Roll your own the Smoking Lamp is lighted..

[One Wire]

I’m thinking about reloading and want to start with a Lee Turret press kit.
I would like to hear the cons about reloading and more importantly if I shoot once a month (non competitive) how soon will I see a monetary return on my investment

I get the up side (pros)… For argument sake lets use .40cal handgun on avg $0.40 a bullet $20 a box and I’m thinking all in for the reloading $600 that’s 1500 rounds of .40cal. I get it this makes sense if you shoot once a month. I’ll be reloading four different handgun calibers and two different rifle calibers this seems like a no brainer. So why isn’t everyone doing it?

What are the headaches with reloading is there a major concerns with availability of raw material.

What is the one book that is a must have for reloading

What concerns are there with storing powder?

What’s your favorite YouTube video for reloading

Relax stay claim and return fire
One Wire

 

[LGood48]

I use the Lee Turret press for all my handgun loads (9x18; 9mm Luger; 7.62x25 and .45 ACP). Love it as all I have to do is swap turrets and change to the appropriate powder.
I have the Lee Auto Charge bar for the powder measure. Makes dialing in the correct charge a snap. No discs to change and stays mounted in the measure.
As to cost...try this site - http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp.
The Lee Handbook (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/639649/lee-modern-reloading-2nd-edition-revised-reloading-manual) and the Lyman 49th Edition are great tools. Lots of "how to" data and a huge amount of load data. I use the Lee book for almost all my loads.
I store my powder in a locked former kitchen cabinet. It's metal cladding over plywood and mounted on a wall in my garage.
Never even looked once at a YouTube video to learn (no YouTube in 1982 when I started!).
Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Vision]

A lot of the reason everyone doesn't reload is time and money. If you only shoot a few times a year it will take years to break even on the startup costs. With time, many people feel its easier and more time effective to just buy the number of rounds you need, when you need them and youre good to go. I also think there are a number of people that are scared of the process and believe they will kill themselves or blow their house up if they have a jar of powder in a cabinet or safe

I store my powders on the top shelf of my safe.

Books - abcs of reloading, lee handbook, then the hogdgon website for specific load data numbers.

Good luck and have fun

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 4

 

[hodgepodge]

I’m thinking about reloading and want to start with a Lee Turret press kit.
I would like to hear the cons about reloading and more importantly if I shoot once a month (non competitive) how soon will I see a monetary return on my investment

I get the up side (pros)… For argument sake lets use .40cal handgun on avg $0.40 a bullet $20 a box and I’m thinking all in for the reloading $600 that’s 1500 rounds of .40cal. I get it this makes sense if you shoot once a month. I’ll be reloading four different handgun calibers and two different rifle calibers this seems like a no brainer. So why isn’t everyone doing it?

What are the headaches with reloading is there a major concerns with availability of raw material.

What is the one book that is a must have for reloading

What concerns are there with storing powder?

What’s your favorite YouTube video for reloading

Relax stay claim and return fire
One Wire

There's a spreadsheet that calculates the cost of reloading. I have it at home, can't find it in a quick search. Once I found out my cost for a round of .45LC was 14-15 cents vs. 45 purchased I've never looked back.

Raw materials can be tough right now. Stock up when you can. I recently purchased two boxes of ammo; enjoyed shooting them, but I really wanted the brass.

I still go back to the ABCs of Reloading. The basic diagrams are very clear. Load data is all over the internet, but I stick to the mfrs.' sites.

I have one jug of powder in the garage. No worries.

Ask here if you have questions. There's a lot of experience present. YouTube videos are good. SF Liberal with a Gun is good as are others whose names I don't have.

 

[shaddydan]

I reload rifle mainly because my loads are more accurate than factory. Just start reading and reading some more. Yes, there is some cost savings down the road but it is like many other aspects...you keep getting more/better gadgets.

 

[Traveler]

One reloading manual is not enough.

http://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=2711763&postcount=6

Many have said it, I am finding it to be true. You will probably not save money, but will shoot more.

In an ammo crunch, if you have stocked supplies, you won't have to care.

Common calibers like 9mm or .40 may be cheaper to buy in non crunch times. Once you get into .45 or rifle rounds, the savings add up quickly.

If you buy good gear, you can resell it later, or pass the independence down to your kids.

The learning curve can be steep, and people that like to cut corners with safety should probably find another hobby.

Powder is best stored in a wooden box, 1 inch sides, brass hinges and nails. Primers should NOT be in the same box.

 

[Biggfoot44]

I like LEE Turret Presses, and in general they are a very viable choice.

Reasons people DON'T reload include the above mentioned having more money than time. And in addition many people have a lack of selfconfidence/ental block that they don't trust themselves. On the flip side for many people handloading become a seperate hobby in itself.

The monetary savings/ payback depends a lot on the cal (s) in question.

As much as I enjoy handloading, I have often counciled against reloading ( in non-panic times) , if their primary requirement was generic 9mm ball for fast and dirty paractice, and told them to buy surplus/ generic by the case instead. For magnum or cal not otherwise in the top 3 of generic ammo, the payback is very rapid.

With apoligies to the video addicted Miliniel generation, this is a topic where you need a dead tree reference source. You need a comprehensive manual to throughly study on the theory and practice of reloading. I'd name titles , but any of the top half dozen choices will do at least adaquatly. For actual data , consult multiple sources. At the least your thick tome, plus the online data from the various powder/ component mfgs. All the major suppliers, most of the secondary level , and some of the obscure suppliers are very helpful about providing answers to specific inquiries by phone and/ or email.

 

[DarrellA]

I'm condsidering the same thing. Your break even point is pretty easy to figure out if you can use a spreadsheet. Just isolate your fixed costs (equipment) from your variable costs (bullets, brass, powder, primers) and you'll be able to figure it out. Prices for everything are on the internet. Based on the stuff I'm looking at and using my own reclaimed brass for 7mm-08 I should break even around 750 -1,000 rounds. After that it's looking like ammo will be around 1/2 the price of store bought.

Lots of assumptions in those calculations, of course. But, it gives me something to work with.

 

[Mooseman]

Get the smoking lamp out of the room before you start loading.

 

[jimbobborg]

I have a Lee Turret Press. It's great for pistol calibers, and shorter rifle calibers (.223). However, I've found that .308 and longer rifle cartridges don't work well with my Lee Turret Press. Bottleneck cartridges require lubing prior to resizing/decapping, then cleaning off the lube prior to loading them. For .223, run the brass in a tumbler for a while to get the gunk off, then I do the resizing/decapping on an O-style single stage press, run them through the tumbler again to get the lube off, then use the turret press to prime, charge, and insert bullet. With pistol calibers, I run the brass through a tumbler, and start cranking out the rounds.

 

[One Wire]

Mooseman: It's like Dianne Feinstein said to the Duffel Blog “12 out of 10 moron consider me a idiot” LOL

ROG! no smoking

 

[Melnic]

Accuracy, Pet loads for Milsurps, knowledge, experience, something different.

 

[DoubleTap007]

I would love for someone to show the cost of reloading (not including the equipment). When I was thinking about getting into it all, I found that the cost of brass/primers/bullet/powder was more than the cost to buy the rounds. Perhaps I was wrong, but I would love to see. Would be great to reload .223.

 

[Traveler]

I would love for someone to show the cost of reloading (not including the equipment). When I was thinking about getting into it all, I found that the cost of brass/primers/bullet/powder was more than the cost to buy the rounds. Perhaps I was wrong, but I would love to see. Would be great to reload .223.

For the extremely popular calibers like 9mm, .40, or .223, in the best of times they can be cheaper to buy. You only have to look back a few months to see what happens in the worst of times.

Cost calculators can be found with Google.

 

[pcfixer]

Cost calculator that works for me. I re name for each caliber I reload

 

[Melnic]

I would love for someone to show the cost of reloading (not including the equipment). When I was thinking about getting into it all, I found that the cost of brass/primers/bullet/powder was more than the cost to buy the rounds. Perhaps I was wrong, but I would love to see. Would be great to reload .223.

Components I recently acquired for 223.
Bullets 17 cents/round (I bought in a low qty)
Powder 13 cents/round
Primer 4 cents/round
Brass Free (From people who don't reload)
Total 34 cents/round

9mm Makarov
Bullets 10 cents
Powder 2 cents
Primer 3 cents
Brass Free (From previous 9mm Luger cut down or Makarov I saved)
Total 15 cents/round

9mm Luger 14 cents
Powder 2 cents
Primer 3 cents
Brass Free
Total 19 cents/round

Milsurp (303, 7.62x54r, 8mm Mauser)
Powder 21 cents
Primer 3 cents
Bullet 27 cents
Brass (Free left over PPU brass)
Total 51 cents

Consumables for cleaning (dish soap/lemon juice) is going to be a fraction of a cent per round.
Powder & Primers purchased locally, bullets online and shipping costs added

I only have a single stage press, so I spend more time doing it but i"m ok with that for right now. If I were to go to work for the time I spend reloading, I'd be losing money on it. I'm doing this for the hobby and knowledge aspect as well as accuracy and a few other reasons. It allows me to enjoy the shooting hobby when I'm at home and can't go to the range. Then at the range it gives another dimension to the hobby as well testing the reloads, tweaking and such. Much more than get there and work on my shooting alone.

Read more than 1 book, read more than 1 post or watch more than 1 video. I don't think I've seen two reloaders who do things exactly the same. Different cleaning methods, different lubes, dies, presses, inspection processes. bla bla bla. I ask opinions here, read what it says in the book, watch videos or other posts, ask a friend then draw my own conclusions based on my personal situation.

 

[pcfixer]

I've been doing a 223 batch of 100 at $30.49 per 100.

I load 25.5 grains per round. 7000 grains in 1 lb. = 274 rounds.
powder I have now I got a 26.90 a lb. Yep far below prices now. Yes I have powder,
primers, bullets on hand to load for awhile at this price.

For this is was using BLC-
now using H335

 

[Biggfoot44]

To vastly oversimplify :

In mom pamic times generic 9mm and generic .223 is roughly equiv to components bought in small batches and even the smallest allowence for your time. But your handloads will be more accurate, and tailored to your gun.

Any other situation will result in substantial savings.

 

[DoubleTap007]

Thanks for all the responses, its something I would like to get into, just need to see if its worth it all in the end.

 

[Dick Chaney]

To vastly oversimplify :

In mom pamic times generic 9mm and generic .223 is roughly equiv to components bought in small batches and even the smallest allowence for your time. But your handloads will be more accurate, and tailored to your gun.

Any other situation will result in substantial savings.

+1 accurate.

Will never go back to the dirty cheap stuff.