Is reloading really worth it?

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Save money overall? I doubt it. But I do get to shoot more for every recreation dollar. That was my initial motivation for reloading.

What I didnt count on was the enjoyment i get from experimenting with different bullets, powders, etc and learning about the caliber options that are now feasible and would have been prohibitively expensive if I didn't reload.

It also gives me something shooting related to do at home when the range is closed or I don't have time to get there.
 
Just thought of a way reloading saves me a lot of money... It's Saturday night, my wife is working at the hospital and I'm reloading in the garage instead of hanging out at the bar... I'm not spending money on drinks, but that's not where the savings come in... If she caught me hanging out at the bar, she would be pissed... My wife not being pissed is where the savings come in..
 
Worth it to me- I only have a Lee hand press so it's not a quick process, but I love sitting down with a pile of brass, turning on a podcast and cranking out 50 or 100 rounds.
The monetary savings are modest because I don't shoot all that much, and I only load for .38 Spl, .22 k-hornet and (soon) 7.62x39. But even .38 special is getting pricey, so I'm sure I've paid for the equipment a few times over already.
 
Lost Sheep said:
Rick, I can only assume you are trying to thin out the competition for reloading components.

Lost Sheep
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Yes, that's what I would be doing if I was Rick. :D

Reload if your heart is in it. You will be kindly rewarded.
Don't reload if your heart says no, you will never see the benefit.
 
Most expensive, money saving hobby I've ever done in my life

I really got into to push the accuracy a step further on my rifles and use the components I wanted in hunting loads.

ive honestly come to enjoy reloading as much as I do shooting
 
ive honestly come to enjoy reloading as much as I do shooting
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Yup.
I love to shoot the great groups so I can go back to the loading bench and try another recipe to shoot even better. If I can't be handloading, I want to be shooting.

I find my time at the loading bench is more enjoyable than any time spent in front of the boob tube, and much more rewarding, too! :cool:
 
I was fishing offshore with a friend recently and we caught a huge King Mackerel. He said, "this fish just cost me $200 per pound". He considers all the boat cost, fuel, dockage, insurance, etc. I asked him if it was worth it? He replied oh heck yeah...every penny.

I doubt I'll ever break even reloading. So what. I go into my reloading room and feel it is my Zen place. Nice music, a cup of soda and I custom load some uncanny accurate custom rifle rounds. It's my happy place.

Cooper Rifle Company (I shoot a Cooper) states that their rifles have a .5 MOA guarantee. They also state this is with custom crafted hand loads. Yep, they gave me the load recipe that came with my rifle's test target. And, yes, my custom hand loads deliver that .5 MOA accuracy. Point being, you cant BUY an off the shelf box of ammo like the loads I work up for my guns. Reloading is worth every penny I invest in the hobby....at least to me it's worth it.
 
Point being, you cant BUY an off the shelf box of ammo like the loads I work up for my guns.
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I'll toss my 2 cents in here but not to create controversy.

Yes, you probably CAN buy ammo off the shelf that will shoot that well in your gun. HOWEVER, it probably will be very costly to go through the necessary experimentation, to find the manufacturer, load type (hunting, match, etc.) and bullet weight that will get you those results. Then you will have to buy that particular ammunition in that particular lot number in a large quantity (if you can find it) in order to reap the rewards of all the testing you did to find it.

And therein lies the savings benefit of handloading your ammo, and the comforting knowledge that you can produce that accurate ammo on demand as long as you own your rifle/pistol/shotgun. ;)

Besides being less expensive, it's a whole lot more fun and much more rewarding to load your own! :)
 
I'd say I spend on components what I spent on ammo before reloading... now I just have a HECK of a lot more ammo. There is no savings when you factor in the cost of labor for a working age guy like me. If I charged myself the $15 - $25 per hour that my time is worth to do this, my ammo would be twice as expensive as Hornady or Nosler. Just gotta consider it IS CHEAPER than GOLF. :D
 
It can be cheaper depending which cartridges you reload for.

Some you cannot even buy ammo for.

When you factor all the things you buy and your time, it's probably not worth it for other cartridges.

I do it for other reasons,shortages,better ammo,ammo combinations I cannot get.

1++++

I enjoy the results of my labor!
 
Bama Drifter said:
I'd say I spend on components what I spent on ammo before reloading... now I just have a HECK of a lot more ammo. There is no savings when you factor in the cost of labor for a working age guy like me. If I charged myself the $15 - $25 per hour that my time is worth to do this, my ammo would be twice as expensive as Hornady or Nosler. Just gotta consider it IS CHEAPER than GOLF. :D
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Especially since you get no tangible product from golf. (Except, of course, some aerobic benefit)

About Golf: A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein

However, the cost of your time, even at $25 or more per hour (along with the initial cost of the gear and factoring in the initial learning curve as well) can be recouped on some cartridges. I developed a spreadsheet that lets you calculate the break-even point (just for the fun of it - you see I crunch numbers for fun, too, along with punching holes in paper and refilling cartridges).

Lost Sheep

(edit) http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=663065
 
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I totally agree with all the recent posts. You see I thought I was a firearm enthusiast (gun nut), but in reality, I am a handloading nut. I see a new firearm as an implement that requires its own load recipe.
 
J1

I like the freedom of choice which goes along with reloading. It does not matter what it costs. :)
 
In the long run, a year or so, I will pay back everything I spent to start up. It also helps that a buddy of mine is splitting the costs of supplies and reloading. But it comes down to the hobby aspect, I enjoy the repetitive nature sometimes of just sitting down and depriming a bunch of brass and sizing. I enjoy taking different components, bullets, powder (always start the lowest), primers and seeing what works and what doesnt, along with the record keeping.
More importantly, I have my own "sancutary" in the basement, grab a cup of coffee, turn on the ipod and just wind down from the day or when I actually load rounds, I pick a weekend day when things are quiet, good night sleep and I can produce some quality rounds.
Everyone has their own reason, just as long as it makes them happy I guess.
 
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