# reloading worth it?



## jonnyr7 (Jan 5, 2010)

i was looking to get into reloading and was wondering was the initial financial commitment would be. i'm sure there are a lot of variables in the quality of stuff you can buy but i was wondering what a ballpark figure might be. thanks


----------



## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

How much do you shoot and what caliber?
What kind of accuracy are you happy with?


----------



## coyote_buster (Mar 11, 2007)

Yeah if you don't do ALOT of shooting with calibers of expensive ammo or not so common calibers I don't see the benefit. If your shooting 223 243 and very common guns it wouldnt be beneficial, unless you are VERY picky about accuracy


----------



## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Well I got into reloading because I hoped to save money. I am sure that will happen, but it hasn't yet. :lol: You are going to have the initial start up costs of press, dies, scale, and other equipment.

but I will tell you what: I have thoroughly enjoyed my first 6 months as a reloader. I am a science teacher, so the whole experimental processes of tweaking a load is interesting to me. I know down the road the money thing will go my way. Until then, I'm learning a lot, and shooting a lot more, and becoming a better shooter. It is also very rewarding to take an animal with shells that you created yourself. My two deer taken with my 243 will be remembered by me for years.


----------



## jonnyr7 (Jan 5, 2010)

I would be using reloading for a 30-30, and a .223. I don't shoot a ton. I just basically get my rifles zeroed in at a hundred yards so that they all group within or bordering an approximately 2 inch across bulls eye. The areas I hunt do not allow for very long range shots as it is very wooded. Sounds like maybe it wouldn't be worth it for me.


----------



## 308 (Jul 10, 2007)

jonnyr7 said:


> I would be using reloading for a 30-30, and a .223. I don't shoot a ton. I just basically get my rifles zeroed in at a hundred yards so that they all group within or bordering an approximately 2 inch across bulls eye. The areas I hunt do not allow for very long range shots as it is very wooded. Sounds like maybe it wouldn't be worth it for me.


i agree. dont seem like a bemefit if your only shooting 30/30 and 223


----------



## jonnyr7 (Jan 5, 2010)

I just keep hearing about how great it is and thought it would be kinda cool, but if it's not economical, I can't justify it I guess. Money is tight!


----------



## bearhunter (Jan 30, 2009)

it is fun and perhaps economical if you shoot a pile but what happened to me was i kept upgrading and buying more guns i really did'nt (need) to justify all the equipt. than more equipt. to justify more guns, ect.... however the very best reason to reload is you can get away from the wife for a while :beer: :thumb:


----------



## jonnyr7 (Jan 5, 2010)

ya i was kin of looking at it as a new hobby......maybe even something to do when i'm out in the ice shack waiting for my flags to go up. the thing that sucks is i can barely afford ammo the way it is and i don't even shoot that much!


----------



## 308 (Jul 10, 2007)

u will pay for it in the beginning but down the road it will definetly pay for itself


----------



## jonnyr7 (Jan 5, 2010)

well if it pays for itself down the road maybe i will look into it a little more. i am all about investing for the future. do you know how much it would cost(just a rough guess) to get started?


----------



## texcl (Oct 6, 2007)

It will pay for itself eventually, and if you ever get into shooting magnums or less common rounds you will save a ton, besides the end product is almost always superior to factory ammo.


----------



## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

I don't know about reloading in an ice shack that sounds like a chance of getting components and eqiupment wet or moist...I don't know though I don't ice fish so not even sure what it's like in an ice house.


----------



## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

After throwing the idea around for a couple months and doin a lot of reading, I finally purchased some reloading equipment 2 nights ago. I didn't buy any of the fancy new electric gizmos, except a tumbler kit. I bought a good RCBS press kit, Rock Chucker Supreme, dies, hand tools, components, ect. My costs will be $700-$800 once I bring my self to "check out" on Midway.

I was hoping to get by for around $600, and you can, but some things like a tumbler kit makes the reloading process a lot less labor intensive.....I'm only reloading for 1 gun right now. And I can see it paying for itself in 2-3 years.

I would suggest buying "The ABC's of Reloading" and read that cover to cover before you do anything. It will give you a good idea of what is involved in reloading, and if you think you still want to do it, have at her.


----------



## 308 (Jul 10, 2007)

i bought a Lee Breech Lock Challenger Kit off cabelas for $105. it has all the tools u need to start. then u need Lee Dies for $23 apiece for each caliber. then 1lb. powder-$22, 100 primers-$4, bullets-i buy nosler ballistic tips for my 308 and 30/06 which are $16 for 50


----------



## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

Reloading is enjoyable unless you make it a chore. coldblowing winter nights is an Ideal time to go to your hidy hole, man cave what ever you call it for some relaxing music and reloading.
A place to read a reloading manual and write down some componetws you would like to try for your rifles.
You will need to start with the basic kit. 
RCBS is one of the top names in rifle/pistol reloading equipment.

The Partner kit $159.00 Bass Pro Shop
The RCBS® Partner™ Press Reloading Kit includes a RC-130 scale, case loading block, case lube pad, two case lubes, case neck brushes, two primer trays, Speer® reloading manual, deburring tool, and powder funnel.

The Rock Chucker a better quality press kit. $319.00 Bass Pro Shop.
single-stage Supreme Press, 5-0-5 scale, Uniflow™ powder measure, Speer® reloading manual, hand priming tool, hex key set, case loading block, case lube kit, powder funnel, and deburring tool.

Shop around and you may find the stuff cheeper some other place. In these hard times watch for the stuff for sale in the new paper, even pawn shops or gun shows.

One thing you will findis you will shoot your reloads more than you wouldbuying boxes of shells. You also will get a huge feeling of satifaction when you harvest your first whitetail withammo you reloaded.

 Al


----------



## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

The Rock Chucker a better quality press kit. $289.99 Cabelas
single-stage Supreme Press, 5-0-5 scale, Uniflow™ powder measure, Speer® reloading manual, hand priming tool, hex key set, case loading block, case lube kit, powder funnel, and deburring tool. 
They even have a take $20.00 of fyour next purchaes of $100.00 or more.

Lee classic turret kit. $209.99 Cabelas
The kit comes with a Classic Turret Press, large and small primer feeders, and a Lee Pro Auto-Disc Powder Measure with four measuring discs. You also get an Auto Disc Riser for convenient use of other brands of dies with extended adjusting screws, and a Lee Rifle Charging Die for small-capacity rifle cases. The Lee Safety Scale, the only scale that can never get out of adjustment, reads to the nearest 1/20 grain. Once set up, this kit has all you need to turn out a round with a couple of pulls of the handle except cartridge components and dies.

Lee Anniversary Reloading Kit $94.99 Cabelas
At the heart of the kit is the Challenger Press, a strong O-frame press with a larger-than-average opening angled at 30° for maximum hand clearance. Compound leverage easily performs full-length sizing on even the largest magnum cases. Built-in, easy-to-empty primer catcher. Complete powder-handling system, including the precise Perfect Powder Measure; Safety Scale, the most sensitive and safest of all powder scales; powder funnel; and powder data manual with more than 1,000 different loads tested and recommended by Hodgdon Powder Co. Case preparation tools include a cutter and lock stud to trim cases; an inside/outside case mouth chamber tool; primer pocket cleaner; and a tube of premium sizing lube. You also get two Breech Lock Quick Change Bushings. These bushings make changing dies a snap and accomplishes the task in seconds. Once mounted on your die, you'll never have to adjust the die again unless you want to. It saves time, eliminates guesswork and ensures the consistency of your reloaded product. You spend less time fiddling and more time cranking out rounds.
* NOTE: To use the case cutter and lock stud a specific shell holder and case length gauge is needed for each caliber to be trimmed. *

 Al


----------



## bearhunter (Jan 30, 2009)

holy cow Adam. what all did you buy. that seems like alot unless you got the component to


----------



## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

It was defenitely more than I intended to spend. Yes, that price has components included in it. The crap really adds up!!!!!


----------



## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

jonnyr7 said:


> i was looking to get into reloading and was wondering was the initial financial commitment would be. i'm sure there are a lot of variables in the quality of stuff you can buy but i was wondering what a ballpark figure might be. thanks


You can start for less than $15 with an original Lee, or spend $1000 whatever trips your trigger.

If your not sure I would suggest buying a kit in the $75 to $100 range. Kits will save you money. Then you will need to decide if you want to load premium ammo, or cost savings ammo. I do both. For example I use expensive Swift Scirroco, Barnes X bullets etc, but in some of my 22 caliber that I will shoot a lot, and perhaps more at prairie dogs or cans than coyote I have many different loads. One of my favorites for accuracy is the 50 gr V-Max in my 223 and 22-250's. However, you can save a lot of money ordering 50 or 55 gr bullets in 1000 lots. You save more when you order 4000 or even 8000 at a time. When ordinary soft nose bullets are running $12 and more per 100 you can get your price down to under $8 per 100. Keep in mind there is nothing wrong with these bullets. They are of the type we have been shooting for 50 years and thought they were great until the new premium lines showed up.


----------



## farmerj (Jun 19, 2004)

How I would recommend getting into reloading.

Get your C&R FFL. It's $30 for 3 years and allows you to register as a dealer with the online shooting shops.
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/crlicense.htm

Get some reloading manuals. Start to read up on what you are trying to do, figure out a nice and easy first load to work with.

This along with being a member of the NDSSA allows you to also purchase directly from the CMP. If you want an M1 Garand or M1 Carbine, this is the place to get em.

Register at MidwayUSA, Brownell's, Graf & Sons and Widener's. Probably the biggest 4 for reloading on the net. There are others. That C&R FFL will get you from 5 to 15% discounts or more.

Start with a basic tumbler with walnut shell media. At least with this, you can start to get cleaning your cases.

Add in a Lee Anniversary kit.

It's a good way to get your feet wet, start to put things together and start shooting.

Add a second tumbler with corncob media. It's not as aggressive as the walnut shell media. Good way to polish up that loaded ammo and get rid of the lube on the cases for hunting

Get a Chronograph. About the only way that a home reloader has for measuring the performance. I bought the timer first because I was teaching pistol classes. Just need to add the chrono plates to it now. There are many other types available, this is just what I have. Knock yourself out figuring what you want.

As your skill progresses and the wife/GF/significant other realizes you are a lost cause, you can now start to upgrade your equipment to a better press (single or progressive), powder measure, scale.

All of this is moot if you have someone close to you that has a shop set-up for loading. If he will mentor you and help you get into it, all the better.

If you get lucky, you can find some of this stuff in garage or estate sales. I don't like taking the time for that stuff, so I have never seen it.


----------



## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

i would hate bitterly to not reload. but i shoot and experiment a good bit and now have mostly wildcat cartridges which suit specific needs. i am very picky about my rifle's performance. i know that when i touch off a round, a coyote is on the line. the more accurate your gun/ load is, the more you can "wiggle" and not miss. this becomes more apparent as range increases.
you can save plenty of money reloading too. i don't have the huge equipment investment that some have mentioned here. with the exception of my dies, i bought every piece of equipment used. check out the classifieds, pawn shops, etc. and be patient. a friend just bought $600-700 worth of shotshell reloading equipment and components for $100 the other day from someone who had long since retired the stuff. :thumb:


----------



## farmerj (Jun 19, 2004)

mrokern said:


> I have to ask...what are the key quality differences between the Lee kit and the RCBS Master Kit that everyone seems to recommend (and it's what John at GS recommended when I asked him for a list of what I needed to start)?
> 
> I purchased and have read (and re-read, and re-read) a Lyman manual back in October, and will be purchasing equipment in the next couple of months (right after the baby Kimber comes home). Just want to make sure I'm getting what amounts to an almost $200 difference in kit for my dollars.
> 
> -Mark


My opinion....

If I were to buy a RCBS press, I would get nothing but a Rock Chucker. For an ENTRY press, the challenger is a LOT less money on initial lay-out. But you also get what you pay for it.

The Lee press is just that. An entry level press to show you two things. WHAT you will be doing and more importantly, WILL you be doing something you really want to get into.

If at that point you make your decision you have one of two options. Sell it all with the realization that you aren't loosing a bunch of money on something you weren't sure about, or you are going to start to spend LOTS more on this hobby.

If you stay in it, you can use the press as a depriming press or as a "test" press for working on a different caliber than what the primary press would be set up for.

Something I didn't include in the original post.

Gracey Case trimmers and primer pocket swage tools. This can add in another cost almost equal to another rifle. You will have to trim cases. The guy I mentored with has this and it's a dream. Initially, it didn't work so hot. Even so, he had to send his out to get it fixed, but damn would it trim brass. We would do 200-300 rounds in a night on this thing.

If I were to do it knowing what I know and KNOWING I want to get into this seriously.

I am doing it with the intention I was setting up an M14 and M1 Garand for out to 1000 yard competition. A .243 for out to 600 yards with plans for a .280 Remington for Elk out to 700 yards.

Lee Perfect Powder measure. I used the RCBS powder measure too, and the Lee was just easier to operate and more consistent for us. Go figure.
Press - Single Stage, Rock Chucker Supreme. Regardless of press. add the Hornady Lock-N-Load bushing to the press AND your dies. You'll be glad you did. Much faster and easier to switch between calibers. Won't have to go through all the heavy set-up measurements.

Hornady powder scale. Whatever you get, get one that's magnetic dampened. They settle down faster to read. Get a digital one if you want. It's just what I prefer.

RCBS Gold Metal Match Dies. Easiest to adjust, plus they have an opening in the die that makes it VERY easy to load the bullet into the case without getting it, the case or your fingers mangled. WELL worth the 5X price over a standard set. If you shoot only bolt guns, get a neck sizing die too. It will save the case from being case hardened from working it all the time.

Buy 2 or 3 packages of decapping pins when you buy your dies. You'll be glad you do with you start. Learn the difference between Boxer and Berdan primed cases too.

Boxer Reload (_Both Short_),

Berdan, No reload (_Both Long_) This has 2 flash holes in the case head and takes a special decapping process. It also takes a special primer.

If you are into pistols or straight wall rifle case ammunition. Whatever you get, get the carbide dies.

Tumblers. Walnut shell for heavy cleaning, corn cob for light or finish cleaning.

Power primer pocket, Flash hole uniformer and deburring tool. It will make a difference. Most primer flash holes aren't bad, but the first time you do brass, it's worth doing it at least the first time.

Calipers. Digital or Dial. Your call. I use both.

Case Go/No Go gage. Nice for when you are trimming them. The .308 case I have is a heaven send.

Once you get everything set-up for rifle on a single stage and set and finalized WHAT you want....

Time to go progressive. (_skip to here right away if you are going pistol_) I wouldn't go less than a Dillon 550B in a heart beat for pistol.

What I HAVE seen.

A box of ammo costs about $10 per box of 20 to load the last time I figured it. A commercial equal would be Hornady Match 175 gr or M118 military ammo. These I am finding for about $40 per box of 20.

I have M118 rounds that will group .4 to .5 at 200 yards. I have the target in the house here if you want to see it. It's been posted before too. Reloads will do the same. Hornady and Federal GMM will group 1 to 1.5 inches at 200 yards.

So figure a $30 savings per box. I shoot about 100 rounds per trip to the range. An 80 round match and 20 for practice. That's about $150 savings EACH time and you do that for 12 weeks in the summer shooting high power rifle matches. Right there it's an $1800 savings.

So is reloading worth it? $1800 savings AND quality Accurate ammunition for the price of blasting ammunition.

As for pistol....

My mentor had a Dillon 550B press. took us about 3 nights to play with it, measure loads, OAL, crimp settings, dial in the press, run 10, shoot, run 10 shoot.

In the end, we had 8 tubes for small primers on this thing. I could load 800 rounds in about 1 1/2 hours.

Cost, about $4.50 per box of 50 running plated bullets. At the time I bought those components, commercial blasting ammo was about $10 per box for 9mm. A few from the forum have seen me shoot with these loads. Low recoil, clean, and accurate.


----------



## farmerj (Jun 19, 2004)

Check out this information too...

http://www.rifle-company.com/phpbb3/vie ... f=42&t=911


----------



## utahhunter123 (Feb 19, 2007)

You wont save money. But you will shoot more. So i do and i would reload!


----------

