Reloding

I have a few questions. I have been shooting for a while now and i pick up my brass but i do not reload, i want to reload what i have collected up to date but i am npt sure how i can go about it. Im in socal and there is ammobros but i have not gone and asked if they would do it. So my question is if there is anyone out there in socal that would reload this rounds for me. Or should i just go straight to ammobros?

 

People generally don't (re)load ammo for other people for liability reasons. If person A reloaded ammo for person B, and there was a catastrophic failure such that person B's firearm was damaged/destroyed and person B was injured, person A is pretty much open to lawsuits if person B was so inclined.

We can get into murky waters about reloading for personal use vs reloading for financial (commercial) gain and how that enters manufacturing (06 or 07 FFL).

Stick to buying commercial ammo until you get a press and go through the process of learning to reload. Frankly, it's not difficult at all, but it gets daunting if you don't understand the process. I honestly feel the NRA Guide to Reloading is one of the best ground up guides on the fundamentals:

http://materials.nrahq.org/go/product.aspx?productid=EF 13527

I probably spent about $1500-$2000 (excluding cartridge components, and various consumables - die lube, tumbling media) on all the reloading related equipment ever since I started making my own ammo in 2002. I started on the bare minimum reloading to save money (.45ACP) for a couple hundred bucks, and progressed to reloading for accuracy and volume (.223 for High Power Service Rifle competition).

 

Yep, I can reload for a friend, I can't reload for any form of compensation. I believe 1 round qualifies you for a visit from the feds. Not all calibers are really worth the time to reload if you only shoot now and then. It takes a lot of rounds to break even on the startup costs. If you're not worried about savings and only want to chase accuracy or downrange performance, cost is a moot issue.

I've been reloading since I was 20'ish, reload every caliber I shoot. I don't shoot that often anymore so I don't reload often either. Basic reloading is a simple process with a single stage press, start at a and go to z.

 

I reload, and it's a hobby that I really enjoy. I've only been reloading for 4 years or so, and I can assure you that I am by no means an expert. The first piece of "equipment" I purchased was a copy of the Lyman 49th Edition Reloading Handbook. If you are considering reloading your own ammunition, then I would encourage you to pick up and read a manual such as the Lyman. I learned a lot about the reloading process from reading the manuals.

 

Definitely pick up up a Lyman 49 reloading guide. I'd look for a used rcbs rock chucker or other single stage press to start off with. PM me with any qurstions.

 

If you decide to pick up reloading, start small and upgrade in the areas that need upgrading as your skills and knowledge increase. Do not start with a progressive rig. Learn the do's and dont's and how and why of each step with a single stage press before digging into a progressive.

You will probably find that case prep is the most time consuming part. Once you nail down that aspect, you may discover that you never had a need for anything more than that old single stage or turret press you bought to learn on.

 

I'm sure you should be able to find someone in your area that reloads and would be willing to show you how. It's actually pretty easy, but you must pay attention to details. Some mistakes aren't fixable.

I started reloading when I was 14 or 15. I don't save money by reloading, I shoot a lot more. If you don't shoot in volume, or don't want to, it may not be worthwhile to reload. I shoot many rounds that are almost impossible to find and a few wildcats, so reloading is a must for me. Plus I like to load some specialty rounds that just don't come in factory form.

Good Luck.

 

Yep, it's pretty straight forward for most rounds. If you shoot 20 rounds a year, you'll never break even on set up costs. You won't likely break even paying someone to load for you either. The good part even if you don't shoot much, you can load premium rounds for less than cheap rounds at the store. My hunting rounds would be $2-3 a bang, costs me about .50 if I had to guess. But I've been loading for close to 2 decades, the only time I buy new is if I start a new caliber and need dies.

 

Reloading is very simple actually, just follow your recipe, check it between at least 2 sources and go for it. What you are reloading will drive the amount of attention to detail required. When I was competing in USPSA, I was shooting 2000 rounds a month of 9mm major. I utilize a progressive press which allows me to produce 500 rounds per hour. When you are shooting and reloading that much you find out what is needed to be safe and what corners can be cut. Case prep is important for benchrest and hunting rounds, but not as important for pistols. For my pistol brass I dont ever trim.

Reloading can be dangerous yes, but I have found that the biggest risk occurs with a double charge or no charge. Small variations between loads is generally negligible. With that said, when you are starting out, ensure that you use popular recipes before striking out on your own.