People reload for different reasons but most commonly for cost and/or accuracy. I started reloading somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 years ago. I was shooting a lot of precision rifle stuff with my 308 and that ammo is expensive. A box of Federal Gold Medal Match is $24.99 for a box of 20 rounds or $1.25 per shot. I can reload a more accurate round tailored for my rifle for $.59 per round or $11.80 per box of 20. I started to reload 223 and 40 calibers in the ammo shortage and ridiculous price time frame. A twenty-round box of 223 at a sporting goods store is around $8.00 for brass cases if you’re lucky. I can reload them for around $5.20 per box. A fifty-round box of 40cal at a sporting goods store is around $20 and I can reload them for around $9.50. I’m lucky as these prices don’t include the cases. I have a good supply of 308 and my 223 and 40 are all range pickup brass, so they are free. If you buy your brass you will need to add $.20-$.30 per round for the first time you load it, then you can get these same figures too.
Accuracy and Money Saving
The compelling reason I started to reload, other than cost, was for accuracy. Since you control everything, except for a few safety considerations, you can make your bullet do a lot of things. When you buy your components, there are bullets and powders for every application of shooting out there. For my 308-bolt gun, I wanted a cheaper more accurate bullet then I could buy out of a box. I started with a suggestion from some friends that I had trained with and went from there. I looked at a few different types of bullets and powders, I found what I liked and then worked different powder loads for testing making sure I was doing it safely. For hunting applications there are bullets out there with great terminal ballistics that still produce great accuracy. If all you’re worried about is punching holes in paper or ringing steel, there are even more options like “match grade” bullets that are all about accuracy. For my 223 and 40cal loads, I’m loading training ammo. I’m not looking for any crazy accuracy or anything special. As long as it’s safe and shoots well I’m happy.
This isn’t meant to be a “How To”. There are a lot of good places to find information on the “how’s” and “what’s.” All powder and bullet companies have loading data on their web sites and I would highly recommend picking up a reloading book from any one of the major companies out there. Not only do they have loading data, but they also have the step-by-step how to as well.
I know that ammo at half price sounds good but there are upfront costs that have to be considered. You will need a loading press, scale, powder measurer, dies for each caliber, shell holder for each caliber, priming tool, case cutting tools, case lube, and a tumbler and media to clean your brass. Depending on how fancy you want to get you can spend as much as you want to on different items. You can get presses that use one die at a time or progressive presses that do almost everything for you. Scales and brass prep tools can be had in manual or electric. Dies can be had in standard or competition style. You can get by with a standard set of everything but if you are getting into reloading in volume, some upgrades will definitely help. An electronic powder measurer/scale will speed up the process but you may not get the accuracy or consistency depending on the model you choose. An electronic case trimming tool will help in getting new/fired cases trimmed but can be expensive for what they do. The biggest help in speed is a progressive press and all electronic tools; however you can spend thousands of dollars before you even get started. You can purchase a starter kit for around $130 at Brownell’s with everything except dies and shell holders in it. As mentioned above this kit will be the bare essentials that you need without any upgrades. Even with the lower starting price you would still have to reload over 1000, 223 rounds to break even on your kit.
What do I use?
I use the Lyman T-Mag turret kit. Instead of a single press where you have to take your dies in and out for every process, it has a turret that can hold 6 dies for quicker changeovers for different stages. It came with everything I needed to get started except for dies. I have RCBS, Lyman, and Lee dies for different calibers. I upgraded the case trimmer that came with it and added an arm that you can put into a drill, so you don’t have to hand crank each case. Also upgraded my powder dispenser and scale to a Lyman digital model. This really makes that step quicker and has a 1/10 grain accuracy rating. I have a Lee tumbler for cleaning cases and I’m going to change my media next time to something that doesn’t have the red polishing compound in it. That stuff gets all over everything. I also upgraded my priming tool to a RSBS hand primer tool which also is quicker and easier to use. As far as components, I’m using Serria bullets and Varget powder for my 308, Berry’s bullets and Titegroup or Power Pistol powder for my 40cal, and Hornady or Berry’s bullets and IMR 8208 powder for my 223. I’ve also used Varget for 223, which worked well, but I have had trouble finding it in good supply so I save it for my 308.
Once hardware prices is considered, what about labor price? Reloading, while enjoyable and rewarding is a time consuming endeavor. Each step in the process takes time and some more than others not only take time but take complete concentration and attention to detail. While tumbling/cleaning brass may take an hour or two you don’t have to sit there and watch it. However, steps like trimming brass take time because the process has a large effect on safety and function of the firearm and thus also take concentration. This process is also the most time consuming because of how the tools work. Even with some upgrades in this department it still takes time. Unless you are willing to fork out some more money to get the fancy machines you will spend some time here.
The biggest concern with any reloading is safety. If you don’t have all your ducks in a row you can run into dangerous problems. The fancier you get the more variables and moving parts you have to watch. When it comes time to load powder into the casing if you put in too much you can blow up a gun. If you think I’m kidding just search Glock kaboom on YouTube. We were both at a training class when this happened. The shooter was very lucky that only his gun was damaged, the shooter only had a little black mark on his hand. If you load too little powder you can have a bullet get stuck in the barrel. This isn’t a real big deal unless another bullet is fired behind it and again you can blow up a gun. This isn’t meant to scare you away from reloading just a public service announcement.
So, all things considered, reloading can be fun and ammo at lower prices is always a good thing. It’s up to you if the upfront cost, time, and safety issues are something you are willing to tackle. Start loading your own today and hit the range for some fun. There are many reloading companies out there, but here is one to check out. https://www.lymanproducts.com
Dave
