Buying reloading supplies
I bought a 25-06 which is the first rifle that I would really like to make my own loads for or needed for that fact. Looking at sites like cabelas all the prices the whole shell would end up costing about .70 cents to make, not counting the time that I will put into it. However, most of the ammo that I will be shooting is lower wieght bullets, which only cost about .90 cents a piece.
So where do you guys buy your supplies?
What would be the best primer, case, and bullets for this?
My loads will be for varmits or target shooting.
So where do you guys buy your supplies?
What would be the best primer, case, and bullets for this?
My loads will be for varmits or target shooting.
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If you intend on shooting the reloaded ammo in the same rifle, the Lee hand loader kit is about the cheapest way to get started.
Yes, the INITIAL cost of acquiring the reloading kit, cases, powder, bullets and primers will exceed the cost of a box of factory ammo. Your savings comes in with repeated reloads. The more you reload, the cheaper per unit cost.
The best advice is to purchase and read thoroughly a reloading manual provided by a multitude of bullet/powder/equipment manufacturers. The NRA publications and Gun Digest also produce reloading instruction books.
That said, there are a few other tools you will need to produce safe reloads. Number one will be a case measuring device to determine case Over All Length (OAL). The 25-06 case must be kept somewhere between the minimum of 2.484" and a maximum of 2.494". The latter measurement is the most important.
Then, you will need something to trim the cases back to the desired length (all cases will stretch when fired). As you don't have a bench press, this means something on the order of a Lee Case Trimmer tool in the cartridge of interest. A chamfering tool is a recommended tool to now chamfer the inside and outside of the trimmed neck.
After a few firings, the reloaded case usually expands to where it is a balky fit to rechamber. The Lee Handloader kit only neck sizes the brass. You will either have to now use new factory unfired cases or full length resize the older ones. This now means the best method to FL cases is with a single stage bench press. Again, Lee makes the cheapest in this line. A set of FL dies must be bought. Also, you will need a case lubricant so the brass will not seize in the resizing die.
The Handloader comes with a single powder dipper that will provide a set powder charge of the selected powder. To deviate from this one set charge, you will need a set of the Lee powder dippers, or best - procure a powder measure. This is usually a balance beam scale as the more economical choice. Now, a powder funnel is a useful item.
The list goes on as a person gets more involved in reloading.
The point to be made here is that you'll NEVER justify trying to produce ammunition cheaper than factory to keep costs down. What you WILL do, is produce more ammo for more shooting and more practice. You will also be able to find that one particular combination of components that your particular rifle shoots best (all firearms are different and have different preferences as to type of ammo they perform best with - regardless if they were produced on the same assembly line and in the same chambering).
As for suppliers of components and equipment, try Cabala's, Midwest, Natchez Supply, Midsouth Supply, Graf's & Sons, Lock, Stock & Barrel, and anyone else you can find with a Google search.
Reloading is a satisfying hobby and good therapy for relaxation.
Keep off the Ridgeline0 -
Buy your stuff at Midwayusa.com They have everything you'll ever need, at a decent price.. Best Cases; Remingtion, best primer; Winchester LR, best bullet for varmints; Sierra 90 gr HP. I get 0.5 inch groups with this and IMR 4350 powder.
SEMPER FI MAC, SEMPER FI0 -
Once you have bought everything and amortized the brass...it really costs 'nothing' by the time it is used several times..the cost per round is closer to .40 if my calcs are close.
our local walmart and bi-mart carry bullets and breass and i doubt that ordering em off the 'net can be much cheaper if at all.there is no such thing as Free Shipping.It's in there.trust me.
I would really suggest you skip the old Lee Loaders and go straight to the challenger press.It'll load a lot of ammo and not set ya back much.Any rcbs is made sturdier,but costs more.IMHO
reloading takes a lot of time,but can be very rewarding if ya put in the bookwork.
Throckmortons' the alias,cas is the game.0 -
You don't have to get everything at once. If you have a friend that reloads, ask him to walk you through a few loads and get his advice on what you actually need to get started. As long as your loads are in the same rifle and you don't go hog wild over velocity, neck sizing only is fine for a few loads. 
Stolen from, and with thanks, to Kiwibird0 -
Bewteen Graf & Sons and Midway you should be able to find everything you need for reloading. Consider the Dillon RL 550B and a electronic powder scale if you can afford them.
http://www.grafs.com/
http://www.midwayusa.com/0 -
The reloading game has changed. I don't think it pays to reload many calibers ie: 9mm, 40S&W, 45ACP, 12ga, 20 ga, .223 these are the first to come to mind. For making noise and practice you are better off not messing with many of those.
That said I do reload .410, .44Mag 30/30 and .30 Luger because those still provide a good savings over factory stuff. If people are honest they'll see the odd can of powder or half box of jacketed bullets that they don't like and realize that the costs really add up. Don't misunderstand me; I love reloading and do lots of it., there's just alot of stuff that I buy new and sell the once fired cases to somebody else and break even vs. reloading.0 -
I buy most of my bullets and brass when I need it from Cabela's, powder and primers I buy locally to avoid the high shipping costs (hazardous materials surcharge). My RCBS reloading set up I bought through Cabela's long, long time ago, recently bought my Lyman powder measure and electronic scale at Graf& Sons on that particular item they were 100$ cheaper than anyone. When starting out keep it simple Win or Rem brass and Sierra bullets, CCI primers and a good IMR or Hodgdons powder, best thing you can buy is a good reloading manual and READ IT!. I would recommend a Sierra manual, buy it and read the how to section over and over before you go out and buy your reloading set up.
Above all else have fun and be careful.
PS: I buy almost all of my pistol and shotgun ammo off the shelves, they are usually pretty cheap and accuracy isn't that critical as it is with my rifles, I reload for all of my rifles, each one has a pet load or two that it shoots really well that I can't duplicate with factory ammo, and it is a great feeling to know that the Buck or Bull you just took was done so with your own loads that you fine tuned for that rifle and loaded by your own hand!0 -
Besides telling you how to reload. Do all these books have different loads in them? Or what is safe to load?
Do the books have to be up to date? My grandfather has several reloading books, but they are 15-20 years old, would those still be good for basic information?
Thanks for all your replies.0 -
Nearly all of my reloading books are at least that old. About 1975-80 the reload developers (Speer, Sierra, Hornady, etc) started getting equipment that indicated the pressures actually involved with the loads, and as such if you compare a load for example from Speer Manual 7 to a similar load in Manual 9, you'll see a reduction in powder amount- so the manuals printed afer about 1980 will have more intensively developed loads. The main advantage of newer manuals, say within the last ten years, is that they'll include powders that weren't available or widely used until recently. The basics of reloading remain unchanged and any good manual will review these. I get most of my stuff through Graf in Missouri, or directly from the manufacturer as in the case of Oregon Trail bullets, Blue Mountain bullets. Due to added shipping charges I either buy sufficient quantity to offset the Haz fee, or I buy primers and powder from a store. Since I use mostly old type powders, and check any cartridge with a Powley slide rule, I find the old manuals as good as any of the newer ones. 0 -
FORGET THE COST COMPARISON
I can reload my MAGNUM pistol ammo, and most of my rifle ammo cheaper, but I don't count my time because this is not work...it is a hobby.
I say forget the cost...because what you can get by carefully following your reloading is a round that performs the very best in your gun, and it CANNOT be bought.....anywhere. That is what most reloaders are about---finding that sweet load for a particular piece.
Some of the other postings mention some things are not worth reloading..... I don't reload 9mm because it is cheap, and for my mil-surp and 'non target' pistols there is no need.
If you don't have a yearning to find that 'sweet' load for you pet gun, or if your shooting style makes ammo type insignificant, then don't reload.....no shame there. Then just find factory ammo that suits you, and buy in bulk to reduce costs......Either way, ENJOY !
If we do not hang together,
We will most certainly hang separately.0 -
reloading will pay for itself, also best to buy components in large quantities.. cabelas is expensive, like someone else suggested, check out midwayusa.com
id say, get yourself a lee anniversary kit, read the manual, buy a few other manuals like lyman, speer, nosler, hornady, read those, you'll be loading some good stuff in no time.0
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