Post by: sticky on January 07, 2011, 09:38:41 AM
I realize that 9mm is a mass ammo market and may be tough to beat, but certainly rifle ammo would be cheaper in the long run, yes?
Post by: GoldTip on January 07, 2011, 09:55:47 AM
Post by: shoot-em-dead on January 07, 2011, 09:59:44 AM
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on January 07, 2011, 10:27:23 AM
If you're a pure recreationalist that shoots every couple weeks, once you start reloading, you'll break even with what you spent before, but you'll shoot a whole lot more and be able to create specific concoctions suited for your needs.
http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp (http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp)
Smaller calibers are cheaper to reload. 9mm comes down to being dirt cheap.. Like $.10ea if you get range pick up brass for free and buy bullets in bulk or pour your own lead. I pour my own lead and make 45acp at $.06ea. Even buying bullets, you can make 40s&w at $.11ea.
-Steve
Post by: sticky on January 07, 2011, 11:34:54 AM
Post by: CAMPMEAT on January 07, 2011, 11:41:10 AM
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on January 07, 2011, 11:49:15 AM
That said, I have DILLON, RCBS, LEE, LYMAN stuff in my gun room. Dillon press and RCBS press. Lyman dies are the worst of the bunch. I have no problem with any of the rest. If you're going to do some precision reloading for long range rifle shooting, then go with RCBS custom or Redding.
I always suggest to a new reloader that he/she should start with a single stage press until they've out grown it with skill and experience before jumping to a progressive press.
-Steve
Post by: Alchase on January 07, 2011, 01:48:03 PM
I can buy 0.40 cal. target rounds for $25.00 - $29.00 per hundred box
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on January 07, 2011, 01:55:18 PM
I can buy 0.40 cal. target rounds for $25.00 - $29.00 per hundred box
So a 40s&w shooter would save $19/box of 100. If you shot 100rds/every two weeks, then it'll take a guy xx amount of weeks to recoup the value of equipment.
But the hobby itself is valuable. A reloader learns so much more than loading ammo. You'll spend time pouring over ballistic charts and learn more about BC and trajectory and such that the reloader ends up knowing much more about what to expect from his bullets/cartridges/rifle/handgun when hunting, or competing.
-Steve
Post by: SquirrelHunter on January 07, 2011, 01:57:08 PM
Post by: CAMPMEAT on January 07, 2011, 02:07:53 PM
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on January 07, 2011, 02:09:58 PM
Would I waste my money because I want it for more of a hobby than sniping ?
No. It's a great hobby. And you never know how it will develope into something else unless you try.
-Steve
Post by: Special T on January 07, 2011, 02:14:20 PM
Post by: grundy53 on January 07, 2011, 02:19:48 PM
Post by: Schwag173 on January 07, 2011, 02:40:24 PM
Post by: Bigshooter on January 07, 2011, 03:19:02 PM
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on January 07, 2011, 03:23:32 PM
No one makes ammo for it. I neck down 338 winmag brass, fireform, then load to the hilt for the accuracy and velocity I want.
Anyone that owns or is thinking about owning a wildcat chambered rifle/pistol is going to be a reloader or go broke getting ammo for it.
-Steve
Post by: CAMPMEAT on January 07, 2011, 03:24:42 PM
Post by: Bofire on January 07, 2011, 05:17:23 PM
Carl
Post by: Special T on January 07, 2011, 07:50:23 PM
Post by: Wanttohuntmore on January 07, 2011, 09:49:09 PM
You'll get better groups if you reload. But, there is factory fodder that shoots darn good as well.
Post by: bobcat on January 07, 2011, 09:53:57 PM
You'll get better groups if you reload. But, there is factory fodder that shoots darn good as well.Not necessarily. For a while I had some factory loaded 270 Winchester shells, just the cheap ones, Powerpoints which were $12 at Wal Mart at the time. My Browning A bolt was shooting three shot groups at 100 yards with all three holes touching. The handloades shells I had at the time shot good, but not that good. I ended up using the factory loads for hunting season that year.
Post by: JimmyHoffa on January 07, 2011, 10:25:51 PM
Post by: Huntbear on January 07, 2011, 10:34:47 PM
Do I shoot more, heck yea.. but when I can reload for pennies on the dollar, I still am ahead of the game, financially.
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on January 07, 2011, 11:29:49 PM
jack There is a guy that comes to the coyote roundup at Warden that shoots his 30-338 for yotes he says its real flat shooting! :yike:
66.5gns of 4350 pushing a 190gn Hornady Boattail at 3150fps out the muzzle. Actually I loose a little accuracy pushing them that hard, so my accurate load that still shoots pretty flat is right around 3080fps. I can get Speer 180Spitzers accurate at that speed too, but the Sierra 180BT is a tack driver at 2800fps.
It is not a Coyote rifle!
-Steve
Post by: Bean Counter on January 07, 2011, 11:55:42 PM
wife: good golly, don't you have enough hunting crap as it is? :dunno:
Post by: GWP on January 08, 2011, 12:04:06 AM
If you want you can probably make the rounds you load more accurate then you are, but it takes a fair amount of time to produce that kind of accuracy. I have found now that I am getting older that pretty much standard reloading procedures are plenty accurate enough for the shooting I do.
It can get crazy though. At last count I was loading 19 different calibers. When I first got into it many years ago the guy that started me out begin laughing when I said I figured I would only load one caliber.
You will always end up using a single stage press for something, so that is a good place to start. It will also help you to learn the seperate procedures. Most dies interchange. LUBE YOUR BOTTLENECK CASES. Never throw away a loading manual. Have fun!
Post by: sticky on January 08, 2011, 09:14:18 AM
I'm sure I'll have more questions once I get set up. I appreciate the willingness of everyone here to share their knowledge and experiences.
Post by: Huntbear on January 08, 2011, 09:41:19 AM
Thanks for all the great suggestions. I have priced a few kits and think I am going to buy an RCBS single stage press. My gunsmith says you can't go wrong with the rock chucker kit. It's a bit more than Lee or Hornady, but I don't mind paying a little more for better gear. I've also been checking around to see if I can find a used kit or one that was bought but never used.
I'm sure I'll have more questions once I get set up. I appreciate the willingness of everyone here to share their knowledge and experiences.
I believe there is a whole kit in the classifieds that has never been used.
Post by: Jamieb on January 08, 2011, 12:31:38 PM
Post by: sticky on January 10, 2011, 01:36:08 PM
Quote
I believe there is a whole kit in the classifieds that has never been used.
Thanks. I had seen the ad before, and would love to have all that equipment, but that whole set is a little out of my price range. Gun Broker has a few similar sets for auction. I'm sure I will be able to find a good deal in time.
Post by: Hilltop123 on January 10, 2011, 06:59:22 PM
Post by: 44 Flattop on January 10, 2011, 07:56:52 PM
I have priced a few kits and think I am going to buy an RCBS single stage press. My gunsmith says you can't go wrong with the rock chucker kit. It's a bit more than Lee or Hornady, but I don't mind paying a little more for better gear.EXCELLENT choice!
I've used the same RCBS Rockchucker for nearly 40 years now with zero problems. Don't go cheap, get the best.
Reloading won't let you shoot cheaper. It will allow you to shoot MUCH MORE for the same money. For instance I cast my own bullets and have never bought factory .44 mag ammunition. But I have seen it up around $30 for 50 rounds. I can handload 50 rounds for $2.63. I get a whole lot more shooting' than the average bear.... :chuckle:
44
Post by: Alchase on January 11, 2011, 12:29:30 PM
You get to buy new toys and have a new fun hobby that benefits your hunting and shooting skills. And you learn a ton about ballistics.
Post by: LongRange300RUM on January 11, 2011, 12:55:54 PM
Post by: Jekemi on January 12, 2011, 08:35:59 AM
Post by: sticky on January 12, 2011, 11:50:18 AM
Post by: grundy53 on January 12, 2011, 03:29:22 PM
Post by: halfpipe88 on January 12, 2011, 03:57:51 PM
Post by: 300rum on January 13, 2011, 09:35:21 PM
The trick is to get free brass if you can find range pick up stuff, it lasts forever if you aren't shooting at high pressures. You can also usually trade for brass so you don't have to put money "out of pocket". I have brass where the headstamp is literally worn down to where you barley can read it (.45).
I can find 9mm moly coated bullets for about $35/thousand and .45 for $40.50/thousand.
I can buy Titegroup for $13/pound on sale. When it is on sale I will buy at least 8 pounds. I like Titegroup for moly coated bullets but don't try it for lead(smoke). Titegroup is about a dollar less than Clays, Titegroup is about the cheapest powder pistol that I can find.
I found a smoking deal on primers on Craigslist and bought 20k large/small primers at once. I bought other stuff too but figure that I paid about $20/thousand where if you buy them in a store you are talking $30/thousand.
So, if you can get free brass you are way ahead. For regular priced primers you can reasonable load 9mm for $65/thousand. Find a good buy and buy in bulk.
Post by: Jekemi on January 14, 2011, 07:52:56 AM
1. Lee dies are OK but get the Hornady locking rings and toss the Lee rings.
2. invest in a good digital scale. I bought a cheap one and it sucks. You can get a good one for under $100.
3. spend a little more on a powder measure. Hornady, Redding, and RCBS all have great ones. Ball powders work best in powder measures. Most powder measures cut the powder as its dispensed.
4. save up and get a good chronograph to check your muzzle velocity. It really helps in defining over all ballistic characteristics.
5. I'm building a new bench out of a solid core door. It will be 80 inches long and 30 inches deep. This will give me the stability I'm looking for. I'm also adding a couple of shelves above the bench to store powder, primers, etc. I want to have as little on the bench as possible. Keep the equipment on the bench and the consumables on the shelves.
that's my 2 cents worth. Have fun.
Post by: Schwag173 on January 14, 2011, 05:16:26 PM
I don't have a basement or enclosed garage to locate my reloading area. I am thinking about building a corner table, anchored to the wall/floor, with some shelves below. Don't quite have plans designed as of yet.
It doesn't necessarily have to be bolted down as long as it's heavy and won't jiggle. My reloading bench is an old wooden office desk that I modified. I cut 4 layers of 3/4" plywood to fit the desktop, glued them together, squared and sanded the edges, then bolted the plywood 'top' onto the desk. My progressive and single-stage presses were then bolted on top. The whole setup (including all the lead bullets, dies and misc in the drawers ) make the desk heavy enough that it doesn't jiggle enough to matter during reloading. Yet, I can still move it around when needed.
Post by: Rgrady35 on January 14, 2011, 05:44:28 PM
Post by: Rgrady35 on January 14, 2011, 09:23:39 PM
Post by: Jekemi on January 15, 2011, 05:58:43 AM
Post by: luv2shoot on January 28, 2011, 08:45:11 PM
This is one of the better ones I've found. I can figure out cost per round even with equipment price included.