want to start reloading
- Thread starter vince514
- Start date
12 gauge reloading is only cost effective for buckshot and slugs. A lot of people seem to run into problems achieving factory slug accuracy with handloaded slugs too so many don't do it. Unless you have a source for free lead shot (or free lead and invest in a shot maker) target load ends up costing more than buying factory stuff by the flat.
A good book I found for starting was "The ABC's of reloading" found here:
http://www.amazon.ca/ABCs-Reloading...3968/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349594674&sr=8-1
It doesn't go into incredible detail but does give a very good overview of pistol, rifle, and shotshell for single stage, turret, and progressive presses.
+1 on The ABCs of Reloading. Even the older editions are an excellent introduction to the concepts. Get a copy and read it; 90% of your questions will be answered.
I agree with the Lutnit's comments on the economics of shotshell reloading. Maybe if you were firing huge amounts...
You're not going to save much on 5.56mm NATO or 9mm Parabellum as it's cheap to buy almost anywhere. There's no way to reload 7.62 x 39mm cheaper than you can buy it; it's a losing proposition from the get-go. Virtually everything else, you can save money to one degree or another. How much saving is a matter of how much you will spend per round making it vs how much you spend buying it - simple arithmetic.
You can get into reloading for $50 (+ the price of components) with a Lee-Loader. It uses a hammer and armpower, so it's fairly slow and laborious. It does however produce good ammo. You can spend $2,500 on top-of-the-line progressive setups that will crank out ammo by the thousands very quickly. Entry-level in between the two is around $300-400.
I agree with the Lutnit's comments on the economics of shotshell reloading. Maybe if you were firing huge amounts...
You're not going to save much on 5.56mm NATO or 9mm Parabellum as it's cheap to buy almost anywhere. There's no way to reload 7.62 x 39mm cheaper than you can buy it; it's a losing proposition from the get-go. Virtually everything else, you can save money to one degree or another. How much saving is a matter of how much you will spend per round making it vs how much you spend buying it - simple arithmetic.
You can get into reloading for $50 (+ the price of components) with a Lee-Loader. It uses a hammer and armpower, so it's fairly slow and laborious. It does however produce good ammo. You can spend $2,500 on top-of-the-line progressive setups that will crank out ammo by the thousands very quickly. Entry-level in between the two is around $300-400.
