Reloading cost vs store bought ammo

[Culvercreek hunt club]

If you are going to buy and intend on reloading as a life long hobby.Don.t buy Cheap.Buy components that you can get bench rest quality rounds from. I started reloading just for my hunting ammo Many years ago and eventualy got hooked on bench rest shooting. My first press was one of the turrent type presses, it has sat in the closet for the last 20 years. They are good for reloading shot gun shells.But I have a file cabnet draw of various shot gun rounds.No need to reload them.I have a RCBS rock chucker press, it's a rock solid press and 99% of my dies are RCBS brand.Can't beat there  quality.I have bought a good amount of supplies from Midsouth Shooters threw the years also.

Hint: If you are reloading a round for one specific firearm, You Do Not have to Full length resize the case, all you have to do is resize the neck of the case and RCBS sells dies just for that. You can fire that case many times before full length resizing.

Like everything else the cleaner and burr free the better.My tumbler has also sat under the bench for so long I cannot remember when I used it last. A package of neck cleaning brushes,primer pocket cleaners and a good liquid case cleaner will get it done. Buy reloading books from Bullet companies and the compsny you get your reloading components from.

The turret press he bought is not a shotgun reloading press. It only does rifle and pistol cartiges.

[thphm]

Chc, You are right about that , I was looking at another picture when I wrote That. But I still will say buy a Rock Chucker.

[Pygmy]

 

Chc, You are right about that , I was looking at another picture when I wrote That. But I still will say buy a Rock Chucker.

 

I love my Rockchucker..It's kind of the press that all other presses are compared to.

However, I only load rifle ammo and usually in fairly small lots ( 20-40 rounds).

For loading pistol ammo or if you regularly load several different calibers, I can see the advantage of a turret press.

[pistolp71]

I've been reloading for almost 30 years. I recommend RCBS products. The few times I've have problems, they always back it up, no questions asked. Great customer service. Get yourself a couple of good manuals. When you are reloading, try to do it without any distractions as you are dealing with serious stuff. Follow the data the books tell you. As a rule, start low and work your way up. Everyones chambers and guns are different. It's not hard. Components are tough to come by right now but hopefully they will come around soon. Good luck, I find it very rewarding.

[Pygmy]

 

I've been reloading for almost 30 years. I recommend RCBS products. The few times I've have problems, they always back it up, no questions asked. Great customer service. Get yourself a couple of good manuals. When you are reloading, try to do it without any distractions as you are dealing with serious stuff. Follow the data the books tell you. As a rule, start low and work your way up. Everyones chambers and guns are different. It's not hard. Components are tough to come by right now but hopefully they will come around soon. Good luck, I find it very rewarding.

 

I agree...I take a lot of pride in the fact that I work up and load quality custom ammo for my rifles..I get a good deal of satisfaction from taking game with my own handloads.

Several of my rifles have never had a factory load fired in them, and those factory rounds I did fire were for barrel breakin and to obtain brass.

There are lots of quality factory loads available nowadays for most popular chamberings, but loading your own adds another dimension to the sport.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Pygmy

[Doewhacker]

I wish I was able to get into this a year ago so I could be using hand loads this opener, can't wait.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

what calibers are you gonna reload Doe?

[Doewhacker]

7RM and .06 to start. The 7 is first in line as I have several boxes of .06 to burn up first.

[pistolp71]

7RM and .06 to start. The 7 is first in line as I have several boxes of .06 to burn up first.

That 7 Rem Mag is a belted case. I load for that as well. Familiarize yourself with that. I don't want to confuse you because you are just starting. But the short of it is, you want to size your cases to headspace off the shoulder and not the belt. Make sure you separate the brass that was fired from your gun and the brass that wasn't. I would also buy a neck sizing die.

[melissa4]

Safety wise, the main thing is that you don't wind up with a double charge. After throwing powder I place my now primed and charged case in a loading tray and using a flashlight I visually inspect every case. If you throw a double you'll clearly be able to see the difference compared to the other cases. That's really the main concern regarding safety.  

[melissa4]

Oh, and I forgot, NEVER shoot any else's reloads. Now that you're reloading you'll network with other people who do the same and many a hunter have "the best recipe", the "most accurate load ", or some "foolproof barn burner". Tell 'em thanks and write it down and when you get back to the shop look it up in your reloading manual and load it your self. Just think of the way some folk repair their homes or vehicles and then imagine them stuffing an unknown amount of smokeless gunpowder into a case. "Works for me" might be the last thing you remember.

[covert]

$$ aside, I like handloading because you can try bullet that you can't get in factory ammo.  For example I load a 150gr Woodleigh Weldcore FP in my .30-30 which I used to take a buck up in 5H.  Why would I even want to bother when there are so many good, cheap factory loads available for the .30-30?  Because how many people do you know who've killed deer with a Woodleigh Weldcore in a .30-30?  One, that's how many!

 

I also load a 250gr Barnes TSX in my .450 Marlin.  With my Marlin 1895M Guide Gun with an 18 1/2" barrel, XS ghost ring sights and handloaded 250 grain Barnes bullets I can hold dead on, and consistently hit, a soccer ball size target at 200 yds offhand!  The right load and bullet can turn a short handy lever action "brush gun" into a viable longer range rifle.

[bubba]

if I were to spend extra money on  a component, it would be a good powder scale.  I have a lee turret press and a lee single stage press that I use for depriming and sizing only.  The loads that come out of my lee I can guarantee you are as quality of a load as any others. I love just changing turrets and going.  My dies are set up and ready.  I have also been reloading for over 30 years and have not had any problems with any of my lee products.  About 10 years ago, I bought the lyman DPS (digital powder scale)  I program and  it pours and weighs it.  My loads have gotten much more consistent accuracy and velocity wise.  This in turn makes for more accurate loads.  I used a beam scale for over 20 years.  When I got the DPS, I gave it to a friend who was getting started.  While my scale is dumping a charge, I am seating a bullet from the previous charge.  I am set up to load for about 15 different cartridges between rifle and handgun.  My only other advice would be to go along with do not shoot anyone elses loads.  Do not load for anyone else.  The liability there is tremendous.  With the unsafe act  in NY, reloading I think will become much more popular.  Get all the components you can find now.

[Lawdwaz]

The electronic powder measures I've seen are pretty big units for a small cluttered bench like mine!  I have and use two old time (25 years old!) measures, an RCBS and a Redding BR 30.

 

As far as inputting all your load info. into the electronic machines, I'd say you REALLY have to pay attention to your inputs and load changes each & every time.  I'd probably then be checking the numbers on a balance beam scale anyway!! 

[bubba]

I do not program the scale for loads. I set up my dies on turrets and leave them

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[josephmrtn]

The electronic powder measures I've seen are pretty big units for a small cluttered bench like mine!  I have and use two old time (25 years old!) measures, an RCBS and a Redding BR 30.

 

As far as inputting all your load info. into the electronic machines, I'd say you REALLY have to pay attention to your inputs and load changes each & every time.  I'd probably then be checking the numbers on a balance beam scale anyway!! 

i measure every load by hand... it prob takes 3 times as long but i dont trust auto stuff when it comes to my ammo...

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I didn't want to spend the cash on an automatic. I opted forthe Lee Perfect powder measure. I set it a fraction of a grain short and use the powder trickler onto my electric scale. Not as fast but works really well. I double check about every 10th round on the balance beam scale. FOr my pistols I use the die mounted Lee powder charger. I got the double disc kit and I could load small rifle cartriges for rounds like the .223 on it if I wanted. I only use it right now for the .38 and .357 pistol rounds. It throws within a couple tenths of a grain. since I am not loading them on the high end, all mid range loads. it works fine and allows me to do about 125-150 an hour once I am set up.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Safety wise, the main thing is that you don't wind up with a double charge. After throwing powder I place my now primed and charged case in a loading tray and using a flashlight I visually inspect every case. If you throw a double you'll clearly be able to see the difference compared to the other cases. That's really the main concern regarding safety.  

 

 

On ething I like about the Lee Manual (and others may have it as well) is the cubic centimeter case capacities for all the rounds and the CC for the different powder loads. When I was working up loads for my rifles, if I had it narrowed down to a couple powders I wanted to use the tie breaker for me was a powder that the mid range charge was over 1/2 cc capacity for the casing. impossible to double charge that way. The case wont hold it. Doesn't help in my pistols becasue there is so much unused space in the 38 and 357.

[bubba]

i measure every load by hand... it prob takes 3 times as long but i dont trust auto stuff when it comes to my ammo...

 

If you usedone once, you would change your mind

[bubba]

I do not program the scale for loads. I set up my dies on turrets and leave them

Sent from my LGL35G using Tapatalk 2

 

 

Let me clarify.  Every time I load I program the scale.  i do not store the info in the scale from time to time.  I hope that makes more sense.  I keep the dies ready in turrets.

[bubba]

oops double post

 

Edited November 15, 2013 by bubba

[Lawdwaz]

Let me clarify.  Every time I load I program the scale.  i do not store the info in the scale from time to time.  I hope that makes more sense.  I keep the dies ready in turrets.

 

I got ya.  Understood......................

 

 

Like I said, space is a BIG issue for me.

[bubba]

My bench is 30 inches deep and 4 feet long.  Check out the Lyman  dps is actually takes up very little room