Rifle or Reloading

Only solution to your problem is to buy both.

Reloading will become even more worthwhile after you buy a centerfire rifle.

Unless you plan on reloading alot (and taking the time to learn how), I would get the rifle and buy wolf or other cheap ammo for your shooting needs. Even when using cast bullets, I am not saving too much (especialy if you add in the time) compared to some of the cheap ammo out there.

Best thing I ever did was start reloading. I reload all winter and shoot all summer. Go for the reloading. Winter is coming.

That is, if you are a shooter and enjoy the sport. If you just want another gun buy the gun but if you are consisdering reloading, I can tell you that if was worth it for me!

Do you enjoy tinkering, working with your hands, figuring things out? Are you responsible and cautious? Do you respect authorities in their given are of expertise? Do you have time and take time to invest in understanding a new project before beginning? Can you follow directions and pay attention to details?

If you answered yes to all or most of these, then reloading might be for you.

If you answered no to most or all of those questions, save yourself the potential for accidents and stick with factory ammo.

That will answer your question, rifle or reloading set-up.

Q

Then there is the cost/savings (LOL) of reloading. You need to have the enough shooting need to reload. If you only shoot a couple of times a year or once a month I'm not sure you would have the need to reload. You said you have two handguns both in 45. I think if it was me I would just buy the new rifle first.

I think Quoheleth had some good questions but I also think by posting your question you would answer yes to most of them. No matter what you decide on this one it is a Win Win. If you start reloading you'll win by shooting more. If you buy the rifle you will shoot something different and maybe shoot more. Did you notice I did not say anything about savings by reloading. You won't save a dime by reloading, you'll just shoot a lot more!

I find that the satisfaction of "rolling my own" ammo and not being held hostage by retailers when I need to replace shot up ammo are the biggest factors in reloading. + when and IF certain ammo becomes extinct I will still be able to keep shooting if I have some materials to reload saved up. True you don't save any money but I find I shoot more volume and with more accuracy.

If you buy reasonable reloading gear, it will save you enough money to buy more than one rifle. It will also make your eventual rifle shooting MUCH cheaper, especially if you get into serious rifle shooting. NOBODY loads a commercial version of my .30-06 600 and 1,000 yard loads. If they did, they'd probably be $50/box of 20.

If you have a couple of .45's then you have went through the "cannot find it anywhere mess" that happened the past two yrs. Also that caliber can be reloaded for less than half the cost of factory.... with this said, get the AR!



Hope this helped

I reload just because it's fun. You can get started very cheaply by the way. I still use my first single stage Lee press which came free if you bought the 24.95 book at full price several years ago. But even now I think you can pick up the inexpensive Lee turret press for well under $100.

Be warned it can be habit forming. I just ordered a new Forster Co-axial press on Sunday (that will be press number 3 on the bench), and there are always new gadgets to buy and play with.

Yep, if you already have a centerfire rifle I'd get the reloading setup. If not I'd get the rifle, then get a re loading setup next.

I started reloading knowing that I would eventually load for most of my calibers, Im into 9 as of right now. For me it was worth it as I had a couple rifles and pistols and lots of spare time to tinker with it. If I only had a pistol or two though, I would opt for the rifle. This way you can see how much you will really use it, the cost of the supplies doesnt save you any money right away. It usually takes a year or two, depending on how much you shoot, to recoop what you spent on it and actually start seeing savings.

Buy the AR, Ive had 2, now I have an AR-10 and am building a custom AR-15 as we speak. They are a blast and there are plenty of accessories available to make it yours.

If you don't already have a rifle, but that first. I believe it was Col. Cooper who said (something like), "The purpose of a handgun is to fight your way back to the rifle you never should have left in the first place."

That said, plan on investing in reloading equipment at a later date. I put it off waaay to long. It is educational and therapeutic ... and maybe even economical (although I've yet to be convinced of the latter).

You're going to have to get busy.

As a minimum you're going to need four long guns. A 22 rimfire, the AR you mentioned, a larger caliber centerfire rifle and a shotgun. On the handgun side the minimum is three or four revolvers and a like number of semi autos. The two 45's are a great start.

Reloading equipment is a requirement unless you are rich. If you have a suitable space and a cautious nature reloading is a must. It saves tons of money but the fun factor of reloading your own ammo is the bigger payoff. So buy either the AR or the reloading equipment. They are both required.

Reloading is definitely not for people with short attention spans, people who cannot pay close attention to detail and people not willing to read and learn.

For many it's the only way to go.

As a minimum you're going to need four long guns. A 22 rimfire, the AR you mentioned, a larger caliber centerfire rifle and a shotgun. On the handgun side the minimum is three or four revolvers and a like number of semi autos.

Click to expand...

Guess I am required now to start reloading lol!
I would have to agree with everyone else in that you probably should get the rifle first as several are popping back up now that the Obama scare is over. You may even be able to get one at a good price which most ARs arent fairly priced for what your getting IMO.

Reloading will pay and pay and pay and pay... multiplying your shooting fun for as long as you can pull that handle. Having an AR is fun, but eventually the bloom comes off any rose. Your call of course, but I love reloading more than I like to shoot so it's no question for me. And you can reload on days you can't go to the range due to weather etc so reloading multiplies your hobby in ways you can't get with just a new gun.

Having said that, both if possible.

I've found the benefits of reloading to really manifest in two different ways:

1) Competition pistol ammo; I can load as much as I want only dependent on time, get it to the exact optimal velocity, and do it for half the cost of factory.

2) Rifle ammo in almost all its forms is much cheaper to load, and much more consistent than all but the high dollar factory stuff.

If you are a moderate volume shooter I'd do reloading as it will start saving you real money almost right away (time not counted; if you would be getting extra pay at work in the time spent reloading and don't care about specific ammo performance, then factory ammo might still be for you).

If you are an "average" gun owner (nothing wrong with that) that realistically shoots less than 50 rounds a month averaged over the year, then reloading will be a significant learning curve and monetary investment that would take a long time to pay off, if ever.... and therefore I'd recommend the rifle.

You can save enough reloading to later buy a rifle.

It don't work the other way round.

Hi sethsdaddy25,

It's up you. However, loading 45 (either 45ACP or 45 Long Colt) are great
cartridges to learn to hand load with. They are large enough to handle easily
while learning.

As others have mentioned before, patience and reading and following the instructions are mandatory.
Do not experiment. I'd buy 2-3 loading manuals such as Lyman, Speer, or Lee.
They are are a good investment. Read them before starting.

Lastly, it'd be best to start with a single stage press. One can load pistol
and rifle cartridges with the same press. Some will say to get a turret or
progressive press; I do not believe that those presses are the way to learn.

You want to learn the basics of loading first.

Bob

+
what everybody has said above, consider building your own AR, and taking the money you save and putting it towards a reloading set up, you can buy a lee turret kit for less than 150 on midway, and uppers for 180-500 on midway, then you can purchase your lower (the gun part) at a local dealer, some are as inexpensive as $70, others are as Cheap as $200, do your research and you can make a stellar rifle for what a ok one cost.

Reloading does save some money............. but usually, only after you sell all of your equipment for near what you paid for it. Reloading is a self-perpetuating hobby. You buy basics to "get started" and soon buy a few more periphials because it makes it sooo much faster/easier. Then you start the inevitable upgrading and that's where the big money starts to disappear.

With that said, however, reloading is fun and teaches you much, much more that just how to build a cartridge. It gives you new respect for ammo mfg'rs.

But to answer your question................. I have no idea.

Reloading hasn't saved me any $$$ at all but did up the fun factor quite a bit It's enabled me to own guns I'd otherwise couldn't shoot due to the price and/or availability of ammo. The only factory ammo I've purchased was .38 spcl then I took up reloading when I went up in calibers and now load 357/44 spcl/44 mag and 480.

Asia has dumped our mortgages back into our market because they can see the writing on the wall. Gold continues to rise and the dollar continues to drop. Oil is climbing again, and the number of poor Americans has shot straight up. Once unemployment begins to rise, inflation will be unavoidable with the way the Fed is printing money.

What good is a rifle, if your money can't buy any ammo? Get a reloading kit and stock up on components now.