Will reloading disapear with the new too lazy to do it generation

akmtnhnt said:

Reloading doesn't save any money. Any more than making your own beer does. Any hobby where you take something that is mass produced and instead make it boutique and a lot more manual labor cannot possibly save money.
If someone says they reload to save money, they failed 3rd grade math.

Click to expand...

I can load my hunting cartridges for my 460 S&W for less than $20/ 50. But, that's not figuring in my time!

I figured a little high as a "guesstimate" ……as my components were bought prior to prices getting stupid high! memtb

akmtnhnt said:

Reloading doesn't save any money. Any more than making your own beer does.

Click to expand...

melodyrain097 said:

For last 5 months after being gone 16 years .I was shocked that reloading was disappearing big time with people under 35 .I also went to several large gun shops and very few had reloading supplies .I dont know any kids down here that reload .I did see lots old reloading equipment left to their kids and it was being sold by their kids .I took lots of kids hunting but only got to teach one to reload .Its a lot of work my ammo for 338-378 weatherby and 416 rem mag was crazy high .I tried to find some shotgun reloading stuff up there this summer there was none .Sportsman warehouse use to have tons of reloading stuff they didn't have much like they use to .We better start teaching kids this quick or poof its gone..

Click to expand...

I've tried and tried to get my 41 year old son to let me teach him. He just acts like he doesn't hear me. I keep looking for someone that I can "sponsor" to learn the art and then, when I go on to Heaven or get too old, leave my equipment and supplies to. I suspect when ammo runs short at supply centers, as it often does, my son will be by to "borrow" some ammo. Maybe then I'll be able to get him to have an interest in learning the art of reloading.

MarkInPA said:

Just something to add to the discussion that might be relevant. How easy is it for you to do your range shooting? For me, I have to travel about a 15 to 20 minute drive and I consider myself lucky. I don't have far to travel but, still, it feels like a planned event trying to get all my gear together and make the trip. For some of you, I am sure all you need to do is walk out your back door. How easy is it for most people to find a place to shoot? Just curious what you might think and how this may play into the OP original question.

Click to expand...

Valid point for sure.
I've always had access to multiple farms & private land or open public land to do all of the shooting & hunting I wanted.
I've very rarely ever used public ranges, thankfully.
There have been times where I have had to drive an hr to hr & a half each way to go shoot or hunt. Not " ideal " but way better than public land or WMA land.

It's the last 2 generations that just seem stupid & lazy.
The internet gun/hunting groups are full of them.
I'm sure there are, and will remain, reloader " out of necessity " and then there's the guys that just love reloading their own ammo & that's that!

memtb said:

I have two driving factors for stockpiling!

".. when the "ship hits the sand", and it eventually will, I have plenty to work with! memtb

Click to expand...

Without functioning cartridges, our firearms are nothing much more than fancy clubs. Or spears, if yours happens to have a bayonet attached to it.

After the shutdowns associated with the 2020 Wuhan virus fiasco, everyone should take heed. Politicians continue to trample on our 2nd Amendment rights and the judiciary does not seem to know what the phrase "shall not be infringed" means.

I find reloading to be a skill set I am continuing to develop and something to keep my mind sharp as I age. Very satisfying to shoot sub 1/4MOA groups. I cringe when I see comments about the quality of factory ammo. I was at a long range shooting school shooting factory match grade ammo from a well known manufacturer in 6.5 CM with velocities varying 100 FPS. With the new easy to use chronograpghs( I record every shot) you will quickly see the inconsistencies of factory ammo. There is a savings per round but you have to shoot a lot to make up for the investment in quality equipment. I don't do it for savings but the math works out like this for the 28 Nosler. Peterson Cases 2.50 each say 5 firings to be conservative is .50 per shot 90 gr N570 is .75 per shot (7000 gr per pound $55 pound) primers are now back down to .10 for GM215 M and boxes of 500 Berger 180 Hybrids are $300 so .60 each. That is $1.90 per round or 39.00 a box of 20. To buy quality factory ammo $70-80 a box and custom loaders are $100-120 a box. I shot 1400 rounds in the past 10 months so I paid for a lot of equipment in 1 year but I shoot a lot. Doesn't take into account the 1800 rounds of 22-250, 400 rounds of 7 RUM, 300 rounds of 30-378, 800 rounds of 6.5-300, and 200 rounds of 7-378. Just ordered the stuff to start my 6 XC. It has been a fun satisfying adventure for me

I shoot a lot of rifles with no factory ammo available or very hard to find. Just a few are 25 Rem, 30 & 32 Rem, 40-82 WCF, 35 WCF, 33 WCF, 348 Win, and a ton of others. It's either reload or hang it on a rack and just look at it. I've been reloading seriously since 1974. Load for most all Win lever actions and Rem pumps.

$60 powder is a huge negative also.

Buzzsaw said:

$60 powder is a huge negative also.

Click to expand...

I just got a powder delivery yesterday & a 130.00 brick of primers. Powder was from 54.00 - 65.00 per lb. I need a few other powders & in 8lb jugs & im not excited about what they are going to cost me. I feel my wallet trembling already.

While looking at adds, it's the AR type of rifle that are marketed at low prices. Theses are what is selling and the ammo is cheap so the purchasers are buying ammo and not reloading. It's a good way to get once fired brass though.

Micky Finn said:

I just got a powder delivery yesterday & a 130.00 brick of primers. Powder was from 54.00 - 65.00 per lb. I need a few other powders & in 8lb jugs & im not excited about what they are going to cost me. I feel my wallet trembling already.

Click to expand...

Yep, doesn't matter if we are loading our own or buying factory loaded ammo, we are all feeling the sticker shock.

I think the biggest reason for this is because the shortage of Nitrocellulose, one of the primary ingredients of smokeless powders. The current military demand is extremely high. It's used in everything from artillery shells, small arms, and rocket components. The ongoing wars around the world have pushed demand beyond peacetime production. And, there is limited global production capacity. Only a handful of plants and it doesn't help that China is one of the largest suppliers.

When nitrocellulose is scarce companies prioritize it for their own factory ammo and not for canister powder for reloaders. This is one of the reasons for powder shortages and price spikes.

What a great thread.

I have read it top to bottom. All 8 pages.

As I approach my 65 bday, it made me think why i started loading at 13.

An insatiable "NEED TO KNOW".

Do you still prefer a car you can set your timing? Do you remember when you could stand inside the engine bay of a 73 F250 with a 300 inline 6?

Life and society has changed.

I load 5000 per year minimum for competitive shooting.

My time in the reloading room makes me feel young and takes me back from the pressures of business.

I taught 2 of my high school teachers to load. Unfortunately my father had no interest it until my mother had a set of kittens when she found gunpowder and primers in my bedroom.

My Z06. If it throws a code, now I have a tool to read what is wrong. When I go to a dealer and explain, they pout as they cannot sell more repairs.

Dont ever forget that guns and cartridges are constantly changing to sell more stuff. My 270 (with a 3rd barrel) and my FTR 308 with its 9th barrel are old technology. You need a "xyz"

I love Hornady but they are the leaders in making "new things" everyone needs.

now i have 400 pieces of Lapua 6 BR brass to take out of the 80"s vintage RCBS vibrator.

load for 43 different cartridges. Keeps me busy when not cutting lawn.

And memtb, i too had a starter wife with a starter home.. She asked for an appraisal on my 58 Mod 70 338 Alaskan. She got a free horse no questions. Hanavarian warm blood dressage horses are way more expensive.

More importantly, does anyone have a 2021 Brent Mason Telecaster for sale? That hummbucker was an awesome mod. Gives you the best of a Les Paul and a Strat with the country twang.

I don't think it is necessarily laziness. I reload because I shoot custom cartridges, a 6.5x284 Norma (the best option IMO between the needmore and the PRC, it is nearly the perfect cartridge as agreed with Ron Spoomer. I have been in love with it since the 90s), 338 Rum Imp. (Equals the edge, better than the Lapua IMO), 280 AI (with hand-loads I can get real close if not equal PRC ballistics. It is a custom chamber from Meredith Rifles) and a 22-250 AI FT. That said because of the cost and time needed to do it right, I don't know that it saves money. I have several 308s that I hunt and practice with just to keep up my skills, cheaply. Running Hornady Black 168 AMaxs by the case. I can't reload it or make it shoot much better for the price. With the cost of components and powder and equipment where they are I can see why many young people aren't interested unless they are shooting matches or benchrest. Factory offerings are better than they have ever been and you can now order custom ammo. If cost don't come down some on components and equipment I fear it will be a perishable skill and art. The new 80,000 psi cartridges also present a problem as they are not yet reloadable. With 6.5, 7, and 300 PRC, all the Creedmoor rounds, 223/5.56, 308, 300 WM readily available many just don't see a need. The fastest growing competition before Covid was PRS and 3 gun. From a hunting perspective in North America you can kill everything with a 308 or larger and there are so many options now. All the factory ammo for that offers good options. And with great factory rifles available in those options or the ability now to slap a gun together in your garage and customize it yourself even highend custom rifles are no longer a priority. The real problem lies not in the laziness of young people but an industry that is in some ways slitting its on throat in a shrinking economy. The real loss will be when ammo isn't readily available and shooters don't know how to load their own or because companies have gone belly up they can't buy the equipment or components needed. If we are to move forward we must find some middle ground and raise up the next generation with an understanding of the greater need. JMT, Blessings…