Question Debating Getting Into Reloading....

[USMC06RET]

True (although I've never understood fishing). But I was, at one time able to balance the beer drinking with skirt chasing and shooting. Two daughters and 5 GKs later, my time suck activities have changed but the ROI has improved.

Heh, heh, my net worth and free time took a dramatic plunge the day I bought my first antique airplane...... man, talk about a money and time hole!

When I finally pulled myself out of that, I realized a net profit but, you can never get back the time!

 

[Dvrjon]

…you can never get back the time!

Time is a commodity which we spend in various ways. Even if we do nothing, it is spent…it’s a sunk cost of life and an opportunity cost in living. The question is again, was the ROI (including time and frustration) on that investment worth it? I suspect it was or you would have offloaded the plane sooner than you did.

 

[USMC06RET]

Time is a commodity which we spend in various ways. Even if we do nothing, it is spent…it’s a sunk cost of life and an opportunity cost in living. The question is again, was the ROI (including time and frustration) on that investment worth it? I suspect it was or you would have offloaded the plane sooner than you did.

I actually had three of them, it was my only obsession in life. And in retrospect, time spent with my family would have produced a much better ROI but, that's what an obsession can do to a person, creates an emotional haze that is very difficult to intellectually penetrate.

 

[AR15barrels]

Heh, heh, my net worth and free time took a dramatic plunge the day I bought my first antique airplane...... man, talk about a money and time hole!

I bought my first powerboat last week.

 

[Khellen27]

I only find it cost effective reloading hard to find caliber. I reload .25 Rem, 7.35 Carcano, and 7.7 Arisaka . Much cheaper to reload these myself. Being able to use the same powder and primers also helps. Good luck with the reloading process. Time sink lol

 

[USMC06RET]

I bought my first powerboat last week.

Are you familiar with the old aphorism about the happiest days in a boat owner's life?

 

[AR15barrels]

Are you familiar with the old aphorism about the happiest days in a boat owner's life?

Yes.
First and last.

 

[Dvrjon]

Yes.
First and last.

And in between those days....

boat
/bōt/

noun
1. a small vessel propelled on water by oars, sails, or an engine.

2. a serving dish in the shape of a boat.

3. a hole in the water into which you pour money.

 

[AR15barrels]

And in between those days....

I know.
I bought a boat for $8.50 so I still have some money left for the in-between days.

2003 Bayliner 21' w/ title & trailer | eBay

2003 Bayliner 21' With trailer Title for Boat & Trailer Boat does not run. It's been sitting for about 2 years. The upholstery is in rough shape. Located at Riverside, CA 92508 MAKE US AN OFFER WE CANNOT REFUSE: Please make us a fair offer via eBay messages for this boat auction and we'll take...

www.ebay.com

So far, brake parts and axle bearings are in the mail and the upper and lower outdrives have been rebuilt and are holding 17psi.
Next is to get the engine running.

 

[Dvrjon]

I know.
I bought a boat for $8.50 so I still have some money left for the in-between days.

2003 Bayliner 21' w/ title & trailer | eBay

2003 Bayliner 21' With trailer Title for Boat & Trailer Boat does not run. It's been sitting for about 2 years. The upholstery is in rough shape. Located at Riverside, CA 92508 MAKE US AN OFFER WE CANNOT REFUSE: Please make us a fair offer via eBay messages for this boat auction and we'll take...

www.ebay.com

So far, brake parts and axle bearings are in the mail and the upper and lower outdrives have been rebuilt and are holding 17psi.
Next is to get the engine running.

Geeez..it’s a hole and it’s not yet in the water.

The future owner will appreciate your efforts.

 

[couragewolf]

The reason to reload is to be able to make custom ammo that works better in your specific guns.

It can also be less expensive, but you have to buy compnents in large quantities when they are inexpensive to beat the price of cheap factory ammo and you have to load 10's of thousands of rounds to amortize the reloading equipment costs.
If you are not going to shoot 50,000 to 100,000+ rounds in your lifetime and you are happy with the accuracy that you get from factory ammo, then you would probably be better to stock up on ammo so you have enough to ride out a 5-10 year time where ammo is hard to get or too expensive.
If you are not happy with the accuracy you get with factory ammo, then your only option is to reload your own so you can tune the load to your specific gun.

Powder and primers require hazmat shipping that adds $35 to $50 to each order.
To better amortize that, buy powder in 8lb jugs and order 6 at a time to max out a hazmat tag from powder valley or other online seller.
Same thing with primers. Order 50,000 primers to max out a hazmat tag.

Bullets are heavy but have no hazmat so you can order those 5,000 to maybe 20,000 at a time to get the best landed price.
Do NOT expect to be able to go to a local reloading store and buy a pound of powder and a couple 100 count boxes of bullets and expect to get anywhere close to the cost of factory ammo.

You will spend more than factory ammo buying components in small quantities.

I invested heavily into reloading components 25ish years ago and I am still shooting my way through my stash.
I load 38spl or 9mm with cast lead bullets for $35 per 1000.
I load 9mm using plated bullets for $42 per 1000.
I can load 55gr ball 223 for about $75 per 1000.
I can load 147gr ball 308 or 30-06 for about $90 per 1000.
The problem is that these are 1990's to early 2000's dollars and I can't replace my components for even triple what I have into them.
So when I go shooting, I grin at how my investments are paying off, but dread the day I have to re-supply.

What kinda lifespan are you getting on powders do you notice FPS depletion over time? Assuming you're stretching your powder based on this post I've wondered alot about how much to buy if I'm bulking.

 

[eaglemike]

You can smile when reloading, thinking about how each pull of the handle makes thousands of liberals desperately unhappy.
I also find it rewarding to create things, going through the process of experimentation, finding what works best for each situation.
I also stocked up on some stuff, but not as much as Randall. I likely have more coated lead projo's than I will ever use, and have more of a few flavors of brass than I will ever need.
I'm hoping to close the shop (El Cajon) in about 2 years, and also that my health holds enough that I can spend a few days a week at the range. I have a lifetime membership at South Bay Rod and Gun Club. OP, you might think about something like that. It's a decent place, and you don't have to deal with some of the stuff that happens at some of the wide-open places.
I could look over your shoulder, or offer some info, mostly on pistol cal's. I would encourage you to use any press as a single stage if at all possible, until you understand how each part of the process works and feels, and how to make sure how each part looks when it is done correctly. Making sure you don't get a squib, or a double charge is important. You can't have too many loading manuals. Sometimes the data changes, some of the old manuals have info that isn't in the newer versions, like obsolete powders or cartridges. You might find a need. I made a find of loading manuals at a garage sale long ago. Ken Waters Pet Loads is very useful. Learning how OAL and crimp affects feeding in pistols is important. Don't use anyone's else's data without checking it against manuals. Understanding how OAL/seating depth affects pressure is another thing. Seating a 9mm bullet a little deep can raise pressure dramatically, same with .40.
It's a great, and fun, learning experience. Good luck!!

 

[Khellen27]

You can smile when reloading, thinking about how each pull of the handle makes thousands of liberals desperately unhappy.
I also find it rewarding to create things, going through the process of experimentation, finding what works best for each situation.
I also stocked up on some stuff, but not as much as Randall. I likely have more coated lead projo's than I will ever use, and have more of a few flavors of brass than I will ever need.
I'm hoping to close the shop (El Cajon) in about 2 years, and also that my health holds enough that I can spend a few days a week at the range. I have a lifetime membership at South Bay Rod and Gun Club. OP, you might think about something like that. It's a decent place, and you don't have to deal with some of the stuff that happens at some of the wide-open places.
I could look over your shoulder, or offer some info, mostly on pistol cal's. I would encourage you to use any press as a single stage if at all possible, until you understand how each part of the process works and feels, and how to make sure how each part looks when it is done correctly. Making sure you don't get a squib, or a double charge is important. You can't have too many loading manuals. Sometimes the data changes, some of the old manuals have info that isn't in the newer versions, like obsolete powders or cartridges. You might find a need. I made a find of loading manuals at a garage sale long ago. Ken Waters Pet Loads is very useful. Learning how OAL and crimp affects feeding in pistols is important. Don't use anyone's else's data without checking it against manuals. Understanding how OAL/seating depth affects pressure is another thing. Seating a 9mm bullet a little deep can raise pressure dramatically, same with .40.
It's a great, and fun, learning experience. Good luck!!

 

[Khellen27]

I'm a liberal, I reload, and I own a lot of firearms. Just because you have liberal leaning tendencies about some stuff doesn't mean you can't also be 2A supporter. They are not mutually exclusive .

 

[Hit Factor]

I'm a liberal, I reload, and I own a lot of firearms. Just because you have liberal leaning tendencies about some stuff doesn't mean you can't also be 2A supporter. They are not mutually exclusive .

If the “liberal leaning tendencies about some stuff” leads you to vote for Democrats, then you are actually contributing to continued attacks on the 2nd Amendment. There is no rational way you can spin the Democrat Party platform to be anything other than inimical to our natural and constitutional rights to keep and bear arms. In that sense, they are absolutely mutually exclusive. Don’t be fooled by the axe.

 

[USMC06RET]

As a patriot (liberal = patriot), it probably means that you not only support the 2nd but also every other article, clause and amendment in our constitution as well. I have concluded this is not the case with some of our fellow Americans.

 

[bonesurf]

and another thread is about to get derailed

 

[Hit Factor]

As a patriot (liberal = patriot), it probably means that you not only support the 2nd but also every other article, clause and amendment in our constitution as well. I have concluded this is not the case with some of our fellow Americans.

Are you saying the Democrats are not patriots? They clearly do not support the 2nd Amendment’s provision that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

 

[vplaza96]

I am thinking about trying my hand at reloading, mostly .308, .30-06, .45 & 12 ga. I read the introductory blurb on this site about reloading and now I am looking for recommendations for some beginner's reading material, books, articles, etc. that can help me evaluate and or get started with the process.

Thanks in advance.

View attachment 68012

Late to this topic but my $0.02....

Like with many things, the answer to whether or not it makes sense to reload depends on many factors. How much do you want to invest in your press? How much time do you have to set aside to reload? Etc.

For reference, I started reloading in the 80's with a lower end progressive press. I stopped reloading for a long time and started again a few years ago with a turret press. It's not a really fast press but i can find time to load a hundred or two at a time on some evenings.

I like to reload. I do it partly because I like to save a little money and partly because I like the act of reloading. It's my time alone to do something I like. I mainly reload 9mm and 10mm for pistol and .223 for rifle. I also reload an odd 6.5mm x .257 Roberts once in a blue moon.

I'm happy to share what I've learned and how i reload.

 

[AR15barrels]

What kinda lifespan are you getting on powders do you notice FPS depletion over time? Assuming you're stretching your powder based on this post I've wondered alot about how much to buy if I'm bulking.

50yr old powder works just as good as brand new powder if it was stored properly.
I have powders that I bought just 10 years ago and they work as good as my 30yr old powder.
If you store it properly, I would buy enough powder to last your lifetime because it's only getting more expensive and it's price is rising faster than inflation.