Reloading- Benefits?

B

buklwinner

Member
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Location
Calgary
Question from the newbie.
What are the benefits to reloading? I know squat about ballistics. The only pluses I can see are money saving, and give you a hobby.
Are these true, and is there others.
If I dont shoot my gun 30 times a day, is it still worth it to reload my own shells, or should I just buy them off the shelf?
 
It's a hobby, gives me something else to ignore while watching TV :p .
The ammo is tailored to you and your firearm.
Depending on the caliber, you'll save between a little and a lot of money. On the flipside, you'll probably do a lot more shooting.

(E) :cool:
 
-it's fun and satisfying
-much less expensive than factory. You can either shoot a lot more than before, you can shoot better ammo than you could afford before, or you can just pocket the savings.
-more accuracy potential
-more versatility

If you're the kind of shooter who shoots a half-a-box of ammo through your 30-06 per year, then reloading's not for you.
 
Reloading is a natural extension of the gun nut:

1) Buy a gun and learn to shoot
2) hunt if thats your thing
3) reload
4) start building your own stocks
5) custom work

and on and on and on ...............

If you just want a hunting rifle that you shoot less than 20 times a year don't bother reloading. However I warn you that this gun nut thing spreads through you like the flesh eating bacteria.
 
If you just want a hunting rifle that you shoot less than 20 times a year don't bother reloading. However I warn you that this gun nut thing spreads through you like the flesh eating bacteria
Click to expand...

I will welcome it with open arms.
 
Reloading is worthwhile if you want to reload for interesting rounds like the 33 Winchester, 348 Winchester that ammo is scarce or non-existant for. Other reasons would be to find the one load or loads that your rifle(s) shoot well with - better than factory ammo.

Shooting cast boolits is another reason to get into reloading - nothing quite like bringing down game with boolits you cast, cartridges you've handloaded for best accuracy in your guns.

Reloading allows you to make up cheap plinking loads or heavy +P loads that work well in your guns.

Reloading gets you thinking about what a good rifle round requires to meet your hunting/shooting needs.

Reloading makes you independent of any factory supplied ammo.

Reloading helps make you a better shooter/hunter.

What's not to like?;)
 
The handloader can make ammo which is not commercially available for current cartridges. A handloader can make cast bullet loads for taking small game and game birds with his deer rifle, he can make loads suitable for the wife or kids to shoot in that light weight '06, he can make loads suitable for long range target shooting, or make big game or target loads with components which the factory just does not put together.

Only you can answer if handloading is going to be a worth while endeavour. A good reloading starter kit will set you back $500.00. If you spend $500 a year in factory ammo, it might be worth considering, but only you know what your level of passion is. For many of us handloading is not dollar driven, it is just a way to understand shooting at a more sophisticated level. Why does one load shoot better than another in the same rifle? Why does COL effect accuracy? Is there more recoil with the heavier bullet if I use less powder? What can I control to obtain the most accuracy, power, range, etc?
 
you can make ammo that is more accurate than the stuff off the shelf, and you can do it for a fraction of the price the factory stuff costs.
You can make "specialized" bullets for your rifle for different purposes. IE: FMJ's for paper, HP's for varmints, softpoints for hunting....
you can get much more out of your rifle by reloading than by going with the standardized " off the shelf stuff".
As one of the other guys mentioned... reloading is just one step in being a fully knowledgable firearms owner and user. And there is nothing more satisfying than creating ammo that shoots tighter groups than your buddies....
By learning to make your own ammo, you will master your rifle sooner.
 
All of the above and one important thing:

You learn more about ammunition, how it works in your gun
and why factory ammo doea not work well in some guns.

You'll learn how to make a good hunting/target load for a given game, gun or
shooter.

For me it was not the money. For pistol rounds the cost savings are minimal.
For rifle loads you'll save 40% , i.e. after you recover the initil cost of all
the equipment and tools (about $1000).
 
If you're shooting 9mm or .40 cal (or .223 in rifle) then reloading is not something I would recommend unless:
1) you like doing it
2) you want to try and squeeze every last bit of accuracy out of your firearms
3) you shoot thousands of rounds

On the other hand, if you shoot the more expensive calibers, then reloading is definately worth looking into.
 
reloading is a hobby all in itself when you get into it.it allows you to control one of the biggest variables when it comes to shooting.i know i have fun just trying new loads and comparing them to past efforts.

it definatly allows me to shoot more,especially in the larger calibres and at the same time i'm not worried about finding my particular brand of ammo when some of it is scarce.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom