Do you reload?

Do you reload

  • Yes

    Votes: 222 82.8%

  • No

    Votes: 46 17.2%
  • Total voters
    268
  • Poll closed .
T

TennJed

New member
Curious to see what percentage of hand-gunners here reload. I do not, but would like to soon. I feel I need a little more room and time (2 small kids and a small home).
 
Currently I only reload for my .44. It costs me about $7 per box of 50 as opposed to $35 or more if I was to go to WalMart.
 
my only gun plans for next year are a nice 1911 and reloading equipment...I wish i reloaded now, but since I'm only shooting 9mm and cheaper calibers, I can afford it pretty well. I wanna be able to shoot .45 a lot and won't be able to afford that without reloading..
 
I knew I replied to this, but was wondering where my post went until I realized I replied at THR.

Rifle-loaded a few .223
Handgun-still need to buy .45ACP dies from the LGS
 
I'd like to. But since I mostly shoot .38s the start-up cost of reloading isn't really worth it.

Now that I have a .44 Special revolver, I may have to reconsider it though.
 
Like the OP, I don't reload at the moment but I want to, as soon as I have the space. There will be a lot of calibers to set up for though!
 
Don't let a lack of space keep you from reloading. I got started years ago, with nothing more than "Lee Loader", a hunk of 2X4 (to wack the cartridges into the resizer) and a couple of small, inexpensive hand tools that Lee made, that really weren't essential, but made things easier. You can still buy that Lee Loader today.

These days, I use a Lee hand press, which is sort of like a nutcracker. With it, I can set-up on the kitchen table and be in business in a few minutes (My powder measure gets screwed to an old piece of board) When finished, everything goes back into a cardboard box and out of the way. There's room in the box for everything, including power, bullets, primers, boxes of brass, books...etc.

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In case you're wondering. There's the press, dies, scale, powder measure, case trimmer (2 pieces), chamfer tool, primer pocket cleaner, and Lee hand priming tool. Total investment, less than $200.00 including power, bullets, and primers.

It doesn't take a lot of room, or a lot of money. Just get started.
 
I load, and/or have loaded for a lot of various cartridges. .32 H&R mag, .38/.357, .40 S&W/10mm, .45 Colt/.454 Casull, .17 Rem, .223, 22-250, .243, 270, 7x57mm mauser, 7mm mag, 30-06, .300 Win Mag, 30/378 Wby, and so on. I don't even shoot some of these cartridges any more, but still have the dies, and occasionally load ammo for friends who do in addition to loading my own ammo.

The first thing I do when I get a gun chambered for a new cartridge is order a set of dies and a supply of brass. If I sell the gun and no longer shoot the cartridge, I keep the dies; just in case.

Daryl
 
I load for the 9mm, 38, 357 and 45. If you are shooting about one box per month, reloading probably doesn't pay. However, if you have hungry pistols like mine, one box a month for each are just not gonna do it.

For some strange reason my average cost per reload is near 12-13 cents each so $6.00 to $6.50 per box. Using lead bullets that are purchased.
Don't know where you can buy any of the above ammo for that price.
 
I have two turret presses and and and old shotgun reloading station. I reload .32 ACP, .380, 9mm, .45 ACP, .243, 25-06, 12 & 20 gauge. The hardest round to reload is the .32 and the easiest is the .45. None of is difficult or hard. Just my view of it.

I have plenty of room, but there was a time 40 years ago when I only had a small Lee hand reloader. The same type you can take and use to reload even at the range or out in the field with.

So, don't let space or money be your weak excuse. If you can afford a gun, you can afford to reload.
 
reloading

Yep. I reload virtually everything that I shoot, except for rimfires - about forty different cartridges.
I have fifteen presses (five for shotshells - 3X12ga, 20ga, .410 bore - , three progressives for .38. 9mm, .45ACP, two Lee handpresses, a Rockchucker, a Lee Turret, a Corbin swaging press, an old Pacific H press for .44s, and a Dillon 550 for .30-06).
I started with a Lee Loader for .30-06 (still have it).
Pete
 
I don't. I want to learn, I've read up on it, but I don't know any one who does and I'd like to get some hands on from some one who is experienced.
 
All I shoot are handloads except for rimfires. Not only is it cheaper but you can also load the ammo to perform for your intended purpose whether that is full power hunting loads or reduced loads for the wife and kids. You can also improve accuracy, sometimes greatly.
 
Hand load for everything I shoot except rim fire. Also cast. Have been hand loading and casting since middle sixties.
 
I also use a Lee hand press and reload .380ACP, 9mm Luger, .38 sp, .357 mag and .45ACP. Startup cost for press, dies, tumbler was about $250, and I figure I have saved about $2200 over the last 18 months reloading 11K rounds. .380ACP is the most bang for the buck (75% savings), 9mm the least (50%). The rest are somewhere in between savings-wise.

I especially like the fact that I can make rounds that are nearly impossible to find online or on the shelf (hot 158 gr. .357s for my S&W 686 and very mild .380s for my old Colt Hammerless being good examples).

I think you will get a lot more responses from the reloaders than those who don't.
 
I reload for most of my pistols right now. So 9mm,.40 S&W, .38 spl, .357 Magnum, and .45 ACP. Not enough brass for .380 yet to make a good go at it. And I am currently staying away from my 5.56mm and shotgun reloads, just want some more time and wouldn't mind a better set up before I go there. Straight walled cartidges are pretty easy to relaod, its the necked one's I'm not ready for. Start small and I would recommend a single stage press for beginners until you are comfrotable enough and attentive enough to go to a progressive (I did it the other way and learned the hard way). It's really not hard, but you need to learn the basics and always follow the rules of reloading. First being, take your time and follow known, published load data (you can experiment with loads once you learn alot more about what you are doing), second, minimise distractions, third, always check yourself! These are just my opinions and I recommend reading , researching and asking alot of question before you start.

Oh, the old question for the hobby is: Will I save money reloading? Answer, Yes you will, but you will end up shooting more. :p
 
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