More Guns a Bad Idea? Ammo…$

[Scooter22]

I'll keep buying if I see good deals on relatively common calibers. I've always said a gun without ammo is a expensive club. I like expensive clubs.

 

[Skylerbone]

Revisiting the OP, I’ll try tackling the means to begin reloading, given current market conditions.

First order is having the correct equipment commensurate to your potential needs/present budget. The possibilities are enormous! What I might recommend is your deciding on priority between pistol or rifle and start there.

The classic single-stage RCBS is where I started for rifle and still use for most everything. When I ventured deeper into reloading for pistol calibers, I supplemented with a couple Lee Reloader presses which set me back about $35/ea back then, perhaps $50 currently. I can set up all operations with 1 die each and progress through stations rapidly.

You’ll need dies, they are available, and Lee honestly holds great in the value to performance arena so long as you set things correctly and control quality. Expect $35-$50/set, buy full sets when possible.

Other essentials: a scale, small digital for measuring bullet weight, powder charge will run you $25 or more if you prefer. Lee dies come with “dippers” that can be used to measure a set amount of powder and you could simply meter this way but it’s not efficient unless you have a perfect match of weight to formula for your load...so...find a decent powder measure. $50 and up with the correct size rotor for the amount you need to throw (5 grains at times for pistol and 50+ at times for rifle).

You’ll need calipers, I use dial indicator at $25, not a bad idea to own case gauges for each caliber $40/ea to test for correct dimensions of brass. You’ll need a means for trimming rifle brass, no need for most pistol beyond revolver. I’d also recommend a chamfer tool for case rim, another $20. A hand priming tool, Lee or RCBS are fine and not overly expensive. Shell holders, buy a full set. Finally loading trays, plastic or wood to keep things neat, and some Hornady One-Shot case lube to keep brass from sticking and keeping dies clean. Reloading manuals for the expected bullet manufacturers you’ll be using, $25 a piece or so.

Everything else, unless I’ve missed something (possible in my current depleated state) will be components, brass/bullets/powder/primers.

The information contained with a new press in addition to dies is enough for a reasonably competent person to have things set up and functioning correctly with relative ease. YouTube is always an option, here on THR a better option, and UR (Ultimate Reloader) has, along with YouTube Gavintube, a wealth of information to get you started.

On acquiring components: if you’re already shooting, hopefully you’ve saved some brass. You can clean it, or not but there are simple ways if you skip buying a vibratory tumbler (which you should buy). Bullets are becoming mostly available, though at increased cost for many so buy when prices fall again soon. Primers can always be a hold up but again, they are available and slowly returning toward reasonable prices. Powder is always tough, especially when you load for many different things but asking here about a select few that may cover many of your bases might be fruitful.

There are as you can see some expenses getting set up but imo well worth the effort. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[FROGO207]

If things keep going the way they are presently I feel only the rich and reloaders will be able to shoot whenever and as much as they want. The others will have enough to get buy but it will be a fair expense. Do t know if the powers that be are purposefully choking back supplies or we as a consumers market are ravenous at this point. I personally am buying anything I can as long as it works and is at or below current local value when I have the funds. We should see things improve soon and any diversity I gain in caliber ownership will always be a good thing IMO. Last time there was no .22 ammo and I was buying .22 rifles for $25-$50 each as many figured we would never see .22 ammo ever again. That passed as well. I soon will host another reloading class at the private gun club I belong to. Every shortage there are several members that want to learn how to reload. Some stick with it and others sell out their gear as soon as reasonable priced ammo ends up back in stock. Don't be that person, If you want to get back in again it will always cost more so you end up loosing again. Wish I had a crystal ball now but going by past human behavior this cycle will repeat with alarming frequency as the world spins around in chaos and we grasp at things to remain safe. All comes down to priorities. What is your level of comfort at what things are now and what will it become in the future. Plan accordingly. Bet you have more than one spare roll of toilet paper on hand as of late too.

 

[FROGO207]

Oops double post!

 

[Phaedrus/69]

I'm also in the camp that just tries to consolidate around fewer calibers & rounds. As a professional chef I'm not made of money so my collection seems to hover between a dozen and two dozen firearms at any given time. The bulk of my modest arsenal are 5.56 NATO, 9mm Para and 12ga. I have a single .22 LR and a single .38 Special wheelgun. I've got one sidearm in .40 S&W, too; didn't really want to get into another caliber but I found an uncommon HK P30 variant and just to live with the fact it was a forty, such was my desire for the pistol.

Firearms can be about different things to different people, or at different times. My gramps on my mom's side wasn't a "gun guy" in the modern sense but he was a farmer. He has at least one 12ga shotgun, a Winchester lever gun in thutty-thutty and a .22 WMR. I doubt he fired more than 40 rounds in any given year yet those rounds accounted for a dozen deer and a smattering of turkeys and geese. I grew up in a farm town in the midwest and it wasn't uncommon for guys to shoot less than a box of centerfire ammo per year. Right before deer season the farmers haul out their deer rifle, fire a handful to check zero, and zip in back in the gun case til opening day. To them a firearm was just a tool, similar to a plow or tractor, that they used to put food in the freezer.

Firearms can be collectible as well. A good buddy of mine probably has a half million dollars in his collection of high end & historic rifles. We're talking old drillings, etc. Several cost more than the house I grew up in. He's a shooter as well but he never shoots those old collectible guns.

And of course, they're tools of self defense. We all know the value of training but every year at last hundreds of thousands of Americans with little to no training use a gun in self defense. Again, to be clear I do believe in training, but the first rule of gunfighting (credited to Mark Moritz in the version I first heard) is have a gun. So if you have a gun an enough ammo to fully load it, it may well be enough to use to save a life. That doesn't require ammo cans stacked to the roof, you can do a lot with dry fire and judicious use of ammo in training.

 

[Rockrivr1]

Revisiting the OP, I’ll try tackling the means to begin reloading, given current market conditions.

First order is having the correct equipment commensurate to your potential needs/present budget. The possibilities are enormous! What I might recommend is your deciding on priority between pistol or rifle and start there.

The classic single-stage RCBS is where I started for rifle and still use for most everything. When I ventured deeper into reloading for pistol calibers, I supplemented with a couple Lee Reloader presses which set me back about $35/ea back then, perhaps $50 currently. I can set up all operations with 1 die each and progress through stations rapidly.

You’ll need dies, they are available, and Lee honestly holds great in the value to performance arena so long as you set things correctly and control quality. Expect $35-$50/set, buy full sets when possible.

Other essentials: a scale, small digital for measuring bullet weight, powder charge will run you $25 or more if you prefer. Lee dies come with “dippers” that can be used to measure a set amount of powder and you could simply meter this way but it’s not efficient unless you have a perfect match of weight to formula for your load...so...find a decent powder measure. $50 and up with the correct size rotor for the amount you need to throw (5 grains at times for pistol and 50+ at times for rifle).

You’ll need calipers, I use dial indicator at $25, not a bad idea to own case gauges for each caliber $40/ea to test for correct dimensions of brass. You’ll need a means for trimming rifle brass, no need for most pistol beyond revolver. I’d also recommend a chamfer tool for case rim, another $20. A hand priming tool, Lee or RCBS are fine and not overly expensive. Shell holders, buy a full set. Finally loading trays, plastic or wood to keep things neat, and some Hornady One-Shot case lube to keep brass from sticking and keeping dies clean. Reloading manuals for the expected bullet manufacturers you’ll be using, $25 a piece or so.

Everything else, unless I’ve missed something (possible in my current depleated state) will be components, brass/bullets/powder/primers.

The information contained with a new press in addition to dies is enough for a reasonably competent person to have things set up and functioning correctly with relative ease. YouTube is always an option, here on THR a better option, and UR (Ultimate Reloader) has, along with YouTube Gavintube, a wealth of information to get you started.

On acquiring components: if you’re already shooting, hopefully you’ve saved some brass. You can clean it, or not but there are simple ways if you skip buying a vibratory tumbler (which you should buy). Bullets are becoming mostly available, though at increased cost for many so buy when prices fall again soon. Primers can always be a hold up but again, they are available and slowly returning toward reasonable prices. Powder is always tough, especially when you load for many different things but asking here about a select few that may cover many of your bases might be fruitful.

There are as you can see some expenses getting set up but imo well worth the effort. Hope this helps and good luck.

I'm going to put this out there for the OP as reloading is NOT for everyone. Case in point. I hated reloading. Hated it with a passion no matter what I did to try and like it. I figure myself to be a pretty normal person, but I just don't have the patience and the meticulousness to spend hours working up loads and pumping out rounds. I had a full Dillon 550B set up with caliber conversions for both pistol and rifle and I knew I could reload if I needed too. Thing was that after a bit my mind would wander, which is dangerous when reloading. After my first squib with my reloads I knew it was not for me and got out of it. Sold it all for a pretty good profit over what I paid and have never looked back. I'm not rich by any means, but I stack it deep now so I don't run out as I come across deals.

Overall some people love reloading, but you need to know what kind of person you are and if your mentality forms well with what is needed to reload. As I said, not for everyone.

 

[jarhead127]

I'm going to put this out there for the OP as reloading is NOT for everyone. Case in point. I hated reloading. Hated it with a passion no matter what I did to try and like it. I figure myself to be a pretty normal person, but I just don't have the patience and the meticulousness to spend hours working up loads and pumping out rounds. I had a full Dillon 550B set up with caliber conversions for both pistol and rifle and I knew I could reload if I needed too. Thing was that after a bit my mind would wander, which is dangerous when reloading. After my first squib with my reloads I knew it was not for me and got out of it. Sold it all for a pretty good profit over what I paid and have never looked back. I'm not rich by any means, but I stack it deep now so I don't run out as I come across deals.

Overall some people love reloading, but you need to know what kind of person you are and if your mentality forms well with what is needed to reload. As I said, not for everyone.

Well kudos for bein honest! Must admit you're the first I've heard to not like it, but then, maybe the others just didn't admit it. No doubt it requires attention, might be the only thing I pay attention to..............

 

[CoalTrain49]

Firearms won't be going down in price, just fewer will be built as the market for new dries up. Used prices will probably go up with the new stuff.

Ammo won't be available at reasonable prices that would allow most gun owners to want to go to the range for at least another year. Even then the prices will be borderline reasonable.

That's MHO. I'm not buying or selling right now. The earth has slipped off it's axis.

 

[Skylerbone]

@Rockrivr1 excellent point and commendable that you qualified things on a personal level. While I could make excuse for you, having also started on a 550 progressive and not loving that, the results may well have been the same for you if it were a Rockchucker (my second press introduction and still 30+ year go-to).

Investment is considerable, both monetary and time (and patience) which won’t suit everyone, even if they have those necessary attributes for other ventures. With 35 years behind my bench I still know very little of what I’d like but I enjoy it immensely.

 

[CryptKeeper5]

I had a friend who saw my setup(Dillon 550b)and watched me load so wanted to "get into it". I recommended he start off with a single stage or manual turret rather than a progressive. I'll admit, the progressive is nice for loading the match stuff, but for my hunting rounds and things I don't shoot in large quantity I basically use it as a single stage anyhow. So....he went out and bought "stuff" and I helped set it up for him. He discovered he just didn't like it. He just wasn't comfortable with the idea after he crushed a couple cases and such. He decided he'd much rather either buy it at the store or pay me to do it when he needed some. I don't really mind, he doesn't shoot that much and he bought all the components and supplies which I then kept of course. I think it's probably more common than what we think here on a very enthusiastic forum such as this.

 

[Poper]

it's going full retard prices lately.

Having a 42 y.o. daughter that, through no fault of her own, is severely mentally challenged and incapable of caring for herself, I find your use of "full retard" offensive. If you cannot express yourself in a less crass and less offensive manner, perhaps The Highroad is not for you?
Mostly, I give these things a pass and just attribute it to the pure carelessness and inconsiderate disposition of the source.
Today, though, for some odd reason, it cut pretty deep. Please remove such vulgarity from your discourse on THR and use it at home, only.

 

[.308 Norma]

I think it's probably more common than what we think here on a very enthusiastic forum such as this.

Yeah, probably. It makes me think back to my working years when I worked with a guy that loved to garden. I used to argue with him (in fun) about what a waste of time and money growing your own vegetables was, and he would argue back at me about what a waste of time and money building your own ammo was.
We were both right. We were just coming from different directions. That guy had 4 kids to feed, and his wife was a stay-at-home mom who took care of the garden (watered, hoed, weeded and kept the pests out) all summer long. Then come fall, she canned, froze and dried produce from their garden for the winter.
As far as shooting goes though, that guy probably ran a half-dozen rounds through his “aught-six” once a year - a few for making sure it was “sighted in,” and maybe one or two if he saw a deer to shoot.
On the other hand, my wife and I only have 2 kids (daughters), and they were grown and pretty much off on their own by the time I was 45. My wife worked as an Administrative Assistant (PC for Secretary) for the county, and she and I both shoot, both hunt, and both shot competitively (IHMSA) for a while. So we went through a lot of ammunition - still do occasionally.
We didn’t (don't) need “no stinking" vegetable garden to worry about. We could (and still can) buy vegetables at the supermarket cheaper than we could grow our own if we figure our time is worth anything at all.
It all boils down to this though - I don’t like working in the garden any more than I figure that co-worker of mine would have liked handloading - which is one of my favorite pass times.
BTW, we do grow currants in our garden (and shoot every danged starling that comes to eat them) because I love currant syrup on my pancakes, and currant syrup is hard to find at the supermarket. But 41 Special, 7mm IHMSA and .308 Norma Mag ammo is pretty darned hard to find at the store too.

 

[Skylerbone]

@.308 Norma I'm chuckling pretty good right now. I’ve got a few raised cedar boxes I built for gardening that are a breeze to care for and allow my wife to relax a bit after work. She enjoys canning stuff but I think she takes more pride in keeping neighbors stocked up on fresh tomatoes.

 

[Rockrivr1]

Having a 42 y.o. daughter that, through no fault of her own, is severely mentally challenged and incapable of caring for herself, I find your use of "full retard" offensive. If you cannot express yourself in a less crass and less offensive manner, perhaps The Highroad is not for you?
Mostly, I give these things a pass and just attribute it to the pure carelessness and inconsiderate disposition of the source.
Today, though, for some odd reason, it cut pretty deep. Please remove such vulgarity from your discourse on THR and use it at home, only.

No insult intended. Was just a matter of speech but to clear the air I have changed it in my post. I hope nothing but the best for you and your daughter.

 

[JTHunter]

With the exception of 7.62x39, 12 gauge, and .22LR/Mag, I reload the 3 calibers (.38 Sp/.357, .380, and .243) I use the most.

 

[CapnMac]

"Ammo footprint" has been an issue since the invention of firearms.

And, I have talked myself out of buying interesting firearms solely because they would have added a caliber to my "footprint" (and we are talking about decades ago, when availability of ammo was limited to obscure, foreign, calibers).

But, if the firearm interests me enough, ammo availability is not going to be the deciding factor. So, if, say, I found a good deal on an auto in .38super, the ammo would be a secondary consideration. Ditto for, say, .30-40krag.