Do you reload 1 or all of your cartridges?

[CCWdownrangeP2]

I agree with you gamestalker. I've been reloading 9's, 40's and 45's for SD and have no problem loading, practicing or having to use 'em if put in such a situation. Differentiating "I'll load for target, sport, hunting but not SD" just doesn't make sense to me. I know some are concerned about legal matters regarding the use of handloaded SD rounds, but that's a tangent and off topic.

 

[bugmania]

I reload for all my pistol calibers except 7.62x25. Still have half a tin left after 6 years and I don't shoot it much. Just getting started with .223 and .243 now that I finally can find powder and primers.

 

[zxcvbob]

I forgot about 7.62x25. I don't have dies for that one yet.

 

[Mohave-Tec]

I don't reload for my Springfield trapdoor because it just won't be shot much.
I don't reload for my Mosin Nagants as I have two tins for them and will never see the bottom of one of them.
I don't reload 22 or shotshell for the same reasons as most others. I do reload for 11 other calibers though mostly because I love it.

 

[TenDriver]

I load for every rifle I own except 7.62x39. 7.62x54R dies followed me home from the LGS on Friday, so those will start up at some point.

I even load for things I don't own. My brother in law and wife's cousin have an AR-15 and an AR-180, so I load .223 for them. My step mom-in-law's nephew shoots 8mm, so I load for him or he loads on my press. Cousin in law just bought a 308 so we'll start loading for that eventually, and a friend shoots 243 so he loads a few.

I've been looking around for cheap used dies for guns I don't own as well. 38, 40, 45, 30-30, and 300 Win Mag at the moment.

 

[Mohave-Tec]

After reading all the other posts I have to add rather proudly that:

I will never need another component as long as I live.
I will never have to search for replacement parts for any ware item for any equipment that I reload with.
I don't have to spend one red cent on electricity to reload.
The only guns I own that have ever seen a factory load are my shotgun, 10/22, Mosins and Springfield Trapdoor. 11 rifle calibers and 4 pistol calibers have never seen a factory round in them. To me, these are bragging rights but these facts are very important to me. LOL.

 

[Crashbox]

I reload all of my own except for rimfire.

Which reminds me... I need to get a 6.5/.257 Roberts die set for my Arisaka, it is the one rifle I don't have the goodies for yet (as well as a shotgun I just bought). That further reminds me that I also need to grind that hideous daisy-looking thing off that Arisaka, it's WAY too effeminate...

 

[Rico567]

"Crashbox" writes: "That further reminds me that I also need to grind that hideous daisy-looking thing off that Arisaka, it's WAY too effeminate..."

The "daisy-looking thing*," I believe, increases the value of that particular firearm, if its intrinsic value matters to you.

*this is the Imperial chrysanthemum seal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arisaka

 

[dtalley]

all centerfire Rifle and pistol I own...thinking about getting into reloading for my shotguns now.

 

[Vol46]

I reload for all my handguns, rifles, & shotguns except the .22 s

 

[DM~]

With more than 50 sets of dies, yes I load everything I own, and more...

DM

 

[WVRJ]

I reload for everything except shotgun.I still have half a box of 12 guage shells I bought 10 years or so ago.Rifle and pistol,20 some calibers.Too many advantages...reduced cost,better control over the round's performance,better accuracy,and if there's a mitsake,it's all mine.

 

[Dr.Rob]

At one time 9mm and 12 ga. were so cheap to buy new that I stopped reloading them.

It's not only the cost of materials but also the time involved to save a buck. I still haven't gone back to loading my own 12 ga. Just don't shoot it enough anymore.

 

[CoalTrain49]

I reload for everything I have. That includes 12 ga. and 20 ga. shotguns. I've paired my metal reloading down to 1 rifle and 2 handgun cartridges. Makes things easier when it comes to powder. My shotgun powder works fine for my handgun cartridges so I don't have to keep 2 powders on hand.

 

[g17]

Everything

 

[Pete D.]

I reload/handload every cartridge that I shoot, except for .22 Rimfire.

I reload for 31 different calibers

That is a lot of calibers.....I am wondering it you mean that you load for 31 different cartridges.
I, myself, load eighteen different calibers, from .223" to .510", spread out over more than forty cartridges, from 22 Hornet to 50-70 Gov't.
Pete

 

[ArchAngelCD]

All centerfire cartridges, handgun and rifle but for 7.62X39mm and 7.62X54R...

 

[Trailduster79]

I reload for everything I shoot. I haven't shot any factory loaded ammo in quite some time with the exception of the cheap steel case .223. Can't reload it for the price I can buy the steel case stuff.

 

[Offfhand]

This thread caused me to do a quick count of the calibers I load for, which comes to a total of 76 for rifle and pistol, plus four more shotgun gauges. And yes, I do have rifles and pistols for almost all of them, plus a few more rifles in calibers I don't load for. Attached photo shows over 100 sets (40 sets per drawer) of dies in my loading bench, some of which are duplicates in some calibers of course.

 

[Hondo 60]

Of the calibers I shoot, the only calibers I don't reload are 22lr & 22wmr.

 

[10 Spot Terminator]

Yessir ! Reload everything but rimfire and even those I hand lube the bullets for more consistant groups . I own no high dollar firearms but they all shoot like the high priced ones . Reloading and OCD were ment to be together .

 

[CraigC]

I reload 'most' of what I shoot. Right now I have more money than time and I've never found it to be enjoyable but rather a necessary chore. As such, there are some I don't deem worth the time to reload. I'm primarily a revolver shooter and reload for all of them, which is a huge savings over factory. I shoot on my own property and rather than trying to dig all my brass out of the grass, I shoot cheap factory stuff in my semi-autos. So I buy .380, .45ACP and .223. I also don't care to reload shotshells so I buy them too. I don't shoot a lot of bottlenecked rifle rounds so I buy common stuff like .270WCF but reload .250Savage, .32-20, .38-40 and .405WCF.

 

[kostner]

I reload everything I shoot. I never buy commercial ammo even shotgun 00 buck & slugs. Cast my own bullets it is part of the addiction of reloading. 99% of my molds and finance are Lee products. Found the melting pot in the dumpster at the range and the rest is history.

 

[redclay]

Yep, if I shoot it , I reload it. Except rimfire. Half the fun of using fire arms is working up a superior load and knowing just what it will do. Self defense ammo I buy the best I can afford to do the job intended. But I have never fired a round in self defense. My SD mags have stayed loaded with the same ammo for a long time. I train with a load I worked up to match SD ammo ballistics.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

"Crashbox" writes: "That further reminds me that I also need to grind that hideous daisy-looking thing off that Arisaka, it's WAY too effeminate..."

I hope that's a joke. (After WWII the Japanese ground the imperial crysanthemum from every Arisaka surrendered to the Allies; legitimate war trophies captured by combat troops will have the symbol intact, but most surrendered Arisakas were defaced to honor the Emperor in defeat. )


Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled thread:

I handload for a Mauser C96 with a very worn barrel using bullets about .003 to .004 inch larger than original. I also handload .45 AutoRim for use in a .455 Webley revolver "cut" for .45 ACP used with moonclips. If I did not handload, the guns would not be shooters, but wallhangers.

I have also loaded several cartridges for local black powder matches, including:
.38 Special
.45 Auto Rim
.30-30 Winchester

In years past it was economical to me to reload smokeless powder rounds for many of my guns, including:
.38 Special
.45 ACP
.30-30 Winchester
.303 British
6.5mm Carcano
.30 Carbine

In general, though, if good accurate ammo is available in quantity at a reasonable price through commercial channels, I tend to go with the commercial ammo (keeping a reasonable amount of reloading components in reserve).