For my 16th birthday, my Dad gave me a deer rifle. Rem Model 600 .308Win, and all the ammo he had, half a box (10rnds). Also a box and a half of brass. My Grandmother gave me the princely sum of $40 to buy a reloading set up. Got a Lyman press, dies, scale, primers, powder, bullets, A MANUAL, and a couple other accessories. No internet, no mentor, other than the manuals, The American Rifleman, Guns& Ammo and Shooting Times magazines. I did ok...
It wasn't a matter of saving money, it was a matter of using what little money I had to make more ammo than buying it would give me. From there, as they say, the tale grew in the telling,....
In the half century since, I've never gotten a centerfire rifle or pistol without getting dies and reloading for it. And, it has allowed me to make ammo for guns where commercial loads do not exist, as well.
I am, or have been set up to load for (list from the top of my head, so might be missing a few
)
.22 Hornet, .221 Fireball, ,222Rem, ,223 Rem, .22-250, .243 Win, 6mm Rem, .25-06, 6,5x55 Swede, 7mm Rem Mag, .30-30 Win, .308Win, .30-06, .300 Win Mag, .303 British, 7.7 Jap, 7.62x54R Russian, 8mm Mauser, .350 Rem Mag, .375 H&H Mag, .45-70 and .458 Win Mag in rifles and .32ACP, .380ACP, 9mm Luger, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .357 AMP, .44 Special, .44 Mag, .44AMP, .45 ACP, .45 Colt and .45 Win Mag pistols.
I don't compete, don't load to get one hole groups (which most of my guns won't do anyway, even on those rare times when I can...
)
I LIKE doing it.