reloading

[becker_atc]

but reloading is an evil monster. The more you load, the more you shoot and the cycle never stops.

This is very true. Then you save money on ammo and I was able to put a lil more into gun fund. then that leads to more dies and shell holders and more powders and more types of bullets. Before you know it you have shelves of components and equipment and a whole room devoted to it.....Its like DRUGS!....I do want to start casting my own .357, .45, .41, and .308-.311 (krag and .303)

 

[Dr_Mitch]

Where reloading comes be be hugely beneficial is when you shoot many thousands of one or two calibers every year. Reloading .223 for blasting is retarded, reloading 9mm offers relatively little savings. But what you can produce at or less than the cost of buying bulk quantity 9mm is match quality ammunition with better recoil characteristics. Bullets that shoot like laser beams, powder that burns quickly without overpressurizing. Good stuff. The accuracy part applies to .223 also. You can make superior quality .223 at the same price you'd pay for cases of plinking ammo.

 

[OKCHunter]

Dr_Mitch has it correct. You can produce premium ammunition for the price of bulk ammo. The other advantage, assuming that you keep quantity on-hand, you are not subject to empty ammo shelves that were prevalent during the past couple of years.

 

[jmill7]

You can make superior quality .223 at the same price you'd pay for cases of plinking ammo.

is that really true? and should i buy 1000 rounds of 223 so i will have that much to reload with? i found some steal casings which are cheap there Tul ammo. idk if thats a good brand or not but its cheap. can you reload steal casings? THanks again everyone.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

Where reloading comes be be hugely beneficial is when you shoot many thousands of one or two calibers every year. Reloading .223 for blasting is retarded, reloading 9mm offers relatively little savings. But what you can produce at or less than the cost of buying bulk quantity 9mm is match quality ammunition with better recoil characteristics. Bullets that shoot like laser beams, powder that burns quickly without overpressurizing. Good stuff. The accuracy part applies to .223 also. You can make superior quality .223 at the same price you'd pay for cases of plinking ammo.

I'll have to remember that when I want to go shoot cans and bottles at the local trash range I can't use my .223 reloads or else I'll be deemed "retarded." Or that all the shooters using M-16's at places like Knob Creek every year are in the same category.

 

[furlong222]

cant reload steel cases...only brass or nickle...just buy some once fired cases you can reload them a bunch of times...for 9mm its 3c for the primer 7c for the bullet(lead) and 2c for powder(7000gr in a pound and 6grs of unique in the case=close to 1200 rounds per pound)...then depreciate the brass at 1c per loading (that allows for not finding all you've fired) and your cost is 13 c per round...100 rounds is 13.00...great hobby ....its the up front cost for tools that costs....rifle rounds really save bucks....as to the 223 I generally just buy the cheapo stuff (5.00 a box)for fooling around and you dont have to worry about the cases - I do re load my hunting rounds....enjoy....

 

[dlbleak]

cant reload steel cases...only brass or nickle...just buy some once fired cases you can reload them a bunch of times...for 9mm its 3c for the primer 7c for the bullet(lead) and 2c for powder(7000gr in a pound and 6grs of unique in the case=close to 1200 rounds per pound)...then depreciate the brass at 1c per loading (that allows for not finding all you've fired) and your cost is 13 c per round...100 rounds is 13.00...great hobby ....its the up front cost for tools that costs....rifle rounds really save bucks....as to the 223 I generally just buy the cheapo stuff (5.00 a box)for fooling around and you dont have to worry about the cases - I do re load my hunting rounds....enjoy....

nice, simple post there furlong. jmil, this is the info you should start with and make your decision. the only thing i would add is this. once you get set up you might want to look into casting your own bullets. about $100 will get you a lee melting pot and a set of molds. it will knock your cost down to a nickel a round. at $2.50 a box you can do a lot of plinkin!

 

[jmill7]

so its not stupid to reload .223 cause my father in law and i are going to be throwing 1000's down the range well atleast till the world ends

 

[Fyrtwuck]

so its not stupid to reload .223 cause my father in law and i are going to be throwing 1000's down the range well at least till the world ends

Not to me it's not. Shooting any firearm with any caliber makes for better familiarization and training with that firearm. Go forth, load and enjoy.

 

[okiefarmer]

Reloading is becoming a lost art. I used to reload just to see how much accuracy I could get out of a load. I started with an RCBS single stage press and through the years I've drank the kool-aid and now I mainly use Dillon's XL-650. Nowadays, I just do a lot plinking and informal shooting.

I load 9mm, .38/.357, 40S&W, 45GAP, 45ACP, .223 and .308. Whenever I load I try to get the best prices for components that I can and buy in bulk. When I say bulk, I find the best prices that I can for boxes of 5000 primers, 8 pound jugs of powder and the best rate for bullets seems to be 1000 at a time.

That may seem like a lot to a beginner, but reloading is an evil monster. The more you load, the more you shoot and the cycle never stops.

When I go to the range I always try to come back with more brass than I shot. Sometimes I pick up some of the lead. I also have a friend who owns a tire shop and gives me old wheel weights and I cast my own bullets, buckshot and slugs. Saves more money.

FireCop203 (or anyone else), do you have a "honey" load for 9mm? I'm looking for an accurate plinker load...not something too hot. I bought some blue dot powder and 115JHP to give it a try. I've loaded 270 back in the day, so have a basic understanding of the process...just getting back into it since the 9mm is scarce as hen's teeth lately. Thanks for your help and info!