Why do you reload ammunition?

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I started due to cost, I did a CBA on reloading when everyone said you cant save money, and found that is not entirely correct (assuming you don't change your shooting volume)

I was shooting .45 Colt which was not cheap to buy (.76 a round), I could reload it for .16 a round not counting brass of course but that is reusable and I had some.
Ran a whole spreadsheet on ammo I shoot,
I spent ~$250 to buy reloading gear
rcbs partner press $74.49
ammo boxes $20.00
universal bullet Tray $6.00
caliper $24.00
digital scale $24.99
funnel $5.00
case lube tray $13.00
decapping die universal $40.00
universal shell holders $24.87
Lee PP Measure $21.39

Total: $253.74
at $.60 a round savings I paid for that gear in 423 rounds shot of .45 colt, add 87 rounds to that for the cost of the dies and you are right around 500 rounds.

savings examples
Caliber Savings per 1K rounds
380 $265.40
9mm $153.60
.38 Super $498.80
.38 Spl (Cast lead) $338.60
.357 Magnum $371.40
.40 S&W $257.60
10mm $523.40
44 Spl (Cast lead) $672.00
.44 Magnum $498.00
.45 ACP $285.00
.45 Colt (Cast lead) $638.60
.500 S&W Mag (Cast lead) $1,331.00

and this was back when you could buy 9mm for <$15 a box.

Like I said, I started reloading as a cost savings, but, now I have all the ammo I need, even during this shortage, and I reload because I can and TBH I might be a little ADHD.

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I reload to be independent of the commercial offerings. This offers tailored loads for my needs. Its also nice to have a stockpile of components for times like these.

My grandpa started me reloading when i was about 13. First rounds I loaded myself were .243 Winchester, and used em to kill my first two deer. I do it all single stage, and have dies for just about every caliber I own; about 30.

Some calibers I load (or will be soon) because there is no factory loaded ammo available or its scarce like 30 and 357 Herrett, 221 fireball, 22 Sav HP, 300 Sav, 38-40, 32-20 etc.
 
Slick Willy and I invented the internet Gore got me into reloading. I realized that any firearm without ammunition wasn't even a good club. Fast forward I started shooting USPSA and the reloading paid for itself many times over. Having the means to craft your own ammo is a good feeling.
 
First … This would cost a lot more than I spent- and can’t be bought normally.

Second… It’s specifically what shoots best for particular firearms.

Third… Be self sufficient, Casting and Powder coating,Reloading.
 

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I was reading Keith the other day. He said. " well I lived out in the middle of nowhere, and ammo was hard to find. I decided I'd rather just do without meat that year than reload. Reloading is for the birds..." No he didn't really say that. Can you imagine the old timers saying, I'd rather just buy my ammo if I can find it ? Or saying, I'll stick to the easy to acquire calibers?

Guns are a throwback to the older times of self reliance, of survival, and adventure. Reloading is a natural and crucial part of that.
 
Reloading is a careful cautious part of being a second amendment advocate
Kieth… ? There is a guy I wouldn’t want to go to the range with- Shards of metal flying from Ammo reloaded to hot, No thanks.
I will stick to the books, and not pretend I’m more knowledgeable
I was reading Keith the other day. He said. " well I lived out in the middle of nowhere, and ammo was hard to find. I decided I'd rather just do without meat that year than reload. Reloading is for the birds..." No he didn't really say that. Can you imagine the old timers saying, I'd rather just buy my ammo if I can find it ? Or saying, I'll stick to the easy to acquire calibers?

Guns are a throwback to the older times of self reliance, of survival, and adventure. Reloading is a natural and crucial part of that.
 
Money/costs are down at the bottom of the list for me. I've learned that money isn't everything and figgering/worrying about how much something costs can ruin a hobby, rob the fun from it.I have a very good pension so I could probably buy factory ammo, if it were readily available, without throwing money away. I reload because I like to. I enjoy all aspects of reloading from researching a load, gathering components, preping components/work space, assembling handloads, inspecting/boxing/packing handloads, shooting, reviewing and recording results. I like reloading. Today I only shoot/reload about 8-10 "normal" calibers so I don't reload for obsolete ammo. I don't shoot competition so ultra accurate ammo doesn't really apply (but I do try for good accuract in my rifle handloads). I don't do any magazine dumps or Jerry M type rapid firing, so I don't need hundreds of rounds "range fodder" at one time. I reload because I like to. Of course I determine what a particular gun preferrs, mostly for the fun of working up a load and I'll experiment with different components and combinations, but for the fun of reloading.

The last time I considered costs was in 1969 when I was researching reloading and I wanted to see if it was affordable.

In '69 I was shooting my 38 Special and as I emptied the cylinder and the cases dropped to the ground, I thought "I wonder if these can be reused?"... And my curiosity started the whole thing...
 
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You should consider cost now a days- I’m sure you will reconsider the benefits financially of shooting now compaired to what it was in….1969. It’s a wee bit more expensive to purchase factory ammo.
Ps I enjoy it as a hobby also
Money/costs are down at the bottom of the list for me. I've learned that money isn't everything and figgering/worrying about how much something costs can ruin a hobby, rob the fun from it.I have a very good pension so I could probably buy factory ammo, if it were readily available, without throwing money away. I reload because I like to. I enjoy all aspects of reloading from researching a load, gathering components, preping components/work space, assembling handloads, inspecting/boxing/packing handloads, shooting, reviewing and recording results. I like reloading. Today I only shoot/reload about 8-10 "normal" calibers so I don't reload for obsolete ammo. I don't shoot copetition so ultra accurate ammom doesn't really apply (but I do try for good accuract in my rifle handloads). I don't do any magazine dumps or Jerry M type rapid firing, so I don't need hundreds of rounds "range fodder" at one time. I reload because I like to. Of course I determine what a particular gun preferrs, mostly for the fun of working up a load and I'll experiment with different components and combinations, but for the fun of reloading.

The last time I considered costs was in 1969 when I was researching reloading and I wanted to see if it was affordable.

In '69 I was shooting my 38 Special and as I emptied the cylinder and the cases dropped to the ground, I thought "I wonder if these can be reused?"... And my curiosity started the whole thing...
 
I'm a trader and a scrounger. I like cleaning up used reloading gear. I like chasing down old stuff. I do it with all my tools, so that plays a factor for me.

Mostly cost savings is the main thing for me though. At one time, before I was married, I spent $200 a month on ammo. My shooting has slowed some now. Being married, the down turned economy, a young'un, It all points to reloading as a means to continue shooting.
 
I started in 1964 with 12 guage lo brass paper for my addiction to trap shooting. Lee wac a mole that cost me $15.00 cash. Still have it. Could turn out a box in 1/2 hr. Shot 2 to 3 times a week Three rounds a night at the local range in Wantaugh Long Island. Got pretty good A round of trap including the puller wes $1.50 a round. Shot at night over a well lit field. THE GOOD OLE DAYS...
 
You should consider cost now a days- I’m sure you will reconsider the benefits financially of shooting now compaired to what it was in….1969. It’s a wee bit more expensive to purchase factory ammo.
Ps I enjoy it as a hobby also
Nope. I don't consider 1969 costs as anything but history, and at that time I was researching component costs to see if I could afford to reload, not comparing costs to factory ammo. It would be very difficult to compare my handloads cost to factory for a few reasons. What did the components cost? I have components 20 years old, what did they cost then? I have components I bought on sale so what did they cost me then? I cast bullets so what did the lead cost me? A good percentage was scrounged, free, some recovered range lead, some wheel weights from work, but very little purchased for mixing (10-20 lbs purchased over a 30 year period). I have been gifted powder and brass, I have purchased new and "once fired" brass and I didn't record the cost at the time I purchased them and I have quite a few range pick ups (I started reloading with brass I scrounged at the local police range). I quit buying factory ammo in 1970 and the only purchases of factory ammo since then was when I had a new gun with no brass or dies to reload, maybe 4 boxes total.

For my handloads there is no"financial brnefits". I have never been asked what the cost of my handloads compare to factory, and how do you set a price on "bench time" (when I retired I was making $41.00 per hr. with a half ton of perks, should I use that number?) or the reading/researching necessary? How do you place a number on the satisfaction of seeing all your handloads putting bullets in little, tiny groups way down range?

I would probably reload even if it cost more than factory ammo...
 
How do you place a number on the satisfaction of seeing all your handloads putting bullets in little, tiny groups way down range?
Or seeing them slam down 10 out of 10, 200 meter steel rams in a row. Or seeing just one of them put down a deer or an elk real quick after the bullet went exactly where you meant for it to go.:thumbup:
With the exception of rimfires, the only guns my wife and I don't run our handloads in are our carry guns - because our CCW Instructor said, "It's probably not a good idea." Now he might have been wrong, but we're not going to find out if he was.;)
 
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I enjoy saving the money… Actually just shoot more and don’t save any money compared to factory loaded ammo.
Hunting with a Hard Cast Powder coated that I made myself with a BH of 18 will probably do very well during Deer season. I can shoot a good amount for the cost and that is A great benefit to me
 

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Also it's a way to unwind. I like putting on a podcast or the bible on youtube and listen while I reload. It's therapeutic.
 
Someone may have said it already. At first I reloaded to shoot. Now I shoot to reload.

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I have some antiques that if you can find ammunition it is VERY expensive.
Like .50-70 government.
Usually well over $2 a shot.

I also have a Panda switch barrel varmint rifle.
It is extremely accurate, but does require neck turning every case.
I sort cases by neck wall run out measured before turning.

If the neck has significant run-out variation the body of the case often does also.
I use those for shorter range and fouling loads.
 
I used to be afraid to buy a gun that ammo was rare for, but since I completely jumped in 8 years ago I don't have that problem.

I started on a friend's equipment over 20 years ago to keep my 44 mag addiction going, but other than that it was a Lee whack a mole 30-06 for a lot of years. Ran into the inability to buy certain types of ammo during the numerous ammo droughts we've been through, now I reload for everything I shoot.

So the reasons are cost and availability....
 
President Obama got me into the hobby... and it has sustained my ability to shoot during periods of shortages and high prices.
I can load exactly what I want - in terms of recoil, noise, bullet characteristics.
It gives me something to do in the garage, my favorite place in the house.
 
I started when I was getting out of a winter pastime (snowmobiles) and looking for something to do in the winter. I had purchased my first handgun and suddenly realized you can burn through a lot of ammo in a relatively short amount of time. I thought it would be cheaper to reload but I'm still looking for all that money I "saved". :)
I just really enjoy having the ability to load what I want and how I want it. Since starting I have dies for every caliber I shoot, rifle and pistol with one exception. I'll be getting 450 Bushmaster dies soon...


-Jeff
 
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