Is Reloading Worth Getting Into These Days?

[Mullet Hunter]

I can’t think of a time that a rebate did not come with a rock chucker, or a Normandy press for that matter...

 

[Bowhntr6pt]

I grew up with two other brothers and my dad took us hunting a lot... dove and duck hunting where us kids were heavy on the trigger LOL.

I remember my dad buying 12ga. shells by the case from Sears, they were Ted Williams branded and he bitched about the cost... next thing I knew, he had a MEC Loader and we were in the shot-shell making business. That was the early-mid 70's.

That spilled over into metallic cartridges but my dad had already been loading those. Of course, all us boys picked up on it and continue to this day.

Like mentioned, you don't save money per se, you just get more for what you spend. Rolling your own gives you great flexibility in many ways.

Even when components are scarce, like now, there are other beneficial chores that can be done to pass the time, specifically, brass separation and prep. Therefore, it's a love of labor many start but soon quit.

This shortage will pass just like the ones before it. While prices might dip slightly when things cool off, they will never recede significantly. So any steps made now towards making your own ammo will pay off.

The key IMO is to watch for sales, and when you see them, BUY BULK, BUY BULK, BUY BULK. Even if you don't think you will use 10K small rifle primers, trust me, over time, you will.

Become intimate with your favorite loads so when you see certain components you snatch them w/o hesitation. Hook up with fellow reloaders and split shipping and HAZ MAT fees, this will add greatly to your savings.

You will find good deals on various gun boards where guys are getting out of loading or certain calibers. In the last year I've sourced most of my bullets this way at a 15-25% savings over internet costs, plus the shipping costs. Same for reloading tools.

 

[OverEngineer]

Null

 

[Jhunter]

Saving money by reloading is a myth. I could have bought 15,000 rounds of 9mm for the cost of my two Dillon 650’s. I think I have .11/each in my 9mm reloads and that’s with free brass. It’s definitely a hobby that I enjoy and put a good bit of time into. Looking at it from a competitive standpoint I would be better off shooting factory ammo and spending those hours practicing rather than reloading.

 

[SAWMAN]

I have never owned some of the big electric Dillon's. And I have never reloaded ammo by the hundreds for plinking or competition.
But I have reloaded for hunting the longer distances coupled with very small targets. And for 100yd and 1000yd benchrest. All this using my RCBS Rockchucker press,on sale components,wholesale priced components,bought in bulk components, including bullet "pulls",surplus powders,and military brass.
I HAVE SAVED A TON OF MONEY. I started saving about 2 years in. ---- SAWMAN

 

[Duckyou]

Honestly, I don't know if I'm "doing it wrong" but I don't generally save enough money on plinking ammo by reloading. Where it really gets worth it to me is working up precision loads. You can get some really nice bullets for close to what you would pay for FMJ retail. Not the same price, but it gets close.

This is why I want to start- the ability to put together better rounds for the cost.

I will not be starting right now because I can’t find what I want in bulk - I am on several wait lists.

I am planning to reload once or twice a year but prep the brass as I shoot.

 

[SAWMAN]

Consider this - - -> there are also some chamberings for both rifle and pistol that I consider "reloader only" chamberings. These are the ones that ammo is extremely expensive for,not the "just right" bullet is offered for,the pressesure is not high enough in (speed),or they are a wildcat.
If you are considering anything in these categories you should consider reloading . . . NOW.
Some of my first reloading was for a 220Swift and a 45-90Express. In these cases speed and power were a factor. ---- SAWMAN

 

[FLT]

I guess I’m the exception here, I hand load because I like to. The fact that I can taylor my ammo to a specific purpose is just frosting on the cake for me. I shoot a lot of subsonic stuff, I could buy ammo that does basically the same thing my hand loads do, but the factory stuff is noticeably louder. The 300blk ammo I load is my own formula, but the 308 rounds I load are the work of another member of this forum. I contacted him and ask if he’d share his load development and he graciously agreed to. His data allows me to load 308 that’s about as quite as a subsonic 22 through a suppressor.

 

[Plinker]

Good reading here fellas!

I’ve been in and out of reloading since about 1971 when I bought a Lee Loader from Penny’s Hardware on Pace Blvd.
It was in 12 gauge.

Beat and banged out so many shells with that thing that I broke the rammer.
Used up many a bag of shot and cans of Dupont PB and cans and cans of Unique.
Carry on!

 

[Roaster's Gallery]

I was looking at the shelves of crap in my loading area, and thought about the guns I have had, that I never purchased "store-bought" ammo to use in them. 32 winchester special, 35 remington, 25-20. 32-20, 44-40, 250 Savage, 300 Savage, 300 BO, 10mm, 45 acp, 44 mag, and more. Obsolete, and expensive ammo, is fun to make and shoot. Also, I can make light loads for 44 mag, 357 mag, etc., so the guns are enjoyable to shoot. Plus, I hardly ever have to go in a store, and hear other people talking. The only downside for me, is when there is an ammo shortage, I find myself making ammo non-stop, to stay ahead of the shortage.

 

[Jevaughn]

I think it's worth it. I can reload .308 for a third the price of factory ammo and get much better results. I can load 9mm practice rounds for about $14/100 (if buying projectiles and primers by the thousand and use brass I've accumulated). I do spend the same amount on reloading as I would buying ammo, but instead of 500 rounds, I have 1500 rounds.
Granted, that doesn't count the time involved. I do case prep, priming, etc, in the comfort of my living room while watching TV with the family, so it's lazy and casual. Only time I'm really involved and busy is during the actual powder drop and bullet seating stages. If you have no free time, then reloading may not be valuable to you. I find it relaxing and pretty damned Zen.

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[Telum Pisces]

I started reloading 45-70 with a simple lee loader and a rubber mallet! It's always worth it in my opinion. But you have to be a patient person. If you are not, you better be rich and just buy an auto setup to plug in and run like a factory!

 

[Plinker]

Well MAYBE its worth it.
(Please forgive my sentence structure,,,,,and math logic,,,,,,I went to Woodham High School)

Let me try some fuzzy (maybe REAL fuzzy) math in todays craze:

Bought some used 9mm reloading dies.
Bought a 9mm (.355) 115gr two cavity bullet mold and .355 bullet sizer.
All this stuff was about $100 to get me going and hard for me to include that number into a cost per round math, so lets move on please.
All I can think of is the more I use those tools, the more I’ve saved.

Now,, a fella on here is trying to sell primers at 12 1/2 cents a piece.
So already your up to $6.25 for a box of 50 rounds just for primers.
JEEBUS!!!!!!!

There are 7000 grains to a pound of powder and I happen to have a pound of Unique that books says to try 7gr for a 1000+fps velocity,,,so at that weight you can maybe get 1000 rounds loaded.
(7000 divided by 7gr equals 1000 right?)

A pound of powder is somewhere between $25-$35 a pound so lets say $35 for a high end number......
So thats 3 1/2 cents a round for powder.
Now up to 16 cents a round minus cost of lead and time to mold the bullets......

In my situation, I’ve got lots of lead and theres easy free pickings at the berms at the gun range.

I end up thinking 16 cents a round ain’t bad for plinking ammoes
even for highway robbery prices on components.
That $8.00 a box,,,,,right??

GLAD I bought thousands & Thousands of primers when they were ~ $30 a thousand.

The original posters question was “is reloading worth it”......

Your mileage may vary.

 

[War-Buff]

Nice looking cast bullets, but are you sure you want to use 7 grains of Unique?

...bullets lubed before loading?

 

[Plinker]

Nice looking cast bullets, but are you sure you want to use 7 grains of Unique?

...bullets lubed before loading?

Your right.
7 is a might much.

Those are jacketed bullets.

Cast bullets are less:
Unique start 4.5 grs max 5.5 grs

Tumble lubed with Alox, so should be ok there.

Thanks for checking me on that.

 

[Welldoya]

I started reloading 45-70 with a simple lee loader and a rubber mallet! It's always worth it in my opinion. But you have to be a patient person. If you are not, you better be rich and just buy an auto setup to plug in and run like a factory!

The Lee Loader is what originally started me thinking about reloading but then I saw the rebates on RCBS.
If I bought a Lee Loader it would probably only be in .44 since that’s the most high dollar cartridge I shoot.........at least in normal times.

 

[3 men & a boat]

I haven’t reloaded half as long as most here, but if it is something you think you would enjoy, it’s an interesting and fun hobby.


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[B52]

I reload 9mm at .10 cents a round. .15 cents when I want to go high end.

 

[zombieh8r]

I never really kept up with cost, most of my stuff I bought years ago. Have I saved money? Probably. But for me it’s more just sitting in the garage and tinkering. I loaded up 200 .38 special, 100 .45 colt, and processed 400 .300 blackout cases this afternoon while the wife went into work for a few hours and the kids were at grandmas. I also tossed 80 45-70 and 20 450Bushmaster in the tumbler, maybe I’ll size and deprime them tomorrow.

But this isn’t the first time that ammo or components have been in short supply and the price sky high. Give it 6 months and if Trumps still in office and the COVID scare is over with you’ll see the shelves full again and prices reasonable.

 

[SAWMAN]

I disagree with your above sir. We will still have the riot's with the thugs burning,looting,assaulting,destroying police cars,injureing police officers,etc,etc.
Where will this end.
Every day people are swooping up reloading components. Every day they are (panic) buying ammo and guns,every day on this forum you see a new "want to buy" add. That will not stop until this country reverts back to pre Covid,pre Freddy Gray death,saaaaay . . . Jan,of this year. Country doing great,kids in school,moms and dads working,etc.
No . . . . this will go on for a long time after the election. And just think what will happen if Biden gets elected ??
People looking for reloading/shooting stuff for a good price or "cheap" had better shit in one hand and wish in the other,and see which hand fills up the fastest.
I'm selling . . at MY PRICE. My prices will be going up. Economy 101. I win . . you loose . . AGAIN !! --- SAWMAN