Is it actually worth it??

I liked the idea of the anality of accurate reloading if that is a correct term, I sort of thought after being at the Nationals in Camp Perry in 1984 where most were a great bunch that it would have been a similar kind of atmosphere but sadly I was well disappointed.
They aren't going to let go a tip or trick that will cost them potential sponsor. ~Muir
 
Doubtful.

I worked out today that I can reload a 270 110g TTSX round for £1.53 and buy loaded at £2.20 each.

For a non crappy Lee only basic reloading system I would need to reload ~750 rounds to break even. So if you are on the range a lot then it a yes, if you are purely a recreational stalker then it is a no.

Where are you buying those rounds for £44 per box of 20?

Up here they are more like £50 a box!
 
I’d compare it to a lot of things I end up doing. Would it not be cheaper to just buy logs rather than buying chainsaws, Ppe, Gucci axes and buying cord wood? Probably, but I feel like I’ve achieved somthing at the end of the day.

would it not be cheaper to just visit the butchers once a month rather than buy my own chiller, massive chest freezer, run both plus mincers vac packers etc? Almost definitely, but I take pride in putting food on the table.

There are times when I tear my hair out reloading, but a full log store, freezer and ammo cabinet are true measures of wealth in my strange brain, and i enjoy the work most of the time.
Similar to recent bee keeping efforts, total spending somewhere around £1200 so far, for about £100 worth of honey 😂 wonderful past time though.
Everyone is time poor these days, myself included, but I can’t think of anything worse than having nothing to do.
I couldnt put it any better than this.
 
Muir, they are welcome to their little world, I prefer to have a good craic with other shooters, it is a hobby for me after all not a religion.
Top end BR shooters can be a stand-offish bunch but they are protecting their own interests. To them it's a business, not a hobby. ~Muir
 
Surely the main reason to reload is because you enjoy it? I dont reload and my rifle happily shoots factory ammo very accurately. I think looking at it from a cost perspective is the wrong angle to take unless you shoot obscure calibres or you shoot a hell of a lot
 
You could remove 2 stages by switching to wet tumbling, this will polish and clean the primer pockets as well as clean the inside of the cases like new
I’m certain you’re correct and therefore am relying on you to set out within this thread the bit of kit and all accessories I should purchase please. Only the best of course and with steel media that won’t get trapped within a 22 Hornet case.

Thank you

K
 
I’m certain you’re correct and therefore am relying on you to set out within this thread the bit of kit and all accessories I should purchase please. Only the best of course and with steel media that won’t get trapped within a 22 Hornet case.

Thank you

K
Don’t know about the best but this is what I use

one of these


with 3 of these


as for media, you are right the standard 5.5 mm pins wedge themselves across the base on the inside of hornets and get proper stuck, very annoying!!

But these work well they don’t get stuck, they take slightly longer to clean small primer pockets but they do get there.


Then just citric acid and a little washing liquid.

I do use the standard 5.5 mm pins for larger calibres and the advantage of the 3 drum set up is you can run 2 sets of wet with different media and one dry all at the same time.
 
I just tried to do some .222 Rem cases that had been deprimed and pin wet tumblered first and all ten cases crushed the necks down, all were lubed as per all videos, I tried some of them without the expander neck rod and they sized down OK but with the neck sizing rod they all concertina crushed down the necks. These are Lee RGB .222 Rem dies. Going to buy some better dies to try. Not so impressed so far by the much praised Lee stuff.
 
I just tried to do some .222 Rem cases that had been deprimed and pin wet tumblered first and all ten cases crushed the necks down, all were lubed as per all videos, I tried some of them without the expander neck rod and they sized down OK but with the neck sizing rod they all concertina crushed down the necks. These are Lee RGB .222 Rem dies. Going to buy some better dies to try. Not so impressed so far by the much praised Lee stuff.
Hmmm. Something not right there Bb. I have been reloading .222 with a Lee set up for more than 30 years - only time I have had an issue was when I overlubed - maybe 1 in 10 the necks crushed. Easy fix though - less lube! I also use Lee for a number of heavier calibres including 308/7.62x54 and 8mm - again with no issues.
🦊🦊
 
Hmmm. Something not right there Bb. I have been reloading .222 with a Lee set up for more than 30 years - only time I have had an issue was when I overlubed - maybe 1 in 10 the necks crushed. Easy fix though - less lube! I also use Lee for a number of heavier calibres including 308/7.62x54 and 8mm - again with no issues.
🦊🦊
Makes no sense to me, I do lots of calibres but these Federal cases will just not do it. The resizer die seems to reduce the fired case necks quite a bit if I do just half length and check it so I assume my Blaser combination gun has a top of tolerance neck in the chamber. That might be causing a constriction bulge in the neck.
 
Hmmm. Something not right there Bb. I have been reloading .222 with a Lee set up for more than 30 years - only time I have had an issue was when I overlubed - maybe 1 in 10 the necks crushed. Easy fix though - less lube! I also use Lee for a number of heavier calibres including 308/7.62x54 and 8mm - again with no issues.
🦊🦊
I bought some Lee dies for the 6.5 creed. They were useless. No matter what I did they never took neck below .296. Got some Hornady ones next & they were fine
 
Makes no sense to me, I do lots of calibres but these Federal cases will just not do it. The resizer die seems to reduce the fired case necks quite a bit if I do just half length and check it so I assume my Blaser combination gun has a top of tolerance neck in the chamber. That might be causing a constriction bulge in the neck.
Hmmm. Federal .222 - see my thread of 4th June drawing attention to how short their cases are - once-fired all 30+ thou below the usual and now with a circular primer crimp. To be fair they neck-sized fine but primer insertion was a faff. No-one has explained why Federal has done this but I wonder has this anything to do with your problem? Interested to know what length they are before/after firing.
🦊🦊
 
I could try to do it with some other makers cases (RWS?). But the dies are now on offer on egun as I cannot be arsed with this negative lockdown therapy.
Which die set do the folks prefer?
 
Going for ammunition for me means a two hour drive (round trip) plus fuel costs so there is a saving right away
of course I still need to go for components but far less often than I would need to if I was needing to go for factory
Ammo.
I swopped a couple if stalking outings for a complete reloading kit still using it 30+ years on, think I got the best of that deal.
I have never bought brass in.all those 30+years get.more than enough from clients and friends that don't reload it's
fortunate I shoot a popular calibre. (243)
I few years ago I managed to buy a large amount of primers very cheaply (£5 a 1,000) from an RFD that was closing
down , won't need to buy primers for a few years yet.

Not needing to buy brass and discounting the minimal cost of primers and the fact that I stocked up on bullets and powder before the recent hike in prices it is .costing me a litle over 40p a round at the present time.
Of course there will come a time when I need to rdplenish components and tbe ban on lead is likely to make a big
difference to my costs, but it is possible to make reloading cost effective.
Someone on another post suggested I was a tight Scot, I replied that I had a degree it tightness, that was untrue! I should
have said I had an honours degree lol.
 
Going for ammunition for me means a two hour drive (round trip) plus fuel costs so there is a saving right away
of course I still need to go for components but far less often than I would need to if I was needing to go for factory
Ammo.
I swopped a couple if stalking outings for a complete reloading kit still using it 30+ years on, think I got the best of that deal.
I have never bought brass in.all those 30+years get.more than enough from clients and friends that don't reload it's
fortunate I shoot a popular calibre. (243)
I few years ago I managed to buy a large amount of primers very cheaply (£5 a 1,000) from an RFD that was closing
down , won't need to buy primers for a few years yet.

Not needing to buy brass and discounting the minimal cost of primers and the fact that I stocked up on bullets and powder before the recent hike in prices it is .costing me a litle over 40p a round at the present time.
Of course there will come a time when I need to rdplenish components and tbe ban on lead is likely to make a big
difference to my costs, but it is possible to make reloading cost effective.
Someone on another post suggested I was a tight Scot, I replied that I had a degree it tightness, that was untrue! I should
have said I had an honours degree lol.
Good man! Though knowing many folk from your beautiful part of the world perhaps your last sentence was superfluous!
🦊🦊
 
I just tried to do some .222 Rem cases that had been deprimed and pin wet tumblered first and all ten cases crushed the necks down, all were lubed as per all videos, I tried some of them without the expander neck rod and they sized down OK but with the neck sizing rod they all concertina crushed down the necks. These are Lee RGB .222 Rem dies. Going to buy some better dies to try. Not so impressed so far by the much praised Lee stuff.

Set the expander ball / pin slightly deeper (so the pin protrudes more at bottom and less at the top, no further than 2 mm on the top ). It sounds like your expander ball is too high up and and the necks are pinching between the ball and the neck opening.

The RGB does are really good and contain the same FL die as every other Lee set
 
Last edited:
I could try to do it with some other makers cases (RWS?). But the dies are now on offer on egun as I cannot be arsed with this negative lockdown therapy.
Which die set do the folks prefer?

Having used Lyman, Redding, RCBS, hornady and Lee I prefer Lee. Currently load 9 caliabres
 
Surely the main reason to reload is because you enjoy it? I dont reload and my rifle happily shoots factory ammo very accurately. I think looking at it from a cost perspective is the wrong angle to take unless you shoot obscure calibres or you shoot a hell of a lot

I used to love reloading, I’ll be honest it is now a chore and if I could afford to shoot the amount I do shooting factory ammo, I wouldn’t do it. But i shoot a wildcat (now standardised) and an ackley plus .280 which is not exactly popular so it’s the only option for me.

The big positives for me are having a lot of control over my own ammunition supply (could stalk twice a week for 10 years on current supply of consumables) and cost saving which ranges from £0.50 to £2+ each time I pull the trigger and that’s a lot......
 
Last edited:
Back
Top