I am now spending more on reloading than I ever did on ammo...am I certified?

[Islander]

I save a pile of money reloading I shoot obsolete ? cartridges 38-55 45-70 45-90 plus muzzleloaders I cast bullets for all including my handguns .44 special Check the prices on ammo for above cartridges I save a pile and have far better ammo than I could buy. Also have as much fun making it as I do shooting it.
Regards
Bob

 

[peppercorn]

I'm glad to see that I am not alone, it may be a rarefied group but at least there is a population that gets it.

Why was it when I saw the thread title I knew it was you?

Count your blessings!
You are experiencing reloading Nirvana- not only do you have the time, skills and energy, but you can also support the habit. Your shooting is no doubt getting better with all the practice, your guns are working better as they smooth out from all the use, and I can only imagine how much stronger your arm is from working the handle on that Dillon!

All kidding aside, reloading really opens up new dimensions in shooting (told you it would), and it's gratifying to see you making the most of your resources. Good on ya!

Of course, to non-shooting, non-reloading folks, you are definitely around the bend!

I must be typecasting myself when I can be identified by the title of my threads.


Thanks alot 'hawk!
You are correct on all accounts.
Of course, I wouldn't be doing anything if you hadn't built that Magnum caliber bench for me, coached me through the 'problems' I encountered along the way and generally set me sailing in the right direction.
Oh yeah, this cost saving move has really taken on a life of its own.

 

[oberon]

Gosh, bro, you oughta be hiitin' the break even point pretty soon.
Let's examine the cost per round before you holler about how much you're spending on components.
In truth, you went way past your projected break even point the day you loaded your first batch, now dincha?
You won't be hurin' for good shootin' fodder anytime soon.
Ya done good.

 

[H Richard]

Thirty + years ago, I bought a used Texan loader and a set of 38 dies to "save money" on plinking. Now I have a 11X21 ft. room with walk in vault in one corner. Three loaders, and a gunsmithing spot. Must be somewhere around 15,000 - 20,000 rounds of reloaded ammo stored in ammo cans under the bench. And now I am thinking about a 20 ga. loader for my new skeet gun. It never ends.

 

[GF1]

Saving money by reloading is a myth generated by reloading component and equipment suppliers. You wind up shooting more, "needing" more stuff, have excuses to buy obscure calibers and gauges (more stuff).

It gets bad...I actually feel twisted guilt pangs if I shoot factory ammunition, much the same as a committed fly fisher feels about flies he/she didn't tie.

 

[1HAWKEYE]

GOT PRIMERS ,No theres nothing wrong with you. Just think what 400 rounds of factory ammo would cost.I'm pretty sure were not the only 2 members who have loaded & shot up a whole case of ammo before.Now have you thought about casting your own bullets?

 

[kennyb]

i see you are getting the hang of things!

 

[dirty gary]

Its not an obsession - its much worse than that

 

[S&W38]

Peppercorn, you are now Certifiable and Certified, just like the rest of us. Welcome to our crazy and happy club!

 

[peppercorn]

Hahaha, I'm glad to see the sense of humor around here, in the crazy club.

I just received an order of primers and powder from Powder Valley yesterday.
The sum total would have easily added a nice 'K' or 'L' frame to a collection.
This has to be certifiable!

 

[TheNakedGunFighter]

There is nothing like finishing loading a hundred shiny plated 45 cals. All lined up in their case and ready to be shot!

This whole thing started out with the myth of "saving money". You do, whether or not you shoot more. But now I enjoy reloading even more than shooting.

It's very satisfying knowing that a box of 45s cost about $6 or $7 to reload. It used to be that I would start out by shooting my 22 because the ammo is cheap. Then I would move on to the 9mm and 45. As time went on and I got better at reloading, I shot the 22 less and less. Now, I don't shoot my 22 anymore because shooting the larger calibers is so inexpensive.

I have thousands of bullets on hand, 4 different types of powders, thousands of cases and a boat load of primers. And it's knowing that I can produce a box of whatever I need without having to go to the store for factory ammo and hoping they have what I need.

Man, does it get any better?

 

[fredj338]

You haven't spent more reloading, you have spent more shooting. It may seem like semantics, but I hear all the time that reloading doesn't save money because you shoot more. That is your decision, but fact; reloading does save you money per each round, fact. you would enver have fired 400rds of factory 44mag in an entire year due to cost.

 

[jwh32]

loading room

if you can get it all into one room, you don't have enough stuff.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Around 1980 I was looking at aused 460 Weatherby Mark V in great shape. On the ammo side of things, I could buy 5 boxes of new factory brass, a tray of Fed 215 primers (Match weren't marketed yet), A pound of the right powder, and 2 boxes of Hornady 500gr bullets, a set of Weatherby brand dies and shell holder, all for less than half the cost of 5 boxes of facyory ammo! Then I ran into the origianal owner; He said unless I had a Rhino or Cape Buffalo hunt in the works 5 boxes was 5 lifetime supplies. so I stayed away from that "Deal". However when I bought my double in 450 x 3.25 N.E. at the 60 round mark it cost $2.75 a round buying Bell Brass, RCBS dies, Hornady bullets, & Fed 215 primers as opposed to Kynok 1960's production ammo at a bargin of $5 a round if I took all 5, 5 round boxes (I did both). And there are some guns it is nearly impossible to buy ammo for (like 41 colt) or as the surplus ammo runs out, only very expensive RWS will be avalible ( like 8x 56R Hung. or 8x50R Aust.) And with some of hinky arms treaties flying about, we could be looking hard to find common forign rounds like 8x57, 7.62x39, or 7.62x54R. Try finding affordable ammo for your grandfathers bring back 6.5 or 7.7 Jap. rifle let alone the 7mm or 8mm Nambu pistols! Lots of fine firearms are wall hangers because ammo isn't a on the shelf item anymore. The start up cost money but those componets on the shelf become assets in not that long of time. Ivan

 

[jhde69]

So I'm not the only one.

 

[Fishslayer]

You have been assimilated. Mission complete.

Actually, I bought my first handgun in November '08 and started reloading in '09 when FINDING ammo was an issue. Then it was primers. .357 Magnum brass? I actually bought 300 rds of handloads of dubious origin just to pull the bullets & load the brass.

In 3.5-ish years my brass stash is such that I don't count them in the cost of my ammo & generally run about 50% the cost of factory ammo.

If the wife ever found out just how much $$$ is under my bench...

 

[papajohn428]

When my PD stopped issuing 38 practice ammo in the mid 80's, I decided it was time to start reloading my own. One set of 38/357 dies has now grown to nearly 3 dozen sets, and what used to be a basement hobby now takes up most of my living room......and a good portion of the room next to it. The casting stuff is downstairs. The pantry is stuffed with powder containers, there are 900 pounds or so of bullets on the component shelves, and I have bricks of primers stashed all over the house.

Life is good.

It's a vicious cycle. You start reloading to save money, so you shoot more, you become a better shot, so you reload more and more ammo.

There is apparently no cure. I wouldn't actually know, since I have yet to look for one...........

 

[Granddad]

Thirty-three years and counting. It is a disease, it can be contagious, and I'm not sure there is a reliable cure. There is no sense in fighting it. However, it can help make the gun ownership and shooting experience complete. Just relax, enjoy, and keep cranking out the rounds.

 

[TdocZ]

Welcome to the club!

Big ditto to that! :-D

 

[BigBill]

Back in the 70's I was shooting 3 to 4 times a week. All the other days I wsn't shooting I was chained to my RCBS Rockchucker press reloading everything i shot up.

I have moved on since then. I got a LEE pro 1000 press given to me setup for 45acp. I reload only during the winter now. We run 3k to 6k of 45acp at a time. I reloaded 5k of 308win one winter and 3k of 308 the following winter with the RCBS press. Last christmas my wife got me a Lee master progressive press set up for 308win and the Lee turret press for my other calibers plus she got me all the extra die plates too. Now once a die set is setup I can mark what its for and just turn them out and in to change calibers with the shell plates too. This should be much faster I'm sure.

My point is i'm not chained to the press anymore. I have enough ammo loaded to shoot a year before reloading now too.

BTW; My sons run the presses now too. I'm a free man.

When i purchased my remington 700 in 338win mag the ammo was around $20 to $25 a box of 20. I broke my piggy bank open and purchased around 12 boxes of new ammo. Now its up to $60 a box+++. I purchased the dies for it but i haven't reloaded for it yet. At 100yds i can put two rounds thru the same hole using new winchester super X 338win mag 225gr ammo. I figured why reload.