I was reloading for the .45 yesterday and kind of mulling over some thoughts. I'm wondering if it's worth reloading for even half of these.
I'm not sure how much I'll be shooting some of them so I'm thinking it might be far more economical to just buy factory ammo for the stuff I rarely shoot, and reload only for the higher priced stuff like 44 spcl, 44 mag and 10mm....perhaps 357 too.
For those that have multiple calibers...how do you manage it? Reload only? Or factory for some calibers and reloads for others?
I'm also interested in any insight you might have on owning, shooting and managing multiple calibers...I'm sure there are some issues I've not run into yet. Heck I haven't even had time to shoot any of them yet.
thanks.
I load for all my firearms except shotguns and have the tools for that. The ones I shoot the least I didn't go the most expensive route on dies with but the ones I have work equally as well for their intended purpose. For the heavily used ones I went with either Hornady or RCBS carbide sets, the others are mixed manufacturers sets which I picked up on sale here and there through the years. I use carbide only for the handgun rounds since they ar usually run through my progressive when I decide to load up a batch.
As for bullets, I purchased bulk through the years in weights I felt were optimum for caliber. I got them when they were on sale for the most part and bought bulk in 500 or more at a time. I also did the same with primers and brass. I sorted through all of my loading manuals and picked out powders which would cover a target load, mid range load, and top end load for most if not all of them. This usually was covered by Unique, one of the Accurate powders, 2400, and 110/296. After playing with a one pound jug in each, I purchased 8# kegs of what worked best, so I didn't have to sweat working up a new load every time something changed a bit. What I settled on was Unique, 2400, and 296. With these three I can load something for them all and get plenty of power if needed or simply target loads when not. They might not be the optimum powders for every single load or bullet weight, but you would be hard pressed not to be able to find something somewhere using them.
As for factory rounds, well I have purchased them in the past, simply to run them across my chrony and then work up a load to equal their performance with a particular bullet. It's not something I do on a regular basis, nor do I stockpile much factory ammo. I keep plenty of brass cleaned up and ready to load, and it only takes an hour or so to turn out a hundred or so rounds for any particular caliber. As for the multiple calibers, I have at least one something, in calibers ranging from .223 through .312 in rifles and from .380 through .454 in handguns. Some get plenty of use, some are safe queens which were inherited, and hold a LOT of sentimental value, but aren't what I would want to run a lot of rounds through. Even so they do get drug out from the darkness from time to time for inspection, and a few rounds down the pipe simply to keep them lubed up and functioning properly.
My autos get several hundred rounds a year run through them, simply to keep me sharp on their use, and I have hundreds of rounds loaded up at the ready to do so at any given time. The revolvers get used almost on a weekly basis and I usually only keep 50 - 100 rounds loaded up at any given time for them. Saves room and I keep playing with different loads seemingly every couple of months.
If you want to go cheap for the lesser ones you shoot, pick up once fired cases in bulk, get the Lee die sets, find a good cast bullet like MB, and pick a weight and stock up on them. Powders like Red Dot, Unique, and a host of others will work great with cast, and allow you to shoot a whole bunch with only a pound. Find something that shoot well with them all and buy one 8# jug and be done with it. Then if you want to raise the octane level you only need the one pound canister for those when you decide to crank them up.
The thing is, once you have the brass, dies, and bullets, they aren't going to take up too much room, and you have them when you decide to load. If you have a powder that works across the board, you simply set up and go to it. The store won't be out of them, and the price will be right. Otherwise your at the mercy of the stores and what ever they decide to price them at, or if they sell them at all.
