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thinking about reloading

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Just wondering what your take is on it. Im on the fence as to get into reloading or not. I understand that you make ammo cheaper than you can buy it but is it worth the time it takes you to do it? Will it take me an hour to make 50 rds? if thats the case id rather just buy the box instead of wasting my time. Its expensive to get started in reloading. how long does it take to make that money back? I usually hit the range about twice a month. on average what would you say it costs to make a box of .45acp, 9mm, 40, etc

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I have been reloading for a while (started 20 years ago). I have a low cost setup of a Lee classic turret and a disk and dies for each calibre I reload. For pistol rounds, not including tumbling time which I don't have to be there for, it takes about an hour to knock out 200 rounds.

 

When you start out you will go somewhat slower until you become practiced and familiar.

 

 

 

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Tough qustion to answer flat out as depends on a number of things i.e. how many rounds a month do you shoot, what is your time worth etc.

 

I'd say though if you are only shooting a couple hundred rounds a month it will take quite awhile to break even when you factor in opportunity cost of your time which seems to be important based on your post.

 

For me I like the time alone to escape 4 screaming kids. But that's me.

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I have never figured out the cost of my reloads but I can say that I am not saving that much money because I shoot alot more often with the reloads. I use a single stage and I can do about 70 - 100 rounds an hour but I check weigh alot. It is worth it to me, plus I agree with spartiati, I like the escape.

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Before I started reloading, I was also focusing a cost savings. You do save quite a bit especially when you shoot a lot. However, the best benefit of reloading is "tailoring" your ammo in terms of how accurate or how soft shooting you want it to be. As far as output, I'm now averaging a little over 250 rds per hour on a Hornady progressive (without a case or bullet feeder). I also have a single stage Lee that I occasionally use... I've done about 50 rds of 45 acp for approx an hour. Tried it just for kicks. ;)

 

Nevertheless, I don't really time myself when reloading. I turn on the music and I just start cranking out ammo until I'm tired or out of components. It's addicting :)

 

Oh...btw, does anybody have a Lee Classic Turret press that they want to get rid of? I need a cheap stand alone press for another pistol caliber. LOL.

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Just do it.  Trust me.  You'll see why later and you will say to yourself, "Why didn't I do this in the beginning?".

 

Ask any regular shooter at CJRPC that brings all kinds of gear and such to shoot at the range.  Betcha I know the answer.  There is a reason for it.

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Cabelas has a Lee classic on sale for 130. Dies are about 35-50 bucks. Get a caliper. Then you use your saved brass. All u need is primers, bullets and powder. I just ordered this on line and I'm expecting it this week and hopefully trying it out this weekend. I'm a newbie. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

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Been reloading for years, and have all sorts of bits and pieces to make boolets.  About the only thing I don't do is cast my own; mostly for lack of need (but their prices are increasing, so I may get into casting...)

 

Watch different places like here, Craig's List, NJ hunter list, and your club bulletin board for equipment.  Shows are also good; most reloading presses are built like tanks and used ones are a bargain.

 

Just go slow and PAY ATTENTION.  Reloading is easy, but one mistake can be very bad...both to you and your firearm.

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Depends on your desired result of reloading...it's cheaper... But if you consider your time reloading as "on the clock" and mentally pay yourself your "going hourly rate " it won't be worth it to you...Accuracy can be dramatically increased with properly worked up handloads over factory loads.......but if accuracy isn't important...and your monthly range trip is more of just a "man day" blasting away at paper not concerned with long range/sub moa accuracy...factory loads is probably the better choice

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ok so those of you that do reload enjoy doing it? I dont know much about it. It looks as though the progressive presses are faster. Is that beginner friendly? I am very handy and can fix anything. so Im not worried that i wont be able to do it correctly. 

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IMO reloading isn't for everyone...One would have to actually enjoy the act of reloading over the long term cost savings. I'll be honest, reloading can be in PITA, its not something to take lightly, i.e. blowing up your press...TWICE or causing a Squib round which happened to me cause there was part on the press installed(not by me) backwards...No matter how many precautionary measures ya take, shit happens sometimes. In the end there is a certain mindset that needs to be there in order to reload. With that said, I've been reloading for a couple of years now, and not once have I figured out cost savings or what its costing me per round, cause thats not why I do it...I enjoy the act of reloading and seeing the final result is self rewarding.

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Again I feel it's a matter of what you are looking for out of it...my personal opinion is progressive presses are for quicker loading with the sacrifice of "some" accuracy and potential for problems to occur if you are not intently watching the various steps of the process...like the powder drop and primers.....if you buy the fully loaded rigs with alarms you'll be spending a pretty penny.......single stage presses are slower...but allow for more attention to details and the ability to obtain the best possible accuracy/consistency which amounts to accuracy....

 

As for enjoyment....I personally enjoy the mechanics of exacting loading and striving to find the optimum loads for various components for each of my weapons to make one hole accurate loads and logging this info into charts for quick reference for future loading with the same components....but then again that's just me....when I go to public ranges I often see groups of guys blasting factory ammo as fast as they can pull the trigger with bullet strikes on the ground/baffles/target stands etc and they seem to be enjoying themselves .....so I guess it's subjective..lol

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IMO reloading isn't for everyone...One would have to actually enjoy the act of reloading over the long term cost savings. I'll be honest, reloading can be in PITA, its not something to take lightly, i.e. blowing up your press...TWICE or causing a Squib round which happened to me cause there was part on the press installed(not by me) backwards...No matter how many precautionary measures ya take, shit happens sometimes. In the end there is a certain mindset that needs to be there in order to reload. With that said, I've been reloading for a couple of years now, and not once have I figured out cost savings or what its costing me per round, cause thats not why I do it...I enjoy the act of reloading and seeing the final result is self rewarding.

Squib? Was that on a progressive press?

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Squib? Was that on a progressive press?

Not to take away from the OP's thread...but Yes. And I knew something wasn't right right away from the sound. Field stripped, look thru the barrel, no light thru. This was with a 10mm too, Had I been practicing double tap it could have gotten ugly.

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Cabelas has a Lee classic on sale for 130. Dies are about 35-50 bucks. Get a caliper. Then you use your saved brass. All u need is primers, bullets and powder. I just ordered this on line and I'm expecting it this week and hopefully trying it out this weekend. I'm a newbie. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

There a lot more you need. Gotta clean the brass so need some sort of tumble set up, then u gotta separate the brass from the media(what cleans the brass) so you'll need a separator...need a grain scale. Get a kinetic bullet puller, cause you'll need that too lol. It never ends lol.

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Depends on your desired result of reloading...it's cheaper... But if you consider your time reloading as "on the clock" and mentally pay yourself your "going hourly rate " it won't be worth it to you...Accuracy can be dramatically increased with properly worked up handloads over factory loads...

Better accuracy and better availability are probably the main reasons I load…but with a progressive press, my cost savings per hour are really very good.  Paid for the gear a long, long time ago, and I feel it more than pays for my time now.

 

Loading rifle ammo on a single-stage press…not so much.   I have to rely on the accuracy argument there.

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I've been collecting my 9mm 40 and 45 brass for about 6 month now - anticipating getting into reloading.

My calculations say that unless you purchase serious QTY of components [10,000 rds worth or more] a 9mm round will cost about 0.18-0.20 each [without brass]. 45 ACP comes to about 0.25.

Savings increase from using cast bullets but I am concerned with health effects of breathing led vapor  with every trigger pull.

There is a definite benefit in having better availability of ammunition that you load but components are becoming scarcer as well.

I will continue to accumulate brass until I have at least 20,000 cases [by May]. At that point I figure it will pay for a complete progressive setup even if I save only 10-15% per round. A progressive setup like Dillon 650 could knock out 10k of 9mm in a weekend. I also plan to have it mounted on a rolling stand so that I could take it to a storage facility when I need to do a large run. Having gun powder in my house is an unacceptable risk and insurance will not cover any damage which may result - I checked.

Like you, I have limited time and prefer to use it to shoot.

Having tested custom  against factory, I find little recoil difference in 124gr and 147gr 9mm loads. For IDPA and USPSA type shooting, MOA accuracy is not needed. 40 and 45 offer more recoil mitigation with reduced loads while still meeting PF for USPSA. Likewise, Steel gamers  get a much softer bang with reloads.

Despite our NO INFLATION economy, I expect prices to continue rising. Anyone who shoots/practices regularly, will at some point get enough savings to justify reloading, even when labor is added to the cost.

Shooting seemed such a simple hobby when I first started.

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I also plan to have it mounted on a rolling stand so that I could take it to a storage facility when I need to do a large run. Having gun powder in my house is an unacceptable risk and insurance will not cover any damage which may result - I checked.

 

I'd look for another insurance company.  The Feds will allow you to store up to 20 lbs of smokeless powder in your residence (more, if you have special storage that conforms to some simple rules).   I'd dump in a heartbeat any insurance company that told me I couldn't.

 

This assumes you own your home.  If a rental (apartment, house, or storage facility) it's possible the lease contains a prohibition of some kind…but even those aren't common.

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If anything, reloading encourages you to spend more money. You make as much as you can afford and you'll find yourself getting more components when you're "low" which is usually a number in the thousands. Price per round goes down, but your annual shot count goes up.

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Lots pf good answers here. All are correct. I suggest you start with a single stage. You learn more about reloading with one. If you find is not for you, you haven't put out much. If you like reloading but want to up your production you can get a progressive. There will always be a need for a single stage even if you wind up buying a progressive. Too many people (some of them on this forum) who buy a progressive so they can pull the handle 50 times and get a box of ammo and they really don't exhibit that much knowledege of reloading.

 

After the primer scare during the Clinton Administration I've always kept enough components on hand to see me through any shortage. Fortunately, I have the resources to do this.

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I enjoy reloading for 2 reasons, my reloads are far more accurate than factory loads and I can make ammo for oddbal calibers.  Today I was converting .223 brass to .30 mauser, its a fun hobby within a hobby. 

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is it always hard to find?

 

No. When its available develop a stock to see you through slim times. I've been reloading over 40 years and the 3 or 4 shortages of ammo and reloading components in that time were caused by shooter reacting to scare tactics of Democrats. Back in the early 90s there was talk of the Clinton Administration categorizing primers as an explosive device. Shooters bought every primer they found resulting in a shortage that lasted almost 2 years IIRC.

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I'd look for another insurance company.  The Feds will allow you to store up to 20 lbs of smokeless powder in your residence (more, if you have special storage that conforms to some simple rules).   I'd dump in a heartbeat any insurance company that told me I couldn't.

 

This assumes you own your home.  If a rental (apartment, house, or storage facility) it's possible the lease contains a prohibition of some kind…but even those aren't common.

Insurance company does not prohibit reloading in the house, they just use your storage of hazardous materials as an excuse to deny most of your claim in case the house is damaged. If you have not informed them ahead of time about storing gun powder and primers in the house, they will likely deny any fire damage claim in which those materials are involve in any way.

The Feds may say it is legal but insurance companies are not obligated to pay for resulting damage [read the fine print about hazardous materials in any policy]. 

If you inform them that you reload in the house, they will likely jack up your rates or make you sign a waiver which would let them screw you out of any claim.

I've spent years and Hundreds of thousands on insurance suits - I know of what I speak.

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I started reloading shotgun shells when I was 10, just because it was the only way I could afford enough (from a paper route) to shoot 20 rounds of skeet a week.  I then moved onto rifle because while in college it was the only way I could afford the kinds of ammo I needed for target and hunting.

 

Now I can't imagine not reloading and working up loads for a specific purpose.  It is all about flexibility and being able to create customized loads whether it be for accuracy, cost, reduced recoil or wildcat loads. 

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Insurance company does not prohibit reloading in the house, they just use your storage of hazardous materials as an excuse to deny most of your claim in case the house is damaged. If you have not informed them ahead of time about storing gun powder and primers in the house, they will likely deny any fire damage claim in which those materials are involve in any way.

The Feds may say it is legal but insurance companies are not obligated to pay for resulting damage [read the fine print about hazardous materials in any policy]. 

If you inform them that you reload in the house, they will likely jack up your rates or make you sign a waiver which would let them screw you out of any claim.

I've spent years and Hundreds of thousands on insurance suits - I know of what I speak.

Would they not then also deny all claims if you store legal quantities of gasoline, propane, fuel oil, aerosol cans, or (insert your favorite common household hazardous material here)?  

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