Is handloading being rendered obsolete?

I can think of one instance where you might be better off in the long run buying factory ammo over reloading; that's if you're running over-bore cartridges like 7mm STW, 300 RUM and most Weatherby mag cartridges. Most of the factory ammo is pretty darn expensive--but the demand for high performance is such that the manufacturer usually has found an optimized load that will work well in most (usually) hunting rifles. My 7mm STW barrel will probably be toasted by the time I figure out a few good bullets loads.
 
stagpanther; has a valid point about the number of rounds a barrel burner will stand... load developement might not be worth it there. but on the other hand even though the 223/5.56 is cheep enough the round count is very high and one can expect their load they developed to preform well for a long time to come... but i still don't shoot factory loads except 22lr and i shoot it for cheep fun, it's not on my list of hunting/sporting weapons.
 
Both commercial ammo and reloading/handloading have become expensive. Gone are the days of reloading small pistol calibers under 5 cents round its done.
 
I load for 6.5-06 and .338-06 wildcats, as well as the other calibers listed in my sig line. Never had any factory ammo shoot OR PERFORM like my reloads.
 
I've actually pondered this question myself.

I think there are two answers, for me at least.

1)Rifle cartridges
Yes, I can pretty much buy ammo that's just as good as I can load, or darn close... but I was just doing the math yesterday.
Take my .204Ruger for example
$62 for a pound of Benchmark (ridiculous, but that's what it is)
$100 for 1,000 primers (ridiculous, but that's what it is)
$25 for 100 32gr V-Max
Brass comes out to maybe $40 for 500 total rounds, as I can reload them a bunch but I buy Norma, so it's pricey (50 pieces, 10 reloads)

So, 8 cents for the brass, 10 for the primer, 25 for the bullet and call it 25 for the powder (account for some waste).
Total price per round, 68 cents
Retail cost about $1.25 each

My loads are 1/2 the cost of retail.
There's also the availability question... find me some factory .243AI...

2)Handguns
Much sketchier math here.
I can easily buy 9mm, for example, at about $15/50 tax included (usually more like $13.50) Call it 0.30 cents per round

Powder runs maybe 6 cents per round. Bullets, even the cheapest, are 12 or 13 cents, primer is still 10 cents, brass is relatively cheap ($39/500 once fired) but I lose probably 10% every time... so still looking at probably 3-4 cents per load....
So, my loads cost about 30-35 cents per load....

Break even, being generous to reloading costs.

I still reload handgun, just because I already have everything.
All in all, there's no doubt I could have shot for the rest of my life with factory ammo and never touched what I spent on reloading.;):D
 
Sheesh, my wife likes shooting ammo I make, and will sometimes buy me components out of her money. At one time I was shooting 9mm literally for the cost of the electricity to run the lead pot and powder coating toaster oven. :)
 
Sorting cleaned brass. This is stage one, there are probably 20 or so different cartridge cases in those starter piles.

Not necessarily at the top of the list for "why I love to reload.":)

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stagpanther said:
Sorting cleaned brass. This is stage one, there are probably 20 or so different cartridge cases in those starter piles.



Not necessarily at the top of the list for "why I love to reload.":)



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That's hardcore. Sorting head stamp and weight of the same caliber is the farthest I would go.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
It's like cleaning the dirty dishes, I let them pile up before doing everything all at once. It takes a couple days to empty the Homer buckets and tumble clean sort and then store in the proper containers. Sometimes I'll run out of exotic brass for a load I need to do, so this preliminary vetting helps me find them quickly in a sea of cases.
 
IMHO, if someone is looking into reloading starting with zero equipment and components. I would say unless this person is reloading obsolete or very hard to find cartridges it is NOT cost effective in todays world of equipment and components prices.
 
Don P said:
IMHO, if someone is looking into reloading starting with zero equipment and components. I would say unless this person is reloading obsolete or very hard to find cartridges it is NOT cost effective in todays world of equipment and components prices.
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exactly next thing you know your reloading 18 different cartridges with 18 different dies sometimes multiple dies for the same calibers then you want a different press or two. sounds like most of us here lol.
 
I have stepped into the world of black powder cartridges, with it's own set of arcane rules. Last night I spent close to 3 hours loading just 20 rounds of 45 Colt BP, going very slow and methodical just to get it right. I didn't begrudge a single minute as to me, it was fun.
 
If you're only interested in shooting guns chambered for 9mm, .223/5.56, and perhaps 12 gauge then I guess an argument could be made that reloading isn't cost effective, but I find the idea of being restricted to guns in those three calibers to be, quite frankly, boring. Honestly, you could have made an even more compelling argument that reloading isn't cost effective 20-25 years ago because not only were the three above mentioned calibers cheaper to shoot, even when adjusted for inflation, but other calibers were relatively affordable which have since skyrocketed in price. I can remember the early 2000's when you could go to Wal-Mart and buy a 100 round "value pack" of Winchester White Box 9mm for $9.99 all day every day. I can also remember when .380 Auto cost about $7/50 rounds and .38 Special was $7-8/50 rounds. Heck, when I bought my first .357 Magnum the same shop sold me S&B .357 Magnum 158 gr JSP ammunition for $12/50 rounds and when I was a kid in the late 90's, I remember my uncle telling my dad about a local shop that had .44 Magnum ammunition on sale for $20/50 rounds.

As I said, however, I find the idea of being limited to 9mm, .223/5.56, and 12 gauge to be dull. I got into reloading because I bought a .45-70 and, at the time, factory ammunition was "unaffordable" because it cost roughly $1/round. Pretty much any centerfire rifle cartridge other than .223/5.56 will cost at least that much now. I've always had an "eclectic" taste in firearms and ammunition and, if I didn't reload, I couldn't afford to shoot some of my favorite cartridges like .44 Special or 10mm Auto.

One should also bear in mind that just because a common cartridge like 9mm isn't cost-effective to reload now, that doesn't mean that such will be the case in perpetuity. I can remember various times during the "ammo panics" we've seen over the last 20 or so years seeing 9mm FMJ ammunition going for up to $50/50 rounds when you could find it. While I don't load a lot of 9mm currently, I do have dies and plenty of components to do so and it wouldn't be much trouble to start if/when there's another "ammo panic" and supplies become scarce and expensive again.

Likewise, the cost of reloading can be further decreased by having associating with other reloaders. A good friend of mine has given me a lot of brass because he's picked it up at the range in calibers that he doesn't load for, but I do and I've reciprocated this favor to him. I've also given him powder that I tried and wasn't satisfied with for my application, but which worked well for him in a different cartridge.

Finally, reloading allows one to tailor their ammunition to exactly what they want or need it to be. I rather like certain cartridges with less common bullet weights like a 180 gr .44 Magnum or 155 gr 10mm and while these are offered as factory ammunition, they're not common or cheap. I can reload practice ammunition that has the same recoil and same POI as my chosen factory ammo or, in a pinch, even load my own preferred carry ammo if a factory option is totally unavailable. Likewise, even the price and availability of certain components can be offset somewhat if one is willing to put in the work to do so. While I wouldn't try it in a semi-automatic, a revolver cartridge like .38 Special, .44 Special, or .45 Long Colt or some lever-gun cartridges like .45-70 can be loaded with a black powder substitute like Pyrodex or even real black powder if a suitable smokeless powder isn't available or is too expensive.
 
exactly next thing you know your reloading 18 different cartridges with 18 different dies
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No way that will ever happen to me!:D

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The Prazi press.
There can be only one.
 

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I load for .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Mag, .38/.357Mag. .380acp, 9mm, 10mm, .44 Spl, 45acp. .45LC, and probably a few others I've forgotten.
Gearing up for .32acp at the present.
I don't do it to save money, I do it to be independent from ammo "shortages".

Handloading will never be obsolete or irrelevant.
 
Irrelevant? Not exactly handloading, but. I specifically bought a flintlock rifle. Just in case. I can make my own powder, surely, I can find lead somewhere and flint. Selfsustaining.
 
just obsoleted myself into about 450 standard 308 target rounds using berdan primers. It did use up bout 3 lbs of powder. Forget what the cost was, as invested years ago. Only 6000 more berdans to go. Likely some of them will end up in an estate sale.
 
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