Can you help me plead my case?

[788Ham]

Another way to look at this : My wife know when I say "I'm going downstairs to reload some rounds", she knows where I'm at. I'm not at the neighbors chasing his wife around, something I'd never do anyway! I might be down there for 2 - 3 hours, she'll holler down that dinners ready, I'll quit for the time being, but go back down afterward. When I'm finished, I may bring up a couple boxes of say, '06 cartridges, I was loading, "This is what I've been doing Honey, whadda ya think?" This lady knows I love to shoot and reload, even came up with the funds to help me get into a shooting club. Our last visit to Vegas the first of Dec. , her first question after I'd hit a good sized slot jackpot, "How much of thats going into your reloading/shooting fund?" "Mmm, I don't know yet, the evenings young". My point is : Let them know how interested you are in the procedure, possibly they'll join you, maybe not, give it time, she might surprise you too !

 

[Potatohead]

People get upset when I point out that they need to account for their time in calculating the cost of reloading along with all of the equipment, space and utilities

Account for the time? You mean the 6 hrs per day I sit in the recliner watching television? Or the 4 that Im posting smart remarks on THR?

 

[Potatohead]

Can you help me plead my case?

You dont need her man. We're your family now!


Im kidding, don't divorce your wife.

 

[rondog]

My wife actually suggested to me that I should reload because I'd save money in the long run. Her first husband did, and I guess she got that attitude then. Of course, I had been into reloading in my youth and knew this already.

I just said "OK dear, that sounds like a good idea!" And the monster was created.....now I'm running out of room to store loaded ammo and all the other stuff, I dang sure make more than I can shoot up! Up to about 14 calibers now.

 

[jwrowland77]

My wife normally says to me now, "I thought you were going to do some reloading." Personally I think it's because she wants to watch her Hallmark channel and doesn't want to hear me gripe about it. So I play along and try not to smile to big, and proceed to reload.

Once you get into it, you'll catch yourself playing along just to get out of the house and make her think it's her idea.

 

[splattergun]

And one last thing Ben, if she likes to shoot, tell her you can tailor some soft, easy loads just for her!
Sol let's run down the bullet points...
i-It is safe, millions of people hand load without injury.
-It is much less expensive to shoot on a per-round basis.
-You will be learning many new things and exercising your mind. Very sexy to many women.
-It is a hobby that will keep you home, where she'll never wonder what you are doing.
-It is a hobby that you can share with her at any moment that she expresses an interest.
-If she never gets interested, you have a hobby to keep you out of her way.

 

[higgite]

Quote:
People get upset when I point out that they need to account for their time in calculating the cost of reloading along with all of the equipment, space and utilities

Account for the time? You mean the 6 hrs per day I sit in the recliner watching television? Or the 4 that Im posting smart remarks on THR?

If my spare time was valuable enough to factor into the cost of reloading, I'd be buying my ammo and saving money. Now, if it was interfering with my diamond heisting cat burglar hobby, that'd be different.

 

[matworz]

If the rest of your relationship is in order, do what I do. Buy the equipment, enjoy your hobby. She'll get over it.

 

[Sniper66]

You can save money if you shoot A LOT, but not if you are a casual shooter. It's a fascinating hobby, but you'll go nuts if you do it to save money. To me that means, it is cheapest to do everything by hand; trimming, chamfering, etc., but much more fun when you can do it with equipment you like. If you are like most of us, you'll end up buying multiples of things because you are curious how something else works. Tell her that it will really make you happy, which is the most important issue. Fact is, driving the car is much more dangerous. If you truly took the risk out of everything, you would stay home, never drive, never shoot a gun, never take medication, avoid bathtubs, etc, but then you would die of boredom.

 

[GaryL]

One thing I did a long time ago was setup a reloading fund - just had $50 from every paycheck go into a separate checking account. That was after I had purchased a 550b, but it make components no issue to justify. Now I'm trying to do the same with her - a separate account for her stuff, but I think she likes a little more freedom than that.

 

[jwrowland77]

One thing I did a long time ago was setup a reloading fund - just had $50 from every paycheck go into a separate checking account. That was after I had purchased a 550b, but it make components no issue to justify. Now I'm trying to do the same with her - a separate account for her stuff, but I think she likes a little more freedom than that.

This right here is a huge selling factor. I put a little away every payday that she doesn't see or uses in budget, I call it my hobby account. I use it for reloading, hunting, paying for shooting comps etc. Plus I never have to worry about it affecting the household budget and I don't have to worry about taking stuff away from my daughters. Let's face it though, when my three daughters want something, I'll dip into it for them.

Plus I buy my wife flowers from it, that always helps in buying reloading stuff.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

my wife would much rather see much sitting at the reloading bench than bellied up to the bar in town. a man has to occupy his time some way.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

People get upset when I point out that they need to account for their time in calculating the cost of reloading along with all of the equipment, space and utilities

Yeah because I get paid every second of every day. I don't eat, go to the bathroom or make love to my wife anymore. Hell no, not unless she gives me $19 an hour because its not worth my time. My time is valuable.

I'm getting paid to sit here on my couch right now typing or I wouldn't be doing it.

The idea that you figure your time in the cost of reloading is the absolute most stupid thing I've ever heard. Are you getting paid to sit here and make comments on THR? How about when you sleep. Its called a hobby. Most hobbies cost a fortune. Handloading actually does save per round.

 

[TenDriver]

Yeah because I get paid every second of every day. I don't eat, go to the bathroom or make love to my wife anymore. Hell no, not unless she gives me $19 an hour because its not worth my time. My time is valuable.

I'm getting paid to sit here on my couch right now typing or I wouldn't be doing it.

The idea that you figure your time in the cost of reloading is the absolute most stupid thing I've ever heard. Are you getting paid to sit here and make comments on THR? How about when you sleep. Its called a hobby. Most hobbies cost a fortune. Handloading actually does save per round.

Well said. Do you bill yourself when you park in front of the TV? Reloading is time well wasted.

To the OP. My wife had the same objection because she didn't want powders lying around Lucky for me we can't stand each other so I bought the stuff anyway after a year or so from the initial conversation and said I had to because I had bought an M1 and there was no ammo to be had. It also helped my case that I turned every male member and one female member of her local family (6 exactly) into gun owners, and we would all be reloading on my new press.

I certainly don't recommend doing what I did, but would do as some others have said. Buy a manual and ask if she'll read the how to pages to understand what it's all about. She if she'll watch some YouTube videos on it. There might even be someone on this board who would let the two of you check out their operation and load a few rounds. Maybe that'll get her a little happier about the deal.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

As far as the safety aspect, shooting handloads is safer IMO. How many rounds do you think get closely inspected at the Remington or Winchester plant? One in 1,000? One in 10,000?

Every single one of mine get hand inspected. Every time.

 

[RustyFN]

Don't buy into that saying that you'll not save but shoot more.

Well you do save per round. If you just go out and shoot like crazy to shoot up everything you loaded then that's you. Don't figure everybody else is exactly like you because we aren't. Even if I wanted to I couldn't shoot enough to catch up to the factory price so yes I do save.

OP find things cheap and buy in bulk. I buy primers 50,000 at a time and powder 48 pounds at a time. I have components from a few years ago when powder was $12 a pound and primers $15 per 1K. I also have 2,000 pounds of free lead and cast my own bullets. I can load my pistol ammo for $25 for 1,000 rounds. Yes I save money by reloading.

 

[orionengnr]

I don't use jacketed, I use lead SWCs from Missouri bullet. My .45 acp loads cost me about $6/50.

You haven't bought brass in awhile have you.
Midway pricing.
9mm Starline brass per thousand is $167.99 plus shipping
45acp Starline brass per thousand is $181.99 plus shipping

Only time I've ever bought new brass was 10mm and .41 Mag (hard to find once-fired) 500 rds each.

9mm once-fired brass is available everywhere, usually $35 per thousand.
Pay for shipping, and I'll send you a thousand. You will use them a dozen or more times.

I have .45acp brass that I have used half a dozen times, and I plan on using it another dozen (or two dozen) times.
.45acp once-fired brass is available for $60-70 per thousand.

 

[Potatohead]

My wife normally says to me now, "I thought you were going to do some reloading." Personally I think it's because she wants to watch her Hallmark channel and doesn't want to hear me gripe about it. So I play along and try not to smile to big, and proceed to reload.

Once you get into it, you'll catch yourself playing along just to get out of the house and make her think it's her idea.

+1

 

[Potatohead]

If the rest of your relationship is in order, do what I do. Buy the equipment, enjoy your hobby. She'll get over it.

LOL

I ended up taking that route myself eventually!

 

[Bwana John]

I has been my experience that when getting into reloading you will spend ALOT more money than before you started reloading... but you will shoot ALOT x 3 more than before you reloaded.

 

[cfullgraf]

Hey guys. I really really REALLY want to get into reloading. The wife and I are in a disagreement over it. While neither of us have the power to "forbid" the other from doing anything, I would rather convince her to approve of it, than simply say "well screw it, I'm doing it with or without you." You know, "Happy wife, happy life," and all that stuff.

Here is another negotiating point, organize a new activity that your wife would like to do, either with her or on her own.

When I got into amateur road racing, the instructors recommending doing something with or for the the significant other for their enjoyment. My wife was a good sport and endured weekends at the track and long drives. On race weekends, we were leave a day early and plan some activity in the city were were traveling to for my wife's enjoyment.

Another suggestion is to get the significant other involved. My wife would work registration Friday night then crew for me the rest of the weekend. She had were circle of race fiends in a short while.

While these activities are not directly related to reloading, the concepts can be applied.

Food for thought.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Not to rub it in your face or anything but when my wife goes into a tire shop whether to buy tires or get one patched/plugged she asks if they sell their used wheel weights.

That's what she thinks of my loading/casting hobby.

 

[Potatohead]

Geez Paul, Quit rubbing it in his face!

 

[jwrowland77]

Not to rub it in your face or anything but when my wife goes into a tire shop whether to buy tires or get one patched/plugged she asks if they sell their used wheel weights.

That's what she thinks of my loading/casting hobby.

Haven't quite got mine there yet, but she will swing by the LGS to see if they have any powder or primers I use that way I can stay stocked up.

 

[cfullgraf]

Not to rub it in your face or anything but when my wife goes into a tire shop whether to buy tires or get one patched/plugged she asks if they sell their used wheel weights.

That's what she thinks of my loading/casting hobby.

Cool.

Got her trained right, eh?