Reloading, why?

[roostersgt]

Do many here reload for the same reasons I do? My reasons had to be explained to a relative not long ago. I had to tell her that my state now wanted to charge me, and monitor my ammunition purchases each time I needed to buy ammo. She still has trouble understanding my reasons why I would like to buy/ and load shot shells and rifle rounds without the government knowing or taxing me for doing so. WTF is wrong with our youth?

[koehn,jim]

I started reloading to save money and did. Now I reload to getter ammo, I have been able to tailor my loads to each weapon, and find they are more accurate.

[anonymouscuban]

Your post reminds me of a while back when I had a cable guy installing new equipment in my home. I have a large plasma and a front projector in my family room. The projector screen lowers in front of the plasma. He asked me why I had both. In a kind of an incredulous tone. Like it was absurd.

I was about to explain my actual reason for having both but I stopped myself. I just looked at him and said, "Because I can". I would have the same answer for your relative about my reloading.

Between us, my reason for reloading is multifaceted. First and foremost, I started reloading for the same reason you did... because California started requiring a background check for all ammo purchases. I have no problem passes a background check. However, I have issues with it on principle.

Second, they no longer allow ammo to be shipped to your home and the ammo I shoot for USPSA is not easy to find. I am able to order components online, to my door so its convenient.

Third, I can taylor my ammo to my gun and shooting style. I can use a heavier bullet with a lighter powder charge to get the power factor and recoil impulse I like.

Last is the savings. To buy similar ammo to what I make, it would cost me about 25 cents per round bought locally. I make my ammo for 10 cents per round. Multiply that savings by 30-40k rounds per year and it's a huge chunk of cash.

To recap, your relative can go pound sand.

Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk

[MongooseV8]

I started to save money. Then I continued so I could get the best performance possible.

[BajaJames83]

To save money... that hasn't happened. I get to shoot much more though

[the_tunaman]

I started when I was probably 18 (over 40 years ago) - I was using a Lee hand loader, and did it just because I could and I wanted to know how it worked.

I got into it wholeheartedly about 10 years ago, again in part due to just wanting to be involved, in part to be able to feed my habit, and in part to chase better quality.

With few exceptions, not many are going to realize cost savings when factoring in the equipment costs, but it certainly allows one to produce lots of ammo for reasonable prices.

Add to that the asinine background check/registration requirement, and it makes sense for a lot of folks now.

[zouaveherb]

"To save money" really is not 100% accurate in most cases. It's more like, "To shoot more for the same expenditure." Not paying a dollar or 19 dollars is saving money. And saving the time for the paperwork for the background check (time being another form of money.)

Even if it's to make better quality ammo, making your own generally is cheaper than buying equivalent quality commercial ammo.

Then there is a politics of it. Let's apply this ammo law to voting, which is also an enumerated right: A record of all your votes viewable by any cop, a background check against a t0p-s33kri+ database before you can vote (and a "possible" weeks long delay--but today is election day, btw,) voter ID, the fee would be a poll tax, ad nauseam. Add in a multiple step literacy test, a "mandatory" 10-day wait to vote (remember, today is election day, not 10 days from now,) another form of ID to prove residency, and the poll tax gets upped from 1 or 19 dollars to almost 40 if you want talk about buying actual guns.

[Fastattack]

Therapy. Never to save money. The side effect was quality ammo.
I love gadgets and am a sucker when it comes to reloading equipment.
As an engineer/software developer, it provided some balance in my life.

[Imageview]

I want to shoot what I want to shoot, not necessarily what ammo manufacturers want to produce and my local stores want to stock. Getting exactly what I want, and at a price that's substantially less per unit, is the primary motivation.

Secondly I just kinda enjoy it. Which is plenty of motivation.

Now if my kids and work would just give me time to actually do more of it!

[JackEllis]

In my case, the nearest ammunition retailer is roughly 35 minutes away but in Nevada. The nearest ammunition retailer in California is over an hour's drive in each direction.

I'm an engineer by training so the science lab aspects of developing loads and understanding all of the variables is pretty interesting.

The background check is a nuisance. IMHO cell phone location data and online searches are bigger issues. But I suppose I should ask my nephew the detective about this stuff.

[five.five-six]

I never want to be depend and on retail sales for my ammo needs. Depending on how much I shoot, it’s possible that I have enough to last the rest of my life in several calibers.

[MARKFP]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Every single answer above, I also find it relaxing and unwinding, takses my mind off of all the crap going on. Shooting my bow and flipping for bass does the same thing for me.....kind of a groove you get into

['ol shooter]

1. Keeps me off the street, wife likes that.

2. I can make whatever I want, whenever I want and don't need permission from some tin hat politician.

3. Doing my bit for recycling.

4. It's enjoyable, something even a disabled person like me can do.

Cost was never and will never be factor.

[xMAC1x]

I started to save money over ten years ago. I never could imagine what infringement was coming, now saving money is way down on the list.

[the86d]

We recycle brass cases to save the environment... ... ..


I bought a reloading press soon after I watched the movie "The road".