I have always toyed with the idea of reloading, but time was always an issue and economic justification was weak.
Time aside, has the latest ammo shortages changed that equation?
Does it now make economic sense to reload and are there components available to reload if one was so inclined?
The fact that the planet is out of 22lr has me re-thinking many things including this.
Realize you cannot reload rimfire but maybe its time to put those saved 45acp and 9mm cases to use.
Thanks,
HR.
I did the same thing, collected brass and let the idea bounce around for years. I managed to get into the hobby while tools and supplies were abundant. Since then, I've reconsidered the 'economic viability' aspect. Sure, most of the ammo I load is less expensive than (normal price) retail, but where I find the "value" is in the hobby itself.
I take a lot of pleasure in rolling my own. I like learning. I like concentrating on the details. I like building up my stockpile with what works best in my guns.
I like to se how my efforts perform with real-time feedback. Nothing like blowing the guts out of a line of water jugs or knocking a buck over with your own build!
I can't tell you if now is the right time to begin buying tools and supplies, but I can tell you that it is the time to start learning about it.
Step One; get The ABCs of Reloading, most any volume will do. Buy a new hard copy or download a free (old) edition. A search will find lots of sources. Get another loading manual or three and study those as well.
Step Two; Decide what calibers you want to load for, and for what purpose. Read and study the stickies on this forum. That will help you decide what tools and components you will want to get.
Step Three; Watch for availability, Supplies will be returning eventually. Weeks, months, I can't say. But I do see some stores with somewhat less naked shelves. You don't have to pay gouge prices if you're patient.
If you put a Want to Buy post in the for sale forum here, you just might find decent used gear at decent prices.
Step Four; Load, shoot, repeat.