For anyone thinking of getting into reloading...

[41 Charlie]

Let us not ever forget the Obama years ammunition drought. Cost is not the only reason.

Gospel.

 

[TangoWhiskeyFoxtrot]

Let us not ever forget the Obama years ammunition drought. Cost is not the only reason.

This same point was made by the fellas teaching the reloading class I attended this weekend. Yes, commercial target ammo in many calibers is easily and cheaply available today but may well not be in the future. So saving your brass is never a bad idea.

I really enjoyed the class. I went from having never reloaded a thing to successfully loading and test firing .45ACP, .38 Spl, .308 Win and 45-70.

I learned a great deal about various powders, tooling, equipment, load/ballistics calculation and a number of other things. Met some great people, too. It was well worth the few hundred it cost me for the class/hotel/travel. I now feel perfectly competent to get started. I do not know how to be a great and flawless reloader, but I know enough to get efficiently and safely started at the hobbyist level.

It's a very nice facility outside of Troy, NC with a nice 100-yd range right on the school property. Rooms full of mills, lathes, heat treating kilns, paint/finishing booths, blasters, band saws, etc.

Pistol Annie and I are going back in a month for a 5-day class in basic gunsmithing.


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[RickOShay]

Over the cost of re-loading, there is a therapeutic value as well. The main contribution to re-loading your own ammunition is working up the loads for your specific firearms. It's a science overall. As far as casting your own bullets, I did that for my .44 mag but I had a good source for lead.

 

[41 Charlie]

I squeezed out a few 38 Super this morning. Strictly for the therapeutic value!

 

[fieldgrade]

... buying new brass my round price was over 30 cents per...

Thanks for posting this. One of my best friends has been after me to reload, but being the big mothertrucker I am (tall and sorta thick (mentally and physically)), I HATE picking up brass.

This has affirmed my decision.

 

[STI]

Will add start with a Dillion press NOT a single stage, will easy resell if you wish much easier than single stage, load more ammo, you will be glad you did it from day one, of all the components brass was the easiest to get and free for me, save yours and shoot matches, now for the kicker you will spend more as you will load more and shoot more you mentioned the 45 acp one of the easiest to load there is, buy components in the largest amounts you can especially primers, never saw but 1 that did not enjoy reloading, we shoot a lot every week and honestly are shooting for $2.00 a box or less I promise. Rifle even more savings. Easy to shoot your 45 for 22 prices.... We do every week. Last week a friend and I loaded 1500 rounds from 1000 to 1600 and visited all day, I usually load at least 4-500 at a time, a single stage will burn you out loading pistol ammo very fast, I admit it, forget Lee and Hornady go Dillion, if you want a Hornady lock N load I do know where there is a good used one with several calibers for sale very reasonable, GO DILLION and never look back.

 

[Bender]

Thanks Butch

 

[Mike Galway]

Quality reloading equipment lasts forever . I still use the Lyman turret press I bought 40 years ago . It has paid for itself countless times over . Got into reloading back then due to high cost of 44 mag . Still own the S&W 29 that started the reloading hobby too . It's fun to tailor loads to your needs .

 

[STI]

A 44 mag was my 1st to reload and cast for, still have it also dad's old 5 screw S frame 6-1/2" blue 44

 

[ButchA]

Thanks Butch

No problem... I have heard various rumors that the crazy left is looking at trying to tax ammo, since they know "gun control" will cost them in elections, so they want to go after ammo, some way, shape, or form, by taxing it or Lord knows what!

So... it looks like the only way to combat something like this is to seriously look at reloading your own!

 

[STI]

Anyone need any pure linotype pm me.

 

[STI]

Just returned from range and we got half a 5 gallon bucket of once fired brass in 2 trips and Sat match, if it was not so crowded today could have got more easily, we shot about 400 45 and 200 9mm today.

 

[STI]

Not stepping on anyone's toes but I never met anyone that was serious about shooting that did not reload their own ammo, the whole trick to savings is get a group together and buy in bulk large amounts, I do remember 2 times we ordered primers in 75000 lots, any brand that had a deal except Remington as they at one time caused some feeding issues in the primer feeds. We got 25000 each which is really not that many if you shoot regularly, there are bulk deals if you hunt for them. I still have a 55 gal barrel of bullet metal from yrs back to be cast. Also many pounds of useable powder, you never have enough primers, try to get them for .02 each if possible buying in bulk and pickup if possible, ask your gun shops for a deal. Hopefully buy out of state to avoid tax if your close and can do it.

That is where shooting matches comes into play you will meet others also involved in shooting and can possible get a group buy much easier just ask them as I did, and most all reload and may be interested.

 

[STI]

I squeezed out a few 38 Super this morning. Strictly for the therapeutic value!

View attachment 5637View attachment 5638

nickle looks good don't it!

 

[41 Charlie]

Worked up some 124 gr. LRN this afternoon.

 

[STI]

With the weather next week looks like loading and casting rather than shooting

 

[41 Charlie]

With the weather next week looks like loading and casting rather than shooting

I never fell into the casting rabbit hole, but I can certainly see the benefits and satisfaction! Good on you, STI!

 

[STI]

I have a friend about an hour away from me that also is addicted as I am with the range/club between us in the middle, he is very much into all of it as I am and has a lifetime of experience there also so we both go weekly a lot, I also fish a lot. We can easily shoot 1000 a week total not counting matches. He is really into the Dan Wesson brands and a great person to get in on a bulk purchase on components. Both of us came from the learned by doing school from many years back, probably one of the most knowledgeable casters and reloaders I ever met. Ammo is never a shortage with us.

We have 5 progressive presses between us.

shotgun.

 

[FWoo45]

Just getting started myself. Taken me a while (quite a while) to get running but 9mm is rocking. Setting up for .45 acp next. Have all of the stuff. Was a but costly upfront but I just want to shoot more so this seems like a good way to do so. Here's my set up in the spare bedroom. Dillon xl 750.

 

[boatdoc]

Just getting started myself. Taken me a while (quite a while) to get running but 9mm is rocking. Setting up for .45 acp next. Have all of the stuff. Was a but costly upfront but I just want to shoot more so this seems like a good way to do so. Here's my set up in the spare bedroom. Dillon xl 750.View attachment 5674View attachment 5675

nice setup. all I need now is a spare room or a HE -shed