I want to pare down my reloading stuff

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John Joseph

John Joseph

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It is amazing how fast stuff accumulates, but it is seldom the stuff I really can use!
Stuff takes up room and has the potential for getting mixed up with more important stuff.
It's a distraction, and distractions are no mas on the reloading bench.
It's better used in the hands of someone who can put them to use.
Dies in calibers I no longer shoot, molds for bullets I don't have a use for, assorted case trimmers for straight walled brass, tumbling media that duplicates the effort (if I start with clean brass, do I really need walnut shell AND corn cob?) so I'm wondering, how do I pare my reloading tools/supplies down to the basics?

With the prospect of more repressive gun legislation I cannot see the benefit of stuff I don't need. taking up room better dedicated to reloading components and ammunition I do have a use for..

How do you make the cut?
 
John Joseph said:
It is amazing how fast stuff accumulates, but it is seldom the stuff I really can use!
Stuff takes up room and has the potential for getting mixed up with more important stuff.
It's a distraction, and distractions are no mas on the reloading bench.
It's better used in the hands of someone who can put them to use.
Dies in calibers I no longer shoot, molds for bullets I don't have a use for, assorted case trimmers for straight walled brass, tumbling media that duplicates the effort (if I start with clean brass, do I really need walnut shell AND corn cob?) so I'm wondering, how do I pare my reloading tools/supplies down to the basics?

With the prospect of more repressive gun legislation I cannot see the benefit of stuff I don't need. taking up room better dedicated to reloading components and ammunition I do have a use for..

How do you make the cut?
Click to expand...
Put everything in a package, and sell it. The whole thing and don’t think back on how you could have sold it at a better price.... that’s how I do with my exgirlfriend
 
Start with all of that stuff for cartridges you no longer load for; that's easy. Then take an inventory of what is left and put a little sticky on it with today's date. If you haven't touched/used it in a certain amount of time, say 6 months or a year, then sell it.
Every January 1st, I take all my clothes and turn the hangers around, turn the way folded ones sit in a drawer, etc. If by next January, they haven't been worn, away they go; adopt the same not only for your reloading gear, but even guns if so inclined.
 
AJC1 said:
Having dies is owning capability. If as you say things get hard are you going to ever want or need them again. I have die sets I dont own but friends do and the ability to help them out is a good value to me.
Click to expand...
I’m not trying to be an enabler to hoarding gun stuff. But I sometimes buy brass so I can buy dies. Hopes is to eventually get the gun too.

current examples: 375 H&H, 308, 8mm Rem Mag
 
I guess I work backwards. The more supplies/components/ tools I have, the better options I have. Unless you're done buying guns...it's nice picking up a new caliber knowing you already have everything you need to load it.

I've got dies for calibers I've never owned, but I may someday. Still trying to figure out how a box of random dies I've picked up over the years here and there didn't have any 45ACP dies. Out of 25-30 sets, you'd think one woulda been. Nope.
 
Wait a little while. I expect the value to go up. Reloaded ammo could fund a nice retirement account :)
 
I just cleaned up my workshop. I was big into RC model airplanes. I sold the whole lot (30 years of accumulated stuff) to a guy and filled his pickup truck. He drove away and that was the end of it. I probably could have sold it piecemeal for more cash, but it would have taken 6 months and finding the right buyers.

Easy to sell it all now. It is a sellers' market. In the future, you can always buy the individual tools/dies again if you ever need them.
 
A while back the unthinkable happened and I was forced to pare down, well, everything. Everything is accumulated in the past thirty or so years. I got pretty good at it.

When it came to shooting and reloading stuff, I I settled for a brand. Ruger. That helped me with what calibers to keep. I made a list. 45 colt, 44 mag, 9mm in pistol calibers and .308, .223 is what I kept out of the rifles. I kept a colt woodsman and all my sentimental pieces.

So outside of those brands and those calibers everything went. Some things like tumblers and extra powder measure and case prep stuff, I knew enough people around that they were easy to rehome and I still get visitation. I had a bunch of presses that were high ticket items that my poor ass friends couldn’t buy so they left for good. I donated a bunch of brass, different sorts of priming tools, duplicate dies and shell holders some powder to carts id never reload again to a local store with the understanding that it went to folks in need. Sort of a pay it forward type deal. In the same spirit a lot of this stuff came in to my possession.

Anyhow, that year a lot of things went into the shuck it bucket and I never looked back.
 
John Joseph said:
It is amazing how fast stuff accumulates, but it is seldom the stuff I really can use!
Stuff takes up room and has the potential for getting mixed up with more important stuff.
It's a distraction, and distractions are no mas on the reloading bench.
It's better used in the hands of someone who can put them to use.
Dies in calibers I no longer shoot, molds for bullets I don't have a use for, assorted case trimmers for straight walled brass, tumbling media that duplicates the effort (if I start with clean brass, do I really need walnut shell AND corn cob?) so I'm wondering, how do I pare my reloading tools/supplies down to the basics?

With the prospect of more repressive gun legislation I cannot see the benefit of stuff I don't need. taking up room better dedicated to reloading components and ammunition I do have a use for..

How do you make the cut?
Click to expand...
——
You have to know that post is like chum in still waters. :thumbup:
 
fatboog said:
A while back the unthinkable happened and I was forced to pare down, well, everything. Everything is accumulated in the past thirty or so years. I got pretty good at it.

When it came to shooting and reloading stuff, I I settled for a brand. Ruger. That helped me with what calibers to keep. I made a list. 45 colt, 44 mag, 9mm in pistol calibers and .308, .223 is what I kept out of the rifles. I kept a colt woodsman and all my sentimental pieces.

So outside of those brands and those calibers everything went. Some things like tumblers and extra powder measure and case prep stuff, I knew enough people around that they were easy to rehome and I still get visitation. I had a bunch of presses that were high ticket items that my poor ass friends couldn’t buy so they left for good. I donated a bunch of brass, different sorts of priming tools, duplicate dies and shell holders some powder to carts id never reload again to a local store with the understanding that it went to folks in need. Sort of a pay it forward type deal. In the same spirit a lot of this stuff came in to my possession.

Anyhow, that year a lot of things went into the f*** it bucket and I never looked back.
Click to expand...
What Happened? we, me, you... are identified by our “STUFF” it’s not like we can shoot all our collection of Ruger #1 but we stroke it and identify with it’s stories we made up in our heads
 
Mark_Mark said:
What Happened? we, me, you... are identified by our “STUFF” it’s not like we can shoot all our collection of Ruger #1 but we stroke it and identify with it’s stories we made up in our heads
Click to expand...

I know exactly what you mean. My life changed abruptly and through that I felt like I had accumulated too much stuff, in general. I had to move a bunch of times and hauling around weight into the tens of tons, one wishes to have less. I went through ten years of that and part of me was growing weary of moving around 6-800 pounds of bullets. Up and down stairs. I kept the pieces I KNEW I could live with and could commit to supporting them. I know just what I need.
 
I am pretty ruthless with myself about owning reloading stuff for cartridges I don’t have an interest in. No need. Trade fodder. But if I think I may one day have a gun in that caliber.... especially if it’s something weird... I’m saving it for sure.
 
How come there are no "circling vulture" emojis here? Let's use this guy :neener: ...almost resembles wings anyway....

Whatever route you choose, it probably didn't take long to figure out reloading supplies garner lots of attention...and money lately.
 
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