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Posted: 12/1/2010 2:40:23 PM EDT
| I finally after a long time procrastinating ordered rockchucker supreme press kit from natchez - I mainly went with rockchucker because it is highly recommended by my shooting buddy - so i went with it even though not the least expensive one. In addition purchased a few die sets, shell holders and whammo another $400 gone on the old credit card. And I am going to need more stuff down the line. I don't know but it must take several thousand reloads to make up the cost of the equipment. |
| People shooting fmj's will see very little difference in costs. Perhaps a 50% reduction compared to store bought when "on sale". However, those of us who like shooting very accurate bullets see the biggest bang for out buck. Have you priced a box of Federal .308 Gold Medal Match lately? You can make it at home for under $10.00 a box. The same thing applies to premium handgun ammo. Quality ammo can beat the pant's off store bought in both price and accuracy. |
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This will guide you to what you need. If it's not on the list, you don't need it.
http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=486 |
Welcome to our addicting and satisfying hobby.
Your first range trip shooting your handloads will be very rewarding, and you will be like this when you realize you did it yourself.
Won't be long, and you'll be churning out the ammo. I still get a lot of use out of my Rockchucker, right side of the bench. |
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Quoted:
Welcome to our addicting and satisfying hobby.
Your first range trip shooting your handloads will be very rewarding, and you will be like this when you realize you did it yourself.
Won't be long, and you'll be churning out the ammo. I still get a lot of use out of my Rockchucker, right side of the bench. Nice table and great rig! Love that brass...I'm having a carpenter custom make me a heavy weight table similar to that to fit my pre-gun closet closet (I have one that I open the door and walk into, then a locked door that the gun safes are in). |
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Quoted:
People shooting fmj's will see very little difference in costs. Perhaps a 50% reduction compared to store bought when "on sale". However, those of us who like shooting very accurate bullets see the biggest bang for out buck. Have you priced a box of Federal .308 Gold Medal Match lately? You can make it at home for under $10.00 a box. The same thing applies to premium handgun ammo. Quality ammo can beat the pant's off store bought in both price and accuracy. This has been my experience as well. |
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I spent roughly $200 total on all my reloading equipment when I first started. I bought used stuff when I could. Since then I have added about $100 to my total. That's all over 3 years. I have only used Lee presses. Lee 9mm dies and Redding 223 dies.
Components are pricey. Buying powder in bulk...can run you $200 easily. Primers in bulk are another $130. I've never bought cases new. Range pick ups and the occasional 1x fired. Bullets I save some because I live near the Sierra factory and go buy seconds from them. My 223 reloads are pretty expensive but even more so if you buy factory. I use only 77gr SMK's with cannelures. The cheapest factory load with those is still $5-600/1k. I load mine with Varget and Wolf primers for about $240/1K. |
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Black Hills 168 Match $29.50 +S/H Midway, $24.94 +S/H Fulton Armory
My Match load using a 168 SMK in Lapua Brass and RE-15 $11.50 My plinking pistol ammo runs about $5.97 per 50 and my defense carry is $11.50 using a Hornady XTP Never thought about the money invested just thought I could produce better ammo for my guns |
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I have been reloading for about 6 months. I bought a Lee turret press kit, 2 sets of dies and an extra turret. I figure if I compare the cost of buying target ammo vs. making it, I should have my equipment paid for with about 400 more rounds of .223 or another 250 rounds of .45.
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Quoted:
This will guide you to what you need. If it's not on the list, you don't need it. http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=486 i have this and more, and most is hidden from the old lady. you forgot to tell him that part!
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AeroE|
Quoted:
I finally after a long time procrastinating ordered rockchucker supreme press kit from natchez - I mainly went with rockchucker because it is highly recommended by my shooting buddy - so i went with it even though not the least expensive one. In addition purchased a few die sets, shell holders and whammo another $400 gone on the old credit card. And I am going to need more stuff down the line. I don't know but it must take several thousand reloads to make up the cost of the equipment. Sir, without actually asking the question this topic is by far the most frequently asked question on this forum, ie: cost/benefit analysis of reloading. Usually I withhold my opinions on the subject. Just FWIW when I first got into reloading I had much the same concern. I bought a Rock Chucker kit and started out rather humbly but back then I only had one gun to load for. I even cast my own bullets with used wheel weights. Eventually as my interest grew along with my inventory of guns so did my inventory of reloading equipment. As my interest evolved into competition I quickly realized that not only did I need to have a lot of ammo, the ammo had to be very good quality if I wanted my performance to improve. At that point although cost was a concern it was secondary to my concerns regarding improving my performance. As I got into highpower competition I realized that for service rifle there was no such thing as economical match ammo. The predessor to Federal Gold Medal Match ammo was the equivalent of the military M852 and came in the old red and white box but was also quite expensive even back then. Reloading was the only viable way to produce enough ammo to feed my desire to compete. It didn't take long to realize that some of the issues with reloading quality match ammo had a lot to do with making each cartridge as consistant as possible and required specialized tools to achieve that result. Calipers, trimmers, micrometers, concentricity gages, case gages, primer pocket/flash hole tools, etc. all followed. While I don't claim to have the most extensive inventory of reloading equipment I will say that I have an array of equipment that I use to produce a high volume of some very high quality ammo that is quite accurate by any standard you might wish to compare. How can one justify the expense of equipment such as a Giraud trimmer otherwise? My time and labor have value and at my age I can't afford to waste either. Buy the best equipment you can afford, that way you're not likely have to replace it once you realize there are better products for the purpose. JMHO, 7zero1. |
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Just wait until you catch the blue kool aid disease. The easier it is to make them, the more you shoot. Pocket gets lite really quick. I'll be setting up my new XL650 this weekend Going blue also leads to 1050's and Mr Bullet feeders, and of course you start to buy bullets in 10k lots(love the dogs in WY in the summer) and primers in 100k lots,lol, no end in site, |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I finally after a long time procrastinating ordered rockchucker supreme press kit from natchez - I mainly went with rockchucker because it is highly recommended by my shooting buddy - so i went with it even though not the least expensive one. In addition purchased a few die sets, shell holders and whammo another $400 gone on the old credit card. And I am going to need more stuff down the line. I don't know but it must take several thousand reloads to make up the cost of the equipment. Sir, without actually asking the question this topic is by far the most frequently asked question on this forum, ie: cost/benefit analysis of reloading. Usually I withhold my opinions on the subject. Just FWIW when I first got into reloading I had much the same concern. I bought a Rock Chucker kit and started out rather humbly but back then I only had one gun to load for. I even cast my own bullets with used wheel weights. Eventually as my interest grew along with my inventory of guns so did my inventory of reloading equipment. As my interest evolved into competition I quickly realized that not only did I need to have a lot of ammo, the ammo had to be very good quality if I wanted my performance to improve. At that point although cost was a concern it was secondary to my concerns regarding improving my performance. As I got into highpower competition I realized that for service rifle there was no such thing as economical match ammo. The predessor to Federal Gold Medal Match ammo was the equivalent of the military M852 and came in the old red and white box but was also quite expensive even back then. Reloading was the only viable way to produce enough ammo to feed my desire to compete. It didn't take long to realize that some of the issues with reloading quality match ammo had a lot to do with making each cartridge as consistant as possible and required specialized tools to achieve that result. Calipers, trimmers, micrometers, concentricity gages, case gages, primer pocket/flash hole tools, etc. all followed. While I don't claim to have the most extensive inventory of reloading equipment I will say that I have an array of equipment that I use to produce a high volume of some very high quality ammo that is quite accurate by any standard you might wish to compare. How can one justify the expense of equipment such as a Giraud trimmer otherwise? My time and labor have value and at my age I can't afford to waste either. Buy the best equipment you can afford, that way you're not likely have to replace it once you realize there are better products for the purpose. JMHO, 7zero1. Very well put Sir !!! I started out reloading alittle over 2 yrs ago and went with a 550 to load .308 and 9MM and still to this day only load for these two calibers, when I first started I searched here plenty and also bugged the guys at Dillon and after a few months made the plunge and have not regretted it one bit. When I first started I bought the basic stuff and said all I want to do is crank out decent, dependable cheap ammo so I did not have all the fancy gadgets and toys but as time passed I became more demanding of time and quality so I started looking at ways to save time and improve the quality and with that came cost, I have never sat down and actually figured out my total investment (may not wanna know ) I figure it's a hobby like golf or bowling and with any hobby their is a cost involved plus all those tools look really cool sitting at the bench....
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Don't ever forget, for every problem, a tool exists. Anyway that's the one thing I took from my rather expensive start.
On a more positive note, once you have a load ironed out, ya just load until you get tired and stop. I loaded up some .45 JHP that should be pretty snappy (data says > 1,000 FPS), so unless you can tell me where to buy exactly what I want, and not what will function in almost every .45, I will have to keep reloading. Also, not too long ago ammo for my 1911s and a XDC .45 was hard to find and impossible to find at decent prices. I simply walked out to my garage and made 500. Most of them actually worked 
Lotta satisfaction in that.
When ammo is short and folks are bitching, just nod in agreement and keep pulling that handle. |
| i have a rockchucker and then i bought a dillon 650. Everything was expensive, but I now had an electric trimmer, a charge master scale/dispenser, I had all the little thing here and there. I had it all...or so I thought. I finally convinced my wife, that since I paid off the house, I should buy a 50. She said ok, thinking a used ar50 wasnt too expensive. add in the bipod, monopod, huge pelican case to haul it around, and then the 50bmg reloading equipment it really got expensive. Just when thought I had everything for reloading allready, I didnt because most doesnt transfer over to the 50. but, I dont regret it. |
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I have a very simple and humble set up. I piece mealed it together over time.
Put it together press then dies then one or two other tid bits. Craigslist, AFRCOM a few other things. Bartered a few things too. I really enjoy reloading and have had really possitive outcomes. It is like therapy in a way, "Daddy Quiet Time" in the shop. My son helps me sort and decap stuff. If you are going to chuirn out 1000 rounds at a time, blue kool aid is the way to go. My Turret press and I have made some accurate rounds and very satisfying to hear that report from the barrel and see the tight groups on paper. Knowing full well, when and if I use it for game it will be pin point accuracy. |
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SANTA all i want for christmas is one of these sweet
there's no cure Quoted:
Welcome to our addicting and satisfying hobby.
Your first range trip shooting your handloads will be very rewarding, and you will be like this when you realize you did it yourself.
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/550/PB290313-1.jpg Won't be long, and you'll be churning out the ammo. I still get a lot of use out of my Rockchucker, right side of the bench. |
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