Is reloading worth the hassle

[User00003]

for me it's not so much about accuracy and groups, any norma factory ammo will deliver more than acceptable standards in most rifles. It's about being able to use the bullets that I wish to use for a specific type of game and having the ability to load again and again with complete trust and confidence in the ammunition and having little or no variation due to for example Lot changes. buying from a new lot probably means having to take a couple of test shots to check zero, as well as potentially being stuck with a few leftover rounds from the last lot that you now (potentially) can't use. that leads to a lot of 'wastage'. if you're stuck with say 3-4 rounds from your last lot, you can't really go stalking with only those in case you need follow up shots, so you start a new batch, test it with say 2-3 shots, and you're left with 3-4 old rounds. so all in all that's 6 +/- rounds down the loo, which if you're shooting a £35 per box of 20 is about £10 worth!!!

so on those reasons, AND over time it's cheaper to reload, AND its fun,,,is why I do it.

 

[Si]

I haven't saved any money yet.... I've been re-loading .223 for 3yrs. Changed rifle 18mths ago so all the load development had to start from scratch again, then bought Lapua brass instead of the remmington I was using previously. I enjoy re-loading but I'd say to anyone starting out it's not the cheap option.
I don't bother re-loading .243 because I found that Sako 90grn SP's are more than accurate enough for my needs and when I go to Scotland I use Norma 100grn. I only put 20odd rounds through it last year and at least five of them where zero checking shots.

 

[Muir]

I shoot several rifles for which there is no readily available factory ammo and like Dodgy, I load cast bullets. There is the utility factor. Some rifles I have for which there is ammo available -like the 303 British- shoot best with cast bullets so there is the satisfaction element there. With the amount of centerfire rifle and handgun I shoot, there is no way I could afford to shoot at this rate so reloading does save me money regardless of whether I shoot commercial jacketed bullets or home cast. As was mentioned earlier, you don'tr need fancy gear to reload good, accurate, reliable hunting ammunition. $35 US will buy a Classic Lee Loader and another $12 will buy you a Lee trimmer, all of which will fit in a shoebox. With such a set up, the occasional shooter who bought 100 bullets, 100 primers, and a pound of powder probably won't need to buy anything for a couple of years.~Muir

 

[8x57]

Thers only hassle with reloading if You listen/believe the rubbish that the bench rest crowd continue to spout. You can make very, very good ammo safely and cheaply with inexpensive kit.

+1 Absolutely spot on.

38 spl factory ammo £28 per 100. Cost to reload 100 rounds about £10
.222 or .223 factory ammo (reasonable quality) £46 -£55 per 100. Reloaded ammo depending on bullet £12 - £28 per 100.
.308 win factory minimum of £60+ per 100. Reloaded £29 per 100.
8x57jrs factory £86 per 100. Reloaded £35 per 100, less than £10 per 100 if using cast bullets.
9.3x74r factory £140 per 100. Reloaded £70 using premium bullets. About £15 if using cast bullets.

Is it worth reloading? Absolutely YES if you shoot more than a couple of boxes of ammo a year. It's a no brainer.

 

[mereside]

as others have said its another satisfying hobby in itself.
I have a room out of the way in the house to be able to close the door put some music on and relax making a few hundred rounds while there is crap on the telly. great fun i started off with a simple lee loadall and still use it from time to time as its usable in the field on new loads, atb and enjoy wayne

 

[Rake Aboot]

Have had an offer to go and have a look at a loading set up etc,, also have the chance to have a batch made up for me to see what I think of homeloads so will give it some thought after that. Should be interesting.

Can`t imagine saving much, but consistancy is all I suppose, and I`ve had one or two issues with factory before, not much mind yeh, but still.

 

[8x57]

Depends on how much you shoot and what calibres and not forgetting how deep you go into it. It's all been said before but I will repeat it once more you need to spend very little to get into reloading. If you take the minimalist approach you will save money after only a couple of hundred rounds and there certainly won't be any compromise on quality.

 

[Tom D]

When I got my 7-08 I asked the local dealer to get some ammo in for me.. he said he could get hornady and remmington, no problem.... it took about 6 weeks for it to arrive and then when I went in to collect it the prices were as follows, Hornady sst: £39 Hornady GMX£52!!! and £43 for the remming ton!!! I asked for some primers and was asked "what do you want to reload for?" I just pointed to the £52 sticker... nuff said.

I have made up some ammo with my cheap (sub £200) kit, I haven't shot it yet though... I'll let you know how it goes...

 

[finnbear270]

I like to hunt, I also like the challenge of hunting particular bits bobs for reloading too!........ can be just as rewarding as taking a good beast.

 

[6pt-sika]

To me reloading has to be something a person wants to do and not something they do to try and save money or feel they are compelled to do . I shot factory ammo in my slug shotguns and the 12 and 20 gauge bird loads . But I'd say 97 percent of my rifles loads are hand loads and it's purely because I like doing it .the same most certainly can be said for my home cast bullets , something I like and enjoy doing . So whether it's worth it or not is a relative and quite personal answer . There is no right or wrong answer for this one !

 

[6pt-sika]

For some strange reason I derive a great deal of satisfaction from casting my own bullets , sizing lubing etc and then loading them . Followed with taking them and the gun they were made for out and shooting a deer or bear , killing it and processing the meat . And at a later date making a meal of the product . Kinda neat when one says they did it from start to finish !

Used to feel somewhat the same way about tying my own dry flies , catching my own trout etc etc .

And on the other hand I can understand the person that owns a "deer rifle" loves the hunt and could care less about working up loads etc etc .

For this person I think they are better off finding a factory load that shoots to suit them and when they do getting about 10 boxes hopefully with the same lot number and they should be fine for several years if they kill say a dozen animals a year .

Just my 12 cents !

 

[enfieldspares]

I do it because much of American factory loadings in some cartridges are BETTER suited to British use when loaded to either lower velocity or with heavier bullets. Indeed to my mind the 270 Winchester is the classic case in that it is best when loaded to "duplicate" the continental 7x64 as much as bullet weight selection will allow.

 

[tahoe2]

When I began reloading, it was because factory ammo was seasonal (made in limited runs) .300 Savage, ...or real expensive, $40 bucks/20 rounds--280 Remington.
Or very scarce .41 magnum. Now I reload 7 rifle cartridges and 4 handgun cartridges.
I also love the accomplishment of tiny little groups or a downed animal from ammo I created. I haven't shot factory ammo in two decades ! cept shotshells.

 

[j0e_bl0ggs]

Reloading is a hobby in itself and it's very satisfying to do it right. Getting it right needs some skill and a coach is beneficial.
I've just reloaded 50 .308 rounds for use on Short Siberia - 200 yards - using my own cast boolits. Now that's where the saving starts and I'm making (not assembling) my rounds.
Best group so far was from my 30-06 AI with a 190 grain cast boolit achieving 1 MOA.

ahhh making cases, primers and powders? - If so please share.
Wow that takes reloading to a new level!!!
Or are you just casting your own bullets?

 

[wraith]

Ey up

Was out zeroing today with the Tika m595 .222. With the mod on I am now down to two hole groups at 90 mtrs (6 shot groups)

Plenty accurate for my needs for sure. So why should I reload ? I`ve been considering it for a bit,, how much would I save given that I pay £19 for a box of Sako 55gr gameheads.

Would it improve the accuracy that much ?

Sorry if any of the above sounds thick, but I know nowt about reloading,

50g vmax 25g varget small primers set at book aol 200yards all under half inch easey yes reloading can improve things rifle used tikka t3 standard good fun and more pleasure nowing you put the round together

 

[Muir]

And let's not forget attending to those cartridges for which factory ammo is a throw back to the 1800's such as 7x57, 6.5x55, .303 British, 8x57, 30-40 Krag and 45-70 US. Handloading brings these cartridges up to date for use with modern firearms.~Muir

 

[actionman1]

You could always do what i did, i got together with 2 mates we shared the equipment costs, got our own Dies as we all shoot different calibres. Then every now and then we meet and have our version of the Tupperware party or (Ann Summers) we make some rounds. **** take a bit. then have nibbles and finish off with a few drinks and chat till the wee hrs.
Its a part of the whole experience.........

 

[alberta boy]

I started reloading back in the 70's, mostly because I used to be able to pick up sound old rifles at cheap prices. Back then I reloaded for 43 mausers,577 sniders and 450/577's because there was no ammo available. It took me over a year sometimes to assemble all the components and the cost made me realize why people were so happy to sell me the rifles so cheap lol. So looking back I doubt if I saved any money reloading ammo, but I couldn't put a price on the enjoyment, satisfaction and experience I've gained over the years. Its been over 30 yrs since I shot a white-tail with my first handloaded 43 mauser load, but it still seems like it was yesterday, and watching my daughters shoot 455 webley reloads out of a pistol my recently deceased father used for years makes me know that after I'm gone they'll be carrying on the tradition

Thats why I reload AB

 

[Muir]

You could always do what i did, i got together with 2 mates we shared the equipment costs, got our own Dies as we all shoot different calibres. Then every now and then we meet and have our version of the Tupperware party or (Ann Summers) we make some rounds. **** take a bit. then have nibbles and finish off with a few drinks and chat till the wee hrs.
Its a part of the whole experience.........

There's something to that. Last summer I finished my new reloading room just in time for two friends to converge on my home for a week of prairiedog shooting. The best parts were sitting around in the reloading room in the evenings, loading ammo for the next day. We laughed, talked, and loaded some excellent ammunition. Ever since they left, the room seems a little quiet.~Muir

 

[Triffid]

To me whether to reload or not depends on how much ammo I use . . . in my .243 which ammo use is limited to deer and perhaps 50 rounds a year total, where I can find a factory round the rifle shoots well with, reloading is a bit of a waste of time. But for .308, which I'll shoot 100 rounds at a time, then reloading is a no-brainer.
Triffid