So the Wife comes out to the shed after I've been out there 3 hours reloading and asks why I have to reload - ''cant you just buy ammunition from the Gun Shop'' !!!? So, rather than saying to stay away from her , I try justify all the money spent on equipment she's never seen before and all that time spent working up loads!
Reasons I could think of straight away: cost
more consistent & accurate
satisfaction of coming up with a recipe that works in your Rifle (She didnt quite get this bit)
Any other reasons why you reload that may prepare me for the next attack??
I use to think reloading was the be all and end all and for a lot of cartridges it is the best most economical way for doing it.
I think you can buy a hell of a lot of ammo for all the reloading gear you have to have to get set up.
The less time I have to shoot, the less I need to reload, I am pretty sure I will just use factory loads in my .223 and .308 now days as both ammo is cheap and plenty of it.
The only one real reason to reload is accuracy IMO. Unless you are shooting 1000+ rounds a year of centrefire I don't think you get that much from reloading other than accuracy.
I have just stated reloading for my .204 and to get all my gear which isnt the cheap stuff cost me about the 650-700 mark.
Factory ammo that was accurate- Federal 39gn BK $45 box
Handload-bout 80 cents not counting brass as i saved most of the factory brass.
Should break even about 450 rounds. Plus the above benefits.
Im lovin it, definitely the way to go.
Clint
Firing of a thousand rounds of pistol ammo gets to be worth the $1500 odd that you out lay to reload pretty quick.
I'll always be a handloader. factory is never worth it after you have the gear and then you shoot interesting cartridges like 22BR and 244/6mm Rem Improved.
Hatch.
I reload for a 223, 17 Remington and a 6mm PPC. I reload as it suits my obsessive-compulsive nature to try and make perfect ammunition. As KJD says 223 ammo is cheap at the moment, but then 17 Remington is so expensive it's criminal and, well, they just do not make 6mm PPC factory ammo. I also was extremely fortunate that many years ago I had a good friend in the business that managed to get me some of my more expensive reloading equipment at cost.
To cut cost even more I import my own 17 Remington cases and projectiles. I just had a delivery of 100 cases and two thousand 17-calibre projectiles, which will keep me going for awhile. So I find that reloading not only saves me quite a lot of money but is a hobby I enjoy doing.
Pete
I shoot a 20 practical- no possible way to buy ammo so its load or dont shoot. Wildcat cartridge.
The 223 and 308 are target rifles so the accuracy factor is key. There is no ammo available commercially- other than NRAA ammo which can be good, but varies from rifle to rifle. Loading my own is better.
When I get a varmint barrel for the 223, I will more than likely still reload, as those sierra roo projectiles are great, they turn the 223 into the hammer of thor and are very cheap. Will make culling a heap cheaper and will be a great use for old lapua target brass.
Reloading offers more choice especially in calibres with less or no factory ammo. I have two that I can't buy off the shelf ammo for my 222 rimmed martini and my big martini 450 short boxer. Plus I choose the pills I want in my 6.5x55, the old swede loves shooting the lighter pills (100gr) which are perfect all round proj in Australia. It doesn't have to cost heaps either my kit is mostly Lee gear and it makes fine hunting ammo and competitive target rounds too. If you put the time and effort into your reloads the rewards are there.
- Enjoyment & satisfaction
- Economy
- Improved accuracy & consistency
- Flexability with wider range of available components than available loaded ammunition.
I play around with blackpowder loads in the 45/70, 357mag and 410, non of which are available off the shelf.
Factory loads are limited in the 45/70 & 410, performance of both of these can be substantially increased over factory ammo and I also go the other way with reduced loads which again are not available of the shelf.
With all the family shooting an afternoon at the pistol range can run to almost 1000 rounds just shooting matches, at 50c your looking at around $500, reloading & casting it can be done for not much over $50.
Plus I just like fiddling around with different combinations.
I started to save money.
Found out quickly that it wasn't going to save me money in the short term, press kit cost $800 plus dies. That is alot of ammo.
Found out slowly it won't save me money in the mid term. Bought a Chargemaster for $450. Even more ammo need to break even.
I can make more accurate premium loads for 1/2 the price of premium factory ammo.
I can make cheap ammo for less than the cheapest non-exmil ammo.
Also load for a 17Rem, i would never have bought one if i didn't reload.
And then there is load customisation using Trail Boss for low noise CF ammo.
Handy for small blocks where there are loads of rabbit and only the odd fox, switch to full power loads for foxes.
1. Accuracy
2. Suits me as I need to get into things to the umpteenth degree due to me being an obsessive anal retentive
3. I have a heap of rifles that either are crap as factory or non existant, these include the 280AI, 45/70, .310 martini
4. because I can
5. Cause its a bit shiny and flashy and well you know.....
Economics dont come into it as I reckon I have spent well over $2K on tools, dies, presses all chasing the tightest groups I can acheive.
the main reason I started reloading was because of the cost of ammo for the 17rem. At $73 a box it not going to take as long to break even, I picked up a set of dies for less than the cost of one box of ammo. I was also given the press and some of the other equipment so the set up cost was minimal plus now im reloading for two mates and there 223's and my 22 250, the component costs are being shared as we all use similar stuff. So you can use the excuse that It's saving more than just you money plus your helping mates out.
I started for economy and accuracy. I don't think I could beat the american eagle stuff I was shotig for accuracy but way cheaper to roll my own after my gear was paid off. Now I am home full time I should be shooting a lot more but I went and got married and seems now I have no time for anything apart from what she who must be obeyed allows me to do! Na still getting a kick out of being with her. I will get more shooting done in the next couple of months but not being single any more has severely cut back my trigger time.
, I try justify all the money spent on equipment she's never seen before and all that time spent working up loads!
