Attention: Reloaders

[rdubya]

In normal times what happens if someone calls on Wed and says they want to go shooting on Sat? You run around trying to find ammo. When you reload you wait until Friday night and load up a couple hundred rounds and enjoy Sat.
Times like now, when you call someone up to see if they want to go shooting most likely they will tell you they can't cause there isn't any ammo to be found or they can't afford it.
Pretty much the only guys who compete on a regular basis now a days are the reloaders, no one else has anything to shoot.
I have several cases of factory ammo in the garage I've had for years because I hate to shoot it. My loads are more accurate and more comfortable to shoot.

[rm1911]

you save money when you spread it out over the years. it's not a one year return. availability aside (I just order primers from bruno's this weekend), for instance primers are right now about $30/1000. $0.03 a piece. bullets are $50 for 500, $0.10 a piece. powder goes for $25 a pound. target rounds take 10 grains a piece average. most will take less. 7000 grains a pound. $25/700 $0.04 a piece. brass??? well, it depends. you can get pick it up at any range, buy it in bulk, reuse current brass many times, etc.

so yes, you can do a 45 for $0.20 a round. x50 rounds, that's $10 a box. of course I started reloading 20+ years ago when it was WAAAYYY cheaper. and I still have all my reloading equipment.

you can customize rounds for your guns. my garand and my deer rifle are both '06. I won't shoot factory ammo in the garand and I get great accuracy with the hunting rifle.

and then there's other reasons you reload, which I won't explain publicly.

[BoJackUSMC]

Bad time to start reloading.....hard to find powders and primers for reasonable price right now.

[elsolo]

I don't know any good shooters that buy loaded ammo.

I bought a Dillon 650 just to load 9mm, it paid for itself in 6 months and that was about 10 years ago when 9mm ammo was $4/box.

[The Right to Bear Arms]

you can customize rounds for your guns. my garand and my deer rifle are both '06. I won't shoot factory ammo in the garand

First of all, thanks to everyone for their contributions. I appreciate everyone's insight. I have elected to first become more informed on the actual realities of reloading at this particular moment. Going forward, I will proceed with wisdom.

Btw, I sense that at least a half a dozen of you really enjoy the activity. It is of course romanticized by those who haven't done it yet but I'm glad to have additional information to ponder. Thank you, Cal Guns.

RM1911: Question, sir. You reload for the All American rifle, the Garand. It's in 30-06' which can still be found in factory form @ Wally world presently. I know you won't shoot it but if you replace the " gas plug " on the Garand, aren't you able to to shoot any type of reload or factory 30-06' in the storied rifle?

[Old Scribe]

I enjoy reloading, another hobby. Winter time where I live can be frustrating so to keep from getting cabin fever I spend a lot of time reloading. It also enables me to shoot more, as I tell wifey there's no more room for storing all this ammo.

[rm1911]

RM1911: Question, sir. You reload for the All American rifle, the Garand. It's in 30-06' which can still be found in factory form @ Wally world presently. I know you won't shoot it but if you replace the " gas plug " on the Garand, aren't you able to to shoot any type of reload or factory 30-06' in the storied rifle?

yes you can. but I don't feel like changing parts, losing parts, all that. plus, no factory load will approximate the GI round. I think factory ammo, loaded for bolt rifles, doesn't work nearly as well.

by duplicating GI specs, or close to it, the thing is an amazing shooter. plus, I think factory ammo is a bit hot. rather not wear out that rifle any faster.

[skosh69]

Let's see, cost is the biggest factor. Once you get all your equipment and set up going, you can reload for about 2/3's less than factory, if not more!

Accuracy, yes you can get better accuracy with your own hand loads.

Private time. Reloading time is time all to yourself in your man cave, garage or spare room. My wife and kids know not to bother me unless it's an emergency as they do not want me to blow something up. I may have exaggerated this so that they'll leave me alone!

Sadly, it's easier to find factory ammo right now than it is to find plated bullets, primers and powders. The essential components you need!

Let's not even talk about trying to find equipment. All the big suppliers, MidwayUSA, Brownells, etc are out of the popular caliber die sets. You are regulated to buy from Ebay and Craigslist. I'm seeing Lee, 4 Die, 45 ACP die sets going for nearly $80. Ridiculous!

So, what am I getting at? Be patient and wait out the paranoia. Don't give into the price gougers and pay outrageous prices.

This is just my .02.

[rabidmonk]

I've stopped encouraging people to reload. There's too much competition as it is trying to get components.

[Dark Mod]

Using Xtreme bullets, wolf primers, and free* range brass i pump out 9mm at $98 per 1000. With my case/bullet feed setup it takes a little over an hour to do 1k rounds.

Lead casters should be able to do it for about $40 or $50 per k since bullets are the most expensive part.

Great investment in my shooting hobby, and kinda grew into a whole hobby of its own.

I almost forgot to mention that some of the ammo i make is much better than whats available at stores, while the lowest quality ammo i make is still about as good.

[Swagman00]

Let me see...trying to think of why I reload...

Ah yes. I had a friend call the other day. Said he found a couple of diving weights he was going to toss. Instead he gave them to me.

I brought both home that day and made 290 new 180 gr. .40 cal friends with it.



Now to heat up some lube and pan it, size 'em, dig out some range leftovers (also free) and spend my whole twelve dollars worth of primers and pennies worth of powder loading them up.

[Sac-AR15]

love to know how your reloading 9mm for .10 per round. I am @ .13 using montana gold 124gr.

Mine is at $0.10 a round and I dont cast. Buy bulk. I do use lead boolits from this one site. Plus I stocked up before this madness.

[Blademan21]

The end of last year I was able to buy on Glocktalk a little over 4,000 pieces of 9MM brass. I took my time in preping the brass. So now I have the brass primed and ready to load. All I need is the extra $ to buy the bullets. Lucky for me I hae plenty of factory 9's on hand.

[lwlaml]

I reload 147gr for about $.11/ round:

Buy Xtreme bullets at distributor pricing -> .065 each
Primer -> .035 each
Powder -> .01 per round


Lester

love to know how your reloading 9mm for .10 per round. I am @ .13 using montana gold 124gr.

[Fishslayer]

Does anyone here reload all of the so called " practical calibers " 9mm, 40S&W, and 45ACP ?

If so, please regale the rest of us " non reloaders " on all the benefits and value of this increasingly valuable activity.

Yes, I plan on getting started and frankly I feel our Golden state benefits overall when we have a gun owner community that possesses a diversified skill set.

Thanks for your time my fellow California gunners,

R.B.A.

Took the wife to the range today. I burned 100-ish rds of .45ACP and 50rds of .22LR.
Wife went through about the same of 9mm and 150 rds of .22LR.
I didn't bat an eye nor break a sweat.