Do you have a certain cartridge you just kinda leave out?

Yes and no. For many years, I never loaded for 9mm or 5.56mm... loaded ammo was so cheap vs the time and effort to reload for those cartridges. I reload for them now, given the issues with ammo and components over the past 10 years, it only makes sense to be prepared, but I also still buy loaded ammo when prices and availability aren't an issue.

I won’t load for common rounds usually or rounds where it makes a lot of economical sense to do so

For instance, I won’t load for 9mm but will for 35 Rem. Not for 223 but will for 444. Won’t load for 38 but will for 44 Mag.

9mm I keep enough in stock from when it's cheap that it doesn't matter.
All rifles get reloaded for.

I try to buy guns chambered only for cartridges that I do reload for or am willing to reload for.

30-30. Had the dies and components for over a year and just never bring myself to work anything up for it. Partly it is my wife's deer rifle and not mine and the other part is I'm just not convinced I could get that much more out of it vs my 243.

30-30 for me as well . I never , “like ever” shoot my 30-30 so I almost never reload for it . It’s almost misleading to even say I load 30-30 haha .

Old Stumpy said:

I try to buy guns chambered only for cartridges that I do reload for or am willing to reload for.

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So, no rimfires?

I'm 3rd, after somethingbenign and Metal God for not reloading for my Model 94, 30-30. I can't remember ever running a round through it that wasn't a factory 170gr Remington CoreLokt.
On the other hand, I do load for my wife's Model 94, 32 Special. It's kinda fun to shoot once in a while, and it was easy to work up a decent load for it.
I would have said my Ruger .223 was the gun I never load for, but I foolishly sold that rifle because I just had to have a 22-250. I like my 22-250 (a heavy barreled Kimber), but unlike that ugly, boat-paddle stocked Ruger .223, I wouldn't be able to shoot my 22-250 very much if I didn't load for it.

I don't. If I have a gun, I have dies and brass for it.
That doesn't mean I would never buy factory ammo at a good price, but I always have the necessary equipment and components on hand to load for it.
A set of Lee dies and 500-1000 pieces of brass isn't that large of an expense. Usually less than a hundred bucks, and if I need to load for it, I'm set up.

A rare example of this is the .380 acp. We have the dies and I have a few hundred pieces of brass.
But I have a few boxes of factory ammo on hand. I just hardly ever shoot the darn thing.

Except for rimfires, if I have a gun chambered for a particular cartridge, I reload for it.

Now, there are some guns/cartridges that I have not fired in decades. So, my inventory of those cartridges is at an adequate level and I do not need to replenish them.

I buy factory ammunition at times, but usually just a box or two that I send over the chronograph.

Arkansas Paul said:

I don't. If I have a gun, I have dies and brass for it.
That doesn't mean I would never buy factory ammo at a good price, but I always have the necessary equipment and components on hand to load for it.
A set of Lee dies and 500-1000 pieces of brass isn't that large of an expense. Usually less than a hundred bucks, and if I need to load for it, I'm set up.

A rare example of this is the .380 acp. We have the dies and I have a few hundred pieces of brass.
But I have a few boxes of factory ammo on hand. I just hardly ever shoot the darn thing.

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Same here, the LCP is too painful to shoot more than a mag or two and the WWII Beretta 34 rips the web of your hand to shreds

I have two old Remington model 14, one is a 32 Remington and the other is a 35 Remington.
I have the dies, cases and bullets and loaded up a bunch of cartridges for these two rifles but never shoot them.
I also have a Interarms mark X tjat I bought almost twenty years ago and haven't shot it since I first bought it. I have every thing to load for it but don't need to.

I have dies and guns for a couple of rifles that I haven't shot, much less loaded for; a Win Model 70 7mm Rem Mag and a Weatherby Mark V in .300 Whby.

The Win I bought used, had to re-scope and just haven't made time for. The .300 my Dad gave me and I just have no real need for it nor a real desire to shoot it.

Stay safe.

horsemen61 said:

Ok fellas I love to reload I love accurate loads I try to load for all my rifles and pistols .... but there are just some cartridges I don’t load much for I kinda leave them out. Take for instance my .300 blackout it’s a little ar pistol I call it my noisemaker I just really really don’t load for it much at all. Why I am not sure I just never do get around to it when I am in the fun room.



So I ask you do y’all have any rounds like that? You own a gun in that certain cartridge but for what ever reason you just don’t load for it?

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In that particular situation the real money and gain is in the bullet. No chance I would buy a 220 match king for that cartridge. I dont have that cartridge but I had plans to build one and that's where my cost analysis led me for silenced subsonics.

Well, I have a .45/.410 derringer, and .45 LC dies, but I don't like to load for it, because I don't much like to shoot it. The box I loaded for it about ten years ago is almost gone, however.

.40 S&W! Don't reload them, don't have one, don't like them!!! A .40 S&W case fits perfectly in a .45 acp case and loves to get stuck with a little bit of tumbeling media. Likewise a 9mm fits perfectly in a .40 S&W and loves to get stuck with a little bit of tumbeling media.

As far as the .40 S&W round itself, I actually respect the round and believe it to be an excellent SD round. I just dispise them every time one sneaks through and jambs me Dillon press!

entropy said:

Well, I have a .45/.410 derringer, and .45 LC dies, but I don't like to load for it, because I don't much like to shoot it. The box I loaded for it about ten years ago is almost gone, however.

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I have a 4" Bond Arms 45 Colt/.410 barrel derringer. The trigger stinks and that makes it unpleasant to shoot and difficult to hit the target. I got a couple smaller cartridge barrels (38 Special and 327 Fed mag) for the gun and it is more useful but with the smaller bore, not as efficient. I got a cool 327 Fed Mag shot shell load that uses gas checks for over powder and over shot wads.

With the 45 Colt/.410 barrel, I just use my standard 45 Colt reloads and .410-2-1/2" skeet loads in the derringer.

horsemen61 said:

You own a gun in that certain cartridge but for what ever reason you just don’t load for it?

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Yes.

I have 22LR pistols and rifles but don't reload for the caliber ... Way too much hassle.

I reload for every caliber I have firearm for.

Some of us simply consider guns just an "unloading" device so we can reload.

7mmR mag. Nothing "wrong" with it,just spend way more time behind one of the,7-08's.

Don't have dies(yet) for a 6.5X54 MS. And not that big of deal if it doesn't get done. Just got some cases awhile back. It just isn't an "itch" to shoot. Sorta the same as the 7 mag above.

Until recently and like most everyone else I also believe in loading for almost everything I own. I started reloading with the 44 spl / Mag and it's the only pistol cartridge I loaded for. I have a bunch of factory 9mm but brass is cheap and I'll probably find a few more Herters Dies online I can't live w/o anyway since I upgraded from a pair of single stage presses to a Lyman All-American 8 turrent press.

I do reload for all my milsurp rifles but I do have a few that I'm always on the lookout for brass for that I would like to load for more often, the 6.5 Jap & the 30/40 Krag. Now that I think about it there is one rifle cartridge that I never did load for that I finally ended up selling that particular rifle over cuz I never could find a projectiles for the damn thing. That Oddball 6.5 Italian Carcano with a .268 bore ?. Granted it looked just like a miniature Mosin but no one made the oddball bullets for it, Graf's does very sporadically but haven't in a while and they sell out almost immediately. And there is one outfit here in Idaho that said they could make me a custom Luber Sizer die to load for it but I decided it was going to be too big of a pain in the ass so I sold it to a pawn shop and bought a bunch of 6.5 Swede & 54R brass instead.

Also for a little variation I never did reload berdan primed 54R brass, but I did find some intriguing tutorials and videos on converting from berdan to boxer w/ a 1/4" drill bit , 1/4" Copper tubing & a primer pocket swager on the press that is definitely worth a try.

George P said:

Same here, the LCP is too painful to shoot more than a mag or two and the WWII Beretta 34 rips the web of your hand to shreds

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George, reloading the 380 ACP really helps tame that recoil.
Shooting factory ammo out of most 380 pistols is unpleasant and I've had enough after a mag or two. But with my reloads, I can shoot a whole box of 50 without any discomfort. Event the dreaded PPK gets tamed down to nearly comfortable levels.
Try it sometime and you may be able to enjoy range time with the 380s.

Oh, as to which cartridge I don't load; like many I have dies and components for all centerfire cartridges I own. There are some that I haven't loaded yet, as I don't shoot the rifles often or in some cases, haven't shot the rifle yet. But, I have the dies and brass. And will load up ammo for them. Even though that in most cases (no pun intended) I do have some factory ammo for them.
And I just picked up an Argentine Mauser, I received the dies and brass before the rifle...

I dont load 7.62x39, even though I have 4 guns chambered for it. Even with present prices, it's still cheaper and easier, when one factors in the time and effort, to buy the ammo instead. Not like you can improve the accuracy a whole lot by hand loading. They are AKs and SKSs, those name and accuracy dont belong together.

9mm is another one. I only have my Lugers in that caliber, so for me, it's not worth it. Dont shootem much anymore. I buy that ammo when I see a deal, but it has to be good ammo. They dont eat cheap.

On the fence with 40 SW. I have the gear and some supplies for it, but as far as costs go, at anytime expect now, it's a wash. Again, when you factor time and effort into the costs.

I can reload every thing ,center fire, I shoot ! I do seem to ignore the 357 the most. I have a lot of stock for it but I just don't seem to shoot it much anymore. Won't get rid of it, first hand gun I bought, gave my dad the money as I was too young. 1967, Colt Python, 100 rounds of ammunition, $175.00, out the door. Got a soft spot in my heart for it