Why do i have to be 21???

[Black92LX]

maybe stupid questions, but i know nothing about reloading.

Is it safe? i mean i would be working with explosive powder. what is a good kit to start out with.

but if it can save me money i guess i should look into it.

now i only have a shotgun and a .22Lr so i doubt i would really be reloading those. but come christmas i will be getting a .223 or .308. (anybody know about how much it costs to reload these calibers?) then in april a 9mm (is 9mm worth reloading?) again sorry if they are dumb questions.

 

[Majic]

Savings in reloading is relative to how much you shoot. Initial investment is high, but in time (relative to how much you shoot) you will recoup the investment and a real postitive savings will begin to show up.
Factor in the cost of the brass (most expensive of components, but reusable) of say $.05 (+/-), primer for $.02, bullet for $.10 (but that's a big variable as bullets vary widely in quality and price, plus there is bulk buying and cast), and powder for $.80 (also this varies) and yuo see a round for a .308 Win will be around $0.97 reloaded as compared to a factory at about $1.00 a shot. This doesn't sound like much till the next time you reload the cost of the brass is deducted (remember it's reusable) and the cost of the reload drops to $0.17 vs the $1.00 factory.
With the low prices of surplu 9mm ammo on the market today the economy of reloading it is lost, but in all reloading senerios you can tailor your ammo to do things the factory may not offer you. That's the biggest advantage of reloading.
The one bad thing in reloading is that you will find that you realy won't save any money. The savings always seems to be re-invested into more shooting.

Note: Smokeless powder is not explosive.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

The way to enter handloading is to not consider it as a means of saving money by making your own ammunition. That makes it a job and the return on the man-hours plus cost of supplies isn't cost effective. Consider handloading as a hobby, where you can experiment with bullet weights & types along with powder weights & types.

 

[Majic]

Not cost effective? I hate dispute, but not much time is required to make just 20 rounds. Approximate prices I have listed above. Buying factory means a round trip to the store ( cost of transportation) and the amount of time required for a round trip to the store. Now that's relative to how far you live from the store, but that's also time that must be considered. If you order from phone or internet then shipping time has to factor in. If you want to consider cost effectiveness then don't forget to add all the costs to both sides of the equation (time is money).
True it is better as a hobby or a specialization to your shooting, but it is also cost effective too in most calibers.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

By cost effective, I include the cost of my labor. Given how much I make per hour actually working, I would come out far ahead putting in a little overtime and buying bullets. Since I actually enjoy handloading, it's a hobby that doesn't cost me a lot of money.

 

[cordex]

How much money do you save reloading? on 308 and the handgun?

Complex question.
To buy ammunition as accurate as the ammo I reload for rifle, I'd have to pay somewhere around $20-$30 per box. I could, on the other hand, buy mil-surp .308 for about the same price as I reload the good stuff.
My time not included.

Handgun ammo is cheaper or as cheap as I could ever buy it for - even with my time included (considering what I earn per hour, I mean).
However, as an added benefit, it is far easier to get more ammo. Don't have to arrange for someone else to buy it for me.

 

[Majic]

The cost of your labor is equated to time. That's why I added the time factor. Just multiply all total times by your hourly wages. Earning additional wages has no bearing on it as the added wages could also buy additonal reloading components. I'm just trying to show a comparison to actual reloading cost versus buying factory ammo. In the long run reloading is cheaper.

 

[Kharn]

Black92LX:

ammoman.com says you have to be 21 in their disclaimer.

Did you try emailing them and asking about a 20 year old ordering rifle ammo? Also, if you dont tell them you arent 21, how are they going to find out?

Worst case, contact Century and they'll work with you, their ammo isnt the best but it does go bang.

Kharn

 

[4v50 Gary]

Reloading can be relaxing. I just don't have the time to do it anymore.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

Majic,

Ok, for you, reloading saves money. For me, it does not. In 9mm alone, I go through 2000-4000 rounds per month. Buying bulk 9mm is cheaper than reloading that many rounds. Now throw in the .380ACP, .40S&W, .45ACP, .38SPC, .357 MAG, .41 MAG, .44 SPL, .44MAG and .223 ammo I shoot each month and there is no way I could keep up.

So I reload only those calibers I want to experiment with. If I ever get a .50BMG and .50S&W, like I want, then I would reload those two to save money.

 

[MeekandMild]

Why do all the internet sources for ammo require me to be 21.

Because 18 year olds as a general rule can't afford to buy politicians. If you could afford a few congressmen and a senator or two then the rules would change. Same thing is true with the draft. You don't see AARPers having to register do you?

 

[FireInTheHole]

Edit: Reread post.

Just what type of ammo are you trying to buy black?

 

[Black92LX]

i was looking into buying an SKS. but plans have changed. so i guess i will be going with a .223 or .308 so a more easy to come by cartridge. but i am also looking into reloading so it's not as big of aa problem anymore.

 

[Orthonym]

Is this practical or political?

Oh, well, I'll try and address both.

Political: To expand on what someone above said; If you're old enough to stand in battle, old enough to vote, old enough to make a binding contract, old enough to marry and help produce a child, and old enough to hang for murder, why aren't you old enough to be trusted with whiskey and pistols !

Practical: How much money you save by doing things yourself depends on what your time is worth. Obviously, your problem is more legal than economic, which would tend to skew the analysis a bit. Because you're young and don't have a whole bunch of earning power (small monetary value of your time) and are also legally constrained, I believe that Reloading Is Good For You!

Economics and politics aside, think of learning. Gordon Jennings used to write an engineering and tuning column for a motorcycle mag. His caveat to his readers was something like (don't remember exactly) "Don't fool yourselves that you're actually saving money by doing your own maintenance, tuning, and modification. The pro's have better tools, better training, and more experience, all of which make them more efficient. But don't let that stop you! Tinkering with things is how you learn! Charge a big chunk of your expenses to education!"

There! Couldn't have said it better my self, 'specially since I (mostly) DID say it myself!

 

[8Balls]

What, you have to be 21?!?
Man, that sucks. Here in Finland 15 is the legal age to own guns. Even pistols...