Reloading own Ammo

[JaxRolo]

Is there much of a savings doing this?

Is there a good tutorial on how to do this and what items are needed?


Remember I am a newbie and learning.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Blindeye]

There is a huge savings if you shoot quite a bit.
It's a wash if you only shoot occasionaly.
It's quite easy to do, but you have to do it right; improperly loaded cartridges are capable of hurting the shooter and those around him.

A great book to start with is the ABC's of Reloading.
Start with some very basic equipment (a scale, a reloading press, dies, etc) and you can be up an running quickly.
You can be as advanced as you want to after that.

[aus71383]

There's a whole sub forum on this site dedicated to reloading. Check it out - it's under Defensive Ammo and Ballistics

Austin

[JaxRolo]

There is a huge savings if you shoot quite a bit.
It's a wash if you only shoot occasionaly.
It's quite easy to do, but you have to do it right; improperly loaded cartridges are capable of hurting the shooter and those around him.

A great book to start with is the ABC's of Reloading.
Start with some very basic equipment (a scale, a reloading press, dies, etc) and you can be up an running quickly.
You can be as advanced as you want to after that.

Thanks, Just borrowed the book from Amazon to my Kindle!

Here is the link if anyone else is interested.

ABC's of Reloading

[JaxRolo]

Thanks! I missed that somehow.

[Sig35seven]

Reloading is an enjoyable part of the hobby.

[mangeraster]

May be a dumb question, but how much of an investment does it usually take to get started?

[aus71383]

Depends what you want to do. You can get a Lee Classic Loader for ~$25, then you just need a hammer, block of wood, and the materials (primers, powder, projectiles) Reloading with a Lee Loader - YouTube

Or you can get a Dillon 1050 for ~$1700 plus materials Dillon Super 1050 with PW Autodrive and Mr. Bulletfeeder, Bullet feeder. - YouTube

.....or anywhere in between. There are lots of choices.

Austin

[high pockets]

Depending on the brands of all the components, (press, scale, calipers, manuals, primers, etc) could get a good start at $300-$500. Sorry, I never tried the hammer & block of wood method.

[Old Sarge]

The hammer and block of wood, is a bit far fetched. There are 1000's of Lee Reloader presses, that are being used daily and with very satisfactory success.

[TX expat]

May be a dumb question, but how much of an investment does it usually take to get started?

Figure you will spend probably $400 or so to get started with a basic single stage system and all the assorted supplies that you 'must' have. Of course the actual dollars spent are going to vary a great deal depending on which single stage press you buy, along with all the other stuff you'll need.

[Devilsclaw]

Read "Modern Reloading" by Richard Lee. Once you do that, you will have a good understanding of what you really need before you spend a bunch of money.

[aus71383]

I have a "normal" press, as well as a Lee Classic Loader. It's fun to load with, and makes accurate ammo with no fuss.

Austin

[hartlathers]

I don't know what you're shooting but here's a good example. A box of factory loaded 38 spl can cost anywhere from 18 to 25 bucks or more. Considering that the brass is a sunk cost once you shoot a box. Small pistol primers for a box of 50 will run somewhere around 1.50 - 1.75. I use Bullseye for most of my 38 loads. Figure about 50 cents for powder for 50 rounds. I cast my own bullets. I pay about 1.20 for recycled lead that works out to about 1.35 for 158 LRN for a box. That works out to about $3.50 for a box of 38 spl. Not bad. I use all Lee reloading equipment and you can get going for less than $200. Besides reloading 38 spl I reload for 380, 9mm, 45acp and 357 mag. 45 acp is the most expensive and it costs me about $4.50 to reload a box of 50. It's the extra lead cost for a 230 gr bullet.

[MrBuckwheat]

I don't know what you're shooting but here's a good example. A box of factory loaded 38 spl can cost anywhere from 18 to 25 bucks or more. Considering that the brass is a sunk cost once you shoot a box. Small pistol primers for a box of 50 will run somewhere around 1.50 - 1.75. I use Bullseye for most of my 38 loads. Figure about 50 cents for powder for 50 rounds. I cast my own bullets. I pay about 1.20 for recycled lead that workds out to about 1.35 for 158 LRN for a box. That works out to about $3.50 for a box of 38 spl. Not bad. I use all Lee reloading equipment and you can get going for less than $200. Besides reloading 38 spl I reload for 380, 9mm, 45acp and 357 mag. 45 acp is the most expensive and it costs me about $4.50 to reload a box of 50. It's the extra lead cost for a 230 gr bullet.

pretty darn good set of numbers! most guys don't cast bullets but tell them how much time it takes you to make them. I spend more of my own time then its worth. I enjoy the process that is why I reload. plus I have to for the matches. Note the brass will last longer in revolver/bolt guns than in semi autos. Certain guns just beat it up when they cycle, so you are limited on how many times you can load it. There are devices to measure the brass to see if it is within tolerances.