Range officer reloading

Charlie98 said:

I don’t waste me time loading blasting ammo like 9mm, 5.56, and 7.62,

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That's funny - those are the main ones I do reload for, AND cast. With some REALLY lucky finds, (and an estate sale that literally landed in my lap!), plus a friend who likes shooting my guns, and buys components for me so she can keep doing it - right now I am quite literally reloading 9mm for the cost of the electricity to run the lead pot and the toaster over for powder coating. I don't think I can figure what that actually is, so I am guessing it's about $.25 per 100 rounds. Brass in 9mm and .223 are EVERYWHERE, and with my $10 pawnshop find Forster trimmer, plus donated RCBS decrimping die set, easy trim and save, still economical and fun. The 7.62x39mm brass, those I have to carefully look for when I am done - reloadable brass in that caliber does't grow on trees, but the low power plinking cast bullet loads I do in those doesn't over stress the brass. Wanna watch people freak out a bit? Show them a handloaded home cast powder coated 7.62x39mm round - they can't believe it.
It's a fun hobby that keeps me outa the bars and feeds my other hobby, UNloading ammo at various targets!

armoredman said:

That's funny - those are the main ones I do reload for, AND cast. With some REALLY lucky finds, (and an estate sale that literally landed in my lap!), plus a friend who likes shooting my guns, and buys components for me so she can keep doing it - right now I am quite literally reloading 9mm for the cost of the electricity to run the lead pot and the toaster over for powder coating. I don't think I can figure what that actually is, so I am guessing it's about $.25 per 100 rounds. Brass in 9mm and .223 are EVERYWHERE, and with my $10 pawnshop find Forster trimmer, plus donated RCBS decrimping die set, easy trim and save, still economical and fun. The 7.62x39mm brass, those I have to carefully look for when I am done - reloadable brass in that caliber does't grow on trees, but the low power plinking cast bullet loads I do in those doesn't over stress the brass. Wanna watch people freak out a bit? Show them a handloaded home cast powder coated 7.62x39mm round - they can't believe it.
It's a fun hobby that keeps me outa the bars and feeds my other hobby, UNloading ammo at various targets!

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Looking at my statement in context... I don't have gobs of time I can dedicate to reloading, so I have to pick and choose. I load a good deal of cast bullets (.41, .45, .308, .30-30, .348WCF, .45-70) but, still, I don't cast because of the time investment. Further, 5.56mm 55grn FMJ is a bargain (in quantity...) when you add in the time it would take for me to process and load say 1000 rounds of same. No, you can't put a price on your time, but you can use what time you have allotted for any task wisely... making it worth more, if you see what I mean. I can buy 1000 rounds of 5.56mm for cheap, I can't do the same with 1000 rounds of .41 Magnum or, Heaven forbid... .348WCF, if I could even find it. Certainly you see my point.

I love you guys who have all the time in the world to load everything you shoot, cast your own bullets and all, I am envious. Part of my problem is I'm not dedicated to one hobby, either. Motorcycles, photography, computers, aviation, gambling, travel, and even things like the Honey-Do list are all fighting for my time... well, what's left of it after work, anyway.

Charlie98 said:

I love you guys who have all the time in the world to load everything you shoot, cast your own bullets and all, I am envious. Part of my problem is I'm not dedicated to one hobby, either. Motorcycles, photography, computers, aviation, gambling, travel, and even things like the Honey-Do list are all fighting for my time... well, what's left of it after work, anyway.

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It is still about choices and how we prioritize "My Time". You just listed 6 activities that took up "My Time", so how much time each one gets is still up to you and which activity you value most.

Many years ago before my legs gave out and I had to quit working I worked a second job at a local Golf Course. It wasn't so much because I needed the money because I didn't. I did it because I enjoyed being outside and I enjoyed the work. One of the Fringe Benefits was that I got all the Free Golf I could play and was allowed to bring a guest. During those years my brother and I played a lot of golf, I was enjoying myself, made new friends there and kept in shape form my desk job. I still have fond memories of those days!

@Charlie98 The best way to get rid of your aviation hobby is to turn it into a job.

But I totally understand the lack of time... I've had five spine surgeries in the last 4 1/2 years, which also corresponds to the amount of time I've been on medical leave from my "aviation hobby." While it's caused quite a large dent in my pocket book, medical leave also gave me a lot of time I wouldn't have had to spend with my wife, kids, and also spending as much time as I want in the reloading room with zero guilt.

Yeah, having back problems sucks. But the side benefits have been so fantastic that it just about makes up for it. Fortunately for the bank account, I'll be going back to "work" (if you can call doing what I do "work") in March of next year. Man, I'm going to miss the spare time for sure. I'll probably have to start buying my blasting ammo, too.

Charlie98 said:

Motorcycles, photography, computers, aviation, gambling, travel

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No motorcycle....my camera I use for my YouTube videos and such I bought for $300 about 4 years ago, my computer is old enough it still runs Windows 7, haven't been on a plane since 1992, stay away from one armed bandits as a HUGE waste of money, and when I think about travel, my wallet says, "Where, the back yard?" Aso why I don't buy 55gr FMJ "in bargain quantities" - they still want money up front.
I work 12 hour shifts, so my time off I guard. MINE! And i love reloading, fun and productive hobby, so I think I will turn to the left of my computer here in a minute and process a bunch of 9mm brass, deprime, resize, and reprime. Then, tomorrow, after I get up late on my next day off, I'll pile more scrap lead in the lead pot, and cast some bullets. I think that is a more productive use of my time than a lot of other things, even working overtime, which just adds stress, doesn't delete it. Maybe I' stupid, (probably), but I've reached that time when more money from overtime isn't going to make things that much easier, but will help shorten what few years I still have left.

Charlie98 said:

No, you can't put a price on your time, but you can use what time you have allotted for any task wisely... making it worth more, if you see what I mean. I can buy 1000 rounds of 5.56mm for cheap, I can't do the same with 1000 rounds of .41 Magnum or, Heaven forbid... .348WCF, if I could even find it. Certainly you see my point.

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I do - you have your priorities and I have mine. I also don't own any oddball calibers, except the 8mm Mauser which I haven't shot in YEARS...but if I did I'd have dies and molds for them too.

I don't feel I save as much reloading 9mm and 223 as with other calibers but I feel the product I produce is of higher quality than buying bulk, where the savings are greater is rifle calibers and magnum handgun and then the savings can go crazy is with obscure calibers.

Still working through this haul of supplies, including powder, primers, brass, boxes, scales, lead bar, all KINDS of stuff. Estate sale that was "dumped" on me, being the willing victim. Shared a ton of it with other reloaders, too, stuff I couldn't use. Yes, it was free - he had to move THAT DAY, and it had to go. So I made a bunch other people happy too.

Walkalong said:

Which is cool, we all have to decide how to part out our time.

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It's interesting... some of you gun guys knock me because I choose to spend some of my time in other endeavors, the motorcycle gang knocks me for wasting my time doing other things, the aviation guys don't take me seriously because I don't put 100% of my time in aviation (which does require a certain amount of commitment...) and the list goes on. Hey, I got it... I'm a spaz when it comes to fun things and, probably the root cause... into mechanical things... I like doing Stuff, and I've never been all-in on any one thing. I guess the only way to make you guys happy is to reload some ammo, take the motorcycle to the airport, fly to the range, skydive into the parking lot, shoot skeet, precision rifle, 3-gun, and black powder, take selfies, police up my brass, hike back home, stopping at the casino on the way, then post about it on the forum... Now, that would be a heck of a day...

Charlie98 said:

Now, that would be a heck of a day...

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Honestly, there are days that I am just grateful that I woke up! Yes there have been nights that I didn't believe that was going to happen.

Charlie98, You go ahead and spend your "My Time" any way you see fit. Even if that means just spending 30min. sitting on a pier watching the sun come up or the sun going down.

Charlie98 said:

I guess the only way to make you guys happy is to reload some ammo, take the motorcycle to the airport, fly to the range, skydive into the parking lot, shoot skeet, precision rifle, 3-gun, and black powder, take selfies, police up my brass, hike back home, stopping at the casino on the way, then post about it on the forum... Now, that would be a heck of a day...

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Doo ittt....doo itttt......

kmw1954 said:

Charlie98, You go ahead and spend your "My Time" any way you see fit. Even if that means just spending 30min. sitting on a pier watching the sun come up or the sun going down.

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Actually, one of my favorite things... after a day of shooting or dirt bike riding in the desert, is setting on my in-laws porch and watch the sun setting against the mountains across the river in Arizona.

Charlie98 said:

........dirt bike riding in the desert

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Now you are knocking on my heart strings. Once long long ago, I looked forward to summer cloud bursts that sent raging waters through my favorite riding arroya, and cut new three foot high channels the length of it. Zooming down that wash the next day (no longer running the water of course) at 70mph, and jumping the channel (meaning air time for 100 feet at a time over and over) is the funnest past time for a dirt biker there is.....funner than motocross. On those days shooting was second place.......however I sold my last bike (Suzuki 370) and bought a Colt Gold Cup......those were the days tho.

I'd be game for the skydiving part.

PecosRiverM said:

I'd be game for the skydiving part.

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Oh, no......not me.......I have to have a machine with a reliable motor under me.....motorcycle to 20ft.......airplane any higher.....me and falling don't mix. The last time I fell I broke all the ribs on one side, dislocated a shoulder, and crushed two vertebrae......I was 26. Freak gust of wind blew me backwards off a roof while carrying a sheet of plywood decking. That was 46 years ago and it still keeps me close to the ground without power under me.

I shoot 38 Spl, 9 MM, 40 S&W, 45 ACP for the store price of 22 LR per box of 50. I cast my lead bullets, mine scrap bullets from an outdoor range berm, and have been reloading since 1975. If I had to buy a progressive press, dies, and casting equipment for 1 caliber; the cost would approach $700 to $850 to get started. All my equipment has been paid for or amortized years ago. I average 1 new bullet mould every 2 years. New production Lee 6-cavity moulds yield incredible production volumes. 357 Mag and 44 Mag ammo is $3.50 to $4.50 per box of 50 because of the heavier powder charge.

I have paid $14 for 50 rounds of 17 Hornday HMR in Montana this spring. I can reload 223 Rem for $22 per hundred when I buy bulk bullets on sale. Prairie dogs don't know the difference between cheap and expensive bullets. Reloading and casting doesn't increase your savings account balance but doubles or triples the volume of shooting you do.