My dad has some reloading stuff and we are going to pick up more from my late uncle. However, if it's not cheaper to reload, then I'll just buy in bulk. I'm mainly looking at .45 acp and 9mm. I'll still reload my rifle ammo.
----------------Stanger73 said:That really depends on how well your gun(s) shoot the "bulk" ammo. If you can't hit what you are shooting at, then what is the point?
Case in point:
My Colt 1991A1 shoots most "surplus" ammo fairly well, around 4" at 50ft, but my handloads are under 2" at the same distance. Factory "defense" loads are right about the same as the "surplus". Both will serve as a defensive load, so the surplus stuff is great for practice and the factory defensive loads are what I carry with. While my handloads are a better logical choice, legal matters dictate factory ammo for defensive purposes...
By the same token, my Marlin Camp 45 doesn't like surplus or factory loads at all. The bolt velocity is extreme to say the least, even with the heavy Wolf spring, and the accuracy stinks. I now have handloads that are under 3" at 100 yards, which is well beyond what I consider appropriate for the gun. The brass falls out in a roughly 10ft circle about 10ft to the right. Bulk ammo is just going to beat the heck out of this gun without hitting anything and my handloads will hit every time without being abusive. Any time I have the Marlin in my hands I have the Colt on my hip (I like having the Colt on my hip...), so I figure the legal arguments are covered, one way or another.
Just depends on how you shoot.
I would love to reload,but I just don't have the time.I run a construction business and when I do get time off I want to be at the range and not at the reloading bench.As much as I shoot I should reload,but personally it's not worth my time.Vincent Vega said:From what I've read and researched, it is definitly worth reloading but the gains will be small in the beginning since you have a substantial start up cost relative to the cost of making ammo. The only way it isn't worth it is if you absolutly don't have time to roll ammo and have barely enough time to shoot. Some say how expensive is YOUR time.
2400 said:It runs me about $75 for 1K rounds for my 45 not counts the initial investment for loading gear.
Between 2 1/2 and 3 hours.Shootcraps said:And how many hours does it take you to load 1k rounds?
i started out about 15 years ago seating bullets for a buddy on a RCBS rock chucker. that lasted for about 1-1/2 years. 7 years ago i bought an RL550b and after about 2 hours to get it all set up, i was doing 500-600 and hour...And unless you get really good at it you can't start out making 5-600 rounds an hour. It'll probably take you 3-4 hours to make just 100 rounds.