Wouldn't it be nice if you could manufacture yourself, the most expensive component used in reloading?
That would REALLY drive down the cost of reloading.
Don
That would REALLY drive down the cost of reloading.Don
Reloading mishaps on the way?
- Thread starter Coffeeguy
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I figure right now I am making 40 for about .26 per round, and a bit more for .223 due to there being more powder used for it. I have spent hundreds in equipment and tools. I should sit down and figure out the break even point sometime. I love being able to say the equipment has paid for itself
Here is a good example of miss information new reloaders can find on the web. I don't smoke but grew up in a time when everyone did and spent a fair amount of time with reloaders that reloaded and smoked. While it might not be the best thing it’s their choice and there stuff and the chances to burning up are less then there chances of smoking problems. But then again these guys would have an open beer setting on the loading bench, O gasp the horrors of an open drink on the loading bench they were inviting drunken mistakes and probably got lead poisoning from drinking or eating something within 30 feet of the reloading area.
What is wrong with using mag primers for everything? Nothing unsafe about it, been shooting mag primers in everything for 30 years but then again I work up my loads and now what my weapons can handle.
This hole age of the internet, miss information and the general don’t do that or you will die attitudes just makes me laugh.
Nothing wrong with mag primers, just burn slower so they tend to work best with slow burning powders, just drop your charge 5% for a safety check, and there is no downside to magnum primers if you feel the need to, but for powders 4831 and faster I doubt you will ever see a benefit either. With very slow burning powders it is often said that you will see an improvement in consistency but I shoot RL22 in my Sweed all the time with standard primers and it is hard to imagine better accuracy.
BTW alcohol on the reloading bench is a disaster waiting to happen, as many times as I have caught a small problem or failure that could have been painful, I could never imagine tying it under the influence. Just recently I had a stick of powder get stuck under my weigh plate on my scale, when loading the first round I noticed that the charge looked more then the 44gr the scale said, I re-zeroed and it was all over the place, cleaned out the culprit and now it works fine, turns out I was 4gr high, don't think I would have caught that one with a few drinks in me.
BTW alcohol on the reloading bench is a disaster waiting to happen, as many times as I have caught a small problem or failure that could have been painful, I could never imagine tying it under the influence. Just recently I had a stick of powder get stuck under my weigh plate on my scale, when loading the first round I noticed that the charge looked more then the 44gr the scale said, I re-zeroed and it was all over the place, cleaned out the culprit and now it works fine, turns out I was 4gr high, don't think I would have caught that one with a few drinks in me.
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But, to paraphrase Aunt Polly talking to Tom Sawyer, "You didn't get a lick amiss." Good equipment is good equipment and not much is truly wasted. Besides, it is easily traded.
I bought a lot of gear that did not suit my needs before I assembled my "perfect" loading bench. The only money I lost on trade-ins was my own choice.
I shed few tears for these newbies. Each purchase is a learning experience for which the tuition is generally cheap. What we learn from our mistakes is well learned.
Lost Sheep
Ive spent about 500 dollars all together and after loading 1000 .30-06 and 500 .357 i had just about broke even. Especially if youre doing magnum or large rifle match grade or premium ballistic tip. That stuff that costs 50 bucks a box now costs 10. Same goes for hollowpoint handgun rounds.
Belmont148
Member
I spent $700 to get equiped, and have already loaded about 1200 rounds the first month. I already made my money back as I have loaded a lot of premium match rifle ammo and a good bit of hollow point pistol. Thanks to the Hornady bullet rebate program.
What I am most impressed with is how my gun shoots these pet loads. Low recoil and easy follow up shots make it a ton of fun to shoot. Plus they are a lot more accurate than my factory FMJ ammo. Plus shooting cast bullets, it is really cool to see the lube smoke, and with the right powder a nice muzzle flash. It's the customization that I like the most about reloading.
Why buy bland mac n cheese at the cafeteria when you can make smoked gouda mac n cheese at home.
What I am most impressed with is how my gun shoots these pet loads. Low recoil and easy follow up shots make it a ton of fun to shoot. Plus they are a lot more accurate than my factory FMJ ammo. Plus shooting cast bullets, it is really cool to see the lube smoke, and with the right powder a nice muzzle flash. It's the customization that I like the most about reloading.
Why buy bland mac n cheese at the cafeteria when you can make smoked gouda mac n cheese at home.
You said it. No matter what you purchase, you can always make your investment back in money saved. Equipment has resale value, and there is always someone that wants what you have when you are ready to move on.
Here, let me fix that for you:
My understanding is that one of the goals of it all is to build loads tailored to the particular rifle.
You're welcome.
Fire_Moose
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Rarely is there not an open beer on my reloading bench. And rarely do I reload in a long enough session to open a second one. Never reloaded fir so ling I've needed a third....
Sent from my CZ85 Combat
Sent from my CZ85 Combat
Sizing die for 9mm adjust to max flare, then 40 die to max flare, then 45 die to max flare, then a 45 seater die, then a 40 seater, taper die, then a 9mm factory crimp die. Video yourself firing the test round.
So on the manual thing. Why wouldn't someone invest in every available manual? I have a Lyman. Lee. Sierra. Hornady and speer. I happen to have loaded all those bullets too. That's why I got the manual for that manufacturer. Fwiw I refer to the lee manual and powder manufactures web pages most often. I rREALLY wish all of these were available in ebook format. I travel a lot and am always wondering what the manuals say. Or am out and about and run into a powder I'm not familiar with. I have ended up taking pictures of my lee manual for the calibers I load in just to be able to view them on the road.
I'm 30 and a techy. Do it for a living and I still earned more from reading the lee manual than anything. The abc book was boring and not informative to me. You'd think I would learn more online than a book. I will say I learned more about how to use my individual press on you tube but the process is all from the lee manual.
Honestly unless you're sticking to very basic and standard bullet weights and powders in each caliber I'm not sure how anyone would want to load without having the manuals. I frequently have two or three manuals open and a powder manufacturers web page. I then can put all the information together. It's amazing how much difference there can be between manuals in some instances.
In my 3 month experience though nothing means anything until you work up a load for a specific gun.
I'm just a newb though. I could be way off base.
I'm 30 and a techy. Do it for a living and I still earned more from reading the lee manual than anything. The abc book was boring and not informative to me. You'd think I would learn more online than a book. I will say I learned more about how to use my individual press on you tube but the process is all from the lee manual.
Honestly unless you're sticking to very basic and standard bullet weights and powders in each caliber I'm not sure how anyone would want to load without having the manuals. I frequently have two or three manuals open and a powder manufacturers web page. I then can put all the information together. It's amazing how much difference there can be between manuals in some instances.
In my 3 month experience though nothing means anything until you work up a load for a specific gun.
I'm just a newb though. I could be way off base.
Mainly because all that info is available from all the same sources online for free. If you like having the paper manual, go for it, to each thier own. You certainly dont need them in this day and age though.
Where is it available? I haven't been able to find hornady Sierra or speer data online. Sure i can get generic info but I want the manufacturers tested data. Plus the book has all the powders layer out for a certain caliber and bullet. Right now that's crucial since some are finding powder scarce.
Some do. (At least, by proxy) The "One Book One Caliber" series is copied pages (the ones that pertain to the particular caliber) of a large number of manuals (I would say all the popular manuals, but don't want to start a trivia match).
Thanks for jogging my memory, I might not have thought to mention them.
Lost Sheep
Speer bullet data can be found on alliants website, as they are the same company. All of thier pistol data is based off GDHPs and Speer lead. Also hodgdon lists data for speer, hornady, nosler bullets in rifle and pistol loadings on their website too. They have quiet a selection of data too.
edit: forgot to mention that Alliant also has rifle data for Nosler and hornady bullets and I think sierra also. Would have to check on the sierra.
edit again: I went and looked they have a good amount of sierra data and a few barnes bullets on there too.
Also, I have the following in pdf:
Alliant manuals from: 95, 96, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 08, 09, 2010.
Hodgdon: 02, 03, 05, 06, 08, 09
IMR: Handgun only manual, also full 01 04, 06
Winchester: 15th, 97, 99, 00, 01, 03, 06
Accurate complete manual
Ramshot Rifle and Pistol.
I would be willing to send any of these to anyone that would like them. They are all available on the net with some searching, I will save you the time if you want any of them.
Alliant manuals from: 95, 96, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 08, 09, 2010.
Hodgdon: 02, 03, 05, 06, 08, 09
IMR: Handgun only manual, also full 01 04, 06
Winchester: 15th, 97, 99, 00, 01, 03, 06
Accurate complete manual
Ramshot Rifle and Pistol.
I would be willing to send any of these to anyone that would like them. They are all available on the net with some searching, I will save you the time if you want any of them.
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