Do you shoot out of the box or reload?

Do you reload ammo?

  • I reload practice ammo

    Votes: 138 47.1%

  • I do not reload

    Votes: 123 42.0%

  • other: please specify

    Votes: 32 10.9%
  • Total voters
    293
  • Poll closed .
I reload all my ammo for practice/target use. I can not imagine not reloading. To me it does not make sense to keep buying all that ammo for plinking.

I even reload ammo for my hunting loads. The only loads I do not reload for is my defense ammo. For that I buy.
 
Started reloading 2yrs ago never went back to factory loads again. I have better groups with all my firearms also clean up is faster because of the powders that I use.
 
I can't add to what has already been said about the many advantages of reloading as far as economy and quality control. But just about equal to that is it's fun. Not Mai-Tai, sandy beach and bikinis fun, but hobby fun. You get into it and 2-3 hrs have gone by and your not bored, that's pretty cool. I go overboard with case prep and all but when I have 100 rounds of pristine looking, crazy consistant( I weigh and sort bullets and brass) .45 done, I really regret shooting it. 'Cept that I get to make more!
 
The vast majority of rounds that I send down range are provided by my employer, with the rest being a combination of reloads and purchases.
 
I voted "do not". Decades ago I reloaded .38sp, .45, .30-06, .222 Remington, 220 Swift and 12 gauge shotshells. When my father-in-law couldn't hunt with me anymore, I just quit shooting. Don't even own a rifle or shotgun anymore. Five years ago, I started shooting my handguns at the range again. I would be reloading now except my wife informed me that she would not put up with spent primers and spilled powder all over our garage floor anymore. We've been married for fifty-three years and she is a good wife. So I buy my .38sp and 9mm from www.mastercast.net. Prompt, reliable and much cheaper than factory ammo (especially if you send them your spent brass in exchange). Highly recommended.

But reloading is definitely cheaper, and quite absorbing. I still remember my best product: .222 Remington brass repeatedly reloaded for a Sako heavy barrel, Sierra 52gr HP, 22 grains of 4198. Five rounds, hand-fed, put through one ragged hole at 100 yards, on a sandbag and a calm day. Time after time. Where that range was, now subdivisions exist. Sorry, didn't mean to get all misty.

Cordially, Jack
 
I used to reload shotgun/.44 and then came kids...
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Heh. I used to reload .45 ACP on a single stage, then came the kids. The 2 oldest are now 21 and 16 and I had to get a Dillon 550 to keep up with what they shoot, never mind me!
 
I would say that I reload for economy but with a Dillon 550, 6 complete change outs, powder, dies, brass, bullets and etc, etc. I am not too sure if it is economical or not. I just enjoy it and it lets me control what I shoot. If I want a light load .357 for my 686 I just load them and shoot until my hearts content. It just adds another complete area to the shooting sports.
Clint
 
Other, please explain.

I buy factory and reload it until it wears out or gets lost. Then I buy more factory and repeat the process.
9mm gets lost the fastest, .30'06 wears out the fastest.
 
I handload all my centerfire practice ammo and except for one load, all of my hunting ammo. When I worked in retail gun sales, my savings were sometimes up to 80% over retail. Now I still can get up to 70% savings by using my own cast bullets.

Mike

Note: I don't really save any money, since like most reloaders I just shoot a whole lot more for the money.
 
I reload and cast. Been doing it for the better part of 30 years. Except for rimfires I only buy about 1 or 2 boxes of factory ammo a year.
 
Ditto majic since 1968. Have bought surplus and promotional, but cast and reload for all but rimfires. Also cast for .223s, 25/20s and will be casting for a recently purchased 32/20
 
I've read a lot on reloading with the thought that I'd jump in and start but have never gotten started. I don't know any one who reloads and I guess I'd like to learn from someone by doing it, not just by reading about it.
 
I had the same notion myself, Kreyzhorse, when I started in the early 70's.

Working in a bank (downtown Columbus, Ohio), . . . an outspoken supporter of VietNam, . . . and a college student, . . . I didn't have any one in my "circle" who reloaded.

I got a couple of good reloading manuals (Speer especially), . . . sat down and read the instructions several times, . . . and walked through it cold for a few times.

I even shot some of my hulls loaded with primers only to see if I was doing that correctly, . . . :rolleyes:, . . . still don't know what I expected to find out, . . . but after they went bang and my arm didn't fall off, . . . I figured I was doing something right.

A few main points to always remember:

1) NO SMOKING, . . .

2) Kids and buddies are allowed, . . . but I limited it to one at a time, . . . and only as a tool to teach them, . . .

3) NO ALCOHOL, . . .

4) the truest safety tool I had was a special made plastic shell holder where 50 rounds go into it, base up to show expended primer. As I primed the cases, . . . they went in again base up, cleaned, primed, ready for powder. ONLY after I loaded the powder, would the case go in mouth up, . . . and ONLY after all 50 were "powdered" would I move to the "bullet" phase. I would take a flashlight and stand up and look into each case to make sure they all looked like they had the same amount, . . . this prevents double charging.

5) Shut off the cell phone, . . . take the other one off the hook, . . . close the front door and put out the "No Solicitiors" sign :D. Seriously, . . . whatever it takes so you are not distracted.

6) Buy a scale as a safety investment. Yes, . . . powder measures are faster, . . . but a scale checks the powder measure, . . . and you are sure then what you are getting. I used to set my scale for 10 times what my powder measure was supposed to throw, . . . put 10 measures in, . . . weigh them, . . . divide it by 10 to see what the average was for the measure. If it was outside what I was looking for, . . . I changed measures or made some other adjustment to get it in spec.

Other than that, . . . just take your time, . . . make the first ones at the lowest powder setting, . . . double check with your sales person when you buy the powder that what you see in the book is what you are buying, . . . relax and have fun.

I had an old Lyman Spartan that I reloaded .357, .45, .223's in virtually every week, . . . I actually wore the rod down in the thing until I started getting a lot of damaged cases, . . .

Best wishes, . . . may God bless,
Dwight
 
I voted "other"

I've been reloading a year or so, and it's the lion's share of what I'm sending downrange, but I still have lots of surplus, practice with my SD / carry ammo, et cetera.
 
I've been reloading for twenty five years now. I honestly don't think I could afford to shoot without doing so. Certainly couldn't shoot as much as I do. When I look at loaded ammo prices these days my jaw drops.:eek:

I do spend some cash on Double Tap loaded rounds for my carry ammo in 9mm, 10mm, and .45 ACP. I don't load any of my own stuff as hot as they do. I've never been one for stretching the envelope with my home rolled rounds. I've never damaged a gun and I still have all my fingers and I like it that way.
 
Hey pappy I work with a brother of the double tap owner and he has me convinced if I bought ammo that would be my choice for defense.
 
I've been reloading for almost two years. I reload what brass I've saved for the past fourteen years from store bought and new brass. I still buy from the store but mostly for a check against what I'm reloading, no chronograph yet. When I get into Anchorage I pick up supplies and some surplus if there is any.

Whoops wrong forum. I don't reload for pistols,,,yet. I do have hundreds of .45ACP and .44Mag pieces that are waiting for a set of dies and primers and bullets, allready have powder.
 
For my hunting revolvers I shoot exclusively handloads. For my carry weapon, I have been able to reload the same cases, bullet configurations & velocities as my factory carry ammo. I have been reloading for for over 30 years and really love it. It is one of the best stress busters around.

tex45acp
 
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