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Reloading for Cheap

7K views 24 replies 10 participants last post by  Sam Fidler 
#1 ·
I am looking to get into reloading for fairly little expense. I know this is an area where "you get what you pay for" applies, so I don't want to skimp on quality too much. Unfortunately, money is somewhat scarce as I'm trying to pay for school. Because of this, I don't get to shoot nearly as much as I want to do to cost of ammo.

It's likely I will just have to buy pieces of reloading equipment when I get the funds and wait until I have acquired all the necessary equipment to start. I think I could be in that position within a year.

At this point I would only be doing .40, maybe 300-500 rds/month. My wife is still shopping for her gun, but it will most likely be a 9mm. Later on, I will probably do .223/5.56 as an AR is definitely on my list.

So what are the absolute basics that I need to start? I already I have plenty of once fired brass that needs to be cleaned and de-primed. I have no problem with switching dies to change calibers if that will help with keep the cost of the press down. I could also use advice of good brands of bullets, primers, and powders to use.

Just another day in paradise.
 
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#2 ·
Well, it's hard to beat a Lee Classic Turret for value, especially where you want to load for handguns. You can use it as a single stage while you're learning and setting up, then drop in the indexer and ramp up production speed once you're comfortable.

Caliber changes are fast and easy with extra $11 turrets. I also recommend the $15 upgrade to the pro auto disk if you can afford it.

I bought my kit at Kempf Gun Shop and they have great prices and great service.

What that kit doesn't include for handgun reloading is a manual or 3 (required), a digital scale (optional), tumbler and media (optional, but really nice), bullet puller (optional, maybe?), bench and mount, supplies (powder, brass, primers, projectiles), and anything else I'm forgetting.

Rifle reloading requires even more brass prep tools and supplies.
 
#4 ·
Any of the major manuals would be sufficient. The critical information is in the early chapters which explain much of the process and hazards. I would recommend only buying one since each of the major powder manufacturers offer their data for free online. I almost never crack open the one I have any more.

Bullets vary greatly in price. If you want cheap you can always buy lead but that comes with lead fouling. Plated bullets don't cost much more and eliminate the lead handling problems but don't offer much protection from the fouling.

I have not noticed any significant difference in primers. They may make some difference in long range rifles but they all ignite reliably or they wouldn't be in business. Price and availability should be your primary concerns.

It's essential that you understand the intended purpose for any powders you use. Most are highly specialized and something designed for 45 Colt can cause problems in a 45 ACP. Powders that work well in most auto loaders include Win 231, Hodgdon HP38, and Ramshot Silhouette. Just read the manufacturers description and it will tell you it's intended purpose. In today's environment, availability is likely your only concern. I don't know anyone who is consistently using their favorite powder right now.

When I got into reloading I learned that everyone who was serous about it first bought a single stage but eventually purchased a Dillon. Since price wasn't much of an issue at the time, I skipped the initial purchase and bought a Dillon 550. There's noting you can do with a single stage that can't be done on a progressive and it's a whole lot easier to do on a progressive. The learning curve may be a little steeper but it's well worth it. In the end, buy what you can afford.

At any rate, welcome to the club. Most of us are still undecided whether we reload so we can shoot or shoot so we can reload. I enjoyed it so much that I got my Class 6 FFL and started a business making ammo. That introduces my final point. If you can't afford much now then just bring me the brass and I can reload it for you for 26 cents per round (.40 S&W price with 300 round minimum).
 
#5 ·
How much does it cost per round to reload, say reloading .223? Is the savings significant enough to justify getting into it? Also are supplies readily available within the current market?
 
#6 ·
Wrangler_dave9 said:
What reloading manuals are recommended?
A lot of people like The ABC's of Reloading. It doesn't have load data, but I checked it out at the library and read it a couple of times before I bought anything.

Two reloading manuals that have good educational prose and more load data for hard cast lead bullets are the Lee and Lyman manuals. Since lead bullets are the least expensive, that was handy for me.
 
#8 ·
I have started with just the lee handpress. Very cheap and portable. Use in front of the tv. I will eventually get a progressive. Probably a Dillon but for now I work with this. Wife got most of the stuff for me at Christmas.
 
#9 ·
FrankenHollow said:
Fair warning about the Lee manual.... Richard Lee is pretty [auto-filtered] proud of his tools, and takes any and every advantage he has to A) plug his products, and B) attempt to put down all of the competitors' products ... even if his claims are blatantly false. Use the Lee manual as a basic reference, and an outline of the fundementals; but don't get too caught up in what tools R. Lee is telling you to buy.
I own and like the Lee manual, but I can't disagree with that. Sometimes he is right about his competitors, but, yeah, take his pride in his products with a grain of salt. And it does have a lot of good load info.
 
#10 ·
Durdenz said:
How much does it cost per round to reload, say reloading .223? Is the savings significant enough to justify getting into it? Also are supplies readily available within the current market?
It depends. If you go to the most expensive gun shop in town, buy 1 pound of powder, a box of 100 bullets and 100 primers it will cost much more per round than if you go through, say, Powder Valley and buy 25 pounds of powder, 10,000 bullets and 10,000 primers. Quantity purchasing can really make a difference in reloading as can the quality of the components you choose.

More importantly to me, the ability to tweak a load to wring the maximum performance and accuracy from my rifles and handguns is more important than the actual cost per round. Most reviews of handguns and rifles have an accuracy component where the gun is tested with various commercial ammunition and there's a fairly wide spread of velocities and group sizes. Handloading allows you to develop the optimum load rather than relying on what's available over the counter.

Consistent technique and attention to detail are necessary for both safety and consistent accuracy. Lack of attention or loss of focus can result in serious injury. Reloading and multi-tasking are not mutually compatible.
 
#11 ·
Durdenz said:
How much does it cost per round to reload, say reloading .223? Is the savings significant enough to justify getting into it? Also are supplies readily available within the current market?
A lot of people like to point out that if you count the cost of your time at any reasonable hourly rate, then it takes a really long time (maybe never) to balance the cost equation.

But there are other advantages. My reloading time is quality time with my son, so I don't put a cost on it.

Plus, his plinker for the past year has been a sporterized M1917. With surplus 7.62 bullets, we can load light .30-06 cheaper than we can buy new .22lr. If we didn't reload, we wouldn't have had nearly as much range time in 2013.

Another reason I don't add my hourly rate into the cost is that I enjoy reloading.
 
#12 ·
I agree with you on time. If you don't have the time or want to take the time for reloading then you are better off buying factory ammo. I don't reload a lot yet but I really don't mind the time I spend on it when I do. Because of that I don't put a price on it. I usually reload while getting caught up on my TV shows.
 
#13 ·
I am in the group that finds almost as much enjoyment in reloading as shooting. Through reloading and studying the effects of variations in loads, I have also learned a lot about how my firearms function and what factors affect their accuracy.

By buying components in as large of quantities you can afford and watching for sales and good deals, you can reduce the cost significantly. Most ammo components store very well, for example, I am still using some primers that I have had for more than 20 years and have no failures. I paid $30/case (5000) back then, I wish now that I had bought more than I did.
 
#14 ·
Durdenz said:
How much does it cost per round to reload, say reloading .223? Is the savings significant enough to justify getting into it? Also are supplies readily available within the current market?
I load a lot of .223 and do it in 2 separate lots. The highest quantity lot that I make is my "everybody else's ammo" that I try and remanufacture for as cheap as possible. This is the ammo that I take and use when I go on big group activities with a lot of people that I know will want to shoot my AR, and I am going to be the only one supplying the ammo for all of their shooting. Currently, my cheapest rounds are at 13.5 cents a piece (includes bullet, primer, and powder).

The other lot is my "highest accuracy" lot, which are definitely more expensive and tailored just for my gun. These are the rounds that I am currently shooting at 500+ yards with out of the AR. So, it really depends on what you are reloading for, but it definitely makes shooting with other people cheaper! :D
 
#15 ·
Potatohd said:
Durdenz said:
How much does it cost per round to reload, say reloading .223? Is the savings significant enough to justify getting into it? Also are supplies readily available within the current market?
I load a lot of .223 and do it in 2 separate lots. The highest quantity lot that I make is my "everybody else's ammo" that I try and remanufacture for as cheap as possible. This is the ammo that I take and use when I go on big group activities with a lot of people that I know will want to shoot my AR, and I am going to be the only one supplying the ammo for all of their shooting. Currently, my cheapest rounds are at 13.5 cents a piece (includes bullet, primer, and powder).

The other lot is my "highest accuracy" lot, which are definitely more expensive and tailored just for my gun. These are the rounds that I am currently shooting at 500+ yards with out of the AR. So, it really depends on what you are reloading for, but it definitely makes shooting with other people cheaper! :D
Thanks for the info. That's just what I needed to hear. Right now the cheapest non-steel I can find in .223 is about .30-.40 cents a round. Tax returns are in and I'm thinking of going in on a progressive loader with some other family members. We've been saving and cleaning brass for years for when we finally do get into it. I think it's about time to start.

Looking into the Dillion 650 progressive for really cranking out rounds. Maybe a single stage for really taking the time to tailor a round for my long range rifles. .300 win mag and eventually .308 as im going to build a .308 AR variant next.
 
#17 ·
Turns out my Dad has a few Dillon 550b's that he traded some stuff for a while ago. Going to see if we can get them set up and running.
 
#18 ·
FrankenHollow said:
Durdenz -
Some other members here (and elsewhere) disagree with the idea, but I believe it's best to start on a single-stage press or a manual-indexing turret press. You need to understand every step of the process, what can go wrong, how to spot problems, how to implement your own safety checks at each stage of the process, etc., before you can really keep an eye on all of the stations of a progressive press (at the same time).

Jumping straight into a progressive press, with no experience, is like pushing a quadriplegic into a swimming pool, because they hoped to be able to swim again some day. Sure, it might work, but the learning curve is fairly steep. :wink:
If I can figure out a Lee Loadmaster progressive press, then I think anyone can. I found the videos at http://www.loadmastervideos.com to be extremely helpful when calibrating my dies for the first time. At only $249 on Amazon for the 9mm setup, I thought it a good way to go--I'm not a quadriplegic in a pool either... :thumbsup:

I am a fan of Xtremebullets.com out of EDIT: NEVADA. Shipping is included in their pricing and their consistent bullet size and weight is a plus.

Powder is still hard to find. Discount Guns and Ammo in Provo has a ton of small pistol CCI primers in stock for $29.99 right now. That's only $2 more than the lowest price I saw just before Obama got re-elected in 2012.

Next up, I'm looking at purchasing a Sinclair single stage for .308

Beyond the press, dies, and components, you're going to need a scale, a bullet puller, and a caliper.
 
#20 ·
MajorNickmo said:
FrankenHollow said:
Durdenz -
Some other members here (and elsewhere) disagree with the idea, but I believe it's best to start on a single-stage press or a manual-indexing turret press. You need to understand every step of the process, what can go wrong, how to spot problems, how to implement your own safety checks at each stage of the process, etc., before you can really keep an eye on all of the stations of a progressive press (at the same time).

Jumping straight into a progressive press, with no experience, is like pushing a quadriplegic into a swimming pool, because they hoped to be able to swim again some day. Sure, it might work, but the learning curve is fairly steep. :wink:
If I can figure out a Lee Loadmaster progressive press, then I think anyone can. I found the videos at http://www.loadmastervideos.com to be extremely helpful when calibrating my dies for the first time. At only $249 on Amazon for the 9mm setup, I thought it a good way to go--I'm not a quadriplegic in a pool either... :thumbsup:

I am a fan of Xtremebullets.com out of EDIT: NEVADA. Shipping is included in their pricing and their consistent bullet size and weight is a plus.

Powder is still hard to find. Discount Guns and Ammo in Provo has a ton of small pistol CCI primers in stock for $29.99 right now. That's only $2 more than the lowest price I saw just before Obama got re-elected in 2012.

Next up, I'm looking at purchasing a Sinclair single stage for .308

Beyond the press, dies, and components, you're going to need a scale, a bullet puller, and a caliper.
Thanks for the info i'll check out xtremebullets. Now I just need to convince my Dad to let me bring one of the reloaders home :) I've watched a few videos on youtube about setting them up. I've done engine rebuilding, machining, and mechanical work often enough that setting one up shouldn't be very hard. I'm extremely detail oriented.

Is there a brand of dies that are better than others?
 
#24 ·
manithree said:
D-FIN said:
Dillon presses accept anyone's standard dies.
I thought the Square Deal B (SDB) presses only used Dillon's proprietary dies. I could be wrong, I haven't jumped into the progressive pool yet.
That could be, I am not an expert I just give free advice on the internet. :lol2: But, I was looking on Dillon's webpage the other day and remember reading that the press accepted all standard 7/8 dies. I can't tell exactly which Dillon press I was looking at at the time but I guessed that it was something that featured in all their presses.
 
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