Heh, the drinking just leads to another hobby, homebrewing and/or winemaking.
Yep I did that also!
Heck giving up. drinking, smoking and lose Women, was easier than trying to get rid of all this "accumulation" I will still keep my Wife though.
Heh, the drinking just leads to another hobby, homebrewing and/or winemaking.
I started reloading almost two years ago, during the shortage, which for a new guy starting out was a little tough getting components.
....The market has also produced some powders that I finally tried, i.e. Shooters World Tac Rifle and BE-86 and have or will be buying more of, so that SHOULD a market crunch arrive again, I won't struggle to enjoy my range time. I won't be a hoarder, but I will be prepared for what I can shoot plus a little extra to get me thru a crunch time.
Yesterday I found some Federal small pistol primers in a LGS. Surprised me because I haven't seen any in a long time. Now I know why. thomas15 had them all.Good planning^^^
For most rifle calibers, $350.00-400.00 worth of powder will load +2000 rounds ammo. For Handgunners, 8 pounds of powder will load +11,000 rounds. It's not hoarding if you buy it now for personal use and you will have it in times of tumult. It will not go bad in our lifetime and doesn't take up that much room.
I personally would rather have a few kegs sitting idle in my bunker than to be looking at 1000s of dollars worth of firearms and handloading equipment that I cannot use because ammo or components are all sold out.
Before last years election I had 20,000 federal small pistol primers. This in addition to about 25,000 CCI and S&B. I use the federals most and that 20K I thought was a bumper crop is now only 10,000 and I cannot find any locally. Not in panic mode yet but glad I had the stock.
Yep, yep, and yep.HOWEVER....if you don't pay them off, ridiculous rates of interest and fees will eat you alive. Pay with card, turn around and pay it off without fail.
Sorry about the somewhat off topic...
I use my amazon rewards card for everything and just pay it off the next morning when i get to work. It does add up and i use the rewards cash for some of my addictions although it can add up quick if you don't watch what your doing. I used mine for an out of state trip and bought my mom and sister dinner, and some gifts and its got a balance that will take a few paychecks to get down but that's life i guess.In regard to credit card usage, I will say this. I run every expense I possibly can through a card. I am in fact looking at services that allow you to use cards for payment on things that you cant, like mortgage payments and so forth.
That said, let me explain. First off, the second I do this I turn around and pay it off. The world of credit cards (at least if you have good credit) has changed in a major way in recent times. There are now various incentives for their use, I focus on points others like cash back. Some give incentives for the insurance company they are associated with and give discounts on your insurance. I have had two cards that have given approximately 50,000 points each after running so much through them over a certain period. Plus, some cards have changing categories every several months, some of which are no interest and some are a lot of interest (like Groceries) and give 5 points per dollar at those times. Some cards give 2 points all the time, and differing amounts for use at various places. You have to study them and find out what is advantageous to your situation. I have one I run my monthly downtown parking bill through because it considers parking in the travel category and gives double points.
I like points because I use them for airline tickets. Other cards do cash back and other incentives, you really have to comb through them for all the various ones. If I use them for South West Airlines, there is another large advantage in terms of leverage you get by using points instead of dollars to purchase their tickets. Since I use a lot of Trips on South West this works very well for me, I haven't paid for a ticket in ages. I pay about 12 bucks in taxes, and usually spring 40 bucks for "early Bird" service that allows me to board earlier in their A line.
You have to really do your research on incentives, and be ultra strict to pay them off as used, sort of like a debit card. As time goes by, some cards no longer have a big advantage and I get rid of them, but transfer the credit line to another of their sister cards, so credit rating isn't affected, or affected very little. Its takes research, but there are sites just like this one, except about cards and incentives and how to maximize their advantages. Careful use can make credit card usage highly advantageous. HOWEVER....if you don't pay them off, ridiculous rates of interest and fees will eat you alive. Pay with card, turn around and pay it off without fail.
Sorry about the somewhat off topic...
Russellc
Yes you are so right, no dispute there! Even with good choices and credit they can be a powerful temptation. I try to avoid the instant gratification trap and wait until a combination of factors make it irresistible, like large discounts, combined with other incentives, AND most important of the factors that I can pay for it.Smart, but I wasn't speaking about people who use credit cards the smart way, but the ones who use them to borrow money and keep a running debt with them.
Yep, yep, and yep.
Most of my previously marked component money has gone to 401k increases and post tax investments.
I usually agree with Walkalong but things may change in the future, at least for California.I have seen no constant threat to reloaders. Gun ownership yes, but no threat to reloaders.I'm sure I'm not the only one to feel the "pressure" coming down from the last few years ... The constant threats to the reloader have also convinced me to purchase casting equipment.