Reloads..... anything wrong with them?

[chupacabrachus]

Originally Posted by sloan1919

I personally don't think reloading is worth it. When you add the opportunity costs and risk of damaging your xd or warranty it doesn't balance out. Plus Wal-Mart keeps the ammo prices low so they beat most reloaded ammo. I am paying $8.86 a box(50)for blazer brass ammo in .40 S&W. To me reloading is more of a hobby than a way to save money.

I somewhat agree, but more because if you begin reloading, you surely won't be saving money simply because you'll be shooting more rounds, more often. It's the nature of the beast. As far as XD waranty voidance, I wouldn't worry about that. Unless you explode your gun from a double charge or something, they'll have no way of knowing you were shooting reloads. I havn't figured out an equation that is cheaper to reload 9mm yet, but 40 would in fact pay for itself if I didn't constantly shoot it up all the time.

[Novadesigns]

Hmmm, Well here's my take. First of all, for certain ammo, reloading isn't cost effective unless you are way out in the boonies where there's no ammo, or need to make very specific, high-quality loads. 9mm is one good example.

Now if you're talking about .45ACP, .308. or, say, .223, well that's a different story altogether. I can load a very high quality load for .45ACP for around 9 to 11 cents per round. Compared with WallyWorld WWB ammo for about 26 cents per round. That's a big savings and its much higher quality ammo too.

Same deal with rifle ammo.

But for me its not something I got into specifically to try and save a buck. I wanted to make better ammo. I wanted to have complete control over all aspects of accuracy that I could. Hand loading gives me that, and its fun to experiement and see what makes for a better round. Its just a nice bonus that I can make good ammo for a fraction of what match ammo costs.

With the price of ammo going higher and higher all the time, its becoming even more of a bargain for me.

Hand loading is no more risky than anything else. You just have to learn the rules and know where errors can be made so you can avoid them. And you have to decide if you can trust yourself to be detail-oriented and thorough in your reloading, because it requires that. If you're in a hurry, tired and not paying attention, or just too lazy to take the time and do it right... then yes you run the risk of making a load that could damage your gun or yourself. If you're not following the guidelines for safe loading and loading what is within tolernaces for your weapon... well that's just foolish.

But its not one of those things that's bound to happen just because of the fact that you're reloading and reloading is dangerous.

My Dad and I have been hand loading since I was a kid back in the 70s. We've never had any trouble because we're always paying attention and staying within the guidelines.

Reloading is part of the sport, but not a part that everyone has to do to enjoy shooting. You shouldn't feel any pressure one way or the other do get into doing it. You should only do it if you can give it the time and attention necessary to do it correctly and safely.

If you choose not to hand load, for whatever reason, just make sure that you have based your decision on the FACTS and don't make or spread assumptions based on internet hearsay and stories that have been blown out of proportion.

Originally Posted by sloan1919

I personally don't think reloading is worth it. When you add the opportunity costs and risk of damaging your xd or warranty it doesn't balance out. Plus Wal-Mart keeps the ammo prices low so they beat most reloaded ammo. I am paying $8.86 a box(50)for blazer brass ammo in .40 S&W. To me reloading is more of a hobby than a way to save money.

[Broadside]

Originally Posted by speedlinehobbies

As other have said , I would only shoot reloaded ammo from someone i trust . Me and a few shooting friends use a local reloader to us and have been through 10,000 rounds this year without any kind of failure . We shoot mostly our XD's , a few 1911's and our AR's . If it werent for the savings , i dont think i cold have had as much fun this year . I get 9mm fmj for $75.00/1000 , .45 for $140.00 /1000 and .223 for $150.00/1000 . He did say last week that the cost of the bullet is on the rise and was probabley going to force an increase , i guess its time to stock up now .

Looks like you are getting a pretty good deal on the ammo. Do you know what type of press they are using?

[sloan1919]

Originally Posted by Novadesigns

Now if you're talking about .45ACP, .308. or, say, .223, well that's a different story altogether. I can load a very high quality load for .45ACP for around 9 to 11 cents per round. Compared with WallyWorld WWB ammo for about 26 cents per round. That's a big savings and its much higher quality ammo too.

This make sense but you are forgetting overhead (reloading equipment) and opportunity cost (How much do you bill your time at) With those things added in I don't think it would be a good deal for me, but then again everyone's time is billed differently.

[Novadesigns]

Originally Posted by sloan1919

This make sense but you are forgetting overhead (reloading equipment) and opportunity cost (How much do you bill your time at) With those things added in I don't think it would be a good deal for me, but then again everyone's time is billed differently.

Well, I don't much go in for the "how much my time would bill at" philosphy. This is one of my hobbies and the more time I get to spend enjoying it the better! Besides, even I couldn't afford to buy my own time for what I get paid at work. Hehehe.

You're right though, only you can decide if its a good deal for you. But you don't have to break the bank getting into hand loading either. You don't have to get a top of the line progressive with all the bells and whistles just to get into loading or to make any kind of load you want. All that stuff is for convenience and speed. You can make great ammo with entry level gear. You can get into it for well under $200 if you look around and get a single stage. Even used gear is a good way to get started. My first press was handed down to me from my Dad, and served me well for a long time... before it got too slow (it was a single stage Lee press).

Sure, my Dillon 550 was a big initial outlay, but I really never thought of it like that. Its a tool and all my tools are expensive, but very practical and all recoup their $$$ costs relatively quickly if used frequently. But for me they are worth more than I paid because I enjoy them and they allow me to spend quality time at my hobby.

No one factors in the cost of tires and gas and insurance when they buy a car. Most people never think about the cost of targets and cleaning supplies and ammo and cases and range fees when they buy a gun. They just get what they want to shoot. So, yes, its something to be aware of if you want to get into hand loading, but not something that has to dissuade you from doing it, nor something that should take away from the value of doing it.

[spyderman2k4]

I just got into reloading a few months ago. My dad had the equipment anyway, so I had some startup of reloading dyes and about 1500 once-fired casings. After that, the bullets, powder, and primers put each round at just under 10 cents a round. A.) I'm a poor college student who loves to shoot and obviously couldn't afford to shoot as much as I'd like otherwise, and B.) reloading gives me something to do when I'm home on weekends. Obviously, 45 ACP ammo isn't the cheapest, so economically, it's good for me. As far as my opportunity cost, it's either reloading in the garage or watchin TV (not that that's ALL that I do, but when I WOULD be watching TV, that's when I reload). Honestly, I enjoy reloading more than 95% of the stuff on TV, plus it's more productive. I can't put a price on that... I wouldn't want to.

[WestTx]

IMHO- I reloaded 9mm and 44MAG in the 70's and 80's, then quit because ammo became cheap. I now reload 45ACP, 9mm, 40SW, 44MAG and 762x51 because ammo has become scarce and expensive. If the political scene plays out as expected in the next few years, maybe reloading will be the only way to obtain ammo.

[Mercmar]

Originally Posted by sloan1919

This make sense but you are forgetting overhead (reloading equipment) and opportunity cost (How much do you bill your time at) With those things added in I don't think it would be a good deal for me, but then again everyone's time is billed differently.

I credit myself for $200 per hour, when I'm reloading using my leisure time. I only shoot my reloads. I don't worry about the warranty, as just about every manufacturer has to disclaim responsibility for damage done while using reloads. However, unless the reloads cause the specific problem, reputable manufacturers aren't going to fishback out of their warranty.

[Noah Mercy]

I reloaded commercially for a while and still load over 10,000 rounds a year for my wife and myself. If one uses bulk components and buys in quantity, the fiscal savings can be pretty decent. (How's $4.25 for a box of 45ACP hardball sound?) My ammunition is at least as clean as factory fodder. And since I can control variables ranging from overall cartridge length, bullet shape and weight to velocity, crimp, and priming, it is possible for me to build specialty purpose ammo that is unavailable from the big outfits. (Try to find full wadcutter 45 Schofield ammunition!) The ammo can also be tuned to a particular firearm. I used to shoot bragging-sized groups with some tuned reloads from a box-stock stainless SA 1911. (With factory cartridges, it was tough to get groups under five inches at 25 yards.)

That being said, some outfits cut corners and use cheap components and dirty surplus powder. This can lead to poor results and bad experiences. But if the loader uses quality bits and pieces and proper procedure, there will be no difference between his ammo and the ammo you can buy at the local Wally World...in fact, it could very well be better.