).
You really don’t need much for hunting purposes until you get into competition then well good luck going down that infinite rabbit hole hahaha.
Have fun be safe and shoot straight!
I bought a Lee precision kit( I wouldn’t go that route if I knew better) and still use some of the kit, press mainly and I upgraded a few other things to make my life easier/less frustrating.
First of finding out the load recipe that your friend was loading for your rifle and see if you can find the component locally( especially powder and primers) then I assume you kept most of the brass you have shot in your rifle, if so you might not need to buy new brass for awhile!
Buy a FEW reloading books, lots of info and you can cross check between books to see if there is consistency(typo have been found in the past).
You really don’t need much for hunting purposes until you get into competition then well good luck going down that infinite rabbit hole hahaha.
Have fun be safe and shoot straight!
I can’t imagine not reloading, every time I walk down an ammo aisle reinforces that…
But cost is relative.
With factory rolled ammo most people quantify cost per box, or by 20 rounds and buy a few boxes at a time as needed.
With reloading (at least for me) the tooling is amortized over my life time so it’s a fixed expense that improves its value to me over time as it isn’t affected by inflation like factory ammunition is.
Also when reloading I look at the consumables in lots of 100 or 1000, not 20. Some upfront it might appear higher cost but if you run the cost per round you usually can build premium ammunition well under the cost of cheap ammo and again, once the components are purchased they are not affected by the future inflation of factory ammunition you haven’t purchased yet.
So upfront costs can be perceived as high but spread over time costs are actually low.
Another bonus with reloading is you get a mindset that you’re never really out of ammunition, you just have to assemble it.
So just one more skillset in life to learn; read a book, watch some videos, ask some questions, gain understanding and always err on the side of caution.
But cost is relative.
With factory rolled ammo most people quantify cost per box, or by 20 rounds and buy a few boxes at a time as needed.
With reloading (at least for me) the tooling is amortized over my life time so it’s a fixed expense that improves its value to me over time as it isn’t affected by inflation like factory ammunition is.
Also when reloading I look at the consumables in lots of 100 or 1000, not 20. Some upfront it might appear higher cost but if you run the cost per round you usually can build premium ammunition well under the cost of cheap ammo and again, once the components are purchased they are not affected by the future inflation of factory ammunition you haven’t purchased yet.
So upfront costs can be perceived as high but spread over time costs are actually low.
Another bonus with reloading is you get a mindset that you’re never really out of ammunition, you just have to assemble it.
So just one more skillset in life to learn; read a book, watch some videos, ask some questions, gain understanding and always err on the side of caution.
I think you should do it. It's one of the best decisions I ever made.
Check this thread, it has links to online tutorials and some equipment lists: https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/what-needed-to-start-reloading.1744815/
There are more than 100 threads on CGN for this subject. Search "start reloading" or click here: https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/search/1639458/?q=start+reloading&o=relevance
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So reading a reloading book is out of the question then?
Google isn't an option? You have access to the entirety of human knowledge at your fingertips and you need someone to hold your hand through this? It must just amaze how people learned to reload 30+ years ago.Either you want to reload or you don't. If you do, then you will figure it out. If not then you won't. That's how these things work.
- Location
- Delta B.C.
Most competitive shooters reload. So stepping into the world of reloading is probably a good choice. Keep your eyes on the EE reloading section for setups. There are many good books to get. If you know what bullet manufacturer you will be getting your freedom pills from their reloading manual should be one of the first books you get. Modern Reloading by Richard Lee is good and so is the Lyman reloading manual. I did a bunch of research before buying my first press that came in a kit and it included a Nosler reloading handbook. It was enough for me to start with and that press is still my main squeeze. Cheers
The ABC's of Reloading helped me get started. Picture books are easier to "read".
Costing out the loads your guy made may help you decide.
Dillon Precision has a Reloading cost calculator that is easy to use. I couldn't find it on their website but found it via google
Clint
Costing out the loads your guy made may help you decide.
Dillon Precision has a Reloading cost calculator that is easy to use. I couldn't find it on their website but found it via google
Clint
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