Poll:do you handload or reload ammo?

[Jessesky]

I handload for about 11 cartridges right now. Typically I do not handload for most auto loaders because I don’t want to chase the brass or the brass gets more beat up from them. You can forget about reloading a ptr91 HA!

 

[Jack B.]

I reload everything I shoot, haven't bought factory ammo (except self defense ammo) in probably 40 years. I've bought factory ammo for 2 defensive guns and hopefully high quality stuff. Seems good when I shoot it.

 

[sparkyv]

I'm not a reloader/handloader. I don't have the spare time. What little spare time I have after work, chores, house repairs, car repairs, is barely enough to actually go shooting.

I figure once all my kids are fully supporting themselves, I may have time for reloading. If so, I do intend to try it out.

The operative word is "kids". I now have way more time for me since mine've gotten older.

 

[shafter]

Handloading isn't hard, but it's hard to get into. I think if more people saw how easy it is once you have all the equipment and get set up nice more would do it.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I've always figured that you don't really own anything that you can't repair or reload.

I'm about to get set up to reload .22 LR again.

Just in case... .

 

[Legionnaire]

I reload for most of my rifles and my revolvers. I don't reload 5.56, 9mm, or shotgun shells. Most fun are the wildcats for which one cannot buy factory ammunition.

 

[.308 Norma]

I think in general it’s small for owners of firearms. If your enough of an enthusiast to belong to forums dedicated to firearms, it’s a lot more likely that you do.

Probably.

At my work, out of the many hunters, only 3 people reload.
That's less than 6%.

I'm long time retired, but if I had to guess, the percentage of people who handloaded where I worked (where there was also a lot of hunters) was probably less than 10% too. And probably at least one out of three of them only handloaded for their trap and skeet guns, not their hunting guns.

 

[rpenmanparker]

A lot of folks aren’t regulars here but just stop in to get advice regarding a purchase and are told to buy such and so type and brand and model, because it works well along with reloading. An example is to buy a revolver instead of a semi-auto pistol, because they won’t have to chase their brass to collect it for reloading. The chance of that making sense to such a person is vanishingly small.

 

[jmorris]

Almost all of my friends that shoot competitively reload. Few of my “regular” friends reload, 20 rounds might last them several years hunting.

 

[George Dickel]

When I was working I just didn't have the time to reload, only started after I had been retired a couple years so I understand how hard it is for working people to find the time. I've been reloading close to 4 years now, still a novice but I enjoy it. Of the shooters I know most don't reload, they don't have the time, they don't shoot enough to justify the expense of reloading equipment or aren't interested in doing it. I'm lucky, Midsouth Shooters Supply is about a 5 minute drive so when I need something a quick trip fills my needs.

 

[Texas10mm]

I spent 12 years selling hunting and fishing equipment. So I've got a bit of experience in the field.

The number is generally accepted to be right around 5% of gun owners reload. Of that 5% who reload about another 5% cast their own bullets.

 

[Steve51]

I reload 6 handgun calibers: .32 H&R Mag, 9mm, .38 spl, .357 Mag, .44 spl,, & .44 Mag
Reload for my rifles (but all are straightwall cartridges).: .357 Mag,, .44 Mag., & .45-70
Also reload 20 ga and 12 ga shotgun shells - mostly for shooting clay pigeons.

 

[Sniper66]

I reload .22 Hornet, .223, .204, .243, and .270. Decided not to reload pistol because I don't shoot that much. Started reloading rifle because I shoot prairie dogs and can burn thru 100s of rounds in a few days. Plus, for long distance shooting like that, mine are more accurate than factory. My brother reloads all of the above plus 4-5 other rifle calibers and shot shells. It gets to be a lot of hours at the bench. When people ask about reloading, most of the time I don't encourage it because they generally shoot very little or if they think they will save lots of money. It is an absorbing hobby and I've made some good friends with whom I share components and recipes.

 

[dbmjr1]

I hand-load pistol cartridges from .25 acp to .45 Colt. .38 spl, .45acp and .45 Colt are the most volume, by a large margin.

In rifle I load for .30 Carb, .300 AAC and .32WCF. I'm capable of reloading for a dozen other rifle cartridges, but don't have the rifles.


.410 Cal is the only thing I load for shotguns.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I started reloading in the early 1980s when we started shooting IHMSA. I quickly realized I couldn't afford several boxes of 44 Magnum every month. A couple of years later, we started shooting Unlimited class with an XP100 in 7mm International, no factory loads for that. I got a 12 ga press in the 80s to load specialty ammo I couldn't find, like copper plated 4s and 5s. When the steel mandate came down, I quit using that. A few years ago, I bought a couple of 28 ga shotguns, so I had to set up for that so we could afford to shoot them. Then around 2000, my son and I started competing in IPSC, so a Dillon RL550B came around for 45 ACP.


My dad started reloading in the 1950s on an old Herter's turret press. He's the one who sat down and showed my how to load those first 44 Mag rounds. He wasn't a recreational shooter, having grown up during the depression, but he managed to use up a 50 lb. keg of 4831, and buy another, to "sight in" his hunting rifles. He bought 50 lbs of 4831 at the old Pueblo Army Depot for $25 a keg. Imagine that.

 

[BlueHeelerFl]

I had always wanted to reload but never got around to learning how to do it.

My current house is on the small side, so idk if there's enough room to manage it. 2 years ago I moved my Mom in with me due to medical reasons, and the house is overly crammed with stuff

 

[KansasSasquatch]

I reload pistol and rifle ammo.

I probably know 2 people that reload, and one that used to before he got so old he stopped hunting. And I probably know 100 people that shoot at least 3 times a year. Out of those 100 maybe 20 of them shoot 10+ times per year. I think this year I've only been able to shoot 4-5 times, traveling for work too much.

 

[frankmako]

I reload for my matches. If I want to do a day of blasting away with a 9mm handgun and/or a 5.56 rifle I just buy a cheap case of ammo.

 

[Sistema1927]

I am a sample size of one. I handload both rifle and pistol ammo.

 

[glc24]

I didn't know anything about reloading or anyone that I could talk to who reloaded. I bought my G23 in March of 2013. The only firearm I owned until that time, was my Mossberg 42M (c) 22 caliber rifle. The Glock was my very first pistol. I started reloading in April of that year. I had bought a couple boxes of self defense ammo for it. Never out of the boxes yet. I researched like crazy about reloading. Read and watched as much as I could handle. Settled on a Dillon 550B. At first, I started with 500 nickel once fired, and 500 brass cases. I still have most of the nickel which I only loaded about 250. So I think I'll load it all again, and this time not worry about picking any of it up. Then from that point on it was new Starline exclusively. In 2014 I bought my second pistol. A FN FNX45T and did the same thing buying self defense ammo and it also is still in the boxes. The difference with the FN, is no once fired. It's been new Starline from the get go! So far, that's all that's been through it!

Then in 2015 I built my one and only AR in 5.56. I bought 2,000 rounds of factory ammo one time. I've been reloading it ever since. I definitely will get some of the new Starline too, in both 223, and the newly released 5.56. I am definitely hooked on reloading. I love it! Heck of a addicting hobby for sure!

 

[80Goat]

I started reloading in the 1980s because my first revolver was a .41 Magnum and factory ammo was expensive - it was the first caliber that I learned to reload. In the late 80s, I got involved in IHMSA and had to reload as there were no factory loads for 7mm TCU and 7mm INT. In the 2000s, I got involved in Cowboy Action Shooting and reloaded 38 Special, 45 Colt, 45-60, and 38-55. I also reload old military rifles - 30-40 Krag, 6.5x55, 7x57, 45-70.

For me reloading is a hobby. I enjoy picking up a new caliber/bullet/powder and researching and developing loads.

 

[BigBore44]

We shouldn’t reload. It causes cancer in California.

 

[dirtman]

I started reloading in the mid 70's. At that time i had bought a farm in the middle of no where..... You could never find the same ammo twice in any of the small towns within 50 miles.... I bought an RCBS Rockchucker and other needed components plus 300 165 grn (308) bullets and two pounds of 3031. From there in just grew into chasing accuracy for all my guns except rimfire.

 

[Casefull]

One of the great things about reloading is the ability to customize loads for a particular firearm. With a chronograph you can come up with the perfect load.

 

[rayatphonix]

Reload 3 handgun cartridges and 17 rifle cartridges. 4 or 5 of those are probably 95% of what I do. I enjoy it as much as I do shooting.