Is Reloading worth it

[willr1]

I shoot weekly, Im sure it will slow down during the hunting season and until the spring, but still plan going as often as I can when Im teaching courses.

I do not save the shell cases as I am lazy and feel that $12 box of ammo will do me justice at the range. However, if it saves me money, Im sure my fat butt will bend down and pick up the cases. I shoot 9mm and .45acp, but mostly 9mm since the cost is going up.

Should I get into reloading or just stick to what I do, buy in bulk and shoot or invest in a press, dies and time (something I dont have alot of)

 

[inkdaddy]

It is too me....I shoot 2 to 3 hundred rounds most weeks.....in 45 acp...collecting your brass and doing some research as to good prices in your supplies....it makes it worth while...

 

[stepup]

If you shoot .45 you will be able to recoup your investment very quickly. The 9mm will also save money but not as much as the .45. As much as you shoot I would definatley invest in a Dillon 550 or 650.

 

[jmedic25]

I agree its worth it. Esp. with the pistol calibers because you can reload them so many times.

 

[Wheeler]

Unless you have a tailored load for 9mm, I don't think you will see much return on your investment for quite some time, .45 will provide a different return depending on how much you shoot. My suggestion would be to do a little research and math. 9mm and .45 take diferent size primers (typically) so there are two intems you will have to purchase seperately. Bullets of course will be different as well. You can get away with using the same powder in both, I'm thinking of W231 or something similar.

Then you have the cost of a press, dies, tumbler, media, and other misc. items. If you want to use the same press for both calibers, I would recommend giving serious consideration to a Dillon 550. It's a good "starter" kit and Dillon service is excellent. They totally stand behind their product. It's not the cheapest setup, but if you plan to produce a lot of ammo rapidly, it's worth the extra coin.

Midway.com and Dillon Precision are good starting points to get prices. Then figure how much you shoot a week or month, break the cost down to per round, and figure how long it will take you to see a return.

FYI: I reload for .38/.357. When I bought the press, I was shooting about 200 rounds a week. It took me less than 6 months for my press to pay for itself. That was around 10 years ago though.

I hope this helps, although it wasn't the quick and easy answer I suspect you were looking for.

Best Regards,

Wheeler

 

[rbstern]

The "soft" factors you should look at in analyzing this:

1) How valuable (and available) is your time?
2) Do you think you would enjoy reloading as an extension of the shooting sports you engage in?
3) Is the additional knowledge you'll attain via reloading valuable to you?
4) Do you view reloading as a hedge against ammo shortages and/or social emergencies?
5) DO you have the patience and discipline to do it safely?

The "hard" factors to consider:

1) How much up front investment do you want to make? It's possible to start reloading for about $50, using a very slow method, whereas $500 can get you sophisticated equipment that will have you making hundreds of rounds per hour.
2) The cheaper the factory ammo, the lower the financial leverage of your reloading efforts. Reloading 9mm FMJ fodder is one of the weakest returns on your time, because the savings per round are modest. Reloading 45acp involves signficantly higher savings. Generally, the more costly a cartridge is at the store, the more economic sense it makes to reload it.
3) Do you have space to store the components and set up the equipment?

Personally, I enjoy reloading for reasons well beyond the cost savings, and I recommend it to anyone who has an inclination to try it.

 

[Junior_357]

This is well covered on here...if you are willing to invest the time it takes to reload, it will pay you back in both accuracy & cost if you are doing it right.

Here is what my reloads can do through my S&W 64...and the dropped shot left was my fault:

 

[Chuckdog]

There are two distinct camps when it comes to people into rolling their own. Reloaders that do it to save money and shoot more. Then there's handloaders. We don't even consider the money saving aspect of it. We load for performance that we can't go to the store and purchase. It ain't about the money for me. It's all about hand crafting the best performing loads for my use. Any money saved is just gravy. Yes, handloading is worth it.

 

[willr1]

Ok. I think shooting the .45acp will be my only reason to reload, but since I use 9mm for training and range time, I dont think I would benefit from puchasing the 9mm dyes, since the cost on bulk is not too bad. I have very little time, but if I can reload a box of .45acp for less than $10, than it would be worth it. Ill check out the Dillon 550 and I appreciate the reponses, I might hit some of you up for some "tips" towards performance loads

 

[blgreggjr]

I reload .45, 9mm, and .40. I also cast bullets for these three. I can do 1k for around 37.00.. Just takes a little time