Is it worth getting into reloading still?

[JEVapa]

Hey everyone,

I recently picked up a 300 Weatherby Mag here in a trade and plan to use it for hunting over the next many years. It came with one box of Weatherby Select Plus ammo. I knew the ammo was pricey before picking up the rifle, but man, I didn't expect $100 a box.

While I am happy to pay $100 once or twice, I would like to be able to reload the same brass after that as I don't expect to shoot more than 20 rounds a year on this rifle once I have it dialed in.

Would it be more cost effective to buy the equipment needed to reload 300 Wby Mag right now? Also very interested in loading for 7mm Rem Mag and 243. What would it take to get started?

I figure that the stuff I shoot a lot of, 9mm, 223, and 308 all are readily available and relatively cheap so I am fine with buying boxes of that pre-loaded.

H&H has reloading classes or as suggested, get up with a friend and check it out. All the cheap ammo - 9mm, 45 acp, 5.56, etc I just buy. Revolver ammo and all my hunting loads, I reload. It's still cheaper for me by a factor of 2 or more in the long run even with primers at $75-$100 per 1k.

It may not be for you if you don't shoot enough though. Just assess what you want to do. I can say that it's paid for itself two or three times for the amount that I shoot and I can tailor whatever cartridge I want to use that won't be available commercially.

 

[SiGArmed]

Im getting into reloading just to have random gun stuff to do at home lol

 

[scott024]

If you plan on hunting/shooting for a long period of time, go ahead and buy the equipment. It's like a lifetime hunting license. It's a lot up front, but is dirt cheap when you think long term. I guess I'm saying if you are a younger fella, go for it. If you are 70, it might be cheaper to just buy loaded ammo.

 

[MilitantBEEMER]

Inventory is slowly coming back and prices seem to have plateaued.
If I were a betting man, we will see another run on reloading supplies and ammo sometime soon.
I recommend you consider investing in reloading gear and components. If not stock up on ammo. Just my .02

 

[Shinneryfarmer]

Inventory is slowly coming back and prices seem to have plateaued.
If I were a betting man, we will see another run on reloading supplies and ammo sometime soon.
I recommend you consider investing in reloading gear and components. If not stock up on ammo. Just my .02

So just how much is enough? Ammo? Reloading components?

 

[MilitantBEEMER]

So just how much is enough? Ammo? Reloading components?

That is the most unanswerable question of all time. How much is enough?

 

[rickm]

Enough is when your to broke to buy more.

 

[rockchalk06]

I never got into reloading to save money. Even when supply cost was super low and brass was free, I don't think I ever saved much. Maybe with 40S&W when I was shooting USPSA, but never with Bolt Action.

I was dissatisfied with factory ammo's performance. I could get nothing to group under 3/4 MOA in my Bergara. After modifying my feedramp and developing a load for my barrel, I'm shooting barely over 1/4 MOA. That was just one example.

So to answer your question, yes. I believe it will always be worth it. In your case, most definitely. That's some spensive ammo.

 

[rj ︈]

I never got into reloading to save money. Even when supply cost was super low and brass was free, I don't think I ever saved much. Maybe with 40S&W when I was shooting USPSA, but never with Bolt Action.

I was dissatisfied with factory ammo's performance. I could get nothing to group under 3/4 MOA in my Bergara. After modifying my feedramp and developing a load for my barrel, I'm shooting barely over 1/4 MOA. That was just one example.

So to answer your question, yes. I believe it will always be worth it. In your case, most definitely. That's some spensive ammo.

It's also about availability for me. I want to be able to buy $300 worth of ammo for this rifle and hopefully never have to buy brass again.

Currently, if ammo were readily available, I could just sell my brass for $50 per 20 and then buy a box of ammo for $80. That would be convenient but obviously isn't happening anytime soon.

 

[rickm]

I got into it back when things were somewhat cheaper, traded some brass for a BNIB lee single stage kit and a set of dies, bought primers for $15 per k, and still use the Lee press but have added many things since then and cast most of my own bullets, and load 28 different calibers much cheaper than store bought for shooting paper most pistol rounds run me around 5 cpr and rifle around 15 cpr, but i bought components in large quanities back then and still using them today.