Lately, I've been thinking about the positives and negatives of reloading. I've come up with lots of positives, but the only really negative I can think of is that with factory ammo if you ever get rid of a gun and have left over ammo you can sell the ammo off. Or you could also sell off ammo if you ever have more than you feel you need and prices go up. However, if you have a ton of reloads you can't legally sell them, so if you sell a gun and no longer have a need for a caliber you are basically stuck with rounds you might not use. Other than that I can't think of any other negatives. Is this an issue for anyone? Are there any other downsides to reloading?
Downsides to reloading.
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dawico
Member
I have had the same issue. Buyers usually aren't interested in reloads or componants.
Another downside is looking at all the empty cases and componants I have, and feeling like a lazy butt by not putting them all together.
Another downside is looking at all the empty cases and componants I have, and feeling like a lazy butt by not putting them all together.
BeerSleeper
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If you've loaded "a ton of reloads" for a caliber you have one gun for, and sell that gun, perhaps that's poor planning.
There's nothing to prevent you from selling off your ammo cache, reloaded or not.
You do need some sort of license to be "remanufacturing ammo for the purpose of resale for a profit", but one guy selling off surplus inventory of a caliber he's abandoned can make a pretty strong argument he's not in the business of reloading for profit.
Whether or not you want to take on the liability of someone else shooting your reloads is an entirely different question.
There's nothing to prevent you from selling off your ammo cache, reloaded or not.
You do need some sort of license to be "remanufacturing ammo for the purpose of resale for a profit", but one guy selling off surplus inventory of a caliber he's abandoned can make a pretty strong argument he's not in the business of reloading for profit.
Whether or not you want to take on the liability of someone else shooting your reloads is an entirely different question.
Coltdriver
Member
Exposure to lead and mercury is a downside.
The initial cost.
After that its all down hill.
I am only reloading calibers that I have. It is a short list. However, I know a number of people who would cash out my 9mms or .308s tonight, if I wanted to sell them. If you do a good job reloading and your friends know about it, you won't have one bit of trouble selling your extras.
I am sticking to conservative platforms though. 9mm, .38 /.357, .45, .223 and .308. All easily traded or sold.
After that its all down hill.
I am only reloading calibers that I have. It is a short list. However, I know a number of people who would cash out my 9mms or .308s tonight, if I wanted to sell them. If you do a good job reloading and your friends know about it, you won't have one bit of trouble selling your extras.
I am sticking to conservative platforms though. 9mm, .38 /.357, .45, .223 and .308. All easily traded or sold.
Chris Rhines
Member
Downsides?
Reloading is insanely, mind-numbingly, soul-crushingly boring. There have been people found, slumped in front of their reloading presses, eyes glazed over, dead of sheer ennui...
I do it anyway, but nothing short of a lobotomy will ever get me to enjoy it.
-C
Reloading is insanely, mind-numbingly, soul-crushingly boring. There have been people found, slumped in front of their reloading presses, eyes glazed over, dead of sheer ennui...
I do it anyway, but nothing short of a lobotomy will ever get me to enjoy it.
-C
dave from mesa
Member
What he said.
JimKirk
Member
If you reload and sell the gun for which you have all them reloads...
Downside is ..... now you got to go buy another gun
Jimmy K
Downside is ..... now you got to go buy another gun
Jimmy K
Speak for yourself. 147g taste the best.
Simple, don't ever get rid of a gun. Then there is no downside.
Although as GLOOB said, I get a little obsessed about policing brass sometimes.
Arkansas Paul
Member
On the contrary, I find reloading to be a relaxing, fun, interesting, and extremely satisfying way to spend a few hours.
The downside for me is that I spend more money than I used to. "Baby, I've got to get into this. I'll save a ton of money." Yeah right!!! There's always something else to get. But that's not a bad thing.
LightningMan
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The only downside to reloading I can think of is it takes time to do it, time you could use doing something else. Now if you can get someone to do it for you, you've got that solved. LM
Curator
Member
I listen to "Books on Tape" while reloading (thanks Mike Venturino)that way I am also involved in literary activities and broading my mind while doing repetitive, boring work. Last week I "read" (listened actually to) two complete books. How can you beat that, improving my mind while saving money and finding new excuses (reasons) to go to thte range to try them out? Win, Win, Win, in my estimation.
dawico
Member
There is nothing worse than looking in the grass for one piece of brass, and nothing better than finding it.
Sport45
Member
That's not a downside. It's another money saving feature. Sometimes I find myself spending more time scrounging brass than I spend shooting.
Sniderman
Member
The biggest downside is that you'll forever feel compelled to pick up your brass.
So, shoot a wheelgun!
So, shoot a wheelgun!
Armored farmer
Member
Before I built the man-cave/reloading room in the shed, I kept my mec reloader with it's 200 rd shot capacity bottles in an upstairs room. My wife was cleaning that room one day and accidently knocked the reloader over, breaking the plastic tube and sending about 10 lbs of #8 shot all over the old wood flooring.
That was 20 yrs ago....We are currently remodeling that room and have ripped up the old carpet. I still get the "stink-eye" look whenever you hear the distinctive sound of lead shot rattling through the vaccuum sweeper
That was 20 yrs ago....We are currently remodeling that room and have ripped up the old carpet. I still get the "stink-eye" look whenever you hear the distinctive sound of lead shot rattling through the vaccuum sweeper
MissouriBullet
Member
"Get rid of a gun?"
BADUNAME37
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While I am reloading, I am constantly thinking of ways to make the job more efficient. I do not mind having to do 500 actions on my Single Stage Rock Chucker press. I think of ways to make the job go a bit quicker, like putting one of those yellow and black clamp things on the arm of the press so I am not bringing the ram all the way to the bottom if I am reloading short cases like .380. Shorter strokes on the handle all add up.
I figure any movement that I can eliminate makes the job go just a bit faster. When I am setting primers in four trays of 50 (dedicated Frankford Arsenal Blue Trays), I have learned to pick up one that needs priming and take the one just primed out of the shell holder and put the case in that is ready for a primer. While I am priming the current case, I am picking up the next case that needs priming and so on. It takes a bit of manual dexterity, but once you have it down, it makes things go a lot more smoothly.
When I get to the point where it even begins to feel at all monotonous, I typically stop as I realize that monotony could lead to something negatively happening (or not happening). My press and all is in the basement. I don't have kids, so whichever way I leave it, when I come back, even in two months, it is just as I left it. I do make notes on post-its to let myself know what has been done and what needs doing. So, when I start again, there is no question where I left off!
As for getting rid of a gun, I am over that. I no longer get rid of any of my guns. I got to the point where I have just what I need, nothing more, nothing less.
I figure any movement that I can eliminate makes the job go just a bit faster. When I am setting primers in four trays of 50 (dedicated Frankford Arsenal Blue Trays), I have learned to pick up one that needs priming and take the one just primed out of the shell holder and put the case in that is ready for a primer. While I am priming the current case, I am picking up the next case that needs priming and so on. It takes a bit of manual dexterity, but once you have it down, it makes things go a lot more smoothly.
When I get to the point where it even begins to feel at all monotonous, I typically stop as I realize that monotony could lead to something negatively happening (or not happening). My press and all is in the basement. I don't have kids, so whichever way I leave it, when I come back, even in two months, it is just as I left it. I do make notes on post-its to let myself know what has been done and what needs doing. So, when I start again, there is no question where I left off!
As for getting rid of a gun, I am over that. I no longer get rid of any of my guns. I got to the point where I have just what I need, nothing more, nothing less.
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