Thread: reloading

RJD i like your idea, should speed things up for ya. although truth be told i am personally more in line with apipeguy in that i use a single stage. i find that it gives me more consistency especially in the reduction of anomaly rounds as each one goes through my fingers @ every stage. once again, just my style and i think a full setup like you are talking definitely has a use. best of luck with the expansion

Single stage for me.
17 rem
223
6mmbr
260
270wsm
338 rum

i used to load .45 acp, 38 and 357, 22-250 with a lee handloader and i got real compulsive with that and the remington 700 was a laser. i liked to load .357 max with slow burning powder and fire it out of a thompson contender at dusk. fireball the size of a peach basket. this was years ago. don't do any shooting now, but in march i went to a gun range in austin with my daughter and fired a few rounds. very funny to see her handling the nice little s&w 22 revolver. didn't know she had it in her. l

I've tossed around the idea of getting into hand loading. I have two questions:

Is it true that it's harder to find free lead for casting (e.g. wheel weights no longer given away by tire shops, etc) since it's apparently regulated like everything else?

Someone who has hand loaded for years once told me that in his opinion you don't really save money loading your own because you just end up shooting more..... He said it tongue in cheek, but I wondered if it was a bit like straight razors - Theoretically a well honed single razor, cheap strop and a few pucks of soap can save a guy money on shaving needs; but I for one know I couldn't stop at that (HAD, RAD, etc).

ChrisL

For the kind of shooting I do I couldn't afford to not reload. Accuracy and volume. Just wait until you start getting into weird or hard to find cartridges... definitely an AD waiting to happen.

Originally Posted by ChrisL

I've tossed around the idea of getting into hand loading. I have two questions:

Is it true that it's harder to find free lead for casting (e.g. wheel weights no longer given away by tire shops, etc) since it's apparently regulated like everything else?

Someone who has hand loaded for years once told me that in his opinion you don't really save money loading your own because you just end up shooting more..... He said it tongue in cheek, but I wondered if it was a bit like straight razors - Theoretically a well honed single razor, cheap strop and a few pucks of soap can save a guy money on shaving needs; but I for one know I couldn't stop at that (HAD, RAD, etc).

ChrisL

Few people cast their own now days Chris. From what I ear and have experienced, no, you can't get free lead any more...nothing is free. In theory it's cheaper to get into reloading as I did when I shot in competition, but the up front expense there. For the casual shooter, I really don't recommend. If you are looking for accuracy or plan to get into IDPA or Cowboy shooting or 3 gun...you will need to reload as the expense will be tough.

For .45 colt loaded light, my price works out to about $8/50 which is a large savings. For 12 gauge it works out to around 1/2 price or less.

Took about 2k rounds of match grade 223 to break even on my initial investment. But that doesn't include my time with brass prep and load development. Hopefully you have a friend local to you and can try it out. From a financial perspective it's almost not worth it. From a self sufficiency perspective ymmv. I love to tinker and I love finding accurate loads. If I didn't get a whole lot of satisfaction out of it I probably wouldn't reload. I get excited to sit down at my bench though.

Look around, after the obama scare was over and the metals market calmed down a little the used market got saturated by all the peoples equipment who bought expecting the end of days. Most of it is unused or used little and unless you dropped your press of a roof there shouldn't be anything wrong buying used. The only thing I would buy new in fact would be an electric scale. I got a an rcbs charge master. In hind sight I would of done it earlier as the resale seems to hold up pretty well if I ever decided to sell.

I reload extensively everything from 50 BMG to 38 Special. Can't afford to collect straight razors if I don't because of the volume of my shooting.

I can consume upwards of 250 match grade 308 rounds and 5000 rounds of 5.56 and 45 ACP and 9mm a month which would break the bank at retail prices.

Not to mention my match grade rounds shoot more consistently than Federal GMM in all my precision rifles.

Happy reloading and stay safe.

Hello to All,

In the UK quality 0.308W target ammunition costs ca. 1.60 USD a round

Reloading your own, costs the equivalent of ca. 0.80 USD a round, so savings can be made.

I use a single stage press (RCBS Rockchucker), with Redding Small Base Body Die, Redding Competition Neck Size Die (with 0.332 bushing) and Forster Benchrest Seater for my tight necked (0.336") 0.308W. Cases are Lapua, bullets 155 gr Moly coated Lapua Scenar. Federal GM210 primers and 45.5 gr. of Vit 140. Muzzle velocity is 3000 fps.

Rifle is custom by Precision Rifle Services of Scotand. Action is a medium BAT, barrel 30" Krieger (Palma bore size) SAAMI minimum chamber, stock is McMillan McHale (solid glass filled) and trigger is Jewel.

Have fun

Best regards

Russ