Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Bleg
A question for ck, JeffS, and any other self-loaders out there: do you think it's worth it? I don't know that, ultimately, it would be any cheaper for me, since I'd probably never live long enough to recapture the initial capital investment on the equipment through savings on the cartridges, but I'm not sure that's the main point (and I'm not sure I'm right about that, anyway; shipping costs for ammo bought online can be a killer). The thing that most appeals to me is the possibility of a more reliable supply. I'd be obliged to hear your views on the subject.
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11 comments:
The main reasons I reloaded:
1. For accuracy. I used my centerfire rifles mainly for target shooting, so by reloading, I could experiment with different bullet/powder/primer combinations, and find loads that were the most accurate for each rifle.
2. To save money. I didn't save a lot, but since I wanted to reload, it was a small, added benefit. If I weren't interested in target shooting, I doubt I would have done it. The money saved wouldn't be worth the investment in a good reloading set-up.
3. I enjoyed it. It can be a satisfying activity, if you take your time, and don't force yourself. That's important, because you don't want to make mistakes. And being in a hurry (or distracted) can lead to mistakes. I'm a bit OCD (the attention to detail type), which helps, if you aren't TOO much.
I'm with r-man on #2 and #3. You don't save a lot of money, but you do save some. And I do enjoy it, as it's a technical challenge and a skill to build and maintain. And being somewhat OCD is a benefit -- doublecharging a cartridge or using the wrong powder is to be avoided at all costs!
Mind you, #1 is nothing to sneer at. But if you get too OCD about that, the bill certainly goes up. If I get a reasonable shot group consistently, I'm fine.
But I started reloading in the Obama years because I wanted a reliable supply. The setback to that is that you need to have something of a stockpile. That was painful when Obama occupied the White House. On the other hand, a couple pounds of powder goes a long ways, and if stored properly, keeps almost indefinitely.
But the investment need not be horrendous. You can start with a single stage loader and focus on one cartridge. Doing that, you should be able to keep the initial costs well below $1000 with a little shopping around. Maybe less. Your tools and accessories need not be all of the same brand. Shopping around is a good idea. And build your way up, slowly.
If you go this route, I suggest starting with pistol ammunition -- straight wall cases are not as difficult to learn on as necked cases. Although you can screw those up as well!
And re-reading my post -- $500 is a reasonable estimate. Especially if you know re-loaders looking to, ahem, unload older but still serviceable gear.
It's definitely worth it for me. I'm a volume shooter, I'm cheap and I enjoy it. I reload 223 with 75gr bullets for 29 cents and my 308's w/147gr for 35 cents. My usual range trip is 2 mags of each. Mags cost $9 so 110 rounds is $36. But, you have to enjoy it. I spend all afternoon doing what I could do in an hour and a half but it makes for a pleasant day of puttering. Sandwiches, coffee computer time, maybe doze off once or twice. In fact I shot this morning and I'll finish up in about an hour. During the lockdown sometimes I wish I had more to load.
I paid $265 for a Lee Loadmaster with everything for 223 and about $180 for a Lee Turret that I load my 308 on. I'd never even seen a reloading press until I opened the box. A couple of YouTube videos and 15 or 20 thousand bullets later I guess I'm a reloader. I can always get an MOA shot for a buck(3 tries).
Funny thing about supply. The one thing I came up short on is cheap 308 reloads, I usually shoot General Dynamics 147gr for 15 cents(incl. tax&ship). I had to look high and low but finally managed to find some for 22 cents. There's tons of $2 308 out there but hardly anything below 32 cents. Yeah tax and ship is a killer on finished ammo. Here in Salt Lake tax and shipping is about a dime for 308 and 7 cents for 223.
Thanks very much for the input, gentlemen. I'll definitely have to consider this. Mostly, I shoot 9mm, .45 L/C, .38 Spl, .38 Super and .44 Spl (I also enjoy shooting some of the more offbeat stuff, like .44 Colt and .44 Russian). Oh, and 7.62x39. I used to shoot .41 Magnum pretty frequently, but that stuff's gotten to be too much of a handful for me. Just reloading 9mm and .38 Spl would probably make the thing worthwhile.
Reloading 762x39 is more expensive than buying it for sure. I think all mine was 18 cents/free shipping. That and a 1200 round case of old Chinese Norinco for $100 from a neighbor.
Another suggestion, which helped me a lot, is to find somebody to help you get started. I had a friend that reloaded and he taught me, and let me use his setup until I got my own stuff. Maybe ask around at the local shooting range/gun club. You might find someone willing to help you get started. Most people who enjoy shooting would like to help others get started, or expand their knowledge of different segments of the sport.
Good suggestions. I knew a guy back in Northern Virginia who did his own reloading, mostly .45 ACP, and his cartridges shone like jewelry.
I don't know about reloading, but it seems a good idea given the rise of tyranny.
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