This may not be the best place to include this but I have always been curious to how many other people out there actively reload. Seems as though with all the large retailers and thousands of the small mom&pop shop there most be hundred upon thousands of reloaders out there. Any ideas?
- Thread starter chris19210
- Start date
Can't speak for the rest of the world but the vast majority of members of our club here in 29 Palms reload their own ammo. I only know of a few that don't. We have about 400 members.
Very helpful. If only I could get some good input I could build out a demographic map ...I would suspect per capita the midwest has a lot of reloaders. Just a wild guess though. Keep it coming - Thanks.
I guess that depends,
Pre 2008 = less, they were mainly the high vollume and precision shooters.
Post 2008 = Much, much more, it is now a way to FIND ammo. The fad has taken off, enter the internet, forums, etc. And thats not to say thats bad
I think you will see the latter phase away as ammo prices start to come down (Yes they will). The product of time, money and available ammo changes things
Pre 2008 = less, they were mainly the high vollume and precision shooters.
Post 2008 = Much, much more, it is now a way to FIND ammo. The fad has taken off, enter the internet, forums, etc. And thats not to say thats bad
I think you will see the latter phase away as ammo prices start to come down (Yes they will). The product of time, money and available ammo changes things
I think you would find that most precision minded (especially long range) shooters reload as do most involved in competition shooting... the exception being shotgun shooters, maybe. Competition shooting (namely USPSA at the time) is what got me into it as I could not afford to be shooting 250-500 rounds a week leading up to and during the match season. Seems like yesterday, primers were 100 dollars for 5000 and 500 lead handgun bullets could be had for 12-18 dollars a box depending on caliber...
I started reloading a few years ago, mostly just because I had some extra cash and to take my firearm hobby to the next level. Now I'm so glad I did. I don't even bother looking for factory ammo for anything I shoot. I really enjoy reloading too. I'm sure most reloaders will say the same thing.
I completely agree with you rprecision. I reload strictly because of the quality of ammo more than anything. I can only imagine how well companies like Lee has done since 2008-most likely the largest beneficiary of fad reloaders. Where might one find a listing of top competitions and number of attendees? I'm only a recreational shooter-for now.
It seems like most people reload these days. I rarly see anything but 22lr in the brass buckets at my local range. Everyone keeps their own brass. Well on the rifle side. Pistol side its pretty hit or miss. Can tell the new to shooting people who leave brass vs those who collect it. Its not really surprising that more and more people are getting into it. 2008 say ammo become hard to find. This last winter it happened again. People say the prices go up and up which means they look for alternatives...which is reloading. And the internet makes it much more known how simple it can be to make plinking ammo.
The guyi learned reloading from has seen a huge increase in the people wanting to learn. Said he used to (like with me) just have people come by whenever to learn as he reloaded with other guys. Now he actually has classes since theres so many people.
I know for me i got into it for three reasons...1)cost 2) its a hobby and 3) accurate ammo. 1 and 3 sort of go hand in hand for my rifle ammo. 2 well it can just be relaxing to sit and load up 100 rounds after work.
The guyi learned reloading from has seen a huge increase in the people wanting to learn. Said he used to (like with me) just have people come by whenever to learn as he reloaded with other guys. Now he actually has classes since theres so many people.
I know for me i got into it for three reasons...1)cost 2) its a hobby and 3) accurate ammo. 1 and 3 sort of go hand in hand for my rifle ammo. 2 well it can just be relaxing to sit and load up 100 rounds after work.
I drive by your range, frequently. My gf lives there. (if it's the one just north of 29 Palms Hwy, west end of town,Yucca valley, not 29 Palms) Stopped once, gate locked.
As far as the question, I strongly recommend that EVERYONE that owns a centerfire rifle should handload for it. Handguns, optional, but still desirable, especially revolvers. This can't help but increase your knowledge of the shooting sports. BB
PS, I belong to West End Gun Club, 1200 members/what are your dues?
I too have noticed that there is hardly any brass in the buckets at ranges these days, but I think it's for a reason other than people reloading. Commodities, damn near all of them, are through the roof and that includes copper. Where I live, the majority of people picking up brass do so for scrap. I do it as well. I don't reload any rifle brass, excpept for 223, that didn't come out of my rifle, but I picks up every bit that is left unclaimed. At $1.95/lb it doesn't take Long to add up to 500ct box of Sierra 175's. way what you will, but I'm not above going to the scrapyard every 2-3 mos for $175.
I left the range right at dark a few months ago. I was the last one out had to unlock the gate. I was ten miles down the road before I remembered that I left my target out at the 100 yard line. So, I turned around, and went back, unlocked the gate and drove up the road when I noticed three guys with flashlights searching for brass.
I didn't ask, but at least one of them must have been a member otherwise they would have been locked out after "public" hours. A couple days later, I mentioned this to the rangemaster who is a paid employee but is only there between 8:00-4:30 when it's open to the public, for a fee. He said they were taking stuff that belonged to the club, not authorized. Unlike some other comments, above, we normally have a lot of brass scattered all over, inspite of a policy that says you should pick up after yourself. If those guys are regularly cleaning up after hours, it $ might add up fast? But, I never thought I needed buckets of AR brass? However, it is money, right? Somebody told me the local scrap metal dealer won't take cartridge brass? BB
I didn't ask, but at least one of them must have been a member otherwise they would have been locked out after "public" hours. A couple days later, I mentioned this to the rangemaster who is a paid employee but is only there between 8:00-4:30 when it's open to the public, for a fee. He said they were taking stuff that belonged to the club, not authorized. Unlike some other comments, above, we normally have a lot of brass scattered all over, inspite of a policy that says you should pick up after yourself. If those guys are regularly cleaning up after hours, it $ might add up fast? But, I never thought I needed buckets of AR brass? However, it is money, right? Somebody told me the local scrap metal dealer won't take cartridge brass? BB
At the range I go to, probably 40-50% are shooting reloaded ammo. Many of the hunters and most of the AR crowd are shooting factory ammo.
Last edited:
Fuzzball, tell more... I suspect with your >2k post you know more then your sarcastic quip remarks might suggest.
Any suggestions on which manufacturers? Anybody know of any of the owners/managers on the forum?
Well Chris, Let's do some math. According to the census running numbers - there are an estimated 317 million people in the united States. Of that let's take 1% as the number who reload - which would be 3.1 million people. I think that number is too high, but it may represent the number of guys who at least have a Rockchucker or old press in the garage with a set of dies, rounds and a hundred or so primers for the old 06. If we divide 3.1 million by half, we get 1.5 million people (roughly, I am not a math whiz, but I own a calculator and got a high school diploma). I have a hard time believing 1.5 million people regularly reload. I know there are some large shooting populations but, just for fun, we half the number again. We can use a baseline of 700,000 shooters. If we use 10% of 700,000, we get 70,000 regular reloaders for the United States. Would this be a combination of USPSA, active competitors, and high volume shooters nationwide? I don't know, I didn't do a comprehensive survey, I am just playing with a calculator b/c it is raining outside and too foggy to see a target more than thirty yards away. If I divide 70,000 by 50 (representing states) I get 1500 seriously active reloaders per state. It is a number.
It doesn't mean much, but when one thinks about the consumption rate of primers, powder and rounds for all the shooting disciplines, there is no wonder there is a run on items and it is hard to find some stuff.
Companies like Hodgdon, Sierra, RCBS, Lee, they don't release thier numbers to the general public that I am aware of, so I am just guessing.
It doesn't mean much, but when one thinks about the consumption rate of primers, powder and rounds for all the shooting disciplines, there is no wonder there is a run on items and it is hard to find some stuff.
Companies like Hodgdon, Sierra, RCBS, Lee, they don't release thier numbers to the general public that I am aware of, so I am just guessing.
Last edited:
M
milo 2.0
Guest
Interesting way to measure how many, but I've maybe added 2 new presses ot my arsenal In the last five years for a total of around 10 lifetime. So even getting the info might not represent what's actually happening, as compared to new gun owner data, if that's possible.
I kinda laughed at George's post for a minute, thinking he was way under estimating it. Partly because I really don't know anyone that shoots, that doesn't reload, and I'm not talking hunters. But when he states, "active shooters per state", I bet he's on the right track, but the numbers are increasing faster today than anytime in the past. One can't track private dealings, such as older guys passing stuff on to younger guys.
I don't think there is another way, than convincing bullet, primer, powder and ammunition manufacturers to spill their collective guts. I don't care. But, for the sake of curiosity, I have no interest in screwing with George's calculator; as you know, figures lie and liars figure. But, I suspect there are a higher percentage of shooters in Wyoming than California. Where I live in suburbia, I doubt 1% shoot anything, more hit golf and tennis balls. It's hard to believe our sport is growing, but it must be?
Still, it's hard to believe that "they" can't keep up with demand? The rumors of homeland security or other agencies buying up everything in sight seem reasonable, along with secret prisons in Montana, etc. This shortage has been going on for far too long. I'm reasonably sure hoarding is responsible for a lot of it. This is a true story: In my reloading room, I had a shelf fall down, screws pulled out of the wall. Fortunately, it was mostly bullets, but they are heavy. I replaced the shelf with oak, one inch thick, well reinforced, but there you are. Apparently I have more stuff than ever before, and some of those boxes weren't taped shut! BB
Still, it's hard to believe that "they" can't keep up with demand? The rumors of homeland security or other agencies buying up everything in sight seem reasonable, along with secret prisons in Montana, etc. This shortage has been going on for far too long. I'm reasonably sure hoarding is responsible for a lot of it. This is a true story: In my reloading room, I had a shelf fall down, screws pulled out of the wall. Fortunately, it was mostly bullets, but they are heavy. I replaced the shelf with oak, one inch thick, well reinforced, but there you are. Apparently I have more stuff than ever before, and some of those boxes weren't taped shut! BB
"Fuzzball, tell more... I suspect with your >2k post you know more then your sarcastic quip remarks might suggest. "
Nope, that was just my best guess and it's at least as innerlecshul as the question. Now, getting press makers to tell us how many presses they've ever sold could help, especially if we could access the records of a dozen or so brands long gone AND if we could accurately guess how many people have more than one press (I have five) and how many people who have a press are no longer actively reloading. And I must admit my total ingorance on how many reloaders before or after 2008 do anything.
Post count, high or low, does NOT equate any level of knowledge.
Nope, that was just my best guess and it's at least as innerlecshul as the question. Now, getting press makers to tell us how many presses they've ever sold could help, especially if we could access the records of a dozen or so brands long gone AND if we could accurately guess how many people have more than one press (I have five) and how many people who have a press are no longer actively reloading. And I must admit my total ingorance on how many reloaders before or after 2008 do anything.
Post count, high or low, does NOT equate any level of knowledge.
The number of firearm owners has doubled since 2008. That accounts for huge ammo/component demand.
Similar threads
