Thread: To reload or not reload?

Here is a useful article.

https://ssaa.org.au/stories/reloadin...cartridge.html

Just do it.
When I bought up my last round of supplies before the price hikes in primers I was essentially making Hornady precision hunter for 1.38 per round not including the price of brass but I was just using the ton of factory stuff I had anyway. My goat culling reloads are under a dollar.
I have a Lee setup with a few bits added but nothing outrageous. Would love a auto powder charger tho.
I still weigh deer loads individually but for goat short range stuff I just use a powder thrower and it's fast and more than good enough. All my ammo I produce shoots moa or better without being too fussy
Took me around 275 rounds to pay off my reloading kit.
Now I tell my wife im making money.

I don't shoot enough to even consider reloading but I'd liken it to brewing your own beer, Much cheaper but you just end up drinking more and not saving anything.

Not that that's a bad thing in either situation.

Someone should mention time

It's a resource you can't really buy more of...

And I don't just mean time taken to assemble components. Also factor in driving to collect powder, primers etc (although I think you guys can post them)

If you find a factory load that shoots well and bullets work out to range, buy 500-1k of the same lot, reloaders will buy your once-fired brass and you are laughing!

If I was starting from scratch, with just one calibre, I would buy a few hundred cases, find somone with a setup I could use to do brass prep. Prep all the brass in a big batch on occasion. Then at home just have scales and a small press for priming, powder and seating. Make up 20-40 at a time as required. Within 100-150 rounds your ahead financially. But as has been mentioned, if reloading isn’t one of your hobbies, it’s just a time eater.

Greetings,
There was a time, long long ago, when load development for some included opening the manual, selecting a middle load (halfway between start and max), loading a batch, checking your zero and going hunting. Some say this method still exists. I hope so. @Oldbloke is right, no Lee Loaders in the 6.5 Creedmoor. There is however a small hand press that would do nicely for seating projectiles, It would also do for neck sizing but could raise blisters full length sizing.
The question you need to ask yourself is am I considering handloading just to possibly save some money or does the idea of a more or less uninterrupted supply of carefully crafted ammo the driving force. Only you can answer this.
One part of the advice that I take issue with is the use of various alternatives to decent case lube. You may get away with this with the more tapered cases but with the less tapered, including the Creedmoor, a stuck case is likely. Very early on I used linseed oil as suggested by the shop I got my press from. This ended abruptly when my first .308 case stuck in the die. A friend had pretty much the same experience.
Regards Grandpamac.

There are these presses too. I've seen 30.06 FLS on youtube with these. But I am a bit sceptical.

Lubes, I've loaded 30.06 for about 30 yrs. Used 90 dif oil untill two years ago, only 1 stuck case in that time. Now using coco nut oil. Lol . Never tried linseed oil tho.

I reckon wheel bearing grease or engine oil would work but yet to try them. Like dif oil, bit messy I guess.

I just made my own case lube

Originally Posted by blip

I just made my own case lube

Every now and again i am afraid to ask...

@nonvegan have you decided what your doing?

Originally Posted by Baz036

Every now and again i am afraid to ask...

Its just ipa and lanolin. basically what the Dillon stuff is I had

Another for the hand loaders ChCh, my range day is Wednesdays, 10 am if that works Pm me.
I enjoy handloading & I'm not overly patient, give me a paint brush & ask me to cut in & no way, but the methodial process of handloading I find relaxing.

Totally overwhelmed by all the good advice from here 😁🙈

All very much appreciated, and exactly the kind of insight that I was looking for.

It's become an itch that I must scratch, so I'll give it a go. Handloaders association feels like the way to go, and thanks to a very helpful forum member, I've been shown the basics and got a few loads done and fired today 🥳 Things move quickly sometimes...

So, next up is getting some dies and consumables and joining the club.

I'm sold on the idea that hand loading will allow me to do more shooting and hopefully get better at it. It's obviously not going to save money compared to just buying my meat at the supermarket, but then I'm not exactly getting rich from any of my other hobbies either...

For case lube, I'll render possum fat. Not sure why you'd use anything else?

Less mucking around and more reloading and shooting