Curious about reloading

[threoh8]

Don't let the big lists scare you off. One can handload with very little investment, but the nicer tools and gadgets make it quicker and easier, and generally give better results.

I like being able to tailor ammunition for particular firearms and for particular purposes. I've made wadcutter target loads in .357 Magnum cases, mild loads for a Webley Mk1 converted to .45 ACP/AR , and hunting loads for a Type 38 Arisaka carbine rechambered for 6.5-.257 Roberts. None of those are available at Walmart.

[NcongruNt]

I'm new to reloading, but my initial experiences concur with what has been posted already.

IMHO, reloading 115-grain 9mm FMJ really isn't worth the effort as you're going to pay about 12 cents per round vs the 18-22 cents you're paying to buy new factory loads. Translates to saving about $3-$4 per box of 50.

But the cost benefits really show themselves when you start reloading bigger bullets and/or bigger calibers.

12 cents per round is $6/box. That's nothing to sneeze at. I agree that for some it may not be worth the effort. It will, however, teach you reloading and that translates to any caliber you want to load for. You'll also be able to load ammo that is either difficult or impossible to find elsewhere. I load 124 grain bullets for my 9mm loads, which almost nobody carries in plinking ammo. The few times you can find it, it tends to run $15/box or more.

My big savings (for handgun) are in .380. My plinking loads come out to 11.7 cents per round, roughly 1/3 what you'd pay for commercially-loaded ammo. On top of that, I've tuned my loads for my gun and they're MUCH more accurate than the commercial loads out there.

There can be many reasons to reload, and it's usually a combination of a few. For me, it's a combination of these three: economics, precision, personal satisfaction.. I enjoy reloading in general. There is great satisfaction for me in building something myself. I can make loads that don't exist in the commercial market, and I can make them much more accurate than any commercial load. All the while, I can do it much cheaper than buying ammo from the store.

[Jumping Frog]

There can be many reasons to reload, and it's usually a combination of a few. For me, it's a combination of these three: economics, precision, personal satisfaction.. I enjoy reloading in general. There is great satisfaction for me in building something myself.

Actually, I enjoy making the ammo almost as much as shooting it.

[Gyrogearhead]

There is one big down side to starting to reload your own and that is that there is never an end to it. I started out about four years ago with a Rock Chucker and was amazed at how easy it was to save a bunch on ammo. Then got a Dillon 550b and then all the accessories for that and saved even more on ammo because I could do lots more in less time and time=money. Then started reading about cast boolits. Now I scrounge brass AND lead, worry about Brinell Hardness, Antimony to Tin ratios, pot temperatures & etc. & etc. But, my cost per round of 45 ACP 230gn LSWC is now down around 4-5c. That's $5.00 per box of 100. As long as they use lead for wheel weights and plumbing I'll never run out of boolits but it'll be sometime around 2025 by the time all this gear has paid for itself and don't even think about ever getting the car back in the garage. On the other hand, it's about the most fun you can have standing up.

Gerry

[11B]

I, like many, are interested in starting this. Have great location to set it up and so on.

My questions are-

1. What is a ball park figure that I would be looking at spending to be able to reload .40 and 5.56?

2. Is reloading 7.62x39 BRASS cased ammo possiable? If so, worth it?

I hope I didn't hijack the thread. I am just trying to keep from creating the same topics.

Thanks guys!

[NcongruNt]

I, like many, are interested in starting this. Have great location to set it up and so on.

My questions are-

1. What is a ball park figure that I would be looking at spending to be able to reload .40 and 5.56?

2. Is reloading 7.62x39 BRASS cased ammo possiable? If so, worth it?

I hope I didn't hijack the thread. I am just trying to keep from creating the same topics.

Thanks guys!

1) It depends on how fancy you want to get. It's possible with a very minimal investment (Lee Loader - a hand loading tool), but that's a very time-intensive and slow process.
I started with (and still use) the Lee 50th anniversary Kit, which can be purchased a number of places - it currently goes for around $120 at Cabela's. It includes nearly everything you need to get started, aside from a set of dies. For rifle brass, you're going to need to trim brass. The Lee kit includes a trimmer set to be used with a drill. I spend the money on a Lee Zip Trim, which makes things a bit easier. You'll want a way to clean your brass. The most common method is a vibratory tumbler. I use one of the Cabela's kits that goes for $68:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas- ... 731769.uts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's the Lee 50th Anniversary kit:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/50th-Ann ... 740258.uts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You'll need a stable/sturdy bench/table/etc to mount your press, and will likely want a number of small things like loading trays, ammo boxes, and the like that are fairly inexpensive. You'll also need a set of calipers. I have a Lyman set myself, but Cabela's has their own brand which looks to be pretty identical aside from the logo for $28:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas- ... 705279.uts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And of course, you'll need dies for the calibers you are loading. The Lee dies generally run around $40 per set.

You should be able to get this setup goin for something around $300, plus the cost of powder, primers, bullets, etc.


2) 7.62x39 reloading is certainly possible. Make sure that the cases are Boxer primed, not Berdan primed. You can tell the difference by looking inside the case to see if there is one or two flash holes. One hole means it's Boxer primed and reloadable with conventional equipment. Two holes means it's Berdan primed, and not reloadable using ordinary methods. Whether it is worth it is something you have to determine for yourself. With steel-cased 7.62x39 being so cheap, it may not be much financially cheaper to reload.