Reloading - Having 2nd Thoughts, 3rd Thoughts... COST OF BRASS :(

[GCBurner]

I don't want to complicate things too much so I'll need to KISS. My feeble brain ain't what it used to be and it ain't getting any better.

Simplest is to find a bullet mold that makes a design and weight of bullet you like to load for. Once you've got that, all you REALLY need is an iron pot to melt the lead, a long steel spoon or dipper to get it to the mold, and some sort of wax or grease to lube the cast bullets. People have been doing it that way since the invention of gunpowder.

 

[35 Whelen]

This is really just "ammo insurance".

The reason your brass is so high is that you're loading relatively obscure calibers with the possible exception of the 375. If I wanted ammo insurance, I'd pick rifles and handguns in common calibers.

Have you checked Graf's? Their Prvi 375 H&H brass is 52¢ each...delivered.

The typical .45-70 has a very slow twist rate which really worries me regarding stabilization of heavy/long projectiles

Since the 45-70 was designed to shoot the long 500 gr. bullet, I wouldn't worry about twist rate. I'm sure modern rifles have the proper twist. I know mine does.

You mention needing something to kill big bears and 400 lb. hogs? 400 lb. hogs are EASILY killed with common deer calibers and Lord only knows how many bull elk, which weigh significantly more than 400 lbs., are killed each years with cartridges like the 270, 7mm Mag, 280 Rem. (killed a 350 lb. +/- boar with one), 30-06, etc. every year.

35W
35W

 

[dbarnhart]

+1 on Lost Sheep's reply. Stockpile the projectiles, primers, and powder. Then simply reuse a small number of cases.

 

[Mike1234567]

I recognize good advice when I see it. Thank you, everyone. I'll be checking those sources mentioned for brass.

To those who think I'm a "survivalist". Nope... probably not gonna be around long enough to worry about that. This is just insurance against hard times just like having stored food, my own water supply, a garden, etc. I'm more like a Mormon or Quaker than a survivalist, LOL!!

 

[RandyP]

To be ready for Amish Zombie uprisings..... a good stout flintlock mucket is key. A bag of flints, gunpowder, some lead and a mold and yer good to go!

 

[Mike1234567]

Amish zombies... hah hah. I gotta remember that one.

 

[zxcvbob]

What do you need a .375 H&H for that a .30-06 can't handle with heavy bullets? There's nothing wrong with getting a .375 if that's what turns you on, but maybe get an '06 too for your "stockpile" gun?

(I reload, but my battle rifle is an M1 Garand and a dusty ammo can full of loaded clips of milsurp. This reminds me, I need to get it out and practice)

 

[Mike1234567]

Yeah, I'll probably never need the .375 H&H Mag but I wanted it. Who knows? Maybe I'll move to Alaska someday. I suppose I should pair down my firearms and, subsequently, my reloading needs. I REALLY want a .458 SOCOM (or ballistically similar) though!!

 

[zxcvbob]

All I'm saying is maybe those aren't the best choices for having thousands of rounds of ammo (or even brass.) Just gives you an excuse to buy another gun (or upper) in a common caliber.

 

[Montenegrin]

If you want to reload common cartridges,just pick fired ones from range,and that is cheapest solution.But I doubt you're going to find any .458 SOCOM at the range

 

[RandyP]

I think your question has been thoroughly answered, though perhaps not the way you had hoped it would be?

Oddball calibers are very pricey to shoot - end of story - there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Military calibers offer affordable surplus ammo that is readily available, often in handy storage 'spam cans'.

You have every right on earth to stockpile as much ammunition as you and your bank account wish preparing for a highly (astronomically highly) unlikely scenario requiring using ammunition as a bartering agent.

 

[zxcvbob]

IMHO, if you're going to use ammo as an alternative currency, the best choice is .22LR

 

[AK_Maine_iac]

If you live here in Alaska you really do not need the 375H&H. The 30.06 has and will kill anything that walks up here. Al tho i do have one just because. It is a large heavy gun safe queen. Only gets to see daylight when she gets a good cleaning every six months or so. Gets fired once or twice every few years.
If you still want a big bore I'd just get a 35Whelen. (I did) That way you can load two calibers with the same 30.06 brass.

 

[Mike1234567]

To address the ammo for trade thing; I don't have tons of any caliber but I do have the following list. I tried to choose the most common calibers which more people are using and it's these calibers I'm stashing for sale/trade later. Overall it's a decent stash but not a whole lot of any caliber. I'll surely be pairing some of these down a bit and adding somewhat smaller quanities of differing calibers, e.g. .38 Spc, .44 Spc, .380, .32, etc. Anyway, I'm collecting "common" ammo for trade. The esoteric stuff is for myself.

ETA: If your favorite caliber isn't listed please don't be insulted.
These are for barter and "some" for myself:
.17HMR (800)
.22LR (10K)
.223 Rem (1.2K)
5.45x39 (1.2K)
7.62x39 (1.2K)
.243 Win (700)
.270 Win (800)
.30-30 Win (1K)
.308 Win (1.5K)
.30-06 Sprg (1.2K)
.410 bore (1K)
20ga (1K)
12ga (1K)
7.62x25 Tokarev (500)
9mm Luger (1.2K)
.40 S&W (600)
.45 ACP (1.2K)
.357 Mag (500)
.44 Mag (500)

I don't yet have any ammo in .375 H&H Mag, .458 SOCOM, or .500 S&W Mag. I've been waiting on those. These three are just for me, more-or-less, so having 200 rounds of brass and reloading supplies works for them.

 

[RandyP]

OK, I gotta ask - do you own firearms in all those calibers? i mean, realistically there will NEVER come a time when you will need to swap bullets for bacon here in the US of A.

I only ask because I can't recall EVER spending any of my hard earned on supplies I can't use just because someone might want to swap me for them later on - lol

 

[Canazes9]

i mean, realistically there will NEVER come a time when you will need to swap bullets for bacon here in the US of A.

I only ask because I can't recall EVER spending any of my hard earned on supplies I can't use just because someone might want to swap me for them later on - lol

Hmmmmm, wish you could have joined me in South East Louisiana in early September 2005 - not a complete breakdown, but I did not regret the supplies I had stockpiled. I think most folks fail to realize just what happens in highly populated areas when the trucks, trains and supply ships stop moving for a week.

At one point I had 14 people that weren't my family (in addition to my family) living in my house. I helped them all go back to assess the damage to their homes after the storm. Some had homes to go back to some didn't. Most had no firearms and were EXTREMELY grateful to be supplied w/ a firearm and a generous supply of ammunition. All of my firearms came back home to me (except my 4" 686 that my buddy talked me into selling him) and those families all now own their own firearms.

Apocaplyse now? No, but are there occasions when you may be glad of a generous stock pile of ammunition and firearms. Even in this country - even in the recent past.

JMO,

David

 

[dbarnhart]

>>This is just insurance against hard times just like having stored food, my own water supply, a garden, etc<<

I can relate. I do the same thing: When times are good I stock up on components so that when times are bad I can still shoot.

 

[RandyP]

I heartily agree that having a small food stockpile and arms and the ammunition for them can be a very handy thing indeed. My comment related to stockpiling a thousands of rounds for calibers I don't even have "just in case" I wanted to barter with them.

IF I can stay in the bunker (home base) having mass quantities of stuff makes some sense. If however I need to be mobile, even to the point of carrying everything on my back? My options for lightest-weight and portable firearms and ammo will win and the rest will need to be left behind.

 

[CraigC]

A brass case can be reloaded so many times over its life, I never even factor it in. Especially with pistol cases.

I also agree that it makes no sense to stockpile 3000rds of a cartridge you only shoot 1000 times a year. If I was only shooting that much, I probably wouldn't buy 100rds of brass at a time. Unless it was a chambering for which cases are scrarce.

 

[Mike1234567]

There are only three calibers for which I've been stashing that I don't have firearms for. That said, I'll be selling many of them because I just don't need them all. This is a learning process for me and I'm just now coming to grips with logical caching of supplies. Indeed, I'll be pairing down the number of rounds I keep in most calibers except those I'll be shooting. I'll be buying a reasonable quantity of other popular calibers... mostly handgun.

After selling some nice firearms that I decide are redundant or I really don't need then I'll be buying a few "budget priced" pistols and long arms to stash... something like Hi-Point 9mm pistols and .45 ACP carbines (just a couple each). Those are strictly to barter/trade/sell/loan.

I'm not an "apocolypse guy" but I do know disasters can and do happen. BTW, I do understand being "mobile" but, IMHO, it's nearly always better to stay put where one has an excellent supply of everything needed. This is assuming there's no immediate danger nor severe property damage. Lastly, I'm not in the best of health so "bugging out" into the woods isn't something I can survive and I don't want to do that anyway.

Please allow me to clarify another point; My caching isn't just disater preparedness and isn't only for barter/trade. I know darned well ammo prices will increase probably well ahead of inflation. I believe ammo is a very fiscally sound investment. If/when state or federal taxes are imposed then I'm ahead of those too. In other words, I try to CYA (my A) in as many angles as is practicable.

At any rate, I think I have the answers to my original query. I'll buy a couple hundred rounds of brass and the reloading supplies for any "pricey/esoteric" calibers along with budget-priced but decent quality reloading gear.

 

[ElectrikKoolAid]

If you're going to stockpile barter fodder, I would go with cigarettes.

When the end of society comes, there are going to be some seriously irritable people out there.

However, the niche cartridges you are thinking of stockpiling are not the best rounds to learn reloading on.

 

[Mike1234567]

If you're going to stockpile barter fodder, I would go with cigarettes.

When the end of society comes, there are going to be some seriously irritable people out there.

However, the niche cartridges you are thinking of stockpiling are not the best rounds to learn reloading on.

I'm not going to help anyone continue smoking but cheap booze is quite another issue. Yup... I guess I'll stockpile some booze too. I just hope I can keep it replenished!!

So, let's see. I'm stockpiling highly flammable paper articles (e.g. toilet paper), flammable liquids (e.g. alcohol), ammo, and highly explosive gun powder. Hmm... me-thinks I need to build at least one cinder block storage building.

Again, the "niche cartridges" are for me and I'll reload for those. I'm only caching "common calibers".

 

[bukijin]

Brass costs money ?? I thought you got it for free on the ground at the range......better stock up on components though - primers, powder and lead.