New to Reloading and on a Budget

[HairlessBigfoot]

Alright fellas, I’ve had buddies suggesting to me to get into reloading for a few years now. Well, I’m finally starting to come around.

I just finished a AR-10 build in .308 and I’m interested in potentially reloading for it. I’d need accurate subsonics to use at the range for some long distance plinking with my suppressor.

If I tend to enjoy this hobby I also have interests in reloading in 9mm, 5.56/.223, 300BLK and .45acp. I say this as I’m not sure how easy it is to swap between them based on what I purchase?

My questions are, where should I start? I don’t want to buy something and end up hurting myself for the future if I’m going to upgrade out of something?

What’s considered good pricing for materials/reloading equipment?

How difficult is it to do/what’s my risk of blowing my face off?

Etc.....

Picture is for your time reading my novel.

 

[YOTESHOOTER]

Well at least you know you are going to be dealing with explosives. RELOADING, is not a hobby it is a passion, you are about to enter the biggest, most expensive endeavor of your life. Reloading is not cheap, there many different opinions, of what to chose, we've learned over 45 +years its not cheap and do not buy cheap products buy the best and you will always be happy with your investment. If you only shoot 100-200 rounds a month just go buy it.

POWDER, PRIMERS, BULLETS, DIES we recommend (RCBS), single stage RCBS ROCK CHUCKER SUPREME, progressive DILLON the only way to fly, trimming brass GIRAUD TOOL THE BIG BOY, hands down, several reloading books, Hornady, Speer, Nosler, Barnes, Hard Back Cover Books only the paper back bound tear up to easily, a 3 ring binder to keep your load data in that which you loaded or experimented with.

Estimate about $1,000.0 - $1,500.00 to start, oh yeah, and that's a light investment, in 5-10 years, you fill up a 10x12 room and need more area in which to work. Reloading can be great, however you need a strict schedule, a strict manner in which to deal with your brass, cleaning, truing primer pockets, trimming the brass, zip-lock freezer bags to put your finished product into. Then you need a good tumbler that can take the beating and keep on kicking...The big DILLON TUMBLER...

Reloading will cause schedule conflicts with the family, so make sure that you only work on reloading when the kids are asleep, the wife has been taken to dinner, shopping, this helps keep the family from resentment towards you and your new found passion, its not a hobby, if it is a hobby you will get relaxed and that's when you get bit in the assets... When you buy a new piece of equipment, tools, be sure and give her that amount to "ONLY BE SPENT ON HERSELF, AND NO ONE ELSE BUT HER SELF" you will have a happier home we can attest to that personally, remember you asked her to marry you not her to support your endeavors...

So in short, is it cheaper for you to buy a couple boxes of ammo, depending on your shooting habits, or will you shoot 500-1,000 rounds per month. That is your mission, to consider before doing anything, this is a lifetime long passion.

If you play golf, REMEMBER THERE ARE NO MULLIGAN'S in reloading, only explosions...

just a simple suggestion to consider very hard, long, and thoroughly thought out before you jump...

good luck with your quest in making your reloading a passion, and not a "HOBBY"...

 

[JeepAdventure247]

To get your toes wet, consider the Lee single stage breech lock Challenger kit that includes the scale, powder measure, manual etc. This will allow you to start reloading almost immediately without huge expense.

Everything in the above post is all well and good but what kid gets a driver's license and buys a Ferrari.
The single stage Lee will give you an understanding of each step with easy setup. Best to learn the basics slow and one step at a time. I almost primary use Lee equipment because of the ease of use and cost and have not had any issues.
You can easily, EASILY stay under $500 to start loading .308 subs to see if you like it. And I'm talking about everything; brass cleaning, press, dies, priming, trimming, caliper, scale, manual, etc.
You don't need to spend $1500 just to find out if you like reloading or not.

 

[CAMSDADDY]

I began reloading a few years ago. I had always debated but when I had the money the components were dry. I was able to get the primers and powder I was looking for and began reloading on a Lee Turret for 9mm and 38 special. I thought I would save lots of money. In reality I have been able to shoot a lot more. Recently due to shoulder and elbow pain I decided I will buy 9mm while its less than $200/1000 and continue to reload for 38 as it cost considerably more. This will give my shoulder a break and free up some time. In the future I may buy a progressive. I have decided that loading is something I enjoy rather than simply being something I do to be able to shoot.

 

[palmettomoon]

"9mm, 5.56/.223, 300BLK and .45acp"

Unless you are loading for power/accuracy/reduced recoil, all of those chamberings are losers in the reloading arena. You cannot load them cheaply enough to justify the time/effort involved when factory ammo is so cheap right now. Load up on the factory stuff if you're just banging at the range.

If you are a control freak and want to load a specific speed or bullet type/weight then start reloading. If I had it to do over (34 years reloading) I'd go straight to a Dillon 650 and never look back. I spent 30 years with an RCBS Rockchucker single stage for everything.

 

[coach482]

you are about to enter the biggest, most expensive endeavor of your life.

My other hobbies would argue that point with you.

 

[HairlessBigfoot]

Thanks for the replies fellas.
As far as the ammo, I understand I won’t be able to reload cheaper than mil surplus ammo and such. But I would be interested for the fact that I can make myself good quality ammo a bit cheaper, and that I can truly build myself a stock pile of several thousand rounds per caliber, while still making myself enough to shoot the 500-700 rounds I do a month.

I actually I did some research last night after making this post and I found one of the Dillion 1050 Super’s that had a motor attached to it that allowed it to automatically reload and the guy holding the camera just had to keep an eye out that everything ran smoothly.

This may sound ignorant, but I did research pricing and I know a Dillion 1050 Super does cost $1800+ not including the motor.
I really like the idea not from a laziness standpoint but from a safety standpoint that I don’t have to have my hand by the equipment to risk a very painful injury.

So what’s the possibility of building a reloading set up that keeps my hands very free or away from the equipment. I’d love a cheaper set up vs the 1050, that I can add a motor to later, but I saw the Dillion 1050 super auto loaded the brass into the press. Can this be done with a manual press?

Again I apologize for the ignorance.

 

[coach482]

It is all hands on. You are over thinking this. It is NOT rocket science. If it were none here could do it.

It does require care and common sense.

 

[spistols]

Good info as I waffle back and forth on this as well.

 

[Rambler]

Find a friend or someone close to you and go reload on their equipment. See if it is something you are willing to do. There are people I know who are great shooters, but just cannot get a grasp on all of the reloading steps. I would be more than willing to help, but we are a long way apart. I would not start with a 1050, there is a lot going on at the same time, if there is a problem, it will be very hard to find for someone new to reloading.