Will reloading disapear with the new too lazy to do it generation

Back around 10 years ago went and cut firewood on the north 60 tree line. Driving back to the house there was a barn sale so I stopped in to see what they had and it was a lot. There were 4 -8' tables full of boxes plus boxes under the tables of dies, presses, powder and shot, for rifle, pistol and shotgun. Asked the lady selling how much for everything on the 4 tables, she hemmed and hawed for a couple minutes and we came to a agreement. I got everything for pennies on the dollar. Gave her a deposit and went to unload the firewood because there was a truck load of reloading equipment I need to pick up.
When I went back to pickup everything I asked the woman were everything came from. She said her husband and her bought homes to repair and sell and everything was in a house they bought. The house was still full of animal mounts from around the World. Asked her what were they going to do with the mounts, she said try to sell or donate to Cabelas or Bass Pro.

That is a sad story, but at least the reloading supplies were going to someone who would use and appreciate them.

MS 9x56 said:

That is a sad story, but at least the reloading supplies were going to someone who would use and appreciate them.

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I’m not sure it was sad. Sounds like the person who had that house had a wonderful life full of great memories.

I don’t expect anyone to care about any of my things when I’m gone and don’t care what the do with them, I’ll be gone.

Russ16 said:

I’m not sure it was sad. Sounds like the person who had that house had a wonderful life full of great memories.

I don’t expect anyone to care about any of my things when I’m gone and don’t care what the do with them, I’ll be gone.

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In January 2021 I had a stroke the next day I was going to the UP of Michigan to run my trapline by myself. I was very lucky that it happen at home and not 350 miles north with the nearest trama hospital 100 miles way. Was also very lucky, I do have some memory loss but no physical handicap at all.
After several months of recovery I had decided that it would be a smart idea to reduce my toys snowmobiles, ATV's, motorcycles, cars, boats and gun collection. Well I sold a lot, then I started thinking what do I do and have to enjoy my life and myself. So I quit selling and over the past several years have bought some of those things that I enjoy using and doing.

We all are going to die, some of us sooner some of use later, enjoy life !

Had a conversation with a gentleman younger than me he just retired last week about the very things I did. He was wanting to dissolve his gun collection, just keep the minium what is needed to hunt. Not that he don't use and enjoy it but incase he dies, thats his reason. I flat out told him keep what you enjoy you worked a life time to get it, don't sell it because your going to die someday. Because it might be a long time or be tomorrow so enjoy what you have you earned it.
He sent me a message yesterday said he has changed his mind and infact is going to the gun shop and see what they have that tickles his fancy.

I have been an avid reloader since the late 1970’s when I got into in high school. Back then we would go out and shoot hundreds of rounds hunting prairie dogs. The sod poodles were everywhere in those days.
It made sense economically to reload and while I don’t shoot as much today, I have more components that I will probably shoot in my lifetime.
I went through this entire thread and one reason for reloading that was not really mentioned directly was for the pure enjoyment of doing it.
Reloading for me is something I can sit down and do for a couple of hours, maybe more, and completely immerse myself in it without thinking about anything else going on around me or in this world. It is very relaxing yet engages the mind and requires thought and decision making. As I head into my retirement years, it is still a great hobby and positive way to spend time.

I have taught a number of young to older to reload, rifle, pistol and shotgun.

My father taught me to reload for shotgun, a friend of his was a bench rest shooter that taught me rifle, and I figured out pistol on my own. I shot and still do shoot a lot. So for me it has always been about cost of reloads vs factory and Accuracy in my precision rifles I can get most to shoot factory match in 1/2-3/4 in groups all day. But to get into the 1' and 2's it is a reload only process.

If you only shoot a small amount 100-200 rounds a month and only shoot small stuff 30 cal and smaller, I understand not reloading. In rifles I shoot 22LR - 577NE. and unless you are very wealthy the bigger stuff will be cost prohibitive.

The only rounds I don't reload are 22 LR and 9MM pistol.

As one of the grey beards I try and pass on knowledge to young shooters and about 25 percent have interest in learning more than how does the bullets go in the magazine.

I believe re-loading will remain with the new and upcoming generation of shooters and hunters. Young hunters just starting out just want to shoot. They have enough money to buy shells/ammo as needed, but many can't afford the prices for setting up their own stations. There are some approaching their thirties who begin at that time.

dgr416 said:

I went back to Alaska last year for 5 months after being gone 16 years .I was shocked that reloading was disapearing in Alaska big time with people under 35 .I also went to several large gun shops and very few had reloading supplies .I dont know any kids down here that reload .I did see lots old reloading equipment left to their kids and it was being sold by their kids .I took lots of kids hunting but only got to teach one to reload .Its alot of work in Alaska my ammo for 338-378 weatherby and 416 rem mag was crazy high .I tried to find some shotgun reloading stuff up there this summer there was none .Sportsmans warehouse use to have tons of reloading stuff they didnt have much like they use to .We better start teaching kids this quick or poof its gone .

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Power and such are shipping chock points on barges coming up. Covid really clobbered things. Spodtsman's warehouse is now just getting supplies more constant but prices for powder is 3x from the past just like the rest of the country. Primer availability is nation wide and more so in AK. Look at price of presses! Hornady 366 is $1700!

To get back on the topic of why younger generations are no longer reloading (and drinking enough beer). Let me give you my anecdotal insights as a 38yo married man with 2 young kids.
- Time: Between work, wife, kids, I have very little time left for hobbies, especially one that requires strong concentration and diligence like reloading. My wife and I have no parents in our neighbourhood to help with the kids, so it all falls on us.
- Cost: with most new hunters/shooters staying with the most common available cartridges, the cost advantage is minimal, especially compared to time used.
- Safety: with more of the younger people living in cities, and ever stricter regulations around storage, it gets more difficult to find a space to keep all the powders, primers, etc.

That being said, I'm starting to get some reloading equipment together, but this will only be for "specialty" cartridges. Big bore, or paradox rounds. 300WM/7x64/308/9mm makes no sense. Double rifle cartridges do make sense. Especially for regulation of an old rifle. My main driver will actually not be lower cost (although that justifies the spending of money on the equipment), it is rather because factory ammo will not regulate, so I have no choice but to look at doing it myself.

On to beer: younger generations saw their parents/grand parents often having their daily drink and not for the better of it, and the younger generations are now more focusing on health, limited quantities and higher quality. I pretty much make it a point of no drinking, unless on social events. The same is for bars, I cannot go 2x a week to a bar to displace a few liters of beer with friends, rather I'll go once a month or 2 with my wife and have some more sophisticated drinks.

VertigoBE said:

insights as a 38yo married man with 2 young kids.

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In my mid 30's as well and share most of these sentiments.

I do reload, but not often. I dont get to shoot much. With the price of consumables now, I can often find factory ammo on sale at a better price than my loads cost me. The exception is cast loads, which is what I usually focus on.

I can come out ahead with a few calibers and im always happy to save a nickel somewhere, so I reload those. 45 colt is one where massive savings are found vs factory. 5.56, not so much.

Yep. Demanding job, wife, one child and a homeowner. Barely enough time for one hobby

I think young people are largely absolved by at least one factor--manufacturer greed. I have watched numbers of companies start out by being a great dollar value, sales off the charts, only to have management think "we would make even more if we raised prices." Then sales leveled, and they raised prices more/restricted return policies, etc. Then the original, loyal customers departed and the chain closed. What I DON'T see is any ammo/reloading related company having sales, making more to offer cheaper, or even providing availability. They act like WE need THEM, and will pay any price just to continue what we once started. I am surprised someone doesn't undersell the high priced competitors, honestly. And it doesn't help that the government gets away with bullying the industry and attempting to regulate us into being disarmed.
It might be helpful for us to ask ourselves the question: If I was newly interested in any shooting sports, like all of us once were, would I be put off by near out of reach costs? And most new shooters have FAR less access to outdoor shooting recreation than we did back when. Might help if manufacturers thought about that, too.

steve white said:

I think young people are largely absolved by at least one factor--manufacturer greed. I have watched numbers of companies start out by being a great dollar value, sales off the charts, only to have management think "we would make even more if we raised prices." Then sales leveled, and they raised prices more/restricted return policies, etc. Then the original, loyal customers departed and the chain closed. What I DON'T see is any ammo/reloading related company having sales, making more to offer cheaper, or even providing availability. They act like WE need THEM, and will pay any price just to continue what we once started. I am surprised someone doesn't undersell the high priced competitors, honestly. And it doesn't help that the government gets away with bullying the industry and attempting to regulate us into being disarmed.
It might be helpful for us to ask ourselves the question: If I was newly interested in any shooting sports, like all of us once were, would I be put off by near out of reach costs? And most new shooters have FAR less access to outdoor shooting recreation than we did back when. Might help if manufacturers thought about that, too.

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there are a few exceptions out there...

Hornady as an example.. they saw a hole in the market and capitalized on it with their "frontier" line..

Match grade ammo is crazy expensive.. PMC 223 match is "cheap" at $21 a box.. standard Hornady 223 match is $23.. Federal Gold Medal Match is $25....Remington premier match is an outrageous $35 per box...

But Hornady 68gr Frontier Match (which easily shoots .5 MOA in both of my precision AR's.. who knows how good it would shoot in a well made 223 bolt action.. but Im betting substantially better).. is sold for $12.60 a box..

I do largely agree with you though.. there is a market for good quality at reasonable prices.. and for the most part the ammo companies have blown that market off.. they either want to produce high volume crap for the tacticool crowd that just wants to blow through 10 boxes of 7.62x39 at the range.. and know the pricing on that stuff has to remain low... or.. they want to produce "good" (but not great) ammo at high prices, expecting that hunters, precision shooters, competitive shooters, etc.. will pay for it if for no other reason than "thats what the price is"...

My question for Hornady is.. if you can produce "match" quality ammo for $12.60 a box.. why is your "black" line of ammo, which is preferable for hunting and for self-defense (and law enforcement, etc).. $19 a box?

WyoBull said:

I have been an avid reloader since the late 1970’s when I got into in high school. Back then we would go out and shoot hundreds of rounds hunting prairie dogs. The sod poodles were everywhere in those days.
It made sense economically to reload and while I don’t shoot as much today, I have more components that I will probably shoot in my lifetime.
I went through this entire thread and one reason for reloading that was not really mentioned directly was for the pure enjoyment of doing it.
Reloading for me is something I can sit down and do for a couple of hours, maybe more, and completely immerse myself in it without thinking about anything else going on around me or in this world. It is very relaxing yet engages the mind and requires thought and decision making. As I head into my retirement years, it is still a great hobby and positive way to spend time.

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Spot on! We used to reload to save money, and to shoot more. Until the next shortage of ammo happens, those of us who reload will be the only ones with ammo in our lockers. Also, most of us shoot calibers that are not easily found at the local gun shops or online.

I believe there is a lot of satisfaction to say that you killed, XYZ animal with the ammo you made. I also believe that today's young adults do not have the patience to sit behind a reloading bench making ammo for their rifle/pistol. I taught my son how to reload (he is 40), and he prefers to buy ammo online.

If prices on primers, powder, and bullets continue to go up, I believe we will see a significant reduction on reloading, and maybe that will be the reason most will not get into it. I don't know.

PARA45 said:

Spot on! We used to reload to save money, and to shoot more. Until the next shortage of ammo happens, those of us who reload will be the only ones with ammo in our lockers. Also, most of us shoot calibers that are not easily found at the local gun shops or online.

I believe there is a lot of satisfaction to say that you killed, XYZ animal with the ammo you made. I also believe that today's young adults do not have the patience to sit behind a reloading bench making ammo for their rifle/pistol. I taught my son how to reload (he is 40), and he prefers to buy ammo online.

If prices on primers, powder, and bullets continue to go up, I believe we will see a significant reduction on reloading, and maybe that will be the reason most will not get into it. I don't know.

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I started reloading when I was in my early 20's because I wanted to shoot more (cost savings).. I mostly reloaded for pistols and revolvers.. but also loaded for 30 carbine and a couple of rifles..

I transitioned to loading for "precision" by my mid 30's.. I wanted hunting ammo that could shoot as well as the match grade ammo that I was shooting out of my "sniper" rifle.. and no one made anything like that.. so I started developing my own loads to accomplish it..

by my late 40's and early 50's I transitioned to loading for "supply".. Ive been through too many supply chain crisis events and seen the shelves empty or with little to no options on them too many times.. I wanted to make sure I have a "lifetime" supply for every caliber I own.. if there comes a point in the future where nothing can be found on the shelf again, whether its because of another D getting elected and everyone rushing out to stock up out of fear.. or another Y2K or COVID where people start thinking the end of the world is near, or whatever.. I wont have an issue.. Im set with at least 300+ rounds set aside for calibers I dont shoot a whole lot (like 35 whelen).. and over 1000 rounds set aside for stuff that I shoot regularly (like 308)...

At this point I only reload to sustain the supply.. If between the wife and I we shoot 100 rounds of 308 this year (pretty common between our deer rifles, hog rifles, and a couple of range sessions, etc).. I'll re-load those 100 cases and keep the shelf stock pretty close to 1000 rounds...

What I dont reload for his "high volume" stuff like 556 and 9mm.. its just cheaper and easier to stock up on that stuff when supply chains are full and prices are reasonably low... but.. Im sitting on a "lifetime" supply for those as well.. and whenever I burn through an amount, I just watch for it to go on sale somewhere and replenish whats been burned..

But if the shelves went barren at Academy/Cabelas/Wal-Mart tomorrow.. I'd still have enough to get through the end of my days as long as I wasnt out there going crazy at the range weekly, etc..

I'm waiting for some of my relatives to die....those who have stockpiled for years and years, and whose wives have already said "come and get it" when it happens. Trouble is, I don't want them to go, AND they are too close to my age, so someone else will probably "come and get it."
BTW, that is what my wife also says is going to happen. I tell her she will be burning money if she does!

The prices you guys quote as high would be low here , the last box of 20 gauge I bought was 50$ a box of 300 wm is almost 100$ here.

Tubby’s Canteen said:

The prices you guys quote as high would be low here , the last box of 20 gauge I bought was 50$ a box of 300 wm is almost 100$ here. View attachment 749271

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RELOADING SHOULD BE FOR YOU!!! I wonder if it is OK for you to buy here and go back over the border with COMPONENTS, ONLY?

Is reloading legal in Canada?

steve white said:

RELOADING SHOULD BE FOR YOU!!! I wonder if it is OK for you to buy here and go back over the border with COMPONENTS, ONLY?

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Don’t worry bud I reload, I was just pointing out the difference in regional prices. I’d never be able to keep the amount on ammunition on hand that I do without reloading one it would be cost prohibitive and two I’d never be able to source enough through local suppliers.