Well finally did it...sold all my reloading stuff !! Anyone else shooting factory ?

ROI (Return of Investment) depends on lots of factors. I can build a 20-count box of .45-70 ammo for $5.25 but the cheapest I can buy is $30 a box Ten boxes save $250, which will buy a lot of good reloading equipment – more than enough to get started - especially if you buy used. My RCBS Rock Chucker press loaded thousands and thousands of rounds and was good as new when I gave it to Big Brother. Load data is free online.

I shoot a lot of Barnes TTSX. Factory ammo for my rifles runs $44-50 per box. I can build it for about $18 a box, a savings of $26-$32.

I also shoot a lot of Nosler AB. Same savings.

Plinking or low-cost hunting ammo? $10.50 a box for .30-06.

Shortages of factory ammo? No problem – build your own.

The time required to build a box of 20 is about 20-30 minutes total, including time to deprime, clean, trim, prime and charge the case, and load the bullet. Depending on your setup and experience, the time required may be more or less.

My time is important to me but reloading is my hobby – and an enjoyable one.

Some people golf, I reload. And shoot.
You are right, if you don't put any value on the time it takes to reload, you might come out a head. A lot of people don't count the cost of brass. Nor do they count the cost of having to develop a new load every time you get a new lot of bullets or powder or switch powder or change bullets. I have all the reloading equipment - I don't love the process.

If you shoot weatherby's or RUMs or Normas or Lapuas, I agree - you could come out ahead financially, barely if you don't care about your time. But if you are reloading for a 6.5 cm or 308 or 7mm or 300wm, there is no way you come out ahead financially.

Also, I can't help but feel you die hard reloaders are probably stuck in the past when all that was available is some old school remington soft points that got you 5" groups at 100. Times have changed.

If you do it because you love it and it is a hobby, I think that is fantastic. I would rather spend that couple hours at the range instead of the reloading bench.
 
If you shoot a lot at 800 or maybe 1000-1500 the reloads or custom ammo would probably be must better. Lower SDs. Factory ammo might shoot great groups at short range but will open up at farther ranges due to less consistent velocity that doesn't rear its head close
My factory ammo holds together pretty good out to 1250.

Prime is another one who makes some really consistent factory match ammo.
 
If factory ammo was free, I would still hand load some of my cartridges. Some of the rifles do fine with factory ammo because you can not expect the accuracy from them like the long range rifles

For many years I didn't load 223 Remington or 9 mm pistol because of their uses and accuracy in the weapons normally designed for them I finally built a 223 AI in a bolt action that Is very accurate with hand loads but has limited accuracy with factory ammo. So I now buy 9 mm because of the price and in a hand gun it is more than accurate enough for 15 or 20 feet.

When I stop hand loading, I will be on the dirty side of the lawn o_O

J E CUSTOM
 
Sooner or later factory ammo will bite you in the *** at long range when they change something and you have no idea untill it's to late.

You are assuming people don't validate different lots of factory ammo. It won't bite you anymore than switching lots of bullets and powder and not doing any load work up or validation.
 
Majority Dont
Lol - but seriously, how many threads on here to do see somebody asking for help because they are all of a sudden getting a heavy bolt lift and pressure signs or erratic groups? After some poking and prodding we find out they just cracked open a new 8lber and failed to reduce their load and start their load development over since it is a new lot. 🧐
 
You are right, if you don't put any value on the time it takes to reload, you might come out a head. A lot of people don't count the cost of brass. Nor do they count the cost of having to develop a new load every time you get a new lot of bullets or powder or switch powder or change bullets. I have all the reloading equipment - I don't love the process.

If you shoot weatherby's or RUMs or Normas or Lapuas, I agree - you could come out ahead financially, barely if you don't care about your time. But if you are reloading for a 6.5 cm or 308 or 7mm or 300wm, there is no way you come out ahead financially.

Also, I can't help but feel you die hard reloaders are probably stuck in the past when all that was available is some old school remington soft points that got you 5" groups at 100. Times have changed.

If you do it because you love it and it is a hobby, I think that is fantastic. I would rather spend that couple hours at the range instead of the reloading bench.
I might argue with you just a little about the .300 win mag :).
I do agree absolutely about the time required to reload meaning less time at the range HYPOTHETICALLY but my actual experience has been that I starting shooting a heck of a lot more after I got a press.
I'll also freely admit that I probably do enjoy time reloading at least as much if not even more than time shooting...they compliment each other. I certainly wouldn't enjoy shooting as much without handloading and handloading with no plans to shoot the ammo myself holds little appeal (as in I don't think I'd want to do much of it for others for a few reasons).
 
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