Getting into Reloading?

G

geeky-gun-guy

Inactive
Hi all,

I'm a new user and apologize if I started this thread in the wrong place. If so, I'd appreciate being directed to a better category for this discussion.

A couple people have showed me their reloading setups and peeked my interest. I understand that this is a hobby and some of the appeal comes from the hands on work (like wrenching on your own car or cooking).

One thing sticks out to me though, aren't there machines that do this (I mean something the average joe would buy not the kind a munitions company would use). I've heard of the Ammobot and Mark VII systems. Does anyone who reloads/handloads have insights? Particularly:

1. What automated reloading systems are out there?
2. Have you used them and would you recommend them?
3. What should I expect to pay for one and is it worth the cost for someone who wants to shoot in large volumes?

Thanks!!
 
After you master the processes of producing ammo and developing loads, then you should look for speed. Frankly, I’m not sure you know what your bottleneck is...

Therefore, I would recommend you start reloading. Dillon and Hornady make pretty fast equipment....if fast is most important. A Dillon 1050 is a semi-production press.
 
Geeky,
The Skunkworks: Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting above. They also have a sticky for beginners that covers a lot of the basics.
You can also use the "Search This Forum" to search for posts that have 'new to reloading' or something to that effect to get more info.

HAVE FUN!
 
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Nathan,

Thank you for your reply. I believe my bottleneck is automation. I understand reloading is an intricate process and mistakes can be dangerous. I don't imagine just buying a setup, tweaking some knobs, and going to town but hand-cranking each round is not ultimately worth it for me. That's why I'm curious about systems such as Ammobot and Mark VII. Since these seem novel in the reloading world, I'm wondering if anyone with experience has feedback on them or the concept in general.
 
Hand cranking not worth it?

GGG:
You say hand cranking is not worth it and depending on your life circumstances that may well be true. If you can afford to buy all the ammo you want right off the shelf . . . go for it. Gotta love that life circumstance.

But if you are interested in saving some $$ on a per round basis then reloading is for you, maybe even hand cranking each round.

I got into reloading because I wanted to become a better shot with a 44 magnum. Off the shelf loads run between 80 cents and a dollar per shot. I can reload them myself for about 30 cents a shot.

I shoot a lot of 9mm which one can find on sale for as low as 19 cents a shot, but reloading them I can get the cost down to 8.3 cents a shot.

Now I reload 44 mag, 45 colt, 45 acp, 380, 223, 38 special, 357 mag and 7.62 x 54R and save a good deal on each round.

If you do go for it . . . I'd suggest a single stage press just to learn the basics. Then move up to a turret press. If you shoot thousands of rounds yearly an automated press may be the way to go.

Good luck, God speed to ya.

Life is good.
Prof Young
 
When it comes to reloading, I could care less about speed. I am far more interested in reliability. As in producing ammunition that is reliable and won't result in a visit to the emergency room or funeral home. I have been reloading for about 10 years and use nothing but a single stage press. I know exactly what happens to every round and as such have never had a single failure of any kind. The bullet has left the gun every time I have squeezed the trigger and is undoubtedly more accurate than I am. I reload several calibers but mostly .45 Colt. I would rather reload for 20 cents a round than buy factory ammo for 1.00 a round.
 
Hand cranking may not be worth it to you, but I think you'll find that there is a quantum leap from even the most expensive manual, progressive presses such as Dillon or Hornady, and the least expensive automated ammo factory equipment.

How much do you shoot and how much do you want to spend? You have to consider how much you save per round to determine how long it will take to amortize the cost of your reloading setup. As a VERY round number, for most handgun cartridges I guesstimate that the cost of the components runs about one-third the cost of factory ammo -- less if you load premium, self defense rounds, but I don't do that, for legal reasons that have been discussed at length in other threads here.

So, in round numbers, if I can buy .45 Auto for $30 per box of 100, and I can load 100 rounds for $10, exclusive of the cost of the equipment, I save $20 per 100 rounds. If I spend $600 for my press, dies, and accessories, I need to load 3,000 rounds to break even ... after that I'm saving money by reloading.

A Dillon 1050 runs about $2,000. Add the Ammoboat and by the time you're finished you've about doubled that. If I spend $4,000 for an automated setup, I'll have to load 20,000 rounds just to break even. Dillon says the 1050 will produce between 1,000 and 1,200 rounds per hour. I don't know how much you shoot but, for me, that's at least a month of shooting for an hour's work. That's not a bad tradeoff. You're not really saving that hour of time, because Ammobot requires to to sit there and watch the machine, with your finger on the STOP button, the entire time it's running.

Suggested reading: https://forums.brianenos.com/topic/244876-mark-7-vs-ammobot/
 
Since these seem novel in the reloading world
Click to expand...

Not in the shooting sports like practical shooting/IDPA/3 gun world. Many of those guys shoot 40,000-100,000 rounds a year, just in practicing. Such machines like a 1050 and the auto driven versions are almost a necessity for many unless one is a sponsored shooter.

While most folks on dedicated reloading forums here are hobbyists and hunters, maybe a few BR shooters, reloading is not a means to an end here like it is for the comp shooter that needs many thousands of rounds just to keep in top form.
 
I would suggest getting first hand, personal experience with reloading before you consider an automated machine. These things require adjustment and set up to produce the desired ammunition, and it really helps to know about reloading before you consider automation.
 
I am a newer reloader and after seeing the difference in my range/hunt results I have 0 interest in factory ammo anymore. If I buy a box it is to get a reference data point and or know if a particular type will " suit in a pinch" when it comes to hunting. I would rather pay 1.00 a round to reload then 0.80 for factory. I know the effort I put into my handloads and not some machine or worker who is having a bad Monday.
 
44 AMP said:
I would suggest getting first hand, personal experience with reloading before you consider an automated machine. These things require adjustment and set up to produce the desired ammunition, and it really helps to know about reloading before you consider automation.
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This is, IMHO, excellent advice. Since the Ammobot is an add-on for a Dillon 1050, it would seem that a logical approach might be to invest in the 1050, add a powerd case feeder and a powered bullet feeder, and try it for awhile. If pulling the handle is too tedious, the Ammobot car always be added at a later date.
 
Bfglowkey said:
I am a newer reloader and after seeing the difference in my range/hunt results I have 0 interest in factory ammo anymore. If I buy a box it is to get a reference data point and or know if a particular type will " suit in a pinch" when it comes to hunting. I would rather pay 1.00 a round to reload then 0.80 for factory. I know the effort I put into my handloads and not some machine or worker who is having a bad Monday.
Click to expand...
Good point ... much depends on the motives of the individual. It's unlikely that a fully-automated Dillon 1050/Ammobot would be much (if any) better than factory produced ammunition.
 
When I first started reloading many years ago, it was because I wanted to save money. I quickly realized that there are far better reasons to reload than saving money. Besides, the time you spend on your loading never gets compensated with the money saved per round of ammo. As such, it's a hobby at it's lowest level.

Granted, I do shoot a lot more. If money's a little tight, I can still go out and build up a few hundred rounds and still go shooting. It mandates a stockpile of components, of course but it's worth it.

And if saving money is your goal, you can cast your own lead bullets which is going to save a whole lot more money on a per round basis.

You can figure the cost of equipment and the cost of components and figure out how many rounds you have to reload to get your original investment back. That's at today's commercial ammo prices of course.

-------------------

But as I reloaded, I learned that saving money was a low, low priority. The benefit of reloading is in the improvements of accuracy due to your ability to reload each round with as much consistency as you possibly can. You can fine tune your ammo to each firearm in your collection. Even your pistols and revolvers. You can make ammo specifically for each one and the more meticulous you are, the better your ammo can be and therefore, the better your shooting can be. It's a science, but it can also be an art.

For me, this is where the greatest satisfaction lies.

--Wag--
 
When I read the entirety of the only three posts that the OP has given us for this question, it occurs to me that perhaps we aren't all having the same discussion.

It isn't clear to me exactly what he has witnessed as "reloading" from the couple of people that have shown him. If he has seen two different guys with the Lee whack-a-mole $28 kit where all you need to add is a hammer, or even if he's only seen two guys loading bottle-neck rifle in an absolutely detailed and molasses-slow single stage where each piece is given so much time and care that it's distorting his view of potential production, he might find that a guy with years of experience, a confident process and a turret press can produce plenty of ammo beyond the needs of 95% of Americans who happen to own a firearm. And move to a Dillon 650 even without the expensive add-ons and you can absolutely pile up the ammo in short order.

Maybe we don't understand what he is seeing and defining as:
but hand-cranking each round is not ultimately worth it for me.
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...is something far slower than what many of us are doing.

I'm producing 8,000-15,000 rounds annually over some dozen or more different calibers. Competition shooters are making and shooting a lot more than I am, but the average gun owner is shooting how many rounds a year? If it's folks I see at ranges... it's one box of 50 every other month.
 
A couple thoughts; it's one thing to learn how to reload and a completely different thing learning how to operate a reloading machine. I would suggest a couple texts for you to see what reloading is all about (counting pennies is not a consideration in my reloading). "The ABCs of Reloading" is possibly the most recommended text for new reloaders and the Lyman 50th will be the second. The ABCs will show how to reload, explain the components and what equipment is needed. There are several excellent reloading manuals that have good "how to" sections too (Hornady is a favorite of mine).

I worked with a few apprentices in a Heavy Equipment Repair Training program, mostly the electronics side and found any "complex" task is best learned from the basics up; K.I.S.S. Learning to reload is probably best learned starting with the basic equipment/tools; a single stage press, a set of dies, a scale (and a powder dispensing system, I started with dippers but many begin with a powder measure) and at least one reloading manual. Measuring tools aren't a necessity for revolver ammo, but needed for semi-autos and rifle reloads.

Go slow, double check everything, and most important, have fun...
 
Don't even think about high priced automated reloading kit when you're new. It'll give you brain damage.
Buy "The ABCs of Reloading" to learn how. Work up the load(s), one cartridge at a time, for accuracy first.
And reloading is not about saving money. It's about using the best possible ammunition that is tailored for your specific firearm.
 
How many calibers do you intend to load for? The ammobot system seems complex to set up for one caliber, let alone change over to multiple calibers and function properly.
 
With a manual progressive press you make mistakes in the hundreds. Cant imagine the amount of "oops" you'd crabk out with an automated machine as your first! :D
 
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