when to is too much too much?

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Axis II

Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2015
Messages
7,179
I'm new to reloading and only have 100 rounds under my belt and they shot good loading for 223rem.

My current supply is 100 55gr SP, 100 55gr FMJ-BT, 100 55gr v max bullets, 1/2lbs of h335, 1lbs of benchmark, about 70-90 Hornady once fired brass, 100 once fired rem brass, 30-50 mixed brass, 100 cci400, cci 450,cci br-4 primers.

I currently FL size but would like to try neck only.

I also have 9mm dies but no other components other than 500 brass.

Part of me says buy more brass for each Caliber this way I have it, buy a crap load of bullets for each and try several different powders.

when do you call it quits and stick with one thing?

you guys think I'm getting too ahead of myself?
 
What about powder and bullets? do you guys keep trying different things or just stick with one.

I'm really loving reloading so trying to gather what you guys like.

I was thinking each payday buy a bag of brass or a bag of bullets and pound of powder and stock up and try different things and if it works good write it down and try something else but don't want to get in over my head.

for instance say I find win brass cheap or rem brass cheap pick it up or buy the same thing each time?
 
You have too much brass when you can no longer move the tupperware tubs you've sorted them into... and the tub has deformed from the weight of the brass in them.

You can tell when you have too many bullets when the wood shelves you store them on have bowed in the middle until you can't risk putting things on it without them sliding inwards.

Reloading is a horrible hoarding disease. Just wait until one day you decide you don't have enough primers because the 10,000 you have might not be enough.
 
I have been loading 223Rem for about 30 years and I am still open to try new things. I have a few loads I am happy with, but I’ll chase a better one if I get an idea. That goes for every caliber I load.
 
Hard to say. You only have enough H335 powder for about 150 rounds. Most shooters would shoot everything you've got loaded and all your components that could be loaded in one trip to the range. Some others who shoot a few rounds per year could make it several years with your stock. Depends on how much you shoot and whether you only hunt or shoot targets and tin cans. Also depends on how many and what type .223 rifles you have and wish to work up loads for. I say you have a puny supply of powder, bullets, and cases and probably primers. I would recommend a minimum of 1000 primers, a 8 lb . jug of H335, 1000 once fired cases, and 1000 bullets. Hard to keep components organized as it doesn't make sense to have 1000 bullets and only a pound of powder. Also, once you find a load your rifle likes I'd load a good supply for yourself and replace the components you've used. Depends on how much you intend to shoot. Buy components in bulk rather than boxes of 100 at a time after you find your best shooting load. Soldiers tend to carry 7-10 magazines of 5.56 or 200-300 rounds on one mission. Groundhog hunters maybe shoot 5-10 rounds per mission.
 
Last edited:
What are your goals? Have you achieved them?

In my opinion, buying brass in advance that you don't need in order to hoard it, in the two most common calibers that you will find lying on the ground every where people shoot, and will have given to you once people know you want it, is a waste of money. I have never purchased either of those calibers, and my supply only increases every single year.
 
When I started loading for the 223 I tried 3 powders and a few bullets until I found a very accurate combination. Once I did find me that combination I stopped looking. What spend all that money and time searching for a load that is more accurate than 1/2MOA? The dead game will never know the difference.

Is there a more accurate load out there? Maybe but at what cost?

I'm shooting a 55gr Sierra Game King over 26.0gr Varget with a CCI 400 primer in my bolt action .223 rifle. In the AR15 any 55gr bullet over 25.0gr H335 using a CCI#41 primer.
 
ohihunter2014 said:
when do you call it quits and stick with one thing?
Click to expand...

In my book, you call it quits and focus on one thing when you find something that speaks to your heart, takes over your interests and lays claim to your reloading life.

For me, that was the 5.7 mm Johnson, a 30 Carbine case necked down to .224. I enjoy loading other cartridges like .223, 9 mm Parabellum, .45 ACP, ect. The process of reloading them is recreational and they allow me the secondary recreation of shooting what I have created, but the 5.7 is my passion.
 
Last edited:
goals are hornady v max for woodchucks and plinking ammo and some match ammo.

I have a private range that holds matches 10min away and I can shoot anytime I want.

I have 2 different rifles in 223.
 
ohihunter2014 said:
What about powder and bullets? do you guys keep trying different things or just stick with one. ...
Click to expand...
For each caliber I like to nail-down a "standard" load (which can include several when you account for different bullet types/weight).

After I settle on each "standard" I will try to always have a quantity of those on-hand (100, minimum) before trying other bullet/powder combinations for what may either supplant or add-to my "standards".

Whenever possible I like to develop different "standards" with the minimum number of different powders. I would much rather be buying, for example, 4lb or 8lb jugs of a 2 different powders for my handgun reloading than 6-8 different 1pounders.

That said, I do, currently, have about 25 different powders in-stock, about half of them in single 1lb jugs. It allows me to try a lot of different combinations.

Right now, since I have in the recent past been loading mostly for pistols (and we have just weathered a years-long powder drought), I only have multi-pound stocks of Trailboss, BE-86, Bullseye, Unique, 700x, 800x, CFE223, IMR-4227, SR-7625 and H110 (I think that's about it).
 
In my thread "shot my first reloads" I have pics of groups I shot but they are on the low side of the powder range with h335.

Those will be long range woodchuck rounds. have yet to try the other bullets or the powder I have. just want to get the best out of my money and time.

223 has so many different powders and combos its got my head spinning. lol.
 
The way I look at it is what you see on the shelf today may not be on the shelf
next week and with today's fragile climate and what happens with the upcoming
election I figure that If I think I will need/ use / want / a component and I
can afford it I buy it.
I do not hoard stuff but I know you cant count on the supply you see here and
there to be available and in stock when you want it ,
Just something to keep in mind :eek:
 
For hunting rifles I find a combination that works and stay with it and see no reason to change. 223 plinking and varmit same thing. I have a variety of bullets due to availability but most with same grains of same powder.

For Pistol, the opposite. When availability was slim, I experimented with powder that was available. Now slowly getting back to normal and I hope to have a supply of 4 or so powders for 9, 38, 357, 45 and luckily just found true blue for 5.7. Then I have to decide on plated, coated, lead, fmj, .... But i hear I am saving money by reloading.
 
I've accumulated about 5000 component bullets for 9mm and 40 S&W, approaching 6000 for .223. That's a 2 year supply at the rate I shoot.

For primers, I have around 5000 of each for small pistol and small rifle.

Powder, I've got about 30 lbs on hand, for rifle and pistol.

I'm probably borderline hoarding, but after being screwed twice in the last 6 years, not going through that again.

I've settled on two powders for 308 and 223, AA-2460 and H-4895

CFE-Pistol for 9mm, Longshot for 40 S&W.
 
I hate having leftover half-full jugs of powder here and there or uneven boxes of bullets/primers. Lately I have been trying to burn off those powders I don't like. The loose bullets (they often come with a few extras when bought in bulk) I am going to put in ziplocks with a label as to what they are and stash them all in a single box.
 
I've only been buying 55 grain FMJ's for 223 and 124 grain plated for 9mm. 40 S&W gets 165 or 180 grain plated. Only 3 types of bullets laying around.
 
I can never have enough I guess

10000 pieces of 9mm brass
5000 pieces of 45 brass
1000 pieces of 308 brass
1000 pieces of 300 BO brass
8000 pieces of 233 brass
2500 223 bullets, Hornady and Sierra
5000 9mm bullets, Acme HiTek, Hornady XTPs
1000 45 bullets, Acme HiTek, Hornady XTPs
2000 308 bullets, Hornady, Speer, Sierra, HighBorn
20000 primers large and small, rifle and pistol
70lbs of powder, TiteGroup, CFE Pistol, CFE 223, IMR 8208 XBR, H4895, H335, W296, LilGun.

These are a best guess :)

Is there more stuff I want to try? You bet! Ill be building a 458 SOCOM before deer season, so that will add more cases, a couple types of powder, and more bullets.
 
For me, much of the fun of reloading is working up different loads and seeing how they shoot or feel different. I have several that I use for target competitions, and know how accurate they are, but that doesn't stop me trying other bullets, or a different powder. I enjoy shooting, and just shooting in competitions isn't enough for me. I have more brass than I will likely ever use up or lose, and enough powder for at least 2 years of loading (including shotgun). I get antsy if my SP or LP primer stocks get below 2k. I have probably 10k of loaded ammo in various calibers (largely because I load for over a dozen calibers). But I shoot weekly, and often twice a week, so I would exhaust 500 bullets and a couple pounds of powder quickly. I have been thinking of making a concerted effort to use up the components that I don't favor, to make inventory control easier (hey, another good reason to go out and pop some caps!).
 
"Reloading is a horrible hoarding disease. Just wait until one day you decide you don't have enough primers because the 10,000 you have might not be enough."

That cracks me up. Been there done that and you were probably kidding. ROFLMAO. Had this discussion with a buddy this week and actually said I need more primers..... Good stuff. Hoarders/reloaders.... yep. Thats about it.
 
JO JO said:
The way I look at it is what you see on the shelf today may not be on the shelf

next week and with today's fragile climate and what happens with the upcoming

election I figure that If I think I will need/ use / want / a component and I

can afford it I buy it.

I do not hoard stuff but I know you cant count on the supply you see here and

there to be available and in stock when you want it ,

Just something to keep in mind :eek:
Click to expand...



I'm with Jo Jo. Buy for when you won't be able to. I suggest having enough components on hand for at least two years supply.
 
Whenever I think I have too much, I read a few threads here...
And by the time I'm done, I feel inadequately prepared. :)

In all honesty, I'm not sure I'll live long enough to burn through what I have, but that won't stop me from buying more if/when the price is right.

When I drop dead, I hope the wife doesn't pay somebody to haul it all away...so I am trying to keep decent records of what/when/how much...just in case.,
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

A
  • Locked
loads not working out?
2
Replies
27
Views
1K
ArchAngelCD
ArchAngelCD
A
  • Locked
how do you load 223?
2
Replies
33
Views
2K
Reloadron
Reloadron
A
  • Locked
buying in bulk?
2
Replies
29
Views
3K
RPegram
R
A
  • Locked
picking a powder?
2
Replies
29
Views
2K
spitballer
spitballer
A
  • Locked
New lot of powder??
Replies
22
Views
945
buck460XVR
buck460XVR
Back
Top