Sometimes it's not quite worth the effort.
- Thread starter redruns
- Start date
TacticalCanuck
Regular
- Location
- SW Ontario
For 9mm I am lucky. I was given a bucket of brass. Few thousand of em. My cost per 1000 is about $20 in powder $44 in primers and $98 in lead. So $162 per 1000. Wolf locally is $319 per 1000. So I save $157 per 1000. I load 100 at a time and generally do 2 or 3 batches per night when I need em. I am new but have a great load worked out and I feel way more in tune with what I'm doing when I shoot my own loads.
If you got the brass it's half cost. I say it's worth it.
If you got the brass it's half cost. I say it's worth it.
I am new to reloading and although I have not saved much money yet, the fact that I will be hunting and hopefully fill the freezer with ammo that I made just has an added sense of accomplishment. For me being successful hunting is a great feeling that I plan for it to be even better when I have loaded the round that took the animal.
1) You either enjoy reloading or you don't. I find it relaxing.
2) You can build good custom ammo, save money or shoot more, whatever you like.
3) cuddling with the wife is only so fun. Ill take sore neck over sore ears... lol
4) Im not sure about 9mm but once you start with bigger cartridges, ie rifles, you will save money over overpriced factory fodder.
good luck
2) You can build good custom ammo, save money or shoot more, whatever you like.
3) cuddling with the wife is only so fun. Ill take sore neck over sore ears... lol
4) Im not sure about 9mm but once you start with bigger cartridges, ie rifles, you will save money over overpriced factory fodder.
good luck
I reload for my .257 Weatherby, 375 H&H and .458 Win Mag. There is ALOT of cost savings in reloading for those. The .257 factory ammo can be found for around $50 ish sometimes, but the bullets aren't really hunting quality bullets. I reload using Nosler partitions or Barnes TSX's and it costs me around 1.20 a round to reload. Factory loadings with the same bullets are north of 80 to 100 a box if you can find them. Extra bonus is they can be tuned to your gun.
The other two get about the same savings for me, but there is also the added benefit of being able to load those ones down a bit, to make the 458 something more plesant to shoot.
The other two get about the same savings for me, but there is also the added benefit of being able to load those ones down a bit, to make the 458 something more plesant to shoot.
Sucsessful commercial reloaders make consistent ammunition. Reloaders like Atlanta Arms and WOLF are two fine examples.
I'm able to dial in a load that is consistently and appropriate for my purpose and works great in my pistol. For what it's worth, I'll never be a better shot than my pistol, and as a wise old gunsmith one told me, "it ain't the ammo."
I'm unlikely to ever but anything labeled "Match Grade" unless it's coffee. Match Grade 9mm isn't worth extra for me.
I'm able to dial in a load that is consistently and appropriate for my purpose and works great in my pistol. For what it's worth, I'll never be a better shot than my pistol, and as a wise old gunsmith one told me, "it ain't the ammo."
I'm unlikely to ever but anything labeled "Match Grade" unless it's coffee. Match Grade 9mm isn't worth extra for me.
The only person who can tell you if it's worth it or not is you.
If you only ever plan to reload 9mm then maybe paying yourself $28 an hour isn't worth it for you - it's your choice.
But if minor physical activity makes gives you get a sore back or neck then it's likely you need the workout anyway. The exercise you get from that hour workout on the loading press is doing more than $28 worth of good for your health and upper body strength. You could pay for a gym memebership to do the same thing, or pay yourself $28/hr to reload.
I don't know you, but from a few sentences I can easily get a measure of you. Not exactly sure why you choose to provide a personal insult to this thread. I understand that it is often difficult for some people to catch the light humour or sarcasm included within writing as there is no inflection of tone or body language to help you.
Also, I'm positive you have no idea of my level of fitness and participation in various physical activities. Before making these great assumptions about someone's capabilities, perhaps you could learn more about them. I would like to invite you to come train with me or maybe we could go for a run. I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun (and I mean that sincerely). I'm not a star marathoner, or a WKF gold medallist but I sure enjoy what I do. Run far, hit hard.
As for the gym membership, what a great idea! In fact, they gym membership could completely replace the home gym I have downstairs, silly me for not thinking of it earlier.
You measured wrong and flew off the handle for nothing....
There was absolutely no personal insult intended whatsoever. Most of us have jobs that don't get us a lot of physical activity. I cast a few bullets and reload, and i can really notice the improvement in my shoulders, hands, and forearms when i keep it up regularly. What part of that did you find insulting??
Calm down, you'll live longer. Maybe try a looser pair of underwear or something, yours might be too tight. LOL (that's a joke, not intended as an insult, btw)
What do you guys that reload volume .223 pay for a round? I reload for most of my rifles except the AR15s. I also load 45 Colt and 45 ACP at times. Was thinking of starting doing cheap .223 for range blasting. I go through far too much 9mm to want to load it
this.
If there are priming troubles either the feed way is dirty - use some canned air
Or the press timing is off - make sure it locks into place well before reaching bottom. Check with all 3 stations because as internals wear or get dirty one station can begin to lag a bit.
I've run literally tens of thousands of dominion primers and I find they feed almost as good as CCI and far better than Winchester. I've experimented by putting a bit of powdered graphite on the priming tray every 5 or 6 packs of primers and it does seem to help them to feed down a bit better, but there is too much of a good thing and you've got to blow the excess buildup out of the bottom of the ramp sometimes.
I'd never buy 9mm bulk as opposed to loading it. Not unless I could get brass cased stuff at no more than 22cents a round, and that's not going to happen.
Reloading is about better ammo, and shooting more of it.
You don't save any money in the big picture. You do get more fun for the buck, however.
Or the press timing is off - make sure it locks into place well before reaching bottom. Check with all 3 stations because as internals wear or get dirty one station can begin to lag a bit.
I've run literally tens of thousands of dominion primers and I find they feed almost as good as CCI and far better than Winchester. I've experimented by putting a bit of powdered graphite on the priming tray every 5 or 6 packs of primers and it does seem to help them to feed down a bit better, but there is too much of a good thing and you've got to blow the excess buildup out of the bottom of the ramp sometimes.
I'd never buy 9mm bulk as opposed to loading it. Not unless I could get brass cased stuff at no more than 22cents a round, and that's not going to happen.
Reloading is about better ammo, and shooting more of it.
You don't save any money in the big picture. You do get more fun for the buck, however.
Thanks for the good advice, spot on. It is exactly the trouble I have had and so far it is an easy fix. I have a compressed air source to blow out any tiny powder flakes every time I think about it. Then adjust zero for the shell plate as soon as you get that "crunch" when primer feeding. Next is to pay attention to the case feeder and make sure it stays tight. Finicky
digitalblue
CGN Regular
- Location
- GTA unfortunately
Consider investing in a better press(ie. Hornady LnL), the enjoyment factor and productivity will greatly improve.
I've been running a single stage and individually weighing my powder charges for years, it was only last year I picked up a metering powder measure. Production rate went up fourfold and I can't even begin to describe how much more enjoyable reloading is. A good progressive is on my long list of things to buy.
I've been running a single stage and individually weighing my powder charges for years, it was only last year I picked up a metering powder measure. Production rate went up fourfold and I can't even begin to describe how much more enjoyable reloading is. A good progressive is on my long list of things to buy.
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