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I don't understand the economy. You save money on the cheapest part, the powder, & then load a prmium bullet? I choose a powder for performance, not economy. I presume that is why you shoose a premium bullet? BTW, TG saves you something like 2/10 of a penny in most service pistol loads.  IF YOU AREN'T HANDLOADING, YOU AREN'T SHOOTING ENOUGH! |
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I don't always reload for SD (self-defense). But I DO always reload to practice for SD. So I settle on a SD round (Speer Gold Dots in a specific weight, for example) and then I work up a combination (or multiple combinations) of the cheapest components using inexpensive bullets (e.g. Raniers, Berrys, Precision Delta) in that weight that I can find/buy that produces practice ammo with the same characteristics (e.g. accuracy, point-of-aim/impact, recoil) as the SD round.
fredj is right - don't be penny wise but pound foolish. "When I held that gun in my hand, I felt a surge of power...like God must feel when he's holding a gun." H. Simpson. |
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I loaded 550 .45 ACP rounds this weekend just so I could shoot my three .45s sooner rather than later (still haven't shot one of them - except for the five test rounds I ran through my P220 while searching for the right target load). But...
My dad and I have been reloading for over 25 years. Mostly for our hunting rounds. We never really did it to save money, but that was an added bonus. Our goal has always been to find the most accurate load for our needs. This means a fair amount of shooting to find the right formula of primer, powder, bullet, etc. So the breakdown for the 550 rounds came to about 26.3 cents/rnd. The cheapest practice round I've been able to find (and only one box at that) was 44 cents/rnd. So the cost was a little over half. But this does not include the labor involved. I don't worry too much about that because when dad and I are sitting at the reloading bench, we are also visiting. I only get to see him every few months, so I can't really put a price on that. It's just something we both enjoy doing, and it gives us a chance to talk guns/fishing, etc.  Billy B. A Sig or two and then some ;-) |
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I try not to think about what I spend reloading. That way I can always tell myself I'm saving money when I buy 8,000 primers, 1,000 bullets, headspace guages, micrometers, small base sizers, Titanium Nitride dies, coaxial seaters with micrometers... I gotta stop - I'm scaring myself...
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Single stage or progressive for novice?.
Wish to try reloading since lately ammo is hard to find. It will be fun and productive. I've been told the SS is the best for beginners this way you really learn the basics. Some machines can be turned into progressives with adaptors. Which SS press would be best?. I'm leaning Lee. Some have told me they make strong presses that last. |
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Welcome to the club! Yes - I personally recommend going SS at first and paying attention to performing each stage correctly and uniformly before moving on to the next. I started with a low-end RCBS. Then I bought an RCBS Rockchucker so that I could do 2-stage loading "sneaker-net" style. Then I upgraded the Rockchucker with an RCBS Piggyback Progressive. I still use the low-end press for odd jobs like swaging military primer pockets and bullet pulling. "When I held that gun in my hand, I felt a surge of power...like God must feel when he's holding a gun." H. Simpson. |
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I honestly think all the single stage presses from Lee, RCBS, Lyman, Hornady, etc. are basically the same and load the same quality ammo if you're going to load pistol. With a single stage press the difference is in the dies, to some extent, but even the "cheap" Lee dies turn out tons of ammo each day around this country. Since you are unlikely to wear out even the cheapest press (probably the Lee) in your lifetime, I would not spend extra money on the others. Part of the reason you can't wear it out is there's nothing to wear out. The other part is soon enough you will want a progressive press... and you will know that financial ruin is just around the corner. You'll still use the single stage, but less. If you're going to load rifle, then you might think about going with the more robust RCBS Rockchucker or similar, but only if you shoot a lot of rifle AND you have a lot of time on your hands to load it. Because, when you finally get to loading so much that it "takes too long", then you'll get a progressive and tell your family that this will allow you to reload quickly and free up time to spend with them. (It's actually quite true). If funds are any kind of issue, go with a Lee single stage or, better, turret press, and save the money for carbide dies, components, and the accessories you need to load safely. Have fun and hope this helps. ps, I would not plan on buying the RCBS and then getting the piggy back progressive kit. When you go to a progressive, consider the Hornady or Dillon and call it a day. ________________________ "It takes so little to be above average, it's amazing more people aren't...." - my father |
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Thanks guys. I think I'll go for the Lee Challenger O press and some carbide dies. Should be ample for my needs. I shoot more pistol then rifle.
Have to go way up in the San Gabriel Mts. for the rifle range. Thanks again. |
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Yeah Dennis, I feel your pain. I drive to Tehachapi to shoot at a private range I have belonged to for years. It's a 3hr drive, but I can spend all day & there are few other shooters to deal with, plus it's a onece a year fee of $50. The SS will be fine as long as you don't need a high vol. of ammo. About 60rds/hr is all you can get from a SS, going from range brass to loaded round. That is if you have a good powder measure to go w/ the scale.IF YOU AREN'T HANDLOADING, YOU AREN'T SHOOTING ENOUGH! |
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I reload 9mm. .38. .357 mag, .45 acp, for about $80/1000 rounds. This is bullets, powder and primers only. I don't count the cost of brass because I scrounge it from the range.
.44 and .41 are about $90/1000 exclusive of brass. The cost of the brass should be counted because I don't get much if any from the range. But since I shoot light loads in revolvers the cases don't suffer much abuse and I get them all back. These costs are using cast (except 9mm) bullets for plinking loads. If I were reloading .44 mags with a Hornady XTP bullet over 19 gr of 2400 the cost would be about $255/1000. If I bought the same load from Midway as loaded ammunition from Hornady the cost would be $924/1000. This represents a savings of 72%. Jeff This message has been edited. Last edited by: jeff423, |
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do you mean $80/1000?
tk SIG-certified armorer; NRA-certified instructor for rifle, pistol, shotgun, defense in the home; range safety officer |
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Yes - Thanks. I'll fix it.
Jeff |
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I have to agree with every one here
Shoot more=Save More....But...Save More=Shoot More its the Ameba Effect It is a whole hobby by its self... Hiding @ my bench is great getaway I started reloading @ age 11 Great times w/ Gramps & Dad Now I have taught my Wife,Son, and one of the daughters to load ShotShell Starting to teach Son and My Stepdad Metallic reloading The wife is gonna have to learn SOON too to feed her AR-Habit Just remember TAKE YOUR TIME, DO NOT RUSH ANYTHING.If you have to rush or are short on time BUY FACTORY LOADS for the day...there is always tomorrow Improvise, Adapt, Overcome, and Conqure....SEMPER FI |
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I also use a Dillon RL550B it's a great tool backed by a great company . Like the others getting started was not cheep, but in the ten years of reloading every thing has paid for it's self several times . I only load 45's and 223 but I never think about how much ammo I'll be taking to the range . Best thing I did was save brass years before I got my press . I hope I live long enough to use all the brass up . It's also alot of fun to make any type of bullets I like Thanks Mike.
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