Forums / Introduce Yourself / Is reloading worth the trouble?

worth the trouble.

#1 you can save over 50% cost of ammo.

Then you get into the scientific aspect of reloading.
Are you reloading or hand loading?

There is a difference. You can reload and punch
holes in paper or you can hand load and have
ammo more accurate than factory made.

It all depends on your need.

That's the 1st stechkin I've seen that I remember.
May be I don't remember because not fond of Russian
pistols. I have no need for one.

what caliber? the initial cost can be anywhere from 200-1500,depending on what type of loader and how much gear you buy up front,starting simply with a lee single stage in a single caliber isn't that expensive,around 200 dollars,but a Dillon 550 or 650 progressive reloader will cost big $$$,but you can open up a whole world of fun if you really get into reloading rifle and pistol calibers.When i was shooting competitions i would go thru app.1500 rounds of 9MM some weeks,my reload cost was 5.50 per 50 rounds(165.00 for 1500 rounds or .11 cents per round) if i hadn't reloaded the cost would have been 285.00 or .19 cents per round,so reloading was a pretty good savings for the volume of shooting i was doing,something to consider when going into competitive shooting.I would not carry reloads in a gun i was using for my personal protection carry piece though,lawyers would have a field day with that if you had to shoot someone.So yes, you can save some money,learn something new ,and have a lot of fun doing reloads.Now my Brother in law reloads and builds wildcat cartridges with all sorts of necked down rifle calibers,then rebores rifle barrels to accept them,but when he speaks of it,we can't figure out what he means(just kidding),so you can go overboard,as he has,but it's all fun.

Jump into it. I would start with a good Lee or RCBS reloading press. If you get the complete kit it comes with books and all you will need to get started. There are many videos on youtube on how to reload also. In some gun clubs they will always have the old timers that have been reloading for years and most of them are willing to teach anyone interested in it.

you can get into alot of stuff with reloading, shotguns, rifles etc. etc. it is fun and you can save a little money if you shoot alot. but if you just are a saturday shooter it might not be cost effective unless you enjoy it. it is a good thing to have in your bag of tricks but umc and others sell ammo so cheap that sometimes it isn't worth it. i have reloaded and did enjoy it, but for the time and proper space needed it was not worth it to me. i still have everything, rcbs piggyback system so if it ever gets to hard to find ammo i will start up again but for now it isn't worth it to me. just my opinion being what it is.dang it forgot to welcome you to the site. so welcome.

To answer luckybychoice 9mm and 45acp.

It depends on how much you are going to shoot.

Like stated the initial outlay for equipment can
be very costly if you go 1st class.
I've done well with a cheaper RCBS press for years

The #1 thing is get everything off your mind before you
start loading because you don't get too many 2nd
chances on mistakes.

then you will absolutely end up saving money. Those are boith fairly low pressure rounds and the cases can last quite a while, so you will get plenty of use.

I still use a Lee single stage press and it can take a while to crank rounds out, but I break it up over a few days. I might prep 3-500 cases one day, prime them the next, than charge them, seat and crimp the bullet the next. There are ways to ensure you don't double charge a case or make a squib load, but that's the sort of stuff you can discuss once you actually get started.

My startup costs were very low since a guy gave me the press, but a single stage press even new with accessories costs very little compared to the savings of just a few thousand rounds.