Reloading advice
I'm interested in getting into reloading. Right now I shoot a lot of .45 acp and .223 but that could easily change; if I could get the price of ammo down, I'd love to get into trap and skeet. Any advice for a beginner? Thanks!
Si vis Pacem, Para bellum
Si vis Pacem, Para bellum
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Shotgun reloading requires a different kind of press. If you're thinking about skeet and trap, first see what prices they get at the club and also check Wallmart for their 7 1/2 & 8 shot sizes in field loads. Until you get into it hot and heavy, you will see little savings in shotshell reloading of 12 and 20 gauge. 16,28 and 410 gauge reloading would show savings over factory shells in these sizes.
Rifle and pistol reloading in those sizes would cost you about .07 per shot minimum for blasting ammo. Fancier bullets could double that.0 -
It would be hard to reload .223 cheaper than you can buy it, just like 7.62mm. At 3 bucks a box at Wal-Mart, when you factor in time and materials, reloading is more expensive. I reload for my .40 cal and 30/30 because those rounds are definitely cheaper when I load them.
As far as shotgunning, same principle. Skeet loads are like 15-20 bucks a case at wal-mart...no way you'll reload that cheap.
Shane
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if you do want to do some reloading for any rifle, pistol, or shotgun, the reloading forum is a great place for that, ive had a few questions on reloading answered there. [8D]
NEF 20 ga.
western field 12, double
marlin 70pss 22lr
mauser 98 7X57
mauser 98 .2430 -
Some of the real advantages of reloading your own ammo are being able to taylor your loads for specific purposes with bullets that are designed for what you are doing (target shooting, big game or varmit hunting,personal defense,etc.), increased accuracy when you find the right recipe for your particular gun and self satisfaction when you get good results with your own loads at whatever it is you choose to do. That has to be worth something in the equation.-- Although you can buy inexpensive ammo in shotgun or centerfire ammo, especially in calibers like 223 or 9mm it seldom is the most accurate ammo for your individual guns(although some is suprisingly accurate in some guns for the price)and almost never has the right type bullets for what you are doing unless it's just targets or blasting ammo for fun. FMJ bullets are no good for hunting in most cases and aren't always the best choice for self defense work, and the cheap shotshells don't usually have hard lead shot in them so the pellets get deformed when fired and won't usually pattern as well as hard plated shot,etc. if you get serious about Trap, Skeet, or Sporting Clays shooting. By all means go ahead and shoot them until you decide if you want to get serious about it, but when you do and start shooting at a pattern board when working up loads for your shotgun you will most likely be more satisfied with better quality shot and components (hulls,wads,etc.) When you start to buy more expensive quality target ammo is when reloading economics start to look better. For example, I load long range varmit ammo with premium bullets in 223, etc. for about 1/3 or less (sometimes 3 to 4 boxes of mine for the price of one box of factory premium ammo) of what factory ammo costs with quality components. Try hitting a ground squirrel at 400yds with cheap ammo. Not going to happen very often. --- I would reccomend that once you decide to start reloading, before you buy any equipment go buy a copy of the Lyman Shotshell Reloading Manual and read it front to back. It will tell you almost anything you want know about shotgun reloading and steer you in the right direction towards what to buy and what to do. -- For centerfire reloading most any of the major reloading manuals ( Nosler, Hornady,Sierra,Speer,etc.) will show you step by step how to reload basic ammo ( all the experienced tricks will come in time ). You probably know someone who has an older manual you can borrow and read, then when you decide which type bullets you want to start with you can buy their manual to start with and in time you will aquire more different manuals. -- I would suggest you start with single stage presses to learn and get the feel of doing each step. If you really get get into it later you can get a progressive press, etc.-- It's a great hobby and pastime...........Good Luck...............[8D] 0 -
Im with temblor, dont just get into reloading to safe some cash,,,I myself find it as therapy,relaxation and there is something very satisfying in shooting a round you made that is very accurate and fits your needs. However I would start out with a progressive press I like the Hornady AP progressive,,each pull of the handle produces a loaded round makes for great case prep. The RCBS single stage is a great way to start,,but I thought I would save a hundred right off the bat and get in deep. Hand loading is a great hobby but look deeper then just cost savings, its very rewarding. 0 -
The last two posts really sum it up and I will give you a perfect example of how rewarding reloading can be, aside from just saving money.
Take the mini-14 for instance. You can buy .223 ammo really cheap but it usually does'nt work very well in the mini as far as accuracy goes because the tight twist in the barrel. However I can load up 70gr hollow points at 2500fps in my AT(anti-terrorist)[:D] mini-14 paratrooper and it shoots straight as an arrow.
The reason the small light bullets don't do well with the tight twist is because at high velosity they tend to over-spin and de-stabilize, and sometimes even get a separation of core and jacket.
Sorry for ramling, This is just one of the many benefits I have found in reloading.
By the way, I would start with a single stage press. You can get the Lee anniversary kit (which has almost everything you need to get started) for about $75.00 (thats what I started on and it still works great to this day. Have fun and BE SAFE!!!
AC-Tactical
"There are those who make things happen, those that watch things happen and those that say, what happend?"0 -
Just want to say it one more time.
Start with a single stage press, for LOTS of reasons.
Read at least one good loading manual front to back.
(Most folks have 2 or 3 different manuals).
ENJOY !
If we do not hang together,
We will most certainly hang separately.0 -
I agree with all the previous responses.
It is very difficult to save any money reloading shotshells when they can be purchased at Wal-Mart so cheaply. The same goes for 223 ammunition. You really have to buy reloading components in bulk to make it pay off. One of my shooting buddies is an avid skeet shooter and he reloads for performance and savings. He and about a half dozen other skeet shooters go in together and buy shot, primers, and wads in huge quantities to get their savings, but also improved performance.
You can save some money on the 45 ACP by reloading, plus you can custom tune any type of load you want to for your pistol. That is the great thing about reloading. You can custom make a performance load for any purpose with any bullet type and bullet weight. Reloading with me is a hobby and I like to experiment with different combinations of components. It is always fun to see the results.
I would strongly advise you to try it out. It really doesn't cost much. You could try a Lee turret press kit which is really inexpensive and loads great ammo. If you find you like it you can move up to a Dillon or just keep on loading with the Lee turret. I use both a Lee turret and a Dillon 550 progressive. I really can't tell the difference in the loaded rounds. I have used the Lee turret for about 20 years.
Here is a link:
www.leeprecision.com
Regards,
Heavyiron
"If I don't see you nomore on this world, I'll meet you on the next one, and don't be late!" - Jimi Hendrix0
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