Reloader - Someone other than me. . .

Ran6er

New member
Hi,

I was wondering if someone out there would be willing to load some .223 rounds for me.
I could supply the brass and the bullets, or we could figure something out.
The price off the shelf for the more specialized rounds is painful.

Someone with the reloading gear could maybe do it cheaper and we could tinker with the loads a bit.

Thanks
 
What you are asking for is illegal without proper licensing. Reloading kits are not overly expensive and you can recoup the cost when considering how much good factory ammo can cost. That would be my suggestion.
 
You might check for local firearms organizations; some offer free reloading clinics (instructions for new-b`s).
I started with a $100 Lee Kit, and about $75 dollars later was loading my own 223.
Of course I first read the Lyman manual start to finish, then had a friend help me load the first 50.

Tinkering with the loads a bit is most of the fun/enjoyment.

You may find someone near you who is willing to help; I do a small amount of reloading for both a friend and a relative just because I enjoy it.

ETA- I know of one fella who reloads 223 Rem. with the old style lee loader and nothing else as far as equipment..except a hammer.
 
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if you find a season reloader that will reload you some,it will be more painful in your wallet than getting anything out of the store.if you find someone that will do it for free worry.too much time is spent making a good load,if i cared about saving money i would never got into reloading.if i save a dollar, i spend ten more for some else on my bench, try Natchez shooting suppy buy bulk. Reload to build a better bullet not to same money.
 
No one said reloading is cheap but eventually you will save money. Start up cost will be pricey if you try to buy everything you need all at once. If you shop the web and gun shows, pawn shops,ect, you can buy used and save alot. Its really hard to wear out a press or dies and used bring a fraction of new price. Buy a little at a time, say for one caliber you shoot most, then add to it. Get some books, read what you need, ask questions here on PM and other sites. You may find you don't like to reload and end up shooting factory ammo. I have a buddy that has more reloading equipment than most stores and shoots factory ammo cause he makes waaaay to much money and is lazy. Don't tell him I said that though!!
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It absolutely scares the "you know what" out of me to think of letting anyone else shoot my ammunition, at least the stuff I have loaded. If I accidentally double charge a pistol case (easy enough to do) I want to be the one to shoot it, if I seat one too far into the lands it should be fired in my rifle. I can't say I have not done it before, but that was when I first started reloading and my hair was still dark and all there. Not a good practice, legal or not.
 
I never ever load for someone else. I have had dozens of people ask if I will load for them if they supply the components, answer is NO. I sometimes have trouble loading my own let alone load for someone else, and I don't want to be responsible if there is a problem with one of my handloads. Some of these people are just plain old cheap skates looking to save a buck. I have a chit load of money into my setup to save me money so I can shoot more myself. I shoot over 5000 rounds of pistol ammo a year.
 
I've always taken the attitude of: "Give a man a Fish and you've fed him for a day, teach him to fish and you've fed him for life"...I have no problem teaching someone to load and will let them use my equipment and even some of my supplies, but I only load for myself...

A friend died and he's the one that acted as a mentor for me many years ago..I picked up a bunch of .38 and .357 reloads that he had done from his widow, as she wanted to get rid of them, and thought I'd burn a few with my grandson when he was first learning to shoot a revolver...While it may have just been a freaky bad day at his loading bench, we had two that were 'squib' loads where either the powder was bad or missing and the bullets got stuck in the barrel throat...Now I have several hundred to tear down and recharge before I'll take a chance with the rest of them...On the plus side, it did give my grandson some experience with squib loads..
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogNo one said reloading is cheap but eventually you will save money.
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Pyscho Puppy...

Will you please 'splain when that part happens?

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Originally Posted By: CatShooterOriginally Posted By: pyscodogNo one said reloading is cheap but eventually you will save money.
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Pyscho Puppy...
Will you please 'splain when that part happens?
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I think it all depends on how you apply your cost vs use....If you use a standard 5 year depreciation factor for your equipment so that at the end of your first five years, your equipment is free and clear of expense. You can then extend your cost of brass by the number of times used before needing replacement, your net cost of other components will allow you to say that you are capable of loading 1000 rounds at less expense in years to come than you would expend to purchase the same 1000 rounds of factory produced rounds, but you have to factor in the inflation at time of purchase by buying components in bulk, rather than buying as needed at the time..
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The voice of moderation...thank you OT. And for goodness sake don't let our wives read this. How quickly we forget that we once used that "saves money" line ourselves!!!
 
Just an example-223 Remington
1 box/55gr Vmax=19.00
1 box(100) primers=3.50(depending on brand and location)
powder=27.00
100 pcs of Win brass=30.00
total about 80.00 bucks plus tax, 100 rounds of 55 gr Hornady V-Max (loaded ammo) will be around $110.00 plus tax. You'll still have a bunch of powder left over and can use the brass quite a few more times if you don't loose it. Seems like a savings to me? I could be wrong, math never was my favorite subject. Looks like about $30 dollars to me and thats another pound of powder. JMO This is also for good shooting ammo not the blow-em up mall ninja kind.
 
Not disagreeing with you at all. As a matter of fact your math looks pretty good to me. And your points about using brass more than once and left over powder are all good. As a matter of fact that is a big reason I shoot a .221 Fireball. I can make brass from other stuff and 15 grains of powder makes it extremely economical. But my wife got the calculator out when UPS delivered the new RCBS Chargemaster. Now that took some 'splainin as Ricky said to Lucy.

I shoot a few calibers that I just will not pay the price for factory ammo. And, I love a deal like when a dealer is reducing inventory and has his .338 and .35 bullets on sale just to get rid of them. I ran up on some .338 Sierra and .35 Hornady bullets for $6 and $7 a box. Now that makes reloading cheap and brings a smile to this old face.
 
Savings is only one reason to hand load ( and a good one) but being able to tailor a load to your rifle is a major plus that factory ammo doesn't offer. And to add, I have shot other peoples handloads quite often.......in their rifle!!
 
My son and I have split the cost of our whole loading operation, and neither of our wifes has a clue to how much we have into this hobby. We both pay cash for everything possible so there is no paper trail. I shoot 1-2 times a week and burn through 100-150 rounds per week, so the reloading saves me some money, and I can fine tune my loads.
 
I've been reloading for 40+ yrs, my stuff paid for itself a long time ago. I know guys who load for their friends, and, if they don't watch it, I'll be meeting them at the hospital. I've told them how dangerous letting someone load for you is. Especially if there's other guys around, shooting the breeze. One of them was all over the place wanting to help, they caught him with 4 rounds ready to slip the bullets in, and the cases were empty!! No powder, he denied not putting powder in them, he said, they were ready to go. Another guy slops the necks so full of sizing lube, the powder was in globs in the cases, scary.Don't ask, i don't know why he did that. Then, he was letting his 15 yr old kid load, dribbling powder all over the table, they took some of the loaded ammo, pulled the bullets, very few of them had the same charge in them. Bad, bad things going on.Find some one, a club, shooting group, that will help you along, it's not rocket science, but, you do need to pay attention. Then, after your comfortable with it, load your heart out.
 
Actual conversation I had with a friend who "reloads":

Him: Loaded some bullets today.
Me: Really? What kind?
Him: Some 223.
Me: What was your load?
Him: 24 grams of powder and some 40 gram bullets.
Me:Gram? you mean grain?
Him: No, I think it was gram.
Me: Oh?.....and what kind of powder?
Him: I don't know. 223 powder. The guy at Sportsmans said it was good for 223.
Me: Oh? and you put 24 grams in?
Him: Yup, but I think I was supposed to put 25 or 26 in, I can't remember. I will see how they shoot and try more next time.
Me: You do know how dangerous that is, right? you REALLY should be paying more attention.
Him: I do, I just can't remember.
Me: And what primers did you use?
Him: Oh, small ones. Does it matter?
Me: It won't for long...you are going to blow yourself up before it makes a difference.

I PROMISE you, this was almost verbatim what was said.
 
ADH,,,That guy I would never want to be around under any circumstances with a firearm...
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Let's do some hard core figuring and all prices quoted are from Midway Arms for basic items for reloading 200 .223 rounds...A pound of powder will load almost 270 at 26.0gr per charge...Everything is currently available..Obviously, if you buy more expensive, your cost will be higher..but you can use the same format to determine if it is worth it to you..

Hornady Reloading Manual: 29.99
Lee Challenger Press Kit; 128.99
Lee Ultimate 4 die set; 45.99
Remington 1x fired brass; $61.99 (500 ct)
Accurate 4064 powder (only available that will work in .223) $23.99 (lb)=7000 gr..
CCI 41 primers (1000); 44.99
Sierra GameKing bullets 55gr; 20.49 (100)

Total minimal initial cash outlay for 200 reloaded rounds = $381.42


The closest .223 hunting ammo I could find available is the Winchester 55gr SP at $18.99 per 20; x10= $189.90

Considering that if you depreciate your cost of equipment over the 5 years I mentioned earlier, your initial yearly cost is $157.98 /5 = $31.59 per year, so your first 200 rounds will cost you;
Equipment $31.59
Powder $17.77
Brass 24.79
Primers 9.00
Bullets 40.98
Total $124.13

Your net savings per 200 rounds is $65.77
 
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