Choosing NOT to reload certain calibers.

[sfl_gunner]

I don’t reload 7.62x54R. Don’t shoot it enough to make it worth it. I don’t reload shotgun shells either r

 

[Random 8]

I have 2 that I don't reload. 7.62x25 and 9x18. The ONLY reason I don't reload them, is the handguns that fire these rounds fling the brass a great distance and it's near impossible to recover.

Edit to add. Still burning surplus in the Tok, cheap steel case was available in the mak. If these are depleted, my outlook on reloading these may change.

 

[trekker73]

12ga. I could never be bothered trying to match the buckshot stacking in heavy magnum loads in particular, nor trying to get my head around all the wads and shell options

 

[Project355]

I load 45ACP, 45 Colt, 44 Special, 38 Special and .223/5.56

I own 12g, 7.62x39, and 9mm also, but ive never loaded shotgun, have oodles of ham can ammo for the AK, and 9mm is more or less unused and held in reserve.

Ah, remember those days of crates with two cans of AK ammo, piled to the ceiling, for only $80.....

 

[TTv2]

OP, you sound a lot like me. I don't shoot much ammo from my rifles, when I do it's to test several different handloads to see which shoots best. I shoot the handguns a lot more because I'm shooting steel and I feel steel is a more realistic target considering you're not caring about groups, you're just trying to hit the plate. I agree on M193 and M855, that's what I shoot because it's so cheap. I don't care if it's 3 MOA ammo, it's good enough out to 300 yards. Anything beyond that and I'd rather use 77 grain instead, which is the only load I would reload for .223/5.56.

Here's the list of what I don't reload by choice:

-9mm
It's not worth it considering how cheap it is to buy. I buy steel case whenever possible because it's so cheap and I don't feel like I have to pick up the empty cases. I know a lot of people have their $800 progressive all set up to run 200 rounds of 9mm in 20 minutes, that it's "therapeutic" to reload only 9mm and nothing else. Okay, doesn't make a lick of sense to me, I reload what interests me most and what I can save money reloading.

-.25
Don't shoot it enough, bullets are getting hard to come by, and I don't care to trickle up a charge for every case.

-7.62x39
Ammo is so cheap, brass case is impossible to find at the range, and I don't care to chase that brass around. It might be worth it if I ever got a bolt action and wanted a suppressor load.

-Shotguns
Don't shoot them much, but do intent to get into .410 reloading for use in a Judge. Gonna see if I can figure out an accurate 3 pellet 000 Buck load for the Judge as the 3 pellet stuff is very mild in recoil. The Federal 4 pellet is palm bruiser.

-.380
Don't shoot it much, I don't like shooting the little pocket .380s much, but I do shoot them a few times a year to stay familiar with them. I think I will get into loading for it next year as I'd bet 250 rds a year is enough. Could blast that out in a few hours and last the rest of the year.

I currently do not reload any bottleneck cases, but that's going to change in time. I have the dies and brass for 7.62x25, but haven't gotten around to it yet given the primer and bullet shortage. Also I don't know if I have to trim that brass each time it's fired or not and I don't have a case trimmer. It's on the to do list, the Lee dies were cheap so I figured why not get them for the future.

Eventually I will get into reloading for .223/5.56 and .308.

 

[TTv2]

I have 2 that I don't reload. 7.62x25 and 9x18. The ONLY reason I don't reload them, is the handguns that fire these rounds fling the brass a great distance and it's near impossible to recover.

That is an issue and I decided that for the 7.62x25, when I do shoot it, it's going to be indoors only. It's really easy to find the brass when everything else next to it is 9mm

 

[kcofohio]

I'm like others here, that when I get a gun with a new to me cartridge. I buy the dies, and start hunting for load data.

The only one I didn't get dies for was for a used 32 ACP. The gun was okay after I repaired the gun to function properly, I sold it. Never could recover but 10% of the spent brass.

 

[Typetwelve]

I don’t reload 7.62x54R. Don’t shoot it enough to make it worth it. I don’t reload shotgun shells either r

Funny enough, I started loading that this week. Not 100% sure why...just for the challenge of it, I guess.

Responding to some others here:

I DO choose to load 9mm but not for cost savings. I like to shoot steel with my 9mm pistols and much prefer lead to FMJ. Berry's coated are great for that job. That's the only reason why I load 9mm.

I only load 223 match. It's a massive cost savings over factory match ammo and I can choose my projectile. I DO NOT load bulk 223...no way in heck I'm doing that. I really feel the only way to do that properly would be on a very nice and automated machine. 223 takes too much resizing and trimming for me to even attempt it in bulk. Bulk 223 like Wolf and Wolf Gold is a-ok and I stack it high when the prices are good.

I have no want to load shotgun shells.

Other than that...I pretty much load everything else I shoot...

 

[Palladan44]

Anything I shoot volume of, ill load.
9mm-
I started loading 9mm during the last ammo drought. I Consider brass basically free (i did pay for some of it, but it was about 30 lbs of it for maybe 40$). Primers (purchased years ago) i have about 3 cents to 3.5 cents each into.
I Consider 4.5 grains of WIN 231 not even 1 cent.
I have projectiles anywhere from 6 cents each to 25 cents each, being bulk 115gr fmj, to 124gr XTP or Speer Gold Dots respectively.. So practice ammo rolled at a cost of 10 cents each is way to damn good of a deal to not load it. On the Dillon 550B, once i get settled in and knock out every little quirk, I typically load 100 per night, about a half hour start to finish... ill do that sometimes for weeks on end, sometimes loading 200 per night. Over the last decade, im willing to bet that all of my reloading equipment has paid for itself in the cost savings by loading 9mm alone. Considering each round saves a minimum of 10cents, maybe 15 cents. And thats during regular good times when ammo prices are normal.

The fact that i love reloading and enjoy doing it is the primary reason i handload,..... the cost savings and ammunition tailor made for each gun which in turn performs better than factory ammunition, is another fine bonus. Experienced handloaders know what im talking about......

When im not loading my 9mm, the caliber that i shoot the most of 5 fold, i might be loading one of these:

10mm
45ACP
38 spl
38 spl +p
38-44
357 Magnum
44 Spl.
44 magnum

Now that theres an ammo panic, ill be using my 10mm dies to load 40 S&W for my brother. 500pcs. should last him awhile.

 

[Obturation]

I don't load for 10mm, 45 acp, 380 acp or 223.
Why?
Well, I reload to save money partially but mainly to have ammunition that is either unavailable in the configuration I want or just plain cost restrictive .

I don't have any interest in trying to figure out the best load for an auto loader, best bullet profile , powder charge that'll make the slide fully cycle but not too much that'll batter the thing to death, dealing with buldges and all that.
I much prefer loading cartridges for manually cycled actions. I can put together some revolver cartridges with a wfn bullet at any velocity I want, no worry about the profile won't feed or it's too slow to cycle the action or its one thing or another.

Cost is the flip side to that coin. There's no way I could afford to shoot 454 casull or 45-70 for what the ammo cost. Any of the above mentioned auto loading cartridges cost a fraction of the price of the big cartridges .

I have thought about loading 10mm but I'm not interested in trying to milk every bit of power out of it. Don't need to, I have big guns that can double the power of a 10mm without trying, factory loaded velocities are fine .

Beyond that, any of my auto loaders only get fired to check function and practice , they're not shot for fun . I prefer a more elegant weapon from a civilized age , one that I don't have to crawl around on the ground to pick up it's puny brass. My empties are effortlessly collected and large enough to easily handle.

If things get worse I may start loading 45 & 10mm but I really seriously doubt it. I've priced it and it would be darn close to the same cost to load 45 as it is to just buy new ...

 

[GBExpat]

I am setup to reload every one of my centerfire rifle/pistol cartridges. I also maintain healthy (copious in some cases) QTYs of components for same.

That said ... I do not currently hand-/re-load for 7.62x51, .30cal M2, 7.62x39, 7.62x54r, 7.62x25, .303Brit, 7.92x57, 9x18, 7.62x38r because of large supplies of these cartridges (mostly milsurp) on-hand.

Although I have large stocks of assorted 5.56x45 on-hand (mostly milsurp), I do reload for this caliber as it seems to be easier for me to burn thru a lot of it in an outing than the others on the list.

 

[Typetwelve]

\Cost is the flip side to that coin. There's no way I could afford to shoot 454 casull or 45-70 for what the ammo cost. Any of the above mentioned auto loading cartridges cost a fraction of the price of the big cartridges .

This is where reloading really shines.

As mentioned above, I reload 7.62x54r...but it's what I consider "match" ammo. Sierra Match King projectiles are not something you're going to find in most 7.62x54r commercial offerings.

Reloading is the ONLY reason I got into 460 S&W, factory ammo for it is insane. 44 magnum is another where reloading makes it extremely affordable.

Even rounds like 38 special wadcutters are super cheap to reload...really expensive from the factory.

I plan on getting a 45-70 one day and like you said, reloading makes that one worth while.

 

[mavracer]

Yeah it's been so long since I got rid of my shotgun loading equipment. I'm a purely recreational clays shooter and the wally world 100 packs are plenty good and if I figure anything for time I can't reload for what they cost.

 

[Armored farmer]

I dont shoot very much cf rifle, so I dont load them. I enjoy shooting my single shot rifles, so my supply should last for a while. I may only shoot a half dozen rounds to satisfy my goals or check my zero.
I cast .309 flat point bullets with gas checks, and have dies for .30-06 and .30-30 . I just buy ammo for rifles.

 

[mokin]

Whoops! Fat fingers....

 

[mokin]

the question is begging to be asked. What might you be loading that’s not readily available? I’m planning to load some 48 shot. That’s #4s with as much #8 mixed inas possible to fill the voids.

I've thought about that for .410 handloads. How does that pattern? I like #4 for small game and was wondering if mixing shot size could increase the oomph in a load.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I only shoot 9mm and 45ACP so that’s all I load and I load enough so I’m able to shoot whenever and as much as I choose. I own a couple of other handguns and a rifle...don’t shoot ‘em, download ‘em.

Now, as for the OPs shooting out the bullseye as an indicator he’s ready to move on, I do it differently. Once I shoot a perforation around the bullseye and it falls to the ground, I move on. Haven’t moved on yet.

 

[magyars4]

I seem to remember reading about mixed shot sizes and that the velocity will vary slightly so that it may have some advantages on moving targets

 

[JCSC]

I loaded 1000 rounds of 380 on the single stage..... a little here and there.

I don’t load for the 7.62x 54r, but that’s because I do not have the dies and such yet. That’s going to change, as I want to harvest a deer with it in 2021.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I loaded 1000 rounds of 380 on the single stage..... a little here and there.

I don’t load for the 7.62x 54r, but that’s because I do not have the dies and such yet. That’s going to change, as I want to harvest a deer with it in 2021.

—-
Good plan for 7.62R. A little advice, if you don’t mind?
First, if you are using a surplus rifle, slug your bore. Match the bullet selection to the barrel and target, not just the target. If you are using a new barrel, never mind.
Second, I have found the heavier flat base bullets intended for the.303 performed better than boat tails. Again, slug your bore and try a few loads.
Third, sights. Nuff said. Scope, irons, peeps. Do what works for you and do not worry about the old war horse. You are writing a new chapter in its life so do it right and don’t cheap out. Before you hunt with a service rifle, my advise is to decommission it to its new role in civilian life
Hire a good gunsmith to do that with you. You won’t regret it years from now.
Hope this helps

 

[Bartojc]

I load for everything I shoot. The only exception is 450 Bushmaster I bought earlier this year, and that is because I haven’t found the dies yet. I like not having to rely on finding ammo.
Jeff

 

[CraigC]

I can't justify handloading cartridges like the .380, 9mm, .40S&W, .45ACP, 5.56 and 7.62x39. If those were the only cartridges I shot, I'd probably reload them. They're not, far from it. Like @Charlie98, I'd rather spend my handloading time on cartridges with the most benefit. Handloading is not something I do for fun and time is a factor.

 

[Austin Albright]

Rimfire and shotshell.

Have everything I need, except a firearm, for the next caliber, (6.5 CM). That includes just over 1k Hornady range-picked brass cases.
(Basically none of the 'Weekend Warriors' on the short course reload. EZ pickins!)

 

[Austin Albright]

Must be nice.
Where I shoot they practically pluck the fired brass out of the air, before it hits the ground. Then ask...."do you need your brass".

 

[JCSC]

—-
Good plan for 7.62R. A little advice, if you don’t mind?
First, if you are using a surplus rifle, slug your bore. Match the bullet selection to the barrel and target, not just the target. If you are using a new barrel, never mind.
Second, I have found the heavier flat base bullets intended for the.303 performed better than boat tails. Again, slug your bore and try a few loads.
Third, sights. Nuff said. Scope, irons, peeps. Do what works for you and do not worry about the old war horse. You are writing a new chapter in its life so do it right and don’t cheap out. Before you hunt with a service rifle, my advise is to decommission it to its new role in civilian life
Hire a good gunsmith to do that with you. You won’t regret it years from now.
Hope this helps

Thanks for the advice. I heard about the bore diameter variances and will have to verify as you mentioned.