Should I start?

Forest Ghost

New member
Well, I was talking to my girlfriend about some ammo in the store, and she looks over at this reloading set and says “for the cost of 800 of those 223 cheapo rounds you could just buy the kit and make your own.” I love this woman, and I laughed, walked out without either, but she brought it up again tonight. SO

Should I reload? I mostly shoot 223 and 308, I like the standard stuff, but I do like the idea of making my own rounds to my liking.

What does it cost to make a 100-200 good rounds? Like 53 or 60 vmax for a 223?

How many times can brass be reloaded before needing to toss it?

After I buy my start up stuff, do I ever save enough to start truly saving?

Who has the best beginners kit?
 
I would look at rcbs kits. Dont consider a cheap alumimum press. You can't really reload the cheap FMJ stuff any cheaper but you can definitely load quality hunting or varmint rounds cheaper. You can load Vmax style stuff for about half price what the store will want for a box and you can tailor the loads to be more accurate in your rifle. Depending how hot you load and how you resize your brass you can easily get 10 or 12 loadings out of a case. My reloading has led to shelves of bullets,powders, cases, dies and enough stuff to drive my wife nuts but I can't imagine not being able to load my own ammo again. Definitely a worth while investment if you like to shoot and you demand accuracy. Just be sure to read up and read up some more amd understand the process and the do's and dont's. Loading manuals are a good place to start reading.
 
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Rockchucker supreme master kit is what I started with but you will need to add some extras and will need to upgraded somethings. Chargemaster and a Trim mate, along with a good trimmer are must haves for any serious reloader. Gotta have calipers, and some other tools and measuring equipment as well. I think about $1500 is what it takes to be rolling good all though you can get started much cheaper.
 
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I load all my stuff on two RCBS single stage press's. Both I picked up used for pennies on the dollar at swap meets. My powder drop was a Lyman 55, but now I use a Lyman Gen 6. I also still have my RCBS scale and use it once in a while. People are always upgrading and selling off their used equipment. Shop around, buy some used stuff, save a dollar here and there. You don't have to spend a fortune all at once to start loading.
 
You more than likely won't save money, especially on those common rounds. You will be able to shoot more.

But you will get better ammo if you have the knack to pay attention to detail. Yet it can be an obsession. Any brand of reloading equipment can produce quality ammo even the cost effective Lee equipment.

If you are interested in larger calibers or Wildcats it is beneficial.

Personally I enjoy reloading, always in search of a better round and buying more supplies than I can use in 2 lifetimes.

Are you target shooting or hunting?

Do you have extra space to dedicate for all the supplies and equipment?

Do you have ample spare time for the hobby?

I am not trying to discourage you, just trying to be realistic about the subject.

If just "plinking" I'd say no. But if looking for precision then yes.
 
Well I shoot 20-40 rounds a week but am mostly using the cheapest of cheap for that. My good stuff is black hills 60 vmax or Nosler 60 that is .5MOA for both. Those are the hunting rounds. I’d only do it to save some money, maybe to play with different bullets but I’m happy with the black hills. $36.45 for 50 rounds that my rifle likes. Seems like I might be best off using store bought or hopping on a buddies set up when I wanna do custom stuff. My 308 likes Hornady precision hunter or Hornady black.

No extra space, gunsmithing takes up a fair bit of free time, and I’m gonna be on a tight budget for the next 2 years so probably not the best hobby to start
 
Here is my take from someone who started reloading about this time last year. Bought a kit, mostly because I didn't know what I needed. All I use now out of the kit is the press, everything else sits on a shelf. The kit was reasonable, but the key for me in reloading is efficiency, different tools in the reloaders' arsenal are better at completing the individual tasks with more speed and less effort.
I load mostly rifle 223/308 and what I found out is I enjoy it, it somewhat brings out the scientist in me, keeps my brain active. I have found reloading is just another facet of the sport.
I struggle to make bullets as accurate as the top line manufacturers bullets, but when it happens it is very satisfying.
To answer you question directly, I'll compare it to saying if you got into fishing you could save money on having to buy fish at the market.
 
FG,

DON'T DO IT! It is an addiction. First you start out with the minimum reloading tools, then you have to have tools that are less work, produce more refined and precise ammo, and then you need better dies, and tools to prove your ammo is the right length for your chamber, and that you have minimal runout, not to mention neck turning, and annealing machines. And that is just the tools. You will have to have powders of just about every burn rate available, and of course the powders you use the most have to be purchased in bulk, along with piles of bullets, and big storage containers full of primers. And then the ammo dump starts to grow, to where you could have ammo for several zombie apocalypses, or several terms of a Democrap President and Congress.

Yes it is a sickness. Stick with buying factory ammo, and don't buy the, "it is cheaper to shoot, but you will shoot more" story. That may work for some wives, but I doubt many actually believe it. It is an expensive hobby, which brings huge grins to the faces of the hobbyist, but you won't be saving money. It is a great hobby to spend time on, and of course money, but it will save neither.
grin.gif


The last month or so, the temperatures have been arctic, so being a reloader does help with Cabin Fever. I have loaded a pile of varmint ammo, for next year's P-dog trip, and replenished all of my medium hunting ammo, for a number of rifles, and re-filled my pistol ammo containers, for this year's competitions. Next I will add to the shotgun ammo pile, for this year's trap league. So there is value in time spent reloading, not just to create quality ammo, but to fight the effects of winter. Other people ice fish, snowmobile, ski, etc., but me I just prep cases, and pull handles on loading presses, to stay sane...Well that is debatable...to stay busy.
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Run, do not walk away from the notion of getting into hand loading!

Squeeze
 
Lots of good info. in the above posts, I'm also in the camp of don't buy a kit. I have a buddy that wants to get into reloading and gave him the same advice, buy what you need!
I don't know how much money you will save on basic calibers, but I load for .350 and 6.5 Rem. Mags., and just reloading those two calibers has probably saved me enough to pay for all the equipment I have to reload.
 
Skip the kit, just get the stuff you need. Tag sales can be a real great deal, as are flea markets.
I find I use my Lee case trimmers with my drill more than my bench mounted one with all the pilots and collets, on the porch with a beer. Since I weigh every charge for my rifles, I load the scale with Lee powder scoops and a trickler. Reloading really shines with things like 300sav, 35rem,375win, that aren't on every shelf.
 
Get a kit. You will still need other stuff like a set of dies and shell holder, but the kit will get you going. If money is not an stumbling block, RCBS Rockchucker or LYMAN is a good way to go. However many people have bought the Lee Anniversary kit and are making ammo that shoots just as good as the RCBS or others. I think I saw it at Midway for $117. Quite the bargain. I bought one for our summer home (gets pretty warm in Arizona in Aug). I leave it up there so I don't have to lug stuff back and forth. The ammo I make on it is just as good as the ammo I make on the RCBS at home. I don't have a lot of hang ups about buying brand. I just buy what works.
 
The biggest issue I had when starting was everyone said don't buy a kit, being a new reloader you have no idea what to buy. So then you ask for advice and the price for the better tools, dies and equipment completely discourage a new reloader. The fact of the matter is you more than likely end up buying all that stuff anyway and shelve the entry level equipment.
 
I am kind of a kit person only because you do get the basics. For all you know you might not like it in the long run. That being said look at a kit and it will tell you 75% of what you need. Buy the latest Lyman manual and read the reloading section to grasp what everything does.

Shopping sales on components will get you in to blaster ammo and still save you money. For precision high performance stuff the savings are quite formidable once you step away from the 223/9 MM level. Go price a box of good match grade 38 Special and you'll se quickly or a box of Federal Gold Metal Match 168 grainers.

Even if you save only a little the ammo quality will go up and you'll start shooting more and more and so will your smiles.

The heart of it is the press so buy a good sturdy one like the Rock Chucker or the Lyman T-Mag. I like digital scales and tools and they are getting very reasonable. Dies are mild to wild. I prefer for basic GOOD stuff the Hornady. I use mostly Reddings now for various reasons. Lees are serviceable but not my choice except for the odd occurrence like 32 Special I help a friend load for. Lots of other choices and if you have a question jump on here as the minutia is well known by this crew.

Greg
 
A decent reloading setup will cost about $600-1000 depending if you want the more expensive $300 powder measure or faster case trimming tools etc. That's basically the price of one gun.

I started out with the RCBS kit plus calipers and vibratory tumbler and dies for $500 shopping sales. I eventually upgraded a few things to make loading faster, like an electronic powder measure and electronic case trimmer. There's no need to go bonkers buying lots of gear, the basics will get it done.

How fast you "break even" depends on how much you spend and how much you shoot, for most people a couple of years, for me 14 months.

I can't imagine NOT reloading.
 
Originally Posted By: Forest GhostWell, I was talking to my girlfriend about some ammo in the store, and she looks over at this reloading set and says “for the cost of 800 of those 223 cheapo rounds you could just buy the kit and make your own.” I love this woman, and I laughed, walked out without either, but she brought it up again tonight. SO

Should I reload? I mostly shoot 223 and 308, I like the standard stuff, but I do like the idea of making my own rounds to my liking.

What does it cost to make a 100-200 good rounds? Like 53 or 60 vmax for a 223?

How many times can brass be reloaded before needing to toss it?

After I buy my start up stuff, do I ever save enough to start truly saving?

Who has the best beginners kit?



I like to buy used on most of the stuff you are going to need, right off of ebay...save you a ton of money. Also, check the local trade papers.

Rockchucker press or
Redding Boss
You can make do with an RCBS Jr

RCBS 10/10 powder scale or RCBS 505

powder funnel

loading blocks

Powder trickler

Imperial sizing wax

Case deburring tool, double ended RCBS

Case trimmer, lee is the least expensive to get started

Std RCBS will do you well, used...they have a life time warranty

Shell holder for the cases you want to reload for

Buy used reloading manuals, Sierra, Nosler, and Hornady

Great hobby, you will shoot much more accurate ammo!
 
You don't have to buy everything all at one time! Buy the things you can afford! Save up for the bigger items or catch them on sale. I recently bought a used, in like new condition, RCBS3 single stage press for $20 at a swap meet. Thats a deal!! I see dies used for $20 and sometimes less. If they are in good shape, who cares if the aren't new. SHOP!!!! Used stuff is just fine if its all you can afford. It doesn't have to cost a grand to start reloading.
 
kits have the advantage of having most of the essentials in one box for a decent price.

the downside is that typically, the specific things end up not being what you really want.

as I recall I spent about $1000 starting out in 92. That was for a Dillion RL550B, Dillion CV-500 case cleaner, manual scales, calipers, toolheads, stands & conversions for 3 calibers, some powder, bullets, primers, misc small tools & materials to make a bench of my own design.

then I routinely added this & that for several years until I had most of what I needed/wanted, either general use tools of to add a new caliber. after that it became just buying what was needed to a new caliber as I picked up something new to me & consumables, ie new or more powder, primers, bullets & brass.

you can easily spend much more than that of course, or get started with a fair bit less. it was suggested to me to skip the kit & buy the particular tools that I preferred, which is what I did. Either way will get you into it.

I really suggest doing some learning before the spending. Don't worry so much about the specific tools for this part, focus on the how & why. Some reloading books are only data. Some have both instructional parts and data parts. Now we have youtube & there are a lot of videos, you can learn tons for free. Some companies have how-to videos that show how to use their tools. Dillon does, and you can find more for their tools on youtube as well, so it pays to look around for what you're interested in.
 
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