Do you ever get conflicted like this?

For me it's more like

"Do I buy the guns I want now or do I get a Dillon Reloading setup together." I need to get into reloading is the bottom line.
or
"Do I get more guns, or buy scopes for two rifles I don't shoot much because I can't see the front sight?" I need glass is the bottom line here.

And yet I always seem to come home with a new gun instead.

Olympus said:

I'll have to admit, the reloading setup was very important to me from the beginning. If I owned a pistol, a rifle, and a shotgun, the reloading equipment would be my next purchase. It is invaluable in my opinion.

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I agree. The only reason I haven't gotten into it before now is that I was renting a really small little house with absolutely nowhere to set up. I bought a house in July with a finished attic and I have now got my work space and reloading bench assembled. I just need to buy the actual reloading equipment and components. The good part is I have 200+ lbs of once shot brass to reload.

The other issue I've had was "Do I want to buy a reloading setup, or new windows for my home?" Considering the original 75 year old windows with metal stop pins were what were in the place, I elected to replace half my windows. 4600 dollars later......... Reloading will need to wait a minute

Not sure about what an upgrade in buying guns means unless you're going from bargain basement used guns to much more expensive new-in-the-box guns. I try to get as much bang for my buck (pardon the pun), but I am also looking at a specific type of gun, be it for target shooting, home defense, concealed carry, or just plain fun. A few years back II bought a lot of new guns because I hadn't really thought anything new in quite a long time. Then I started buying ammo for them and holsters, extra mags,, and other accessories.Since I am already reloading I guess I would say get the guns you want first and then all of the other stuff later.

I've been really torn trying to prioritize my spending, its really tough trying to decide which should be a priority, powder, primers, or bullets.

I've basically been buying a little of each, so it builds up nicely over time.

Do I upgrade the guns I already have or do I buy more guns, mags, and/or ammo?

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I recently had this decision and I chose to upgrade a gun I already have.

I was debating on purchasing a cap and ball revolver because I've been wanting to get into it, but instead I decided to have a pair of new grips made for my Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt. I've always hated the black plastic grips that came on it but other than that it is my favorite gun. So I'm going to upgrade the grips and really put a nice touch on it with some holly grips from Private Schultz (privatescustomgrips.com). I just contacted him today in fact.

I don't think I'll regret it. When my B-day rolls around I'm going to get some good leather for it and then it will be just the way I like it.

I have only bought one gun in the last probably two and a half years.

During the last two local gun shows (two Saturdays, back-to-back) I bought four pounds of powder and 1000 primers, although I have a fair supply of each.

I'd like an LCP-C, and I'll get around to that. But my next purchase will probably be from Missouri Bullet, if that gives you an idea...

If I didnt already have a reloading setup...that would be my priority, for sure.

If you cannot go shooting because your money is tied up in new firearms and accessories, you're doing it wrong

There's only so much money to spend and I constantly have trouble deciding how to spend it.

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Since I have limited funds I've reduced the number of guns, standardized calibers and only spend on ammo. Training is something else I'm willing to appropriate funds toward but as of now I don't want to tie up funds in reloading equipment.

I'm a shooter, the only conflict is reloading or loaded ammo these day.

I periodically find a niche that needs filled but I have switched largely from accumulation to feeding and shooting my collection.

When I get old, I can spend time fondling, cleaning, and admiring them. Maybe selling a few to pay the heating bill.

This is a topic I've given a lot of thought to. I'm on a pretty tight budget and I simply can't afford to "collect" guns.

I opted to sell off all but a few of my guns (I now have less than 10) and cut down from 10 calibers to 3. I also made a point of selling off the oddball pieces and concentrated on the guns in common, readily available calibers

I took the money I saved and put it into stocking ammunition and accessories for the guns I kept instead of running around chasing all these different calibers and obscure accessories.

In light of current events and the next ammo panic that I'm certain is coming I'm confining any purchases I make to standard capacity magazines and ammunition for guns I already have rather than new guns.

I've pretty much quit buying guns unless it is just an obscene bargain.

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This pretty much sums it up for me.
I just spent some $$ upgrading my M&P pistols. Red dot for one AR. Getting new night sighs for my HD pistol.

If I buy something now, it will only be to upgrade present item or replace an existing lesser quality firearm.
Last gun I bought was for my wife anyway. Also filled a niche that was vacant in my carry option.

TBH, I don't enjoy shooting as much as I like collecting. Maybe if I get lasik that'll change...

I have never owned ten guns at once in my life. I own 9 right now and its the most I have ever had. I've got 5 pistols, a shotgun 2 rifles in different calibers and a 9mm carbine. I could get rid of the shotgun and a pistol with out missing them. I have not shot them in years.

I am on a budget. I admit if I won the lottery I'd buy a lot of guns. That shiny Colt Gatling Gun, I've been lusting after, I'd be turning its crank, so to speak. The budget means I have to focus on what I want to do with my money. Unless you are a serious collector, once you reach a certain point, ammo is more important than guns. If you have the collecting bug then all bets are off. I like to shoot. I shoot every week. If I had more money, I would shoot a few times a week. I would rather keep 5,000 rounds on hand so the next ammo shortage doesn't keep me from shooting then put more guns in the safe I don't shoot. If I want to shoot something different every now and then I just rent one.

Last year I had to start using a cane because of a bad knee. It led to upper back muscle pain when I shot. It felt like I had a fist sized knot between my shoulder blades. I kept shooting and probably should not have had. I developed bad habits trying to compensate and my shooting suffered. So I started taking lessons once a month to get my form back. Now I'm shooting better than ever, which just makes me want to shoot even more.

Living in California, we are under the constant threat of our guns being made illegal (ex-post facto, but that doesn't bother the tyrants in charge) and ammo being made much more expensive to acquire. I have plenty of guns, I have quite a good amount of ammo and reloading components too. If I were starting over again, I would only own two handguns, a CCW in 9mm like my Shield and a full sized 9mm. I would own an AR and a multi-purpose two barrel kit shotgun. That's it. Three calibers to stock. I would lay in 5k of ammo per caliber, I would then stock between 50 and 100k of components for each caliber. This would be enough for me to not have to buy ammo for probably the rest of my life. I will never pay the State a harassment fee (ammo buying permit and BG check) to purchase ammo here, I will drive hundreds of miles out of state and buy it before I will submit to the state's tyranny. But it's easier to just lay in a lot of reloading components.

I am a victim of the C&R disease so I have a ridiculous amount of different types of guns and calibers, which is not a good position to be in in this state, it would be a smarter strategy to sell everything, keep my Shield, AR and shotgun only and buy a CZ75 or a Glock and that's it. Any funds would then go to buying a couple of Dillons, and components. I have a Lee Classic Turret and a Lee Classic Cast but if I was only reloading two calibers, having two 550s, with each dedicated to a single caliber would be great.

But I like my C&Rs, I like shooting .22 rifles and pistols. it's difficult to just say that I am going to get rid of all of it. For any shooter these days, BUY RELOADING GEAR AND COMPONENTS. Our enemies are coming after your ammo, it could get bad. While it is fun and stimulating to always be buying new guns, if you are an experienced shooter, best to lay off the gun acquisition syndrome and buy ammo and reloading stuff. Guns without ammo are pretty useless and the writing is on the wall.

When Gavin Newsom becomes Governor in 2018, he will sign every crackpot gun law that Brown vetoed and more. We will lose the ability to own semi-auto rifles and eventually pistols here, I estimate within 3-5 years, possibly sooner. Hopefully I can escape to a free state by then.

we are under the constant threat of our guns being made illegal (ex-post facto, but that doesn't bother the tyrants in charge)

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Sidebar: That's not what ex post facto means. To be ex post facto a law would have to be passed and then enforced against you for an act you committed before that law was passed, and are not still doing.

For a gun ban to be enforced ex post facto you'd have to be charged because you USED to own a gun that is now illegal.

A law that makes something illegal today simply means you cannot continue to do or own that thing. The fact that you might have to get rid of a gun you now own does not make the law ex post facto.

Assuming you have decent quality firearms and reasonable ammo supplies at home, I think the best money is spent on some good defensive firearms training at Gunsite or Thunder Ranch.