Reloading - Is it still really worth it?

[greenejc]

Reloading has numerous advantages other than cost savings, and for certain loads, there may not even be a savings. However, a good history lesson around reloading, casting, swaging, etc can give one valuable insight into what has become a lost art in most loaders arsenal. (Pun intended)

Casting lead alloy bullets for practice loads can save mucho $$ Especially in handguns and reduced vel/recoil loads in rifles. This old hobby has really died off these past many years, but I am seeing and hearing a few people returning and some digging out those old dusty melting pots and molds.

Swaging jacketed bullets was nearly once as normal as casting, but with the advent of easily acquired commercial bullets in varied weights and styles, it died many years ago. I kept all my old dies, presses, jackets, lead wires etc, and today, they are invaluable and coming back into use. For someone starting today, components like jackets and lead wire can be hard and pricy to locate, but the old timers didn't use lead wire. They cast their own cores in molds. Many hand made by local machinists. I have a few old sets of these, and they still work great.

Jackets can be made from copper tubing, and I have seen some made from other materials. One can also make jackets from 22LR brass, 22mag, and varied pistol brass can be used to form handgun bullet jackets. Let your imagination run wild (And buy a book or two on the subject to study)

Basically, as times get harder, and they will, it is wise for dedicated shooters to relearn a lot of the history that created our hobby of handloading, for much of it was based in necessity of the times. Even names many take for granted like Speer and RCBS have their roots in the shortages of the Great Depression and WWII era, and Berger began as a hand swager in search of better bullets for the BR game. (As many of us did)

Which books and where do I get them?

 

[greenejc]

when you reload wildcat calibers like 22 243 6mm 284 6mm ai 25 284 25300wsm 25 stw 280 ai you can't find factory ammo for them so your only option is to reload that's the fun of it

35 Whelen is the same way. Try finding a box at Bass Pro. If you do, you'll need a loan officer from your local bank in order to buy it. I load them for about $0.90 to $1.15 a round. Current costs would have it increase by around ten cents due to Sierra and Speer going up on their projectiles.

 

[gyrfalcon]

First of all I am not trying induce depression or deter people from starting to jump into the world of hand loading. I just am trying or shed some light on the real costs of this wonderful hobby I finally picked up a couple of years ago. For the competition shooter or the individual looking for consistent top notch accuracy out of their rifle, it will always make sense regardless of the costs. However, with the current cost of components, it is shocking to add up the cost of a hand loaded cartridge.
I just ran a quick component estimate for a round of 7RM using the cost of recent component purchases. I am approaching $3.00 per round in raw materials without factoring in the equipment/tool expense or time commitment. I realize that the cost of premium factory ammo is often times more expensive, but the wow factor of current reloading cost has me looking at the amount of times I visit the range and how many rounds of what rifle I will be firing.
In the end it reinforces the buy cheap and stack deep approach to reloading. Panic buying due to the FOMO syndrome is not a smart move.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season.

For people that hunt and shoot 2-3 boxes of commercial ammo per year ( a majority) and restrict their shooting to 300-400 yards max, it is imho not worth to hand load. To purchase all the paraphernalia to hand load, it will cost you a couple of thousand bucks. I am intentionally excluding all the "cheap" starter kits and similar junk. Buy once, get it right with quality equipment, cry only once. Not counting the time spend. Nowadays there is some high quality hunting ammo on the market to fully satisfy the needs of those who hunt their game within 3-4 hundred yards max., that is the fast majority of hunters.
For those who like to shoot a lot it is worth it to hand load, the more you shoot the cheaper the cost compared to factory fodder. When loading and pursuing that perfect load is your big hobby, you don't worry too much of the cost and are inclined to go for the pricey but high quality equipment like upscale presses, electronic scales, trickles, dies etc etc. I started loading in the early 1970's. Finding high quality and accurate hunting ammo was a rare thing. If you wanted any accuracy for that 2-4 hundred yard shot you had to roll your own. Moreover I bought in 1978 a custom build 35 Whelan, I had to reload, no choice, so besides my .257 roberts dies, I expanded onto35 Whelan .270 and 3006 dies, gradually adding more and more to my hobby,

 

[Lee Goodwin]

9mm handgun reloading ain't worth it. 44 special and 45 acp is worth it.
For most rifle cartridges it is worth it even if it costs more $....cause you learn so much about the craft of shooting well

 

[Lenny Foffa]

I could not even imagine not re loading, epically now when guys can't get basic stuff like 270; 308 and 3006. Not so much for the cost or perhaps some slight savings. Thats not the reason I hand load , the reason to actually HAVE precision ammo be able to go to the range and enjoy shooting and prepare for a hunt. I wonder how many Hunters who only shoot one box prior to the hunt and take one box with them, would actually shoot more often, if they could make their own, just the way they like it , at home.

 

[WHITEBULL]

I feel better now….I think.

Reloading during times of sanity is definitely cheaper than new, especially after reusing the cases multiple times. Right now, some components are becoming available, but yes, they are not cheap. One thing you have in your pocket is the fact that you can shoot your guns, and not have to rely on the manufactures availability, especially the not so popular rounds. I have a 270 wsm and there is no ammo for that round in this area right now. I don't care because I have enough reloading components to burn out my barrel.
This too will pass eventually, like it always has historically. Its all about how you prepare for the future.

 

[del2les]

Which books and where do I get them?

Corbin has manuals and books on swaging, and I have several of their older ones. http://www.corbins.com/
C&H and CH4D had manuals on swaging, but since dropping most of their swage dies, I do not know if they still do.
Other manuals are some of the older Handbook on Cartridge Conversions, Corbin Handbook on Bullet Swaging, The Bullet Swage Manual by Ted Smith of SAS (out of print but can be found online free as PDF), and How to Swage Bullets (Edit to add: Discover Swaging). Decades ago, a few of the precision shooting and handloading magazines routinely had articles on swaging, but those old magazines are more difficult to find. Though sometimes, I find a scanned or PDF copy during an online search.

Edit: I just scanned Ebay, and I found a few of the older bullet swaging manuals listed with various prices based on edition and condition. Geez, that made me feel old knowing I bought some of these new.

 

[greenejc]

Corbin has manuals and books on swaging, and I have several of their older ones. http://www.corbins.com/
C&H and CH4D had manuals on swaging, but since dropping most of their swage dies, I do not know if they still do.
Other manuals are some of the older Handbook on Cartridge Conversions, Corbin Handbook on Bullet Swaging, The Bullet Swage Manual by Ted Smith of SAS (out of print but can be found online free as PDF), and How to Swage Bullets. Decades ago, a few of the precision shooting and handloading magazines routinely had articles on swaging, but those old magazines are more difficult to find. Though sometimes, I find a scanned or PDF copy during an online search.

Edit: I just scanned Ebay, and I found a few of the older bullet swaging manuals listed with various prices based on edition and condition. Geez, that made me feel old knowing I bought some of these new.

Thank you.

 

[Priley]

I didn't start reloading to save money,

Are you kidding me?? Most people started reloading to save money or we would have shot factory ammo...

 

[QuietTexan]

Are you kidding me?? Most people started reloading to save money or we would have shot factory ammo...

 

[CBH Australia]

Are you kidding me?? Most people started reloading to save money or we would have shot factory ammo...

The only way to save money in this scenario is shoot less.

I wouldn't say that that to ButterBean, he is our celebrity reloading guru, and he just talks plain sense.

Not even sure I've seen you post previously.

 

[greenejc]

Are you kidding me?? Most people started reloading to save money or we would have shot factory ammo...

I know I did. I probably don't now, because reloading led to buying more firearms, which led to more dies, which led to different types of powders, which led to more components........ but it was originally to save money back in the 60's and 70's when I was a farm boy in Texas and a poor broke college student, also in Texas. If I wanted to shoot much, I had to reload, and so did my big brother. RCBS Rockchucker, BABY. He still has his from around 1972.

 

[Priley]

The only way to save money in this scenario is shoot less.

I wouldn't say that that to ButterBean, he is our celebrity reloading guru, and he just talks plain sense.

Not even sure I've seen you post previously.

Well I can still save money over buying factory ammo. I know components are going up but so is loaded ammo at an alarming rate. I have had my equipment paid for forever so that isn't in the equation anymore.

 

[Rocketeer77]

First of all I am not trying induce depression or deter people from starting to jump into the world of hand loading. I just am trying or shed some light on the real costs of this wonderful hobby I finally picked up a couple of years ago. For the competition shooter or the individual looking for consistent top notch accuracy out of their rifle, it will always make sense regardless of the costs. However, with the current cost of components, it is shocking to add up the cost of a hand loaded cartridge.
I just ran a quick component estimate for a round of 7RM using the cost of recent component purchases. I am approaching $3.00 per round in raw materials without factoring in the equipment/tool expense or time commitment. I realize that the cost of premium factory ammo is often times more expensive, but the wow factor of current reloading cost has me looking at the amount of times I visit the range and how many rounds of what rifle I will be firing.
In the end it reinforces the buy cheap and stack deep approach to reloading. Panic buying due to the FOMO syndrome is not a smart move.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season.

Doesn't sound like you're doing the costs correctly, loading equipment, dies and brass are investment costs a one off. Projectiles, primers and powder are the actual consumable cost obviously this ignores your time and effort. I easily reload for under US$1.00c per round with premium consumables? Projectiles are the single dearest component