Might be time to take another look at reloading

[DaveTN]

41 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

We tried to tell you!

Dang man, don’t start sounding like those Democrats over the last few days in the political threads. 

[Darrell]

I think I enjoy reloading more than shooting. And it can be economical, too, particularly if you're shooting certain big-bore cartridges. Not too long ago guys were telling me that they wouldn't even consider reloading 9mm because it was so inexpensive, so I happily picked up their brass and tossed it in my tumbler. The brass is the expensive part (at least before people started to think that primers are worth $100 a 1000) and if you can pick it up once-fired from a friend or acquaintance that saves big. Most of the brass you find laying on a range is once-fired, as reloaders take their brass home with them. And there are on-line sources that specialize in once-fired brass. I guess the one expense that's hardest to quantify is your time. I find it enjoyable and relaxing to spend a couple hours at the bench, but if you'd rather be doing something else or find it a chore, then maybe it's not for you.

You don't need to spend a fortune on equipment, either. I still use an ancient CH single-stage press for a lot of my reloading. That was the first press I ever bought and even though I now have a setup that will load MUCH more quickly, I still enjoy the single-step process for low-volume loading. I just used it to load 40 rounds of 6mm CM a couple days ago. I think Lee still sells an expensive "starter" setup that has everything you need to get going.

Right now would be a tough time to get started as it's tough to find primers, and projectiles are getting harder to find, too. But it's my opinion that it's absolutely positively worth doing. 

[DeepSouth]

I've been casting sinkers and bullets for a long time. Equipment for rough lead melt can be bought new or by checking out yard sales and thrift stores. Dad's came from yard sales, $2 for a 6 quart cast iron dutch oven, quarter for serving spoons and ladles, $5 for a fryer base. Had to clean the rust out of the burner and spider webs out of the tube. If new, that would be about $100. Production pots can be found used for about half price of new. 

Free and cheap lead is hard to find, but it's out there. 2 years ago a friend found a 1,800 lb keel on the east coast for $400. I helped drive and cut it up with an axe for 300 lbs. A brother-in-law gave me six 60 lb implement weights in May. 

Leading: The lead might be to soft. The powder charge might be to high. Bullet size might be wrong for the gun. 

[70Stingray]

I got into reloading several yrs ago. It’s addiction worse than guns. I bought supplies and when the 22 shortage happened, I bought more. While I see srp for stupid prices, I can go load for days upon days. Had a friend stop by and ask if I reload... yes. Carried him in and he freaked out on how much I can load. Wanted to buy some and got a big nope because I don’t have ffl to produce and sell. I’m looking into casting now just because I think I need to. 

[xsubsailor]

26 minutes ago, 70Stingray said:

 I’m looking into casting now just because I think I need to. 

So.......you want to be hooked on reloading and casting 

I don't know which addiction is worse.

Edited November 20, 2020 by xsubsailor

[Raoul]

41 minutes ago, xsubsailor said:

So.......you want to be hooked on reloading and casting 

I don't know which addiction is worse.

Nothing like the smell of molten lead in the morning...... Lol

[Wingshooter]

Reloading... check

casting.... check

nice to have some calibers/guns than run well on BP too...

 

[Ray Z]

Been loading for over 50 years. Great past time. Good way to get away from the pressures from work and the way my wife greeted me at the door coming home,    " Do you know what your boys did today!"

Started out with a RCBS rock chucker press and added on from there. I now still load on it and Dillon 650. Got 14 different die sets for that and maybe half that many that I still load on my rock chucker.

Started casting my own bullets a couple years into loading. I now have 15-20 sets of 4 cavity Lyman molds a real nice sizing machine.

It's been a great hobby for a lot of years. Sure kept my out of the poor house shooting practical pistol.

[70Stingray]

On 11/20/2020 at 5:08 PM, xsubsailor said:

So.......you want to be hooked on reloading and casting 

I don't know which addiction is worse.

I’m hooked 

[Mowgli Terry]

Trying to talk to some of these non-reloading people is a chore. You hear," I can buy it cheaper than I can reloaded it..." I ,have not heard this one lately. When the reloading topic comes eyes will glaze over.

[Quavodus]

Yeah, you can get peoples attention now when you say you load your own.

[DaveTN]

On 11/26/2020 at 8:50 PM, Mowgli-Terry said:

Trying to talk to some of these non-reloading people is a chore. You hear," I can buy it cheaper than I can reloaded it..." I ,have not heard this one lately. When the reloading topic comes eyes will glaze over.

 

15 hours ago, Quavodus said:

Yeah, you can get peoples attention now when you say you load your own.

That’s why I started this thread, I was thinking maybe its time to take another look at it. But what we are seeing is that your reloading buddies are just fine with bending you over on the price of reloading components as our shooting buddies are with trying to rip our heads off on ammo pricing.

We can buy ammo, and you can buy components. Both on going to be very costly. Production will eventually catch up and we will both be able to buy what we need.

So to me, cost and availability still is not the issue. You either want to do it or you want don’t; and cost and availability is not really an issue anymore now than it was before.

I also have to believe that if the Biden administration tries to pass ammo legislation or taxes; they are going to hit reloaders just as hard as ammo buyers. But that’s just a WAG.

Those of us looking at the option of reloading aren’t your enemies. We aren’t trying to take anything away from you. If you enjoy it; roll on and be happy. No one here is suggesting stopping that. We are all in this ammo issue together. I have plenty of ammo, but I’m not shooting. One, because of Covid, and Two, because I don’t want to deplete what I have. I think this may go on a lot longer than in the past. But I hope I’m wrong about that.

[Omega]

I'm still buying components, but only the ones at a somewhat reasonable price.  The problem with selling right now, is that you can't replace what you sell at the price you purchased those components for, so you have to consider the higher replacement costs.  I don't sell reloads, but have had a friend or two over to reload components I've sold them. And only do that when I know it's for their personal use.  I seen this coming, well before Obama, and stocked up and upgraded my reloading equipment.  I also got into casting my own, and searched for ways to make my own powder and primer compounds.  I'll probably never need to go that far mind you, but it never hurts to have the information and skill set, just in case.