Old question from new reloader

[Loop12]

I have lot's of experience with shot shell reloading. I did it to keep shell costs down (competition shooting). I also could get a darn nice shell consistently. I am about to move into rifle reloading. Do the reasons still stand:

- Cost is lower than factory
- ability to "tune the bullet to the gun"

Thanks for the input

 

[akdad]

I think if your after strictly lower cost and are not shooting a massive volume it's probably cheaper to look for sales and stock up. Rifle can get incredibly expensive if you are truly chasing accuracy because not only the components but all the extra equipment. In previous years it was more economical then at present prices for sure

 

[ShtrRdy]

Being able to tune a load to a gun is probably the biggest benefit of reloading. Even though you can save quite a bit over premium ammunition you would have to do a lot of reloading to pay for the equipment.

For 9mm Luger you can't save much these days.

 

[Rick Richard]

Nope. - Cost is lower than factory
True. - ability to "tune the bullet to the gun"

 

[strokinhermanjr]

I also figure in the therapy cost. Better than laying on a couch paying to talk to a stranger.

 

[akdad]

I also figure in the therapy cost. Better than laying on a couch paying to talk to a stranger.

By therapy you mean going and buying more reloading equipment so you can save money???? I'm all for this therapy

 

[Reelamin]

Search is your best bet on this. Dozens of threads down to the detail with facts and opinions.

 

[Loop12]

I think if your after strictly lower cost and are not shooting a massive volume it's probably cheaper to look for sales and stock up. Rifle can get incredibly expensive if you are truly chasing accuracy because not only the components but all the extra equipment. In previous years it was more economical then at present prices for sure

Thanks

 

[Reelamin]

Being able to tune a load to a gun is probably the biggest benefit of reloading. Even though you can save quite a bit over premium ammunition you would have to do a lot of reloading to pay for the equipment.

For 9mm Luger you can't save much these days.

Agree on tuning. I disagree on the 9mm I'm right in the middle of loading many K of 9mm. I can load 1000 for $197 in todays costs not counting brass. Cheapest I am finding $260/1000.

 

[strokinhermanjr]

Well, you do have a point there. I was raised around a Posness/Warren spitting out trap loads. I was the lead shell packer while the old man kept her hummin along. Then I graduated to brass polisher for the rifle/pistol branch and my little brother took over the box filler duty. I guess I don't buy a lot of equipment anymore, last big purchase was a 650 Dillon. You can definitely go down the rabbit hole of the latest/greatest and put the bucks out.

 

[Mark37082]

Just do it. It's addictive, it's expensive, but so are a lot of things. Don't start adding up all the equipment and accessory costs or you will never start.

 

[Sealesniper]

Before you buy the equipment, (dies, press, shell holders, funnels powder scale etc.) look at what caliber you want to shoot, and look at some load data and see if you can acquire the components. Brass, bullets, powder and primers are the real issues right now. If you can get the components, then you can easily get the equipment. Best bet is to find someone locally that has everything you need and pay them for the use of the equipment and components and see if reloading rifle is for you. I used to load shotgun, and still have 4 MEC presses but have not loaded a round on them in 20 years. I just buy my target rounds for sporting clays. For hunting rounds, out to 350 yards, I find most factory are acceptable. For plinking, I certainly go factory. For long range, custom or wildcat rounds, you have to hand load or pay someone to load for you. I load for about 4 buddies right now.

 

[RB II]

Cost is definitely not a big factor given the cost of the equipment, especially if you load for several different rifles. IMO, the most important thing for me is being able to tune a specific bullet to a specific rifle. You really can't buy that with factory ammo. Yes you can buy 162 ELD-X bullets in 7-mag but not often or easily or cheaply and mostly they aren't likely going to give the "competitive" level of accuracy that most strive for.

If you are looking to shoot the premium bullets like Berger or custom like Hammer or some others, they aren't commercially available for most rifles.

If you are just looking for minute of pig accuracy, then factory ammo is likely the way to go.

 

[QuietTexan]

For 9mm Luger you can't save much these days.

Handgun loading the economics haven't made sense to me, but I just went all-in anyways. My average cost for reloading 9mm is about $137 a round currently. A Dillon 750XL setup amortized over about 20 rounds doesn't look super good on paper But over the ~5,000 rounds I plan to load and shoot this year, and that or more every year after that for the foreseeable future pretty sure I'm going to come out about a nickel a round ahead of paying 25 cents for factory ammo. Would be losing money if WBB was still $15.99 a hundred at Wal Mart like the good old days. Breakeven at around 50,000 rounds. I could have bought 10,000 rounds for the cost of the reloading equipment. But whatever, I enjoy it, and I'm finally using up the mountain of 9mm cases I have in a progressive instead of painstakingly loading them one at a time when I needed a particular load. Will probably still load the big magnums one at a time, each caliber I add will cost ~$450 by the time it's up and running. 300 BLK is about the only other thing I shoot in enough volume to matter, and it runs ok through a Lee Classic Turret.

Rifle loading who cares what it costs, it's the only way to shoot some of my guns at all. But I probably wouldn't have those if I didn't reload. Let's not start asking chicken and egg questions here