do y'all reload??

I started about 10 years ago, have not bought a box of .45 or .357 since, super fun

 

I don't reload, what are the advantages of it other than better accuracy? Is it cheaper in the long run after initial cost?

 

Tailored ammo for your gun. I never have to bank on ammo manufacturers keeping the same recipe and relying on that in a competition scenario.

I dont do it for cost purposes. It can be cheaper, or it can be more expensive than factory ammo depending on what components you want to use. I have about 60-70 cents in each round of 30-06 I make for example.

 

Heck yeah I do...components (primers) are getting tough to find though and I work at a gun store.....

9mm, 327 Fed Mag, 45 Colt, 300 Win Mag, 6.5 Grendel, 450 Bushmaster and Gods caliber the mighty 45-70 Govt.

 

Yes, 7.62 x 51, .357 magnum for rifle and pistol, .380 acp, .300 win. mag, and 5.56.

Any body else use the optimal charge weight testing tree?

7.62x51 is my favorite round.

 

There are several advantages, self reliance being the primary one. There is no such thing as an 'ammo shortage' if you properly prepare. I meaure my ammo by the pound, not the round. A .50 cal ammo can of 45 is about 80 lbs, a 30 cal can of .357 is about 30. Also, it's a hobby all on it's own, something to take pride in.

I'm lucky to be able to shoot often on nearby BLM land. My initial cost was less than $300 for a Lee progressive that is not so progressive anymore as I had prime and hand powder load. Not counting the expense for brass, I can crank out full power FMJ .357 mag for 18 cents a round and 800 fps plated .45acp for 15 cents. I taylor a 'rifle' .357 mag load with Blue Dot that is crazy accurate and good for the local Mule Deer at 100y

 

true

I stock up throughout the year, buy some component or another everytime I see them on sale (or not) at the local stores. I've got 2000+ .357 mag cases & components ready to go. I do .357 mag one year and 45acp the next

 

In addition on a bolt action rifle cartridge, the case expands to fit your chamber exactly, then you can neck size only, the cases last longer and are more accurate, but are NOT interchangeable to other rifles without full length resizing.
Using the O.C.W. method you can make rounds that hit in the same spot on hot or cold days. Basically it finds the sweet spot of chamber pressure for that case, powder, primer, bullet, barrel combo and gives you a very consistent push. It makes you very confident in where your round will hit.

 

I have a marlin lever .357 mag rifle, I love what you can do with it, and hand loads.

 

Same here, I've got brass coming out of my a.....ears. But I still feel the need for more of everything....you know...just in case

 

it's a sickenss !

 

158g XTP over Blue Dot, super accurate out of my rifles and a nice cheek-smack outof this one

 

I actually loathe doing it. But if you want to shoot milsurps with any hope of consistent accuracy youve gotta reload.

 

Sweet rifle.

I will look in my note book after work.
I don't trust my old man memory. Lol.

 

Yep. 6.5, 308, 223 and 223ai.

 

16x14 reloading room , 5 presses , 1347 folgers cans... haha

 

No, but I need to. I have access to a single press at my FiL house for nearly every round that I have as well. Plus he has several notebooks with his own hand loads and why. He was meticulous in his notes.

I have seen on a few other sites where people posted their pet load per a particular rifle and why. This has always intrigued me. XX gram of brand X powder, XXX grain of a particular bullet, brand X primer, and only good for a particular caliber in a particular twist and length barrel.

 

The original photo my avatar came from



I had written 1983 on the lid when I bought that 12 lb. keg of Red Dot. Thought it would last so long that I wouldn't be able to recall when I bought it LOL. It did last a couple of years though. They stopped selling 12 pound kegs soon after that and went to 8 lb. plastic containers of powder.

Rock Chucker from the mid 70's bought new is still kicking out rifle rounds.

Dillion 650 for pistol. Because single stage for high volume reloading sucks. Besides what guy in their right mind doesn't like the Dillion calender's and Blue Press?



2 MEC 9000 in 12 ga. one hooked up to one of Ben's first automates which he sold the patent to MEC and is now the MEC 9000E (electric). 20 ga. MEC 9000 and another in 16 ga. Only load for the 16 last few years, you can buy factory ammo on sale for what it cost me to load anymore. Except the 16, 28 and 410. But back when a 25 lb. bag of lead was less then $10 you could really save some money when shooting 10K rounds or more a year at clays.

 

I reload .44 Mag, .44 Russian, .45 ACP, .308, and .223

It's nice not having to navigate California's stupid anti ammo laws.

 

I do, but not as often as I'd like. When I move and have a real garage, it will be something i do a lot.