The Reason I Reload....

Status
Not open for further replies.
H

Henry45

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2012
Messages
207
Friends ask me all the time. When we go to the range, I have to prove it time after time. It's not about saving money.... although that's a perk. But it's all about consistently hitting what I aim at. Every time. And it's a great hobby and something I really enjoy.

Here's my two loads vs. a Factory load, same bullet weight. That's why. This made a believer out of a couple of my buddies, who now want to get involved in reloading. It's always cool to add a few more to the ranks of reloaders that care about what they shoot at.

270 Win, 200 yards.
fc2b0c9d-b17b-443d-ad8f-42894243163c_zpszm7s8cg7.jpg
 
Well done! :)

My Dad started us out reloading to save money ... which we did ... per round.

"Problem" is, that while I (probably all of us reloaders) save money per round, I spend a LOT more money overall because I am shoot way more than if I were only buying & shooting high-priced factory ammo.

I think that we are all happy to have this type of "problem", though. ;)
 
The old adage is that when you reload you really don't save that much money. BUT you get to shoot a lot more. I'm in agreement.
 
Yeah, spending less per round is not necessarily saving money. Sometimes it is, sometimes not. The main reason I reload is because I want the bullet I choose to shoot how I want. I don't want to shoot "what my rifle likes" from the factory.

300wsm, 180gr Accubond, 66.6gr AA3100, 125 yards. Squares are quarter inch.
IMG_20140918_114320768_zpsypkfqxxh.jpg
 
I can't shoot most 357 mag out of my 357 snubby, hurts my hand. But I can load a heavy load right up to just before that, and still get the big boom out of the little gun. Much more fun to shoot. I can make 44spl for my wife to shoot out of my 44mag. I know pretty much what I am getting from load to load.
 
It's been many years now that I have hand loaded my ammunition. I don't really remember why I got started, probably to save money. Now I do it because it's what I do, I guess. I think maybe it is due to that one time I had a factory cartridge with no flash hole between the primer and the powder cavity. Most of the emotion is gone from that experience, but the thought of what could have happened had I needed that self defense round for a serious social encounter remains.

At least a couple cartridges I load for I cannot find, 6.5x47 Lapua or 32-40, in the local gun store.

It is amusing to me now, there are times when I HATE reloading, and times I enjoy it. During the latter times I try to put away a few cartridges for the other times. :)

Still not really happy about cleaning firearms, other than BPCR, which is easy and quick.
 
I got into the reloading part of shooting partly by accident. Three of us talking about shooting and Jim mentioned his friend wanted to sell his gear. We put in $50 each. I had room in my basement for a bench. We got it set up and they never set foot in the area again. I've gone from loading .38 spec. to total of ten cartridges. They still haven't ever come over. :rolleyes:

It almost feels like I enjoy the reloading as much (maybe more) than shooting! Well...

I cannot say I save money. I can say I'm not a great shooter...but I like shooting ammo I made. Thats good enough for me.

Mark
 
Well done! That's some impressive 200 yard shooting there.

You know, better ammunition is the reason why I started reloading, and has remained my only focus for over 30 years now. But anyway, there's no question I save some money, but I don't even consider cost and won't even shop around for best deals when buying components for that matter. Even during the peak of the major shortages, I was still reloading a box of ammunition for less than what a box of factory cost.

GS
 
I Reload Because...

I reload because I bought my first rifle at age 14 (Savage 340 in .22 Hornet), and couldn't shoot it as much as I wanted to....

I reload because my Dad bought me a press, dies, powder, bullets and incidentals for Christmas when I was 16....

I reload because the Remington 760 (.270 Win.) Dad bought me for High School graduation didn't like factory ammo...but it sure liked my reloads!

I reload because I finally found a bolt action .257 Roberts (early Ruger 77 with a Douglas barrel), and took it to Montana. In 2 days it fired 2 rounds and dropped an antelope and a muley buck, both one shot and DRT.... and yes, it was Nosler Partition 120gr. bullets.

I reload because I LOVE playing with rifles and loads until I have a combination that will shoot sub-one m.o.a. consistently.

Nowadays I reload because when ammo becomes impossible to buy, I will still be able to shoot for defense and food.
 
I've been shooting (firearms) for a little over 3 years now and reloading for a little over a year. I got into it to save some money. (It didn't exactly work out that way.) After my first year of shooting 9mm I calculated that the savings on that alone would have paid for the press. My other round is 300 BLK and with current prices reloading that one is a no brainer.

I've spent enough on supplies and equipment that I'll probably never reach break even cost wise. But I enjoy the process, both the development and the bulk production.

For me 9mm is a develop the load and crank it out round. I shoot a lot of the stuff. I've found the bullets and powders I like. It's just a production item at this point.

300 BLK is where the real fun is. That caliber is so flexible and just plain fun to develop loads for, each with their own specific requirements. I'm currently at 5 pet loadings and still tweaking 'em. Also, it's kind of hard to buy factory ammo that goes the exact velocity desired from your barrel.

I have a set of .223 dies that I've never used to make live rounds. It's just not worth the effort with factory prices where they are now and the amount of it I shoot.

Maybe someday I'll save some money on this… Naw, doesn't really matter.
 
I've been reloading for ~ 2.5 yrs (all pistol) and enjoy it and shoot much more. I'd like some advice on how accuracy improves with reloading? Is it all round are identical (OAL case length, same exact powder amount)??
 
I enjoy collecting obscure calibers AND shooting them. Some of my odd balls are 401 Winchester Self-Loading, 348 Win and 45 Win Mag. No safe queens for me!
 
I've been reloading for 20+ years and my stuff is paid for several times over. I shoot alot, way more than if i had to buy factory ammo.
 
I reload in part because I can't buy factory ammo for most of my rifles. I don't think I save money but I do get to shot a lot more. Reloading is my most expensive money-saving hobby.
 
Geosigma, you can custom tune your ammo to your specific gun. OAL, powder charge, components.... pretty much everything you do, can and will influence shot placement. Most of the fun, is starting a load, and fine tuning and fine tuning (shooting and shooting), until you find that one that your gun just loves.

Factory ammo has tolerances. They can vary up to +- .5 grain in powder weight, and even in bullet weight. My powder charges on my hunting ammo, vary up to .1 grain in difference, if that. The more you control, the finer you can tune your gun to shoot exactly where you want it to.

Like I said, the fun is in working up a load. Start low and build it slightly with all the variables.... powder weight, oal ....etc.. You'll shoot alot and enjoy both the shooting sport and the reloading aspect of the "hobby"... Enjoy..
 
Dad made me. I used the .256winmag marlin 62 levermatic and by that time ammo was already dried up, and Internet hadn't gotten mainstream yet. It was around but only the well off folks had it. So just like changing oil in the truck or changing a flat tire before I got to go hunt I was pumping out ammo one hammer whack at a time on a Lee classic loader. It stuck. From .256 I jumped up to .270 win for hunting and wanted to copy some higher dollar ammo on the cheap. Then I shot a couple cowboy matches with a .357 and got started on handgun. Now I reload everything I shoot except shotgun and rimfire, and seldom shoot shotgun. I'm up to 17 calibers that I stock with reloads.
 
Great shooting! Great loading!

I have found that after I began reloading, I began shooting more. My groups became smaller, not only because of the custom loads, but very much because I began shooting more ,due to lower cost per round. I shoot more, therefore I am a better shooter.
 
A friend of mine got me into reloading, claiming it would save a ton of money, and in almost the last ten years, I've paid for my press many times over.

After a few years, he showed me how to pour bullets. I was hooked immediately.
I only reload for pistol. .38, .44, and 9mm, although the .44 works in my lever gun as well.

I find nothing more enjoyable than sitting in my shop with some good music, pouring and reloading ammo.

If only I could make my own primers.:D
 
If you don't reload, you ain't right.:p

I have guns that have never seen a round of store-boughten ammo. And I deal with ammo shortages by having plenty of components. I also shoot a lot of cast bullets.
 
Just for the sheer enjoyment of it and the gratification of very accurate ammo, that is put together in my basement.

I don't save any money, I just shoot twice as much for the same cost, lol.
 
If only I could make my own primers.
Click to expand...

I have read a few EOTWAWKI type threads, and there are people out there who do it...or saw they have/can, anyway.

Doesn't looks like something I'd try unless truly desperate.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top