Purchase Reloading Equipment or another gun.

Hi Mcdonl,

I hear you loud and clear. This will be my third year actively shooting 2-3 times per week on average. When I first started I allocated about $1,000 to get going and $15 a week for ammo and supplies.

My average range trip is 50 rounds of .22 and 15 rounds of 9mm or other higher caliber. I focus on perfecting technique and challenging myself rather than pounding the crap out of my ammo stores.

So...that said I got in the game right about the time the **** hit the fan with the ammo market. Prices crept up to the point where I calculated that a small investment in a good Dillon press would allow me to spend my $15 a week on other ammo and accessories.

Put it this way, my 9mm costs below $6 a box now. I still shoot low quantities so I don't blow my budget.

Over the past few years I realized that having a .22, a .380, 9mm and 12ga were going to mean that $15 was not going to get me far when it came to keeping my guns fed and clean.

I eventually sold the .380 and focused on strictly .22 and 9mm. The 12ga is for novelty and home defense. Though now having saved so much I've been able to slowly buy my way into shotshell reloading so I can save even more while shooting even more.

The moral of the story. If shooting often is more important than a "grand collection" then buy the reloading equipment. You may also consider reducing the different types of calibers that you shoot - or reload them. Your $50 a week will provide you with more potential fun than you will have time to enjoy.

Go for the reloading - it's almost as much fun as actually shooting! Besides nothing beats the snickers that come over you when you realize that you are making your own bullets!

Good luck - PM me if you have any questions.

Here's my take, and I've gotta start off by saying that it's not the majority view.

Start reloading, but don't spend a ton on it right now.

Get the Lee .38sp dies. They come with a powder scoop and reloading info. Pick a powder that works with the scoop they include. $30

Get the Lee Hand Press. It's a small (emergency kit sized) light press that takes standard dies. It runs out of steam at about .223 for full length resizing though I've neck sized .270 and the like fine. That's $25-$40 depending on the kit.

Get the RCBS primer tool. It makes priming 100 (or 500) cases something you can do between THR posts. The RCBS is more expensive than the Lee version. I've used both and recommend the RCBS. $50

At that point you are only materials away from loading .38. So take the lee die load sheet and buy the cheapest bulk bullets you can find on the list (probably 158gr lrn at $40-50), a case of primers ($30-40), and if you need it, 100 cases ($35ish). The powder will set you back another $25ish.

Start making changes (new press, new dies, etc) after you have shot up all of your initial bullets.

Personally, I started with a bench-mounted press, and had a progressive for a whiile, but I use the lee hand press with the addition of a digital powder dispenser/scale (I started with PACT, now have Lyman) for day-to-day pistol caliber (e.g. .45 Colt) reloading. The powder dispenser is $250 you don't need yet.

Start w/ the .38 because it's easier to keep track of your brass. Expand later.

Definitely buy the handloading equipment~!

I reload, but standardizing calibers works out better for stockpiling than anything else.


All of my pistols are 9mm.

All of my SD rifles are .223

All of my shotguns are 12 guage.

All of my 22s are.... lol.

You will be surprised how much ammo you can stock if you only shoot 3 major calibers.

I am REALLY debating wether to get a 9mm j-frame instead of a 38, just for that reason.

As for reloading, I'm not convinced that people are being honest about their time investment researching, ordering, waiting for shipments, setup, teardown, cleaning, and making their ammuntion.

For instance, take 1000 rounds of 9mm ammunition, currently at about $250 shipped, or .25 per round.

If if you earn say $20 an hour at your job, you need to work about 15 hours to earn $300, which after taxes amounts to about $250.

Meanwhile, just making the ammunition at 100 rounds an hour, that's 10 hours spent right there, assuming a steady production. That doesn't factor in any other time, costs, etc. So, right there you've spent nearly the time involved just making the ammunition as you would have just working at your job. I recon that if you add in other time spent you'd be pretty close to even. Then factor in the money and you'll come out darn even or even better buying factory.

And again, once you add in the costs of the raw materials, equipment, etc. I really struggle to see how this pans out for people.... and I think that unless you really purely just enjoyed reloading, there are simply too many drawbacks.

Despite what the reloaders say I think that if you viewed it as a job, you'd come out ahead just working more and buying commercial ammo. You could even save the brass to trade to reloaders for $ or bullets.

I think you are choosing a case that justifies your position. Someone else can just as easily choose a case that makes your position laughable.

It takes the same amount of time to load 100 9mm or 100 .460S&W. Cheap commercial 9mm is under $20 per hundred. Cheap commercial .460S&W is about $250 per hundred.

The real test isn't the economics of reloading 9mm... it's the economics of reloading the ammo you actually reload. Same level of bullets (XTP to XTP) same quality same accuracy in your gun.


I can produce a bit north of 100 .454 casull per hour.

My materials cost for a .454 is on the order of $0.15-$0.40/rd

Factory .454 runs $1.05/rd up to $2+/rd.

I am netting between $85 and $160/hr for my time spent reloading .454.

I choose to reload because ammo was scarce. It has since come back but it is expensive. The only issue was that primers were sold out. They are starting to trickle back in.

You've got a point there lead counsel but, do the math with 44 mag, the cheapest Wally world has now is $32 for 50 before tax.Now keep in mind this is target ammo. Any good hunting ammo is going to be a lot closer to a dollar a round.
So I would say it has lot to do with what you shoot.Any rifle ammo except for mil surp saves even more. Plus remember this time last year when there was no ammo. It is still scarce around here. obtw you mounted that scope yet.

In normal times I'd say get the reloading equipment, 1911 later, but you are likely to be a disappointed about buying components now as you are about ammo Saw Winchester primers at last week's gun show -- $45/1000 I walked by quickly

So it the current environment I'd say get the 1911 now and worry about ammo and/or reloading later.

--wally.

I was at a gun show recently and all components were absurdly priced...but gun stores have components again and I paid $35/1000 for primers a month ago. Not great but not bad.

I think you should start handloading.

I paid $35/1000 for primers a month ago. Not great but not bad

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Still almost triple what I paid last time I got some, fortunately it was an order for 25K so I still don't need to buy more.

--wally.

But money isn't worth as much today so it balances out.

Or something.

The comments from folks who try and factor in reloading costs with "their hourly rate" are silly at best and asinine at worst.

To justify this you would have to equally factor in the time you spend on the john, the amount of time your spend chewing your food or reading and posting on THR.

It's called your "free time" because your free to do stuff and your not being paid for it.

The only conceivable way you could justify adding this non existent factor into the costs would be if you took unpaid time off from work to reload.

Reloading equipment/enjoyment of what you own now, save up to buy a 1911 in 2011.

Win on both counts

The comments from folks who try and factor in reloading costs with "their hourly rate" are silly at best and asinine at worst.

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No, it's legitimate so long as you have a market for your labor at the stated rate.

Just about everyone can give away their time.

90% of those who want to can sell their time for at least minimum wage.

%% or so can sell their time for at least $20/hr.

% can sell their time for $100 per hour.

If you are honestly able to sell as many hours as you want at $100 per hour, net, then it is a poor financial decision to handload cheap ammo. It's also a poor financial decision to cook your own food or fix your own cars.

If all you can sell is 30 to 40 hours a week at $10/hr, pretty much any reloading you do is a net financial gain for you.

It depends on your financial situation.

The flip side is that if you enjoy reloading, it doesn't matter how much imaginary money you gain or lose.

It really depends on if you want to be a collector or shooter. I'm somewhere in the middle and do plan on reloading soon.

Assuming you have average reading and manual dexterity, get the reloading equipment.

Reloading has totally changed my shooting life for the better. I wish I had learned how to reload when I was young.

Since taking up reloading I shoot more and have learned more about my guns then I could have by buying one or two more guns. I don't hesitate to expend 50 or 500 rounds practicing a new technique or explore the accuracy of a new load.

Get the reloading equipment slowly or all at once. What ever works best for you. I predict in two or three years you will look back and ask yourself "Why did I wait so long?"

You really can save a lot on your ammo costs. You can beg or buy wheel weights and cast your own bullets. You can reuse your cases many times over, powder cost is low. You have to bulk order with friends to get a decent break on primers, but having plenty of primers on hand is the only expensive aspect of reloading.

If you want to tailor make rifle loads, a single stage press is fine. If you are going to shoot a lot, go for a progressive or at least a turret model. Often reloading equipment can be bought used at very good prices. The essentials you will need include a good loading manual, a press, dies, scales, powder dispenser or dippers if you must go cheap, vibrator case cleaner, media separator, and the various cartridge components. (You can use pet shop lizzard litter for cleaning media. It's crushed walnut hulls just like the stuff you pay three times the price for at the gun shop.)

I do reload most of what I shoot. I wouldn't reload any of the Russian calibers, too much work compared to what you can buy commercial/surplus for. Unless you get a progressive, I wouldn't load for the handgun stuff either.

Locally, you can pick up a 1000 rds of 9mm for $200. $200 will buy a bunch of 7.62 x39 and 54R as well.

I give credit to reloaders and AGREE that if you shoot unique or expensive calibers than it makes sense to reload, both economically and for the perfect precision ammo.

Let's look at what the OP wrote though to best advise him:

Since this "ammo" thread, I am beginning to think I should invest in the supplies I need to reload my 9mm's, 38/357 and 7.62x39 guns. I will have about $400 to spend on reloading equipment and supplies.

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Reloading 9mm, .38/.357, and 7.62x39 just doesn't make economical sense. You can get them all (except maybe .357), for about $250 per 1,000.

If he had asked about .44 magunum, .454 Casull, etc. then it may make sense to reload...


Edited to add: Looks like the OP made his decision. Enjoy your new hobby!

I went one further and started casting my own bullets. No way am I paying $12/hundred for putty soft 45 LC projectiles.

Now, for $100, I can have enough lead for 3-4k of what I shoot regularly. Sure, time is a factor for some, but the bottom line is reloading is way cheaper once you have all the tools and goodies.