Who reloads.....and why?

[Tanks]

I have shot 50,000-70,000 rounds year with handguns and used my Dillon 1050 for that. I worked up a load that was accurate and cranked out 10's of thousands at a time.
...

Yeah, my shoulders would hurt after a couple of hours (switching hands), so I said hell with it and paid the $$$. Mark 7 Reloading was also offering $1,500 credit on 1050s towards their Revolution automated loader so that worked pretty well.

I do have a 550 I use for large primer rounds.

 

[falco]

Hello I am reloading due to the choice of shells and the cost of ammunition. The 6.5X68 only produces RWS and only three bullets are available. The price for the cartridge is between 4 and 5 euros. I am loading 120gr on A-Fram and I am very satisfied. The cost of such a load is 1.2 euro. I also load 300 Win mag A Fram 200 gr and Sirocco II 180 gr and 340 Wby Mag. The cost of 340 Wbym Mag ammunition in Europe is 170 euros for 20 rounds. Charging by yourself 230 gr oryx 250 gr in Hornady RN is 1.5 euros. I'm still loading .30-06, 6.5x55SE, 7X64, 9.3X62
Best regards

 

[Timbo]

Like you I started reloading, or in my case have continued reloading - since startng when I was 7 or 8 sitting by my Dad helping, learning, and then progressing to doing every stage of the process myself - to save money. And with 4 siblings on one income our reasoning was quite true back then.

But now I reload predominantly for the greater accuracy that reloading affords. It's very satisfying to reload a cartridge to perform exactly the way your want it to, and upon recovering that bullet, to actually see that it has done so. Also, as many other reloaders have found, their rifle's set-up will shoot most accurately with a particular load combination (case, primer, powder, bullet, it's seating depth etc etc). I've rarely discovered factory ammunition to be so compatible off the shelf, so it then becomes an absorbing challenge to experiment and work out that precise load combination which hits your rifle's sweet spot to give the best accuracy.

With that said, each of my rifles has a particular use, and therefore a particular load that I use religiously - and no other. So given my hunting requirements, I know that when I'm off out, that this rifle and that ammunition is the best combination for the game I'm after.

It's a very satisfying feeling.

 

[Timbo]

Very interesting thought, cut the head off the snake and the rest will die.

Shhhh!! If you don't tell them that, all will be OK!!

 

[Philip Glass]

Just curious. Which of AH's members reload, and why do you reload?

I mean....you probably don't shoot that many .375 Ruger, 416 Remington, .300 weatherby, etc. to make it fiscally viable (or maybe you do?).....at least, not in today's climate.

When I first started reloading, back in the late 70's, I did it to "save money".....or so I convinced myself. I started with the LEE "whack-a-mole" kit in .30/30 Winchester and a MEC 600 jr in 12 gauge. I thought I was saving money, but the fact is.....I was just shooting more. Which isn't a bad thing.

When I started loading for the .30-06 a few years later, it was because I couldn't get factory ammo that was loaded with 165 grain bullets; now EVERYBODY makes 165 grain loads for the 06, but I'm still reloading them.

I started reloading nontoxic and 16 gauge shells because the steel shells I was using were ineffective, and the only 16 gauge shells that I could find were the cheap "promo" loads......using 1 oz of hard or copper plated shot dropped pheasants a lot more efficiently!

But I guess nowadays the main reason I reload is that it's just a relaxing hobby, and gives me something to do while I'm 'on call' for the hospitals and can't get out hunting/shooting/or fishing.......it's sorta the "next best thing". I also cast bullets for some of my cartridges (mostly handgun, but a few rifle).

Things are certainly better today, in some respects. You can order bullets/powder on line, so you don't have to "settle" for what your local gun store has in stock (a big problem when I first started handloading). However, my biggest gripe is that you spend countless amounts of money, time, and effort into working up a good, accurate handload for your rifle, and then the bullet company or powder maker decides to D/C the product you need because they've come out with something "better".

So.......whose reloading?

I too had the Lee loader and the MEC jr when I was a kid back in the 80’s. My Dad taught me the basics and I just got started. I reloaded a lot of 20ga because we had a field by our house and I hunted birds a lot. Well I went off to college and lost interest in reloading.
If I lived in town I would likely reload and clean guns more. I live on a ranch so I just grab a gun and go!
There is a great selection of loaded ammo these days and if I need something custom I call John at Safari Arms.
Philip

 

[JLF]

Surcharge to obtain optimal charges for hunting I will carry out. I optimize the only caliber I handle, the .338 win. mag., for the hunt that I am going to carry out ....