Should I start?

Maybe we look at this from a different angle. First a girlfriend that encourages you to start making your own ammo either needs a gun of her own or a pair of shoes, my book she gets whichever makes her happy! Second, if money is tight for 2 years start working toward it. Get a good reloading book (read it multiple times) and use your friends equipment when you can. Buy something here and there for your friends set up/allowing you to learn on it and you both can try some new stuff. Since you gunsmith in spare time you can start picking up parts of a reloading setup and supplies as you see them. In the next 2 years you'll probably know what equipment you like/dislike from experimenting on your friends and have pieced much of your own together...and saved some brass from shooting factory ammo too. As for savings I can tell you I've more than broken even loading ammo just for my wife in 9mm and 223 alone, and made some amazing loads for deer and varmints. Taking the first deer with your own ammo is really satisfying! Good luck either way you choose.
 
Originally Posted By: fw707Stay away from the kits.


I second stay away from kits.

Start with a good used press from the 70s. You can prime on the press to start with. With careful shopping for used you will be reloading for less than a 100. Remember you want to try it and see if it is for before you drop a bundle. You will not save money by reloading. You will tell yourself that to jump in. Its like I tell folks, your putting yourself at a big disadvantage if you don't reload. Plus its a heck of a lot of fun in itself.
 
In my opinion it pretty much all comes down to the volume that you shoot and the accuracy you require. Don’t listen to those who say you won’t save money. If you shoot a lot, you’ll save money. Period. My initial investment into reloading was paid for the first time I used it for a prairie dog hunting trip. I’ll admit since then I’ve spent a lot more on reloading equipment but I know for a fact I’ve saved even more money. Also, I never had to worry about not being able to find ammo on the shelves when everybody lost their fraking minds.

The other consideration is accuracy. If you want or need the most accurate rounds you can squeeze out of your rifle, reloading will get you there. In this case however, it may not save you money. Volume dictates your savings. You are also more likely to spend money buying/upgrading to better equipment if you are going for maximum accuracy. It’s practically limitless on what you can spend searching for perfection although there are definitely diminishing returns. Most people are happy with consistent .5 moa at 100-200 yards and in reality that is probably about as good as a lot of people are capable of shooting. You wouldn’t have to spend a lot to load ammo to that quality assuming your rifle and yourself are capable. Some have really good luck with factory ammo but I’ve never heard of anyone not being able to handload a round that is more accurate than factory offerings.

It is a hobby that can definitely take up some of your time. Also, as other have stated it can be addictive as you see positive results and you start to chase the rabbit, always wanting to tweak this or that and upgrade equipment to get closer to perfection. You can get into it relatively inexpensively with the kits and depending on what you are looking for and how much you enjoy it, that might suit you just fine. However, as others have stated, if it turns out you really enjoy it and end up getting “addicted” it becomes a much more expensive hobby. That’s why so many say stay clear of the kits. They are the basic essentials and as you learn more you’ll realize how basic they are. There is much better/time saving equipment out there and if you get into reloading you’ll likely replace everything except the press from the kit. (Even then the press might end up being a backup or only used for certain tasks because you purchased a better one)

At the end of the day you just want to save money it’s going to come down to volume. 20-40 rounds a week of the cheapest ammo you can get is going to take a long time to recoup the costs of reloading gear. It’s pretty hard to reload a round for much less than what the steel cased fmjs go for these days. If you start shooting more of the varmint or target bullets, then you could make a better case for reloading. If it’s something you WANT to get into then I say go for it. Most people that get into it really seem to enjoy it as a hobby and I for sure find it very gratifying to load up my own ammo. Good luck.
 
A lot of good advice here, especially Squeeze.

Time might be your main problem.
I'm retired so I have plenty, but when I was working it was a no-go.

It will cost more for several years, especially if you put $$ value on your time.

To me, the major reason to reload is to tailor a load to a gun.
 
If you want better accuracy and a new hobby; I'd say go ahead. You won't save any money. I enjoy reloading and seeing what kind of grouping and how tight I can get them. And like someone else said, buy at least 3 reloading manuals. I have like 5 different manuals that I cross reference back and forth with. If you do get started, you'll see how addicting it is and want to try different calibers and so on.
 
I keep seeing where people say you won’t save any money. I would think that eventually you would save some money even if you reload in relatively small quantities. I’m sure it’s possible to end up losing money but I would bet that’s the exception to the rule.

Here’s an example of how much I save for just one firearm that I reload for. It costs me 31.4¢ per round to reload a .223. That’s the cost of H4895 powder, Rem 7 1/2 primer, and the 53 gr v-max shipping included. That’s $314/1000. Add another $6 worth of RCBS case slick and it’s $320/1000. After a quick search the best price I could find for Hornady Superformance .223 w/ 53gr V-max was $19/20 rounds. With shipping that works out to $972.75/1000. That’s $652.75 I save over buying less accurate factory ammo for every 1000 I reload. 65¢ for every round I reload. Granted, that’s assuming you have some brass to reload. If not I can buy 1000 rounds of once fired lake city brass that is deprimed, cleaned, and swaged for $99 + shipping. That would bring the savings down to around 53¢ per round reloaded the first time.

Reloading is the hobby I have that saves me a lot of money so I can afford another very expensive and addicting hobby.. Praire dog hunting...
 
what it means is that you'll spend as much -or more- but you'll also shoot a lot more for the amount you spend.
 
My wife believes that I save money by reloading... But Actually, I just shoot better ammo, more often...
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Originally Posted By: Brad PhillipsMy wife believes that I save money by reloading... But Actually, I just shoot better ammo, more often...
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Nicely played.
 
Originally Posted By: chzOriginally Posted By: Brad PhillipsMy wife believes that I save money by reloading... But Actually, I just shoot better ammo, more often...
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Nicely played.

Or it could be that she has me completely figured out and sees the money spent as an easy way to keep me entertained and happy
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Our costs don't hold a candle to a dedicated quilter. My wife's material stash alone cost more than most of us make in a year. I helped here inventory well over $30,000 worth of silk material last summer. One,she has several, would pay for all eight of my metalic pressss.

Greg
 
Holy cow that's a lot of material.

So none of these hobbies are cheap, shooting, reloading, hunting. But like a good buddy says, it keeps me out of the bars! A lot of people spend more on booze, smokes and chew than I spend on ammo and guns I figure.

My take on it, start if you want to, but don't figure you're just going to load up the same amount of ammo you normally shoot. It's way cheaper per shot, but you're going to load and shoot 10 rounds for every 1 you actually shoot at game probably. Testing loads, working up to max, checking accuracy, seating depth, etc. Whereas with factory, you sight in, maybe try a couple different types, and go hunting. Like one guy said, for pdog shooting it's a no brainer. For coyotes with factory calibers, I'm not so sure. I've been loading for 27 or 28 years, started on my uncles equipment then got a Lee hand press and loaded thousands on that, hand weighing each charge.
 
Well I lucked out. Gun shop owners an older gent and seems to think I know a thing or 2 about shooting. Told me his reloading bench can be mine whenever I want so long as I bring my own bullets, brass, and primers. If I like what happens to my groups or just decide I want to get in it, he’s got a spare set he’ll sell me for cheap. He offered me his whole gun shop and land before at the 1980 appraisal so I’m sure it’ll be worlds better then buying new.
 
Originally Posted By: Forest GhostWell I lucked out. Gun shop owners an older gent and seems to think I know a thing or 2 about shooting. Told me his reloading bench can be mine whenever I want so long as I bring my own bullets, brass, and primers. If I like what happens to my groups or just decide I want to get in it, he’s got a spare set he’ll sell me for cheap. He offered me his whole gun shop and land before at the 1980 appraisal so I’m sure it’ll be worlds better then buying new.

That's a great deal. In a way quite a compliment if you put it in context. He must be one of those guys that believes in passing on the knowledge and opportunities to the younger generation. He will probably be a great mentor. I know I've been blessed by hanging with some top flight 'smiths in my younger days and I learned a thing or tow from them. Mke hay while the sun shines.

Greg
 
that's an awesome opportunity.

I had a friend who set up to reload for his 270. since I shot a 30-06 he also bought dies for it and he taught me the basics. As I recall it was a Hornady single stage press. But I did learn the basics, had made accurate ammo for my rifle and got enough experience to know that it was something that I wanted to get into when I could afford it (I was young and poor at the time). So years later when I did pull the trigger, I spent what I could stand bc I'd waited for a long time to get to that point & knew pretty much what I wanted to tool up with. I think a lot of people don't have that kind of background when they start.

Sounds like you not only have access to the tools but to someone who has quite a bit of experience who's willing to share what he knows & that's something you can't put a price on.
 
Reloading is a hobby in itself.
I got started back in 2002 right before i graduated high school. Bought a RCBS Rockchucker Supreme kit and learned everything reading books and figuring it out the hard way. Now i have 4 RCBS Rockchucker presses, 2 Dillon 550s, and a RCBS Parnter.
I found it best to find someone local to help you get started with the basics and troubleshooting. Then you can bounce information back and forth. Most of my hunting and shooting buddys started out with me helping them get their reloading stuff setup and they picked it up very fast.

Be Warned, It can get out of hand very quick. I could be driving a couple new trucks for what i have in vested in reloading and shooting.
 
I have a different take on the subject, as I know how I got started and have assisted several others get a start in the reloading addiction scheme of things. I got started over 50 years ago on a Starr Universal Progressive, as I felt the "need" when I started shooting competitively.

The biggest problem for a youngster is bench space, as you do need a good bench. Living in an apartment can be a real PITA relative to reloading. If you don't have the room I'd recommend you try and partner up with someone who does.

Purchase good equipment right off the bat - that being a progressive loader with quality dies. Really only 2 choices today, those choices as I see it, are a Dillon 650 with the Dillon dies or the Hornady LnL with Redding dies. For a beginner on a budget, the Hornady is a little less expensive and much easier to change over from one caliber to another.

A youngster at the gun club just started out reloading for his 1911 and AR this past summer - this was his "starter kit" as recommended from "us" ole-timers.

Hornady LnL Progressive Reloader
45 ACP & 223 Remington shell plates for the LnL
Redding Titanium Carbide 45 ACP die set
Redding Profile Crimp die for 45 ACP
Redding National Match 223 Die Set
Hornady Case Trimmer
Lyman Tumbler Case Cleaner
Lyman or RCBS Case Prep Tool
RCBS M500 Powder Scale
RCBS Powder Trickler or small baby spoon
RCBS Primer Square Tray
Impact Bullet Puller

Total cost was around $1,400.00 when he got through purchasing bullets, powder and some brass. The bullets, brass and powder was like $400.00

Yes, it is a sizable investment but a year after purchase, the pain of spending all that money will be but a distant memory and you will have a quality reloading set-up for the rest of your life. In some respects its all relevant to what we want to achieve or do. Take annealing, some feel the need for annealing, while others don't give it a thought. Those that have a "need" for the best on the market might purchase the AMP Induction annealer and that puppy will set you back over a grand$$$.

If you can learn how to reload using a single stage press, you can do the same with a progressive - there is no difference and the learning curve is the same. If the ram on a single stage or a progressive doesn't want to go - don't push it, as something is wrong. It's usually a simple adjustment. The progressive needs to be kept clean, so a can of compressed air is usually on your bench.

Some will say it's easier to make a mistake on a progressive - not so! Have a brain fart with either type press and you've made a mistake and probably won't find out until range time.

Scared of blowing up your firearm? Don't fret about that either, as a double charge of powder will normally just get your attention. Now using the wrong powder like filling a 45 Colt case with bullseye powder, as opposed to IMR 4227, will cause damage to the firearm and possibly harm to the shooter. You hear of stories like that but I've never associated with those type of people who are that careless, so I've only read "stories".

Is it cheaper to reload - you bet plus when the dimms get back in power some day, you can expect either a huge price increase in ammunition or a shortage of ammunition - probably both. Here is where the reloader will shine if they have an ample supply of components on hand. How long will it take for you to realize a "profit" or recoup your costs? Probably like 5 to 10 years if you're not a range rat - but this "quality" equipment will last you a lifetime with minimal maintenance. Plus it's just enjoyable for some of us who enjoy all things relative to the outdoors and shooting sports.
 
to avoid double charges I use powders where even the starting charge is at least greater than 1/2 of what the case will hold. That ensures that a double charge will overflow, make a mess & I won't miss that it happened.

In general I prefer to have charges that pretty much fill the case. One reason is that it doesn't take much extra powder at all to make a mess & let me know something went wrong with that one.
 
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