Posing such a question on a reloading forum (where, presumably everyone reading your thread is an active reloader or considering it) is virtually guaranteed to get answers biased towards, "yes".
But, let me count the ways:
Economy: Depending on what cartridges you are reloading (and whether or not you want to count your time and the up-front equipment costs) you can save anywhere from just a little to 80% or more of your ammo costs. (9mm is very close to no savings. 500 S&W, my friend's ammo costs are $0.75 per round, factory loaded ammo is $3.00 each for comparable ammo. More exotic calibers (especially rifle calibers) can save even more. Some rounds are not even available on a regular basis at any price.
Quality: Ammo you craft yourself can be tuned to your firearms particular characteristics. Handloaders for rifles quite often find some individual guns have quite striking differences in group size when shooting tuned ammunition.
Knowledge: As you study reloading, you will, perforce, also study internal ballistics. The study of internal ballistics leads into the study of how your firearm works.
Customization: Ammo you load yourself can be tuned to your particular needs. My friend with the 500 S&W loads full power loads and "powder puff" loads that clock 350 grain slugs a little under 800 feet per second. I know that's more than a G.I. 45 ACP's power and momentum, but they shoot like 22 rimfire in that big, heavy gun. Great for fun, familiarization, training and letting the curious bystander go for a "test drive" with a super-light load, a medium load, a heavy load and, if they are still game one of the big boomers. This tends to avoid the "rear sight in the forehead" mark.
Satisfaction: Punching small bunches of small, medium or large holes in paper or bringing down a game or food animal with ammunition you crafted yourself has a good deal of satisfaction. Same reason I prefer to make my own biscuits instead of store-bought.
Smug satisfaction: When the ammo shelves are bare during a market or political scare, loaders are demonstrably less affected by the shortages. A couple of pounds of powder, a thousand primers and bullets (or few pounds of lead) and a hundred cartridge cases wouldn't fill a small book carton, but lets the loader know he can shoot while price-gougers take advantage of non-loaders.
Self-satisfaction: The repetitive, calm, attentive concentration of the reloading activities is often found to be so much fun as to bring to the shooter's mind the question, "Do I reload so I can shoot shoot or do I shoot so I can reload?". Some find loading to be as satisfying a hobby as shooting or fly-tying or many other hobbies.
The more fanatical among us combine a couple of the features I have mentioned and, instead of shooting for bullseye accuracy at the range, reload in a search for the "magic load" that achieves perfection in a given rifle. Then, they move on to the next target, which is another rifle and another tuned load. But you do have to be at least a little fanatical to even get it. It is the hunt they seek, for they enjoy the quest more than the goal.
I am sure there are many other reasons, but these are the main ones I can think of.
Let's say you had $750-$1000 now and you'll have $500-$750 a year for each of the next few years to spend on ammo. And your goals are 1)economy, 2) accuracy, 3) an enjoyable passtime/hobby, in that order. Specifically- you want to mostly build up lots of ammo for plinking, range practice, and SHTF scenarios. Let's say you shoot mostly 9mm, and .40, but a couple hundred rounds (annually) each of 38 Spl, 357 Mag, .257 roberts, 30-06, 30-30, .223, 7mm, 300 H&H mag, 12 Gauge, and a couple others.[\QUOTE]
And lets say you are a careful person, technically inclined, an ability to comprehend and execute the details of technical instructions, however you know no one that reloads and don't have anyone to show you how to get started. [\QUOTE]
- Can a newbie without experienced supervision be safe and productive with a few hours of working at this?
And- You think you would enjoy the process of reloading, and have an appreciation for the possible increases in accuracy that can be gleaned by reloading.
I've read some older posts (example:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=238214) and I end up thinking- If I don't want to end up with 3 fingers per hand or studying for 80 hours before I create the first round- I'll just buy my ammo.
My formal instruction consisted of watching the guy who sold my press to me load 3 rounds as he explained each step, then him watching over my shoulder as I loaded the next 3 rounds to make sure I did not blow myself up, load a powderless cartridge or set off a primer in the press. I could have learned more, faster with a longer mentoring period, but I learned a lot in those first 6 rounds, as he explained each step and answered all my questions and verified I understood all. It took probably over half an hour to load those six rounds, but it was worth the learning. I educated myself after that by reading and loading carefully.
I could have learned a whole lot more with more instruction, but I was careful, did not push any performance envelopes and knew most of the risks. There was no internet in 1975, nor even instructional videos.
Yes, it can be done. You can do it.
Your hypothetical handloading candidate is well-qualified to load, technically skilled. Reloading isn't rocket science, though it does involve smoke and fire and things that go very fast, if you can change a tire and bake a soufle you can reload successfully. If you can figure your way through algebra, you can handload ammunition better than factory ammo.
So here are the questions:
- With the dollar amounts mentioned above- is it better to buy ammo or reload, given the other variables.
In the summer of 2010 I repopulated my loading bench with all new stuff (except a scale and the bench itself) . I got a Lee Classic Turret (plenty adequate to handle all your listed calibers except 12 gauge) I could have started from scratch and gotten by for got by well under $800 for 8 pistol and rifle calibers including shipping. Add $100-$150 for a 12 gauge setup and and there you are.
I opine that twelve hundred dollars will buy you a first-class setup to load all the calibers you listed (plus the extra one), including the 12 gauge and enough components to fill your declared shooting quantity for two to three years.
After that, it's all profit. (Unless you want to count your time, but remember to subtract the value of what you learn from loading your own.)
- If the decision were made to reload, is there a "kit" that would have everything needed to get started for the beginner- say 1 to 3 calibers?
I am a fan of assembling your own kit. Every kit has stuff you don't need and lacks stuff you do. Also some stuff you do need, you will find you prefer some other maker's product, so you will be supplementing and trading stuff, which negates much of the savings and convenience of a kit assembled by some marketing "genius" who is attempting to put together a kit designed, not for you, but for some common denominator.
Most kits do not include anything for any specific caliber. You buy your own dies. Many progressive kits do, and Kempf's gun shop does have dies included with the Lee Classic Turret, but few others do.
True, a kit will get you loading faster and with less up-front study, but assembling your own kit involves some education which will be EXTREMELY valuable to you. That up-front work pays dividends.
- Given the available dollars mentioned, what would the advantages/disadvantages be of reloading vs. buying standard ammo.
The savings on your handloads/reloads continues indefinitely.
The potentially superior quality of your ammunition continues indefinitely.
Refer to the other things I mentioned at the top of my post.
You're welcome. Thanks for asking our advice
I hope my rambling is not off-putting and proves as useful as the effort to read it.
Lost Sheep