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Reloading???

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bradshaw34

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
401
Location
Knoxville, Tennessee
What's the initial cost to get set up to reload. Are there kits with everything you need? Where's a good place to buy reloading equipment (best deals)? What brand is the best value? Once your set up can you save a noticeable amount of money opposed to factory ammo? Just something i'd like to be able to do, especially with rising ammo prices.
 
Around $300 for the basics. Add another $100 in a few miscellaneous items. Then roughly $20/lb powder, $4/100 primers, and $40/100 copper jacketed bullets.

You will save money in the long run if you don't factor in your time, but you'll need to shoot around 1000 rounds before you start saving.

Because you'll probably shoot more than you do now, in the long run, you'll end up spending a lot more than if you just bought a few boxes a year at Wallyworld.
 
The real value in reloading is being able to select bullets, powder, etc. to get the best performance from your firearm. It's also handy when you have an oddball caliber that isn't easy to find on the store shelves. I can buy Federals for my 270 cheaper than I can reload.
 
Look at what you are wanting to load for and look at how much you are shooting and what you want to get out of it.

Accurate ammo...reload
volume ammo...reload
New hobby...reload
Only shoot a couple hundred rounds of 9mm and one box of Rem CoreLokts a year...dont reload.

Kits are a good way to go, then you will find you need this, and then that, and then another thing. Then you are fighting to find time to get to the range to check your loads...blah blah blah...Then you are looking at getting another press and all the tools for it.

Dont do it, your initial $300-$500 investment is going to lead to the devistation of your family life and eventually fincancial ruin.

BTW, I have a Lee Turret press, Reloader Press, Hand press and am looking at getting the Load-All (shotgun). Each one serves a purpose and I am extremely satisfied with what I have...total invested is probably less than $400 (not including components).

Loading for 30Carbine, 9mm, 44mag, 30-06, and 243. Wanting to start loading cast slugs for the 20ga.
 
Reloading is a false economy as I have learned in that you don't save money, you spend more money b/c you shoot much more.

You can make reloading as cheap or as expensive as you want to in terms of initial equipment purchase. Magalomaniac nailed when we said it's takes about 1K rounds before it begins to pay off for the equipment. However, you will benefit from more accurate loads and using components that aren't readily available or are more expensive.

The main equipment needed are press, full-length die, seater die, (possibly crimp die depending on claiber), lube, calipers, case trimmer.

From there, costs go up with a way to clean (tumbler, ultrasonic), neck dies, giraud trimmer, comparator tools, etc.

Lastly, one last word of caution. If you wan to drop some money quick or lack thereof, stay away from Sinclair's site. They have top shelf products that are like new toys when you get them.
 
Hate to say this but as far as getting stuff to start reloading with around Knoxville,to go in and get it Bass Pro Shops.

If you don't mind waiting to get your Press and other items.. Fox&Company in Knoxville an Loudon Co Sportmen in Lenoir City

Gnader Mtn still has some stuff in store or did but STILL TO HIGH even on closeouts there going over to order it on-line ship to store or that was what I was told..


BTW Accademy Needs to Bring Tim up here for a few days and hire somesombody that knows something about reloading big disappointment in there store here...
 
I reload a lot-we shot 900 centerfire this summer, teaching the twins to reload, new scopes, new powders, new bullet weights. For Christmas the twins got their own rifles-a 7mm-08 and a 280. We are doing case prep now. We will have over 400 280 and 250 7mm-08 to start with.

Some places to look around: Powder valley, grafs, midsouth shooting supply, midway, Brassman, Nosler has blems on their site as do many others, try Prvi brass. Blems are generally tarnished, nothing wrong with them except that. I picked up 200 blem brass from Hornady for the price of about 50 at BPS. If you need primers, who doesn't, I use strictly Federal 210M and 215M, you will need a primer seater, I use Lee. You'll need a manual, I favor to Nosler but there are bunches of them to choose from. Get a chronograph. Write down your records of your recipes and the results.

Go to Handloadersbench.com and read through the current and archive posts for a wealth of how to and how NOT to.

I don't recommend all-together kits. You need a good scale, the rcbs 5-5 or 10-10. You need a case trimmer, chamfering tools, a decent single stage press or a turret, nothing wrong with Lee no matter what people opine, I use RCBS or Forster dies, I weigh every charge and yes, it slows you down but I am handloading to get the EXACT combination of components for each rifle.

I never consider the overall cost of reloading. I do it to get the absolute best out of my rifles and hopefully, me. It is a fantastic hobby. When I shot my 5x5 elk with a bullet I made from components it was a very sweet day. Same for the 5x5 mulie and even a doe my kids shot several years back or the buck last year.

If I want to switch the 22-250 from 60 grain partitions to 50 grain HPBT for varmints, I consult my chart, move the scope, I am dead on. Same for 243, 06, and 300 winmag.

And, should SHTF even come down my street I don't have to worry about Do I have one box of shells or two or 3. We have enough already loaded to hold our ground. And then some.

See you on the ridgeline
 
Midway USA day in day out is the best all around place to buy reloading equipment. They have just about everything for reloading. ;)
 
Start out with a good manual. Richard lee has a good no nonsense/easy to understand book but I also have several others. if you do decide to start. Be careful. It can be addictive.
 
What are you reloading? Centerfire rifle?

If so, you don't have to spend anywhere near $300 for basic equipment.

Get the Lee Aniversary Kit at Midway USA for $110. Then get Lee RGB (Really Great Buy) dies for less than $20 per caliber. Then get the caliber-specific Lee case length trim guage and cutter.

That's all you need for basic equipment. Buy powder, primers, bullets and brass. (I usually buy two boxes of factory loads for initial sight in, and use that brass for reloads.)

I did this when I started, and figured to buy "better" equipment if I decided I needed it. 20 years later I'm still using the same press, scale, powder measure, etc that came with the kit. I added a few more accessories, such as a Hornady collet bullet puller, but I got by for years without it. When I buy a new caliber rifle, it takes the savings from less than two boxes of shells to pay for the new dies.
 
If you are wanting to reload just to save you money, well like most said, it isn't going to save you money unless you shoot alot. Shooting alot equals to money being spent driving to the range. Alot of range time is needed to get good accuracy out of your reloads.
That being said is it worth it?? Depends on how much you get out of it as a hobby. Hobbies are expensive.
 

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