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Why Handload?

idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
edited January 2002 in General Discussion
I've met people with varying reasons for handloading. I was wondering what the most popular reason is. Some do it to save money and others do it to work up the load that is "just right" for their purpose. What is your reason for handloading? For those of you that do it for economical reasons, how many rounds would you have to handload before the activity pays for the equipment that you have purchased?
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Comments

  • will270winwill270win Member Posts: 4,845
    edited November -1
    I do it for the less than 1/2" gruops I get with a Remington PSS of the bench. Damn, the bullets and the gun do the work, I get the credit.
    Eat healthy, exercise, avoid smoking........Die anyway. will270win@aol.com ~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
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  • badboybobbadboybob Member Posts: 1,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I do it as part of my gun hobby. And yes it saves a bundle. Consider firing 5,000 rounds a year in various calibers at 8 cents a round max. And that's using fmj bullets. I don't use lead bullets any more because of the mess they make on the reloading bench and at the range.
    PC=BS
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Does anyone make factory ammo for Lazzeroni rifles (Specifially, Lazzeroni Patriot)? I bought a press but haven't started. I'm waiting for a friend to step me through it and to read more on the subject.
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I do it for the accuracy. The money savings is nice, but I would pay MORE for smaller groups. The cheaper cost just adds to the sweetness of it all.
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  • HEAVYDUTYHEAVYDUTY Member Posts: 2 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Cause I like to roll my own it's fun.
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  • IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Idsman, anyone w/ your demonstrated intelligence can do it on his own just by reading the manual and following the steps / safety precautions described therein. Why do I reload? (A) Save money (B) Satisfaction (C) Better [often] than factory (D) Customized loads to particular need / firearm (E) Ammo unavailable. Man, when you hunt / target shoot w/ your own ammo & do well, it is some kind of feeling! Especially when you know you have better stuff for a fraction of the cost.
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Iconoclast--After the day that I just had at work(basking in feelings of utter stupidity)that was one heck of a compliment. I'm picking up a workbench at Menards this weekend and then some other goodies to get started. However, I am going to get some lessons from the more experienced first. It was only a few years ago that I realized that grandpa's shotgun should never be loaded or fired with modern shotshells. Little GLARING realizations like this along the path of firearms enthusiasm make me wary of starting this hobby without a proper mentor watching over me for the first little part of the way.
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  • groundhog devastationgroundhog devastation Member Posts: 4,495
    edited November -1
    The Thrill of the Muzzle Blast!! I loaded it, I shot it, I hit what I was aiming at!! It wouldn't be the same if you walked into a #$%^&*Wally World and bought it and then shot it!! Also you would think you saved a whole bunch of money. You forget you paid 18.99 for the 100 bullets 21.00 for the 1000 primers and 20.29# for the powder. You saved money and had fun doing it!!! That's why we reload!!!
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  • Dave3Dave3 Member Posts: 106 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Better groups, It's very relaxing and I hear it saves money. Groundhog is right you put it all together and then you hit what you where aiming at.
    "Protect the Right to Protect yourself"
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  • groundhog devastationgroundhog devastation Member Posts: 4,495
    edited November -1
    Dave, Thanks for the approval! Wait till you get to cut your own chamber to .0001 tolerance and centered to .0001 with the bore and then shoot it!! I can't change how the hole was bored but I can get to the center of it. The factories will never take the time to do that!!!
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  • Dave3Dave3 Member Posts: 106 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Groundhog, That's all foreign to me what are you talking about and how?
    "Protect the Right to Protect yourself"
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  • robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I believe for me it is pretty simple, save money, as has been mentioned, but making loads that you cant buy is the primary reason. I like to be able to load up what ever I feel would be best for the occasion when ever I feel the need. If the stores not open, so what, if someone says 'we no longer sell ammo', so what. The ammo I load isnt available anywhere, and you cant top my load.Try finding a 160gr. Barnes X bullet for a .338 Win Mag. I load for a lot of calibers, but very seldom do it anymore, only when I feel the need to go hunting usually. I spend a lot of time shooting rimfire for practice. I've actually got a lot of equipment that I dont use much, but its here if I need it.
    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
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  • daddodaddo Member Posts: 3,408
    edited November -1
    I originaly started reloading to save money however; I found that I began shooting 1/2" groups instead of 2" factory groups- so I load for all the guns now. I also needed something to do around here when the weather is cold and rainy or 110 degrees and being outside don't cut it. It's great to load your own and know what your getting.
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  • Shootist3006Shootist3006 Member Posts: 4,171
    edited November -1
    Groundhog, find a new source!! You are paying WAY too much for components. Try http://www.midwayusa.com/ for a start,another would be www.lockstock.com . Primers are best bought at a gunshow, anything over $14 per 1000 is too high.You might also join together with a few friends and buy in bulk to really save.
    Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem.Semper Fidelis[This message has been edited by Shootist3006 (edited 01-18-2002).][This message has been edited by Shootist3006 (edited 01-19-2002).][This message has been edited by Shootist3006 (edited 01-19-2002).]
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  • kimberkidkimberkid Member Posts: 8,858 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well I $tarted reloading becau$e I wa$ $eeing friend$ with 1/2" group$ with their AR-15'$ ... they told me they really dont $ave any money loading their own becau$e they $hoot twice a$ much ...
    GUN CONTROL: If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention!kimberkid@gunbroker.zzn.com
    If you really desire something, you'll find a way ?
    ? otherwise, you'll find an excuse.
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  • rrfhunterrrfhunter Member Posts: 187 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I started reloading to save money but quickly figured out that it wasn't me or the rifles that were the problem! When you've only ever shot 2-3" groups you think you're lousy. But your first 1/2 inch group and you'll be hooked. You can throw a lighter charge for a hard kicker.But then my kids got to be 13 and expensive. They didn't APPRECIATE how much time, money and work was involved. Now they wash cars. 2 cars=1 box bullets 3cars= 1#powder. All the tedious functions ie:primer pockets,wiping lube, they do. I set the dies and throw the powder charges. They don't blow off ammo willy-nilly, they go for groups. My 13 year old daughter got her first buck this year with her 243 and valued what bullet performance meant. She was pretty impressed when she pulled out its lungs and saw a perfect 1 1/2" hole through each of them. Spending a couple of hours together talking is a pretty huge advantage.I guess I couldn't buy any of those things at Wal-mart....
    ....I never met a gun I didn't like!
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  • muleymuley Member Posts: 1,583 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I began reloading back in the early 1960s because the factory ammo at that time sucked,in my opinion, but I couldn't shoot a 6" group at 100 yds to save my life. When my groups tightened down to under an inch, I was hooked. All of a sudden, it was a lot of fun and it saved money. I don't know if it saves money nowadays, but who cares?rrfhunter...did you make that call?Muley
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  • sandman2234sandman2234 Member Posts: 894 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I guess I am like Kimberkid, the more money I save on ammo, the more ammo I am going to shoot. Therefore, no appreciable savings. So if your going to load to put money in a savings account for the purchase of your next gun (or refriderator) FORGET IT I don't load most of the time, but my time at the house is a little less than most. Now if I could set up the press at my desk in the sleeper, I could do it while I was away, and then it would be great. Wonder what D.O.T. would say if they pulled me over and I had a couple thousand rounds in the sleeper, plus a couple pounds of powder, primers.....hmmmmm. How do you spell TROUBLE
    Have Gun, will travel
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  • VarmintmistVarmintmist Member Posts: 1,074 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    and I wish I had one of the really good ones scanned inidsman, If you are unsure, RTFM, (Read The F****n Manuel) seriously, get a reloading BOOK first. I think the Hornady handbook is one of the simplest to follow. Moderen Reloading, by Lee is also a good one. Read all of the intro, then look at the load data, then come here and we'll make fun of you there is never a stupid question, some are just funnier to other parties. Honestly, dont be shy, those who reload have been there, ASK THE QUESTION.
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  • 218Beekeep218Beekeep Member Posts: 3,033
    edited November -1
    ids,them Bees ain`t cheap!!I also have rifles in:303 Savage300 Savage250 Savage375 Win.45-70 Gov.32-20Win.These are a just few of the calibers I have,that I cant just go down the road and buy.It`s real nice to go to a show,see a guy there who has a bunch of bullets for $4.00 a box,that he bought from an estate or somethin..and you just start goin nuts buyin` stuff from him.The guy across the ile from my table,last show I did,comes over and says "got somethin for ya"four sets of dies for $10.I`m talkin 284 Win.,7-MM-Rem.Mag.,44Mag.,etc.I can think of no better investment use of a ten spot,than 4 sets of dies.Of course theres accuracy,etc..but also,I have this little voice in my head,whisperin`,sshhhh,sshhhh,the liberals are waiting to pass a law ,makin` it harder to buy ammo .218
    Did somebody say somethin` about bees?
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  • biganimalbiganimal Member Posts: 135 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    some guys will say there is no savings in reloading. them boys have never bought ammo for a 404 jefferies or a 416 rigby or a 264 win mag.....the list goes on....I reload for accuracy AND $$$$$ last box of store bought 416 rigby cost me over $45 on sale....
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  • wuffmanwuffman Member Posts: 6 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I havce to say I learned to reload because of Y2K. I also learned to cast my own bullets too. I do it now because I find it enjoyable. I cast bullets for several friends and trade cast bulets for powder/primmers/brass. i get my lead/ww for free too so I bet most of my rounds I load are costing me less than .05 each. I am alos finding it hard to find 303 rounds not that are non-corosive or SP. i just got 250 rnds of corosive for 15.00, that I am going to pull the bullets out of and dump the rest. they are the steel jacketed ones and about 75 are copper jackets. the bullet is the expensive part of the load now... so I try to cast when I can. I just last summer started cast 12 guage slugs... at 4.50/5 a box I already paid for for the mold... thats a hoot!
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  • cowboy62cowboy62 Member Posts: 70 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I set myself up in case someday I couldn't buy ammo for the calibers I choose.I a, set up for every firearm I own, cept' the .22 rimfires....Got Plenty of fixins' stored up too...Cowboy
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It's something else I can do with my brother and my grandson. I started in 1959 and couldn't count the hours of pleasure from someones elses company. All the rest of the reasons above simply add to the benefits.Clouder..
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  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well, it grew like Topsy. It started in the early 50s with a Lyman Tong Tool (nutcracker)for the 45-90WCF, to handload this obsolete cartridge. Factory loads for 32-20, 38-40, 44 Spl,44-40 and 45 Long Colt are so under loaded as to be a joke. In addition, bullet selection in factory loads is poor.Today I load for 17 different cartridges with a turret press and several C-presses. My cost of about $.08/ round is a fraction ofretail. I haven't started with .223, 7.62x39 or shotgun yet because of the low cost ofsurplus military ammo and shotgun target loads.If I were to start again from scratch, I would buy a Dillon because of the time savings.
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  • quickdraw2quickdraw2 Member Posts: 11 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I see everybody has there own reasons for reloading and they are all good ones. My main concern is accuracy. I recently had a guy want me to load some 7 mags for him but didn`t know the bullet weight. He had a half box of ammo so I pulled a bullet to weigh it. I decided to pull another to check the powder weight and compare. I kept going to check all of them and the weight varied 2.1 grains on the 10 rounds. That in itself ought to be enough reason to reload. He hasn`t shot the new loads yet but I am sure he will do a bit better than before......I wonder how much money I am losing on GB today.
    gwink222@aol.com Gun control is extremely critical or else you will miss your target.
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  • montiemontie Member Posts: 14 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I just picked up a 44 Mag rifleand I can reload for less than 1/2 factoryprice. Plus I can lite load for target or my kids or beef it up for knocking down a 4 pointer.
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  • 7mm_ultra_mag_is_king7mm_ultra_mag_is_king Member Posts: 676 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    All for accuracy. Every gun has it's favorite load. Sometimes you will spen alot of time finding that load but every rifle I reload for I have made the group shrink from factory ammo. It's kinda like buying a Holly carb for your car. Sure you can bolt it right on and it will work, but if you mess with the jets and screws you can get it better. There is always room for improvement with guns. I have bought high $$ ammo and still my reloads in my guns outshoot them.
    when all else fails........................
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  • TrinityScrimshawTrinityScrimshaw Member Posts: 9,350 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Where I am concerned it's a simple matter of cash on hand. It cost to start up, but in the long run with as many 12 gauge shells, and 45LC rounds I shoot, it has had to cost me less.Trinity+++
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    TrinityScrimshaw--How is that .45 LC treating you? Thanks for the input.
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