Do you reload everything, or not?

[PapaG]

Can and have loaded .222, .223, 30 carb, 30-30, 308, 30-06, 30-40, 7.7, 32 WS, 38-40, .444, 45-70, 32--all lengths, 38, 357, 9, 44s, 44m, 45 acp, 45 C, 38 S, .243, 6mm, 8mm, plus 10, 12, 20, 410 shotgun.
Right now, mainly 38, 357, 9, 45, and 12 gauge trap loads.

 

[egd]

I only shoot one gun, a 9mm. And I reload for that. I just don't understand some of you that say 9mm is so cheap it's not worth it to reload. I figure I do it for about $6.50 a box. The cheapest I've ever seen it for is $10 and that's RARE. It's usually $13-15.
You must have a lot more money than I do. But that wouldn't be that hard either...

 

[FROGO207]

I am ABLE to reload for 41 calibers of metallic ammo and 4 shot gun GA. I have worked up accurate loads with at least three propellants for each. But I do not reload for any rimfire or anything that has readily available ammo for lower cost that I can load it presently. Like 12 GA skeet, 7.62X39/64 or similar. I have supplies to reload for expected use exceeding 6 years on hand at all times.

 

[1stmarine]

I reload whenever I can and never due to cost. I just like reloading.
Well, ... there a few calibers I reload due to cost because they are $8-9 /each.
Still anyone should value their time if one is a busy surgeon or CEO it might not pay off anyway.
Otherwise I do it because I really like it and can customize loads for the different objectives and adjust charges and COAL to the freebore.
do do you think there is people just doing it for cost alone? I mean other than competition people who are on a budget perhaps?

 

[adcoch1]

I have the dies for everything I shoot plus a few for buddies, what I don't have is a good supply of brass and projectiles outside of all the 30 cal stuff I shoot. 30-06, .308win, 300aac blackout. I need some makarov brass and 7.62x39 brass for the cz 527. But I attempt to load for everything and stockpile the stuff that gets eaten up fast. I won't be loading 7.62x39 for the SKS most likely, and the fal eats 308 brass sometimes, but I still keep the tools available to roll my own for everything I want to shoot. Now if I can just get the mec 600 Jr set up...

 

[cfullgraf]

I reload for all center fire cartridges that I have guns for, some where north of 30, and four shot gun gauges, 12, 20, 28 and .410. A 16 gauge shotgun is the only gun that I have but cannot reload for.

Generally, after purchasing a gun that is a new cartridge for me, loading dies is the next purchase. I will purchase a box of factory ammunition once in a while for a new firearm to run them over a chronograph. Otherwise I shoot reloads.

When I shot competitive skeet, I'd shoot factory new ammunition in tournaments in part to generate hulls for practice.

I enjoy reloading including working with some wildcats and obsolete cartridges. Like others, I have several years of components on hand. I can also cast my own bullets but I do shoot a mix of purchased and home made bullets.

One final note, I do not load or shoot everything all the time. Generally, I am working with a handful of different cartridges at any one time. Some guns and cartridges go years before I get them out to shoot and reload.

 

[hdwhit]

Would I be in the minority if I load half of my caliber footprint, and buy factory for the other half?

Around my house you would be.

I buy factory ammunition for:

1. Rimfire,
2. Helping set up my reloading dies when I start loading a new cartridge,
   
3. Initial testing of a new gun (to rule out reloaded ammunition as a contributor to any problems), and
4. Shotgun.

All in all, this means I have purchased something on the order of 300 rounds in .30 Carbine, .223 Remington, .25 ACP, .38 Special, 9mm Parabellum and .45 ACP of which I still have nearly 200 sitting in their original boxes.

 

[RunninLate]

I reload everything that I shoot (14 calibers) and have dies for about 6 calibers that I would like to shoot. I stand corrected, I have a 25 that I have not shot in 30 years and have 8 or 9 boxes of factory ammo. Really do not think about shooting.

 

[cat_IT_guy]

The only metallic center fire weapon I own that I don't reload for at all is 7.62x39. I only reload 9mm when I run out of other stuff. Minimal cost benefit considering time involved. 223 I only load for bolt target gun. The ar gets stuck with cheap factory fodder.

The majority of my reloading time gets spent on 38/357, 44/44m, 45, 308 and 45-70.

 

[Muddydogs]

I load for everything I shoot, except 22, which is 15 calibers and 2 shotgun gauges. At one time I purchased a couple boxes of 223 ammo which I still have, other then that I don't have any other factory rounds. Just picked up a 25-06 and broke down and purchased a box of factory rounds to get the scope on paper so I could get right to working up a load. I load my own turkey loads, steel waterfowl loads, rifle and pistol hunting loads and self defense loads. Guess you could say I'm all in.

 

[Ironicaintit]

mostly I do, but not all. I don't reload my berdans, like 7.5x55, 8x56R, or 7.62x54R. But my stores of them are fairly fat, and I don't use them a lot.
Thinking of getting into shotgun...primarily 16ga so I can keep my model 12 fed.
And I should probably get setup for the 7.5x55, because the K31 really deserves it.

The whole "time and money" thing keeps kickin my butt.

 

[otisrush]

I reload every center fire I shoot (which isn't that many calibers).

I can't bring myself to purchase factory ammo for calibers I load. I just don't know what I'm getting (i.e. is it the right load for my gun) when I shoot factory stuff.

(Although, now that i think about it, I tend to keep a little factory ammo on hand for my guns, in case I go shooting with someone who wants to shoot my guns. I won't let anyone shoot my reloads. If I make a mistake I only want it to impact only me.)

 

[Jonesy814]

I reload all my handgun calibers because I shoot them a lot. That would be .380, 9mm, 38/357, 40 and 45acp. I am considering loading 223 so I can shoot my AR more. My 30-30 gets shot a few rounds to sight in each year and then 0-3 times in deer season. A box of ammo lasts a couple years or more. It wouldn't be worth it to me to load a box every couple years, but your shooting habits may be different.

 

[medalguy]

I reload most of my calibers but not all. I have a little .32 S&W that my wife likes to shoot once a year or so, and a couple of 7.62 X 54R that I shoot a few times a year but I bought a ton of milsurp years ago. Most of the others I reload for. Oh, and shotgun I never reload. No savings and only a few boxes a year.

 

[oldreloader]

Everything but rimfire.9MM, 40 S&W, 45ACP, 223, 25-06. 270, 30-30, 30-06, 300 RUM, 35 Rem and 12 gauge.

 

[Havok7416]

I reload 13-14 calibers out of 26 - most of my pistol calibers and very few of my rifle and shotgun calibers. In my case it has to do mostly with the quantity of ammo I shoot through each type of firearm.

 

[Phlier]

I reload everything I shoot, except for self defense rounds.

My Hornady 366 shotshell press was a gift I received in 1982. If not for that, I wouldn't reload 12 gauge target loads. My cost per box is $6.25 to load them, and I can buy them by the flat for $6.17 at a local store. I reload them anyway, as I enjoy the reloading hobby just as much as shooting.

 

[theleo]

I reload for all of mine plus some family heirlooms in my dads gun safe. If I had a semi-auto I shot a lot, things might be different, but my pistols are a 44 special and a model 60 .357. Those only cost me about $5-$7.00/100 rounds, a couple of 32-20's in my dads gun safe are a bit cheaper, and his 45-90 only costs 12 cents per round to reload. The 22-250, 243, 280ai, and 338-06 cost more but are still significantly cheaper to reload for than buying stuff off the shelf for them. I reload for my 12 gauge because I like how cleanly Clays burns for trap loads.

 

[RealGun]

I am ABLE to reload for 41 calibers of metallic ammo and 4 shot gun GA. I have worked up accurate loads with at least three propellants for each. But I do not reload for any rimfire or anything that has readily available ammo for lower cost that I can load it presently. Like 12 GA skeet, 7.62X39/64 or similar. I have supplies to reload for expected use exceeding 6 years on hand at all times.

I learned to make a distinction between "calibers" and "cartridges". For example, 38 Special and .357 Magnum are the same caliber but different cartridges, different reloading setups.

 

[gonoles_1980]

I reload everything but .22lr, I like to have my own consist loads.

 

[berettaprofessor]

These days, I can reload everything I shoot except 22LR, 17HMR, and 308; haven't gotten around to the latter yet, but I will. Just don't shoot it much at present.

 

[2ndtimer]

I reload all the centerfire cartridges for my current firearms, .223 Rem, .243 Win, 6.5x55, .270 Win, .270 WSM, .308 Win, .338 Federal, 9mm, .38 Spec, .357 Magnum, .45 ACP. I am also set up to load a few I don't currently own, 6mm Rem, 7mm-08, .280 Rem, 7mm Rem Magnum, .30-30 Win, 30-06, .300 Win Mag, .40 S&W, and have a Dillon Toolhead all set up for .44 Magnum. Use my single stage press for rifle cartridges, and a Dillon RL-550B for 9mm and .357 Mag. I do buy factory ammo on occasion if I find a bargain. ( Have a few thousand factory .223 Rem rounds on hand, 40 gr V-Max, 50 gr Federal Tipped Varmint, Remington UMC 50 gr HP and Winchester 45 gr HP) I don't have a shotgun, and I maintain a pretty good supply of .22 LR and .17HMR on hand.

 

[harleyjeepster]

I started reloading 9mm and 45 acp to save money. Once I started I found I really enjoy it so now I load for everything. This includes 12ga, as well as all pistol and rifle.

 

[JohnMc]

Don't load .22 rimfire or shotguns. Used to load shotgun as a kid; my dad has the stuff for that.
Some times it takes me a year or two to get around to a new centerfire cartridge, but eventually dies get bought.

Still anyone should value their time if one is a busy surgeon or CEO it might not pay off anyway.

If it's strictly about the dollars, agreed. If it's hobby or entertainment time, then that's a horse of a different color. I can spend hours on video games, Netflix, etc. and mentally put reloading into that same bucket.

 

[kudu]

It's addictive at times, I load for everything I have but rimfire and 7.62x39 and 10 gauge.
.223, .243in, 7mm, .300BO, .300 WM, .338WM, .45-70, .375 Weatherby, .380, .38/.357Mag, .41Mag, 9mm, .40SW, .44Mag, .45ACP, .45Autorim, .45WM. Also a buddies .222, 35Rem, .270 and about a dozen other dies sets that I don't currently have a gun for. And 12, 20, 28, and .410 shotshells.