# Is it worth it?



## 94NDTA (May 28, 2005)

I shoot 12 gauge for pheasants/clays (what I shoot the most by far), .45 acp and .223.

Now, on avereage, I go through 2-4 boxes of 12 gauge in the summer (5-$15 a box, and maybe 20 rounds(~$10) a week for the .223, 20-50($10-$30) rounds a week with the .45.

From a money stand point, would it be worth if for me to start re-loading my own ammo?

If I were to start reloading, how much would it cost to get me started for what I shoot?


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## duckslyr (Nov 27, 2008)

i would say it is probably worth loading the pistol and rifle. i dont know about the shotshells though. as for how much it would cost you to get started-look around on craigslist if you dont mind buying used stuff. other than that check out midwayusa.com or grafs.com you can get a reloading kit that comes with most of the stuff you need starting at about $100 and the sky is the limit from there. if you dont have any experiance reloading i would try to find somebody that does and get them to help you the first couple of times it makes everything alot easier that way.


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## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

After buying all the equipment even if you make do with some home made stuff. Then buying all the things like primers, powders, and bullets at todays cost and the amount you shoot it would take you close to 20 years or more to recover the cost. Primer and bullet cost have really went up the last few years. Todays shelf shells are some of the best made in years many with preimum bullets.
Shot shells are impossiable to load as cheap as you can buy promo boxes of field loads.

*BUT*it is an enjoyable hobby and some thing to do on cold windy winter evens and nights setting down and loading a couple thousand rounds of shells. You will probably find you will even shoot more too. There is nothing like the satifaction of harvesting game and knowing the shell was 90% made by you.

If you decide to get into it buy a good manual. For rifle & pistol shells the book will walk you thru the whole thing step by step so you don't really need lessons. You can find good afordable used books at, bookfinder.com
Just read the book before you start, follow the instructions to the letter. Don't drink or smoke while loading, do one caliber at a time, do not allow distractions in the room where you reload.

I would like to know how you only go thru 4 boxes of shot shells if you shoot clays in a summer?
Here one round of clays is 2 boxes of shells, if you don't get any do overs cause the thrower messed up.
I used to shoot trap every weekend and went thru 8 to 10 boxes a day. That is what got me reloading the shot shells, plus it was cheaper to do it in the late 1960's.

 Al


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## Bernie P. (Sep 25, 2008)

You can if you don't go nuts buying stuff you really don't need loaded with bells and whistles.Go to Midway,etc and check out the reviews on both the Lee shotshell loader and their Hand press for metallic cartridges.These units are very inexpensive and work just as well as the high priced stuff.I recently bought the hand press kit and dies,etc and am very happy with it.I might sell my MEC Sizemaster for 12 gauge shells and replace it with the Lee unit.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

Having owned both the lee unit, and now a sizemaster and a steel master. I will only tell you one thing.

*I threw the lee load all in the garbage.* It did do the job, but there is absolutely no comparison between a lee load all and a sizemaster. Not a bad way to start out though, or if you are a real low volume shooter. I shoot between 3-5000 rounds a year between trap and hunting.

Sizemaster is way faster, more flexible, and resizes the cases much better, and isn't made of plastic.

When components got their highest, loading for trap/skeet, you might only save $0.25 per box, as they are now, it is much more as lead has come back down to around $28 per bag vs $48 per bag.

2 3/4" Lead Field loads, you save anywhere from 25-50%. 1 3/8 oz at 1350 fps.

3" lead, less than half.

3 1/2" steel I load for less than 50%. 1 1/2 oz at 1500+ fps.

http://www.trapshooters.com/rlcalcadv.htm - shotgun reloading cost calculator - which u can see how long it will take to pay for the unit.

http://10xshooters.com/calculators/Rifl ... ulator.htm - rifle reloading cost calculator.


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## People (Jan 17, 2005)

I would say it is worth reloading just get a kit and call it good. You do not need a progressive or anything like that. A single stage press will work just fine.

I guess it truly depends on how much you are really shooting. If you are going shooting every week when it is nice it is six months then you are going to shoot 480rds of 223 each summer. With 45 that is 480 to 1200 rds. Reloading can save you a bunch of cash in the long run.

We all know that loaded ammo costs are going through the roof. Sure the set up is a lot of cash but you can load ammo for your gun and with your 45 you can shoot lead bullets provided it is not a polygonal tube.

Chuck Norris once challenged Lance Armstrong in a "Who has more testicles?" contest. Chuck Norris won by 5.


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## RiverratMike (Jan 29, 2009)

When I first got into practical shotgun I did the numbers comparing the cost of components (small quantity, retail), using 7 1/2 shot, against the Wally World cheapo shells. The savings was 1.2 cents per round. No joy there. However, if you use buckshot or heavy round ball the savings is great. 
I still use my Lee Load-All Jr, that I got about 35 years ago, for sentimental reasons but I have also borrowed the MEC rig which works really well and is the rational choice for me. 
Watch out though, you can get hooked on reloading just by itself.


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## Zephyrmec (Feb 25, 2009)

The Lee Load-All is fine, but weigh the charges tossed by your bushings, I was shocked at how far off they actually were by weight. IIRC, to get the charge accurate by weight, (I'm somewhat fussy and weigh everything) The bushings seemed to be a size or two light, at least with the Green Dot loads I was using most of the time then. I assume that I'm not the only guy that checks everything, twice sometimes.


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