As the title says I'm ready to dive into the world of reloading. I've done a lot of research and looked at lots of equipment. It seems that prices are fairly high on a lot of the equipment. So my question is should I just bite the bullet and jump in or do ya'll see prices settling back down? Pandemics, scares, and election years suck when it comes to prices.
- Thread starter smokey24_24
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I don’t think reloading equip follows the market much. What we have seen in the last few years is a huge surge in very high end gear. Like $1000 presses, multi thousand dollar powder throwers, etc.
You don’t need to go NASA spec to load good ammo though.
You don’t need to go NASA spec to load good ammo though.
I get pretty damn good results with affordable equipment.
My entire reloading setup is possibly less than $1500
My entire reloading setup is possibly less than $1500
I agree, and I’m in the same boat as far as my gear costs. I could make a pretty solid case that my results on target improved when I dumped all the BR loading bullshit and concentrated on the shooting.
The short answer to your question: For good equipment, prices are fairly stable. You're making a long-term investment, so price difference amortized over decades is essentially meaningless. If you're ready to start now, buy what your budget allows and Do Not Look Back.
Put another way... there is a big price difference between an RCBS Rock Chucker single-stage and a Dillon RL550 progressive. Both are capable of turning out excellent ammo for a lifetime. But the Dillon is going to allow you to do more, faster, than the RC ever can. So, over a period of ten years or more, is the extra cost of the Dillon really meaningful when speed and convenience are factored in?
That statement is predicated on loading bulk pistol and rifle ammo as well as precision rifle. Compared with loading bulk pistol, loading ANY rifle ammo is a pita because of case prep/lube requirements. But don't let anyone tell you a single-stage press is a necessity for precision rifle loads. With properly prepped brass, my 6.5CM and .223 loads come off my 1996-vintage RL550B with 0.002" or less runout and OAL length differential, and it's getting better as I gain more experience with precision rifle cartridge loading (which I've only been doing on the 550 for about a year). If you haven't seen them, Dillon has a number of calculators on their web site to help figure out price per round, break-even points, etc.
Put another way... there is a big price difference between an RCBS Rock Chucker single-stage and a Dillon RL550 progressive. Both are capable of turning out excellent ammo for a lifetime. But the Dillon is going to allow you to do more, faster, than the RC ever can. So, over a period of ten years or more, is the extra cost of the Dillon really meaningful when speed and convenience are factored in?
That statement is predicated on loading bulk pistol and rifle ammo as well as precision rifle. Compared with loading bulk pistol, loading ANY rifle ammo is a pita because of case prep/lube requirements. But don't let anyone tell you a single-stage press is a necessity for precision rifle loads. With properly prepped brass, my 6.5CM and .223 loads come off my 1996-vintage RL550B with 0.002" or less runout and OAL length differential, and it's getting better as I gain more experience with precision rifle cartridge loading (which I've only been doing on the 550 for about a year). If you haven't seen them, Dillon has a number of calculators on their web site to help figure out price per round, break-even points, etc.
There is nothing out there equipment (or component) wise that is being priced high due to current events.
All depends on your goals. How much time do you want to spend on “perfect” ammo? Do you require that type of ammo? If you spend the time on it, will it cut into your shooting time?
All depends on your goals. How much time do you want to spend on “perfect” ammo? Do you require that type of ammo? If you spend the time on it, will it cut into your shooting time?
- Mar 15, 2018
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Good sound advice so far in this post; I think the recurring theme that will begin to resonate is “Why are you reloading?” If you’re a high volume pistol shooter then there are good recommendations that can be made, on the other hand if you are reloading for precision rifle because you want to compete (or at least compete against yourself), then that will conjure up a whole different set of recommendations. If, like me, you want to get into reloading for the sake of reloading itself, even a third set of suggestions could be made and so forth. What are your goals?
Here is a good deal on everything you need to get started....
www.midwayusa.com
Lyman Ultimate Reloading Press Kit System
The Lyman Ultimate Reloading System is the only kit you’ll ever need! Outfit an entire reloading bench with premium products designed to...
www.midwayusa.com 6.5 Creedmoor will be primary ammo I reload. Might dabble in some .300 blackout. Only other rounds I shoot are 9mm and .223/.556 and those don't appear reloading.
This makes a lot of sense. I'll check out the Dillon website. Thanks!
I probably won't ever get into competitions as time won't allow for that.My primary purpose is to make quality rounds for my 6.5 Creedmoor precision rifle. Secondary would be to pump out ammo for .300 blackout and 9mm if it's worth it ??
Awesome, thank you.Here is a good deal on everything you need to get started....
Lyman Ultimate Reloading Press Kit System
The Lyman Ultimate Reloading System is the only kit you’ll ever need! Outfit an entire reloading bench with premium products designed to...
Gotcha....in addition to the above reloading kits,you will need measurement tools to set up confirm things like shoulder bump, bullet seating depth, case overall length, etc.
I’d also recommend purchasing two pairs of dial calipers, Hornadygauge with their headspace comparator set & a modified case for 6.5 creedmoor, a good bullet comparator. I’d also advise getting a good reloading manual (I use Berger and Sierra) as they have a lot of good info on reloading methods and practices.
Here are my versions of the above mentioned measurement tools:
hope this helps...please feel free to ask questions as you need to...reloading is fun (at least for me) but there is a lot of information to absorb when you’re first starting out...
Thanks, I appreciate the help. Looking forward to getting started and having a little fun with it.
IMHO, reloading really benefits your pockets when you are shooting rifles as quality factory ammunition is $1.25 to $2 each. As for pistol, you would have to shoot a good amount for it to be any benefit as you can usually find 9mm ammo pretty cheap.
Yes, there is an initial cost set-up just like anything else, but think of it like this. How many rounds of 6.5 CM or 300 Blackout do you shoot monthly or yearly? If it's only a few boxes of each, then I would say it's probably not worth collecting up all the equipment and your time. If you're shooting a few hundred rounds monthly or even yearly then it may be worth looking at a complete RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme kit or even a Lee set-up as you could cut your cost down to .50 to .75 cents per bullet.
First, I would defiantly recommend either going to your local library or Amazon and picking up a how-to reloading guide. It's better to spend $15 to $20 and see if it's for you before you sink hundreds or thousands into something for you to find out you do not have the time or patience.
Also, another opportunity to find reloading equipment is used, either locally or via websites like this. RCBS, Hornady, Dillion, etc all make solid equipment that holds value fairly well and can be used for a long time.
Reloading is a rabbit hole, I am not about to talk you into or out of it. If you have the time and coin, it is a decent hobby. I started 34 yrs ago, I do not have one original anything left today, it has all been upgraded time and time again.
I mean crap, I have a Giraud trimmer and now want a Henderson, and I really don't trim brass unless it is absolutely needed. I try buy enough brass to get 3-4 firings from one barrel, recycle it.
I mean crap, I have a Giraud trimmer and now want a Henderson, and I really don't trim brass unless it is absolutely needed. I try buy enough brass to get 3-4 firings from one barrel, recycle it.
The number 1 worst reason to get into loading your own ammo:
To save money
To save money
Uuuuhhh, if you shoot 9mm and .223, those calibers are where you'll end up saving the most, assuming you put any value on your time at all.
Again, go to the Dillon web site and find the cost-per-round calculator and the break-even calculator. These will show you the cost per round when you factor in powder, primers, bullets, and brass. Then you can see how long it takes for your cost savings to pay for the equipment you've bought.
BUT: As several have said here, you are quite unlikely to save money because you will shoot more. With that said:
This is where pistol reloading on a progressive press leaps to an early and growing lead in the cost-savings department. I don't pay much attention to "sale" prices for bulk 9mm blaster ammo, but my understanding is $0.16-18 per round ($8-9 per box of 50) is good, and that does NOT include any tax or shipping charges that might be added.
For equivalent reloads, I'm "paying" about $0.11 per round, all tax and shipping included. For top-quality jacketed hollow point rounds (which are the most accurate in my competition pistols, used in the occasional USPSA-style match where the MD throws in a half-IPSC at 100 yards or somesuch), it's about $0.15-17. I NEVER have to pay for 9mm brass because I can pick up buckets of it at the ranges to which I belong. Brass prep consists of pitching it into a tumbler for an hour or two -with a carbide resize die, you do not need to lube the cases. AFTER my rounds are loaded, I run every single one through a Wilson case gauge; those that don't "plonk" easily into the gauge go into the "Glock only" jar. Rationale: my competition pistols have tight chambers which require external SAAMI-spec sizing. Service pistols like Glock, Sig, etc. are designed to be, above all else, reliable, so their chambers will easily accept out-of-spec rounds that jam my match guns so tight that I risk breaking extractors to clear them - ask me how I know this. Anyway, repeatedly firing brass in service pistols can expand the case head (solid part of the brass with the extractor groove and primer pocket) fairly quickly, and normal size dies (steel or carbide) will NOT get expanded heads back into spec reliably if at all.
Anyway, once you're set up and rolling with a Dillon 550, you can easily crank out 200 rounds an hour. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the ads say double or triple that rate. Yeah. Read the fine print and see what it takes to achieve that rate. Some people can run a mile in four minutes. So they can honestly say they can run 15 miles PER hour, but they damn sure don't run 15 miles IN an hour. If you want to load crap-tons of ammo faster, you can step up to the 750 or 1050 which are more automated (and expensive), but I've never heard of anyone loading precision rifle ammo on these. That doesn't mean it isn't done
Loading .223 can be almost as fast except for the case prep (trim, lube, post-reload "un-lube"). Bulk .223 ammo "sale" price seems to be good at about $0.30 per round. Using range brass and bulk 55-grain bullets, my per-round price is half that. I can load precision .223 with the best of match bullets for the same or minimally more than the price of bulk factory ammo (again, assuming I use "free" or heavily-amortized premium brass loaded many times).
For loading precision rifle ammo on a progressive press like the 550, there are plenty of descriptions of how to do that. I use a "hybrid" process with two different tool heads. Not as fast as true progressive reloading, but way faster than a single stage.
More confusion for your decision process! Good luck.
EDIT: The reason I expounded at length on progressive press for pistol/bulk ammo is speed. You can save the same amount per round on a single-stage press but, after you've run the same piece of brass through the single-stage press at least twice and handled it at least three times to get a single finished cartridge, you'll say reloading is NOT worth the cost savings because it takes so bleeping long.
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Yea I get that...it's more about saving money on QUALITY ammo. If I can make match grade ammo for my 6.5 creedmoor for .50-.70 cents or so then I'd prefer that over paying the same .50-.70 cents for cheap ammo. My ammo budget wouldn't change but I'd be getting better quality for the same price I spend now...if I understand everything I've read correctly.
It seems I've been corrected on 9mm and .223 as well. Thank you for the information, it really does help a lot.
At this moment, 223 and 9mm are far from cheap. About 2 months ago, things went sideways, and I highly doubt anything will change before the election.
As was also mentioned above, reloading is a rabbit hole. If you can keep the addiction under control - not an easy accomplishment - and make wise spending decisions early, there are savings/quality advantages to be had.
Be aware that getting the "optimal" components to load a given caliber can be a real challenge. Two main reasons:
- Whenever there is some kind of political or social upheaval, reloading components for the most common calibers disappear same as factory ammo. So, one best stock up when components are available.
- Powder companies make various kinds periodically, not continually. So, it's not uncommon that really popular powders just disappear even in "normal" times as the end of a cycle approaches. When something triggers a panic, stuff gets scarce faster.
So, for example, I started loading both 6.5CM and .223 about a year ago. I have been able to stay supplied with H4350 for 6.5CM. But, I have never been able to find Varget or IMR-8208, so I ended up trying H335, CFE-223, and a couple of others.
Also, keep in mind that a lot of the most frequent posters here want to wring every last inch per second of velocity possible out of their loads and thus gravitate to the powders that allow that - see preceding paragraph. That doesn't mean that the more "mundane" or unknown powders won't give you amazing ammo....
... aaannddd down the rabbit hole you go. You'll meet all kinds of weirdness down here...
Election cycles suck...they sure screw up guns and ammo prices.
Coronavirus was the trigger, now riots. I can only pray it is liberal POS buying guns and ammo for the first time.
I've seen this in my area with equipment flying off the shelf. I'm totally fine with really great ammo that doesn't have to squeeze out every last inch per second of velocity. I'm ready for the election to pass so that things get back to normal....hopefully...at which point I will certainly do a better job of stocking up.
For high volume pistol shooting and maybe high volume .223 , a progressive press like a Dillon is the answer. I have loaded about 500,000 rounds on a Dillon 650. For rifle, I mainly now load 6.5 Creedmoor, .223, and .308 and have all of the dies in a Redding T7 turret press. My reloads are at least as good as any premium factory ammo.
From one new reloader to another. The rabbit hole is deep but it's a fun ride. Always a regular shooter and general plinker. Then, I got into into PRS (6.5/6/.308)and USPSA (9mm/.45ACP). Buying precision shelf ammo is expensive. Buying bulk run and gun 'target' ammo is expensive. I didn't get into reloading to save money. I got into it because I wanted to control the 'deviations' of the factory ammo and because I genuinely like the hobby.
That being said, I will suggest what was suggested to me and tell you to start with a used single stage and start loading your rifle cartridges first. I have both a single stage and a progressive. The single stage was much easier to control newbie variables. The single stage, to me, was methodical. I had to perform each reloading stage multiple times to each and every cartridge...deprime, resize, prime, weigh/insert powder, seat bullet. It was easy in the sense that repetition was focused on one stage each and every time for each cartridge. I learned, very quickly, what not to do. I started to see and feel what was correct.
My progressive press was not as easy of a learning curve. There is a lot going on at the same time. If you do not know what to look for it makes for a painstakingly process. Trust me, I learned the hard way but the experience was a great teacher. Essentially, I again, learned from my mistakes. However, once a progressive press is 'properly' set up it is absolutely awesome and so damn gratifying. They haul ass. You will save money on ammo (you can't count your time lol) loading 9, 45, 223.
The take away....reloading is a hobby you can do forever (sans government interference and material availability). It's enjoyable to build and shoot your own ammo. Most ancillary equipment can be used for both single stage and progressive presses (tumbler, media separator, dies, scale, powder dispenser, calipers, case prep station, etc) It can be fairly inexpensive or pretty damn expensive to get started. I suggest listening to the experienced posters and continue your research. Check out Youtube as well.
That being said, I will suggest what was suggested to me and tell you to start with a used single stage and start loading your rifle cartridges first. I have both a single stage and a progressive. The single stage was much easier to control newbie variables. The single stage, to me, was methodical. I had to perform each reloading stage multiple times to each and every cartridge...deprime, resize, prime, weigh/insert powder, seat bullet. It was easy in the sense that repetition was focused on one stage each and every time for each cartridge. I learned, very quickly, what not to do. I started to see and feel what was correct.
My progressive press was not as easy of a learning curve. There is a lot going on at the same time. If you do not know what to look for it makes for a painstakingly process. Trust me, I learned the hard way but the experience was a great teacher. Essentially, I again, learned from my mistakes. However, once a progressive press is 'properly' set up it is absolutely awesome and so damn gratifying. They haul ass. You will save money on ammo (you can't count your time lol) loading 9, 45, 223.
The take away....reloading is a hobby you can do forever (sans government interference and material availability). It's enjoyable to build and shoot your own ammo. Most ancillary equipment can be used for both single stage and progressive presses (tumbler, media separator, dies, scale, powder dispenser, calipers, case prep station, etc) It can be fairly inexpensive or pretty damn expensive to get started. I suggest listening to the experienced posters and continue your research. Check out Youtube as well.
I feel like that's what everyone new to reloading says. "I'll save money." "I don't want to spend too much."
That how I felt when I bought the most basic stuff. Upgraded my single stage press, upgraded all my dies to more quality ones, automated powder dispensers, etc. etc. There's always someway to upgrade. I find myself browsing Brownells when I'm bored.
I know I can be making even better ammo, but I think the best part so far has just been the satisfaction. The time spent reloading, making sure everything comes out the same. Seeing groups tighten up when I switched from factory ammo to making my own match ammo. I just got a group down to 0.4" for 5 shots at 100 yards (6.5CM). Only been shooting for a couple years but I'm super thrilled. It's a sense of pride of putting in hard work and getting good results.
That how I felt when I bought the most basic stuff. Upgraded my single stage press, upgraded all my dies to more quality ones, automated powder dispensers, etc. etc. There's always someway to upgrade. I find myself browsing Brownells when I'm bored.
I know I can be making even better ammo, but I think the best part so far has just been the satisfaction. The time spent reloading, making sure everything comes out the same. Seeing groups tighten up when I switched from factory ammo to making my own match ammo. I just got a group down to 0.4" for 5 shots at 100 yards (6.5CM). Only been shooting for a couple years but I'm super thrilled. It's a sense of pride of putting in hard work and getting good results.
I've been told this and will be starting with a single stage press. The experience and learning is worth the extra time. Appreciate the tips.
That's awesome, can't wait to get it all rolling and tightening up those groups like that.
Dont underestimate some older, used gear. I started with a old (and really cheap) Pacific press and still use it for decapping, etc. Its a rock solid press. I have an older Ohaus scale from ebay that I had calibrated and still use it to double check my chargemaster. You'll learn the process and better understand what, and why, you need something to either do more volume faster or improved your precision when the time comes to drop the big bucks.
The number 1 best reason to get into reloading your own ammo:
To tell your wife you will save money
What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.
when you start to buy all the equipment you are going to get please write back in what you ended up getting . I also want to start reloading but get lost in all the different things you could end up buying .
Hornady lock n load single stage press kit will get you going minus the measuring tools that you’ll need.
Calipers.
hornady comparator. + insert for caliber
Hornady oal tool + insert for caliber
Bullet puller just incase. If you go slow when seating you’ll hardly need one.
dies for the caliber you’re shooting. I recommend Redding fl bushing die for sizing. I’m using a hornady custom grade microjust seating die.
Get yourself some mtm cartridge boxes for storage and to hold rounds for the trip to the range.
The scale will probably be your first upgrade after awhile.
I just bought the rcbs chargemaster lite on sale from Natchez for $219. I really like it.
I can seat bullets while it’s dropping the next charge.
You don’t need one right away but a chronograph is pretty helpful for sd and es numbers to know you have a good consistent load.
This is just my route I went and what works for me. You can upgrade as you go. I use a Dillion 550 for pistol reloading. Good luck we’re here if you need us. let us know how it goes.
Calipers.
hornady comparator. + insert for caliber
Hornady oal tool + insert for caliber
Bullet puller just incase. If you go slow when seating you’ll hardly need one.
dies for the caliber you’re shooting. I recommend Redding fl bushing die for sizing. I’m using a hornady custom grade microjust seating die.
Get yourself some mtm cartridge boxes for storage and to hold rounds for the trip to the range.
The scale will probably be your first upgrade after awhile.
I just bought the rcbs chargemaster lite on sale from Natchez for $219. I really like it.
I can seat bullets while it’s dropping the next charge.
You don’t need one right away but a chronograph is pretty helpful for sd and es numbers to know you have a good consistent load.
This is just my route I went and what works for me. You can upgrade as you go. I use a Dillion 550 for pistol reloading. Good luck we’re here if you need us. let us know how it goes.
Thanks, I am looking into the Hornady Lock n load kit. Definitely prefer a single stage kit to start with.
I particularly like it for the lock n load inserts. Have you checked out gavintube on YouTube. I don’t think anyone will ever do a video quite like this with so many presses in one video reviewed. Very helpful.
Just started collecting reloading equipment to start from scratch after doing it for 15 years in Florida. So far, nothing has arrived in the mail yet and I’m already close to $1k invested and I haven’t even bought dies or measuring tools yet.
