In our current situation: Should I invest in reloading equipment?

[BroncoFan]

Reloading is a hobby in and of itself, and one of favorite activities. I love sitting down, listening to a podcast, and processing some brass or working up loads.

 

[WillametteWill]

I had a really terrible epiphany recently...at $100 per K for primers, I can still load for much less than the $20someting a box for 9mm I see everywhere. Even at $200 per K this is true! If you would have told me that $100 per K was a deal for primers, well .

Long-time reloader and understand the economics...just very strange when they shift so drastically. So yes, I guess getting into reloading now still makes some sense.

 

[Throckmorton]

SCORE, compared to the prices I just saw when I googled that press.Be sure to go with crbide dies..it's the sizer that is 'carbide'..

 

[HDR]

I had a really terrible epiphany recently...at $100 per K for primers, I can still load for much less than the $20someting a box for 9mm I see everywhere. Even at $200 per K this is true! If you would have told me that $100 per K was a deal for primers, well .

Long-time reloader and understand the economics...just very strange when they shift so drastically. So yes, I guess getting into reloading now still makes some sense.

After creating this thread I came to the same conclusion and I'm now one week into rolling my own. I bought a Hornady LNL AP press at a decent price after being on many notification lists. Over several weeks I sourced dies, powders, primers, and projectiles to load 9mm, 38/357, and .40/10mm. I started out loading 10mm as that's the round I sourced supplies for first. I'll be loading the rest in the next week as final supplies arrive. I bought all my various 5k primers from people who made the mistake of ending their GB auctions on Thanksgiving day so I got them for $100 per k shipped or less. An actual bargain in these whacko times. My initial investment for hardware and consumables was around $1400. That's including a nice bench I got at an estate sale, digital and beam scales, tools, pretty much everything. So here I am loading my own 10mm for slightly less than pre-Covid prices per round, which ain't too shabby.

 

[tac]

After creating this thread I came to the same conclusion and I'm now one week into rolling my own. I bought a Hornady LNL AP press at a decent price after being on many notification lists. Over several weeks I sourced dies, powders, primers, and projectiles to load 9mm, 38/357, and .40/10mm. I started out loading 10mm as that's the round I sourced supplies for first. I'll be loading the rest in the next week as final supplies arrive. I bought all my various primers from people who made the mistake of ending their GB auctions on Thanksgiving day so I got them for $100 per k shipped or less. An actual bargain in these whacko times. My initial investment for hardware and consumables was around $1400. That's including a nice bench I got at an estate sale, digital and beam scales, tools, pretty much everything. So here I am loading my own 10mm for slightly less than pre-Covid prices per round, which ain't too shabby.

Now you'll need to get out there shooting your reloads to get your $1400 back.......................

 

[HDR]

Now you'll need to get out there shooting your reloads to get your $1400 back.......................

Yup. Burned 200 fresh 10mm reloaded yesterday and loaded them back up last night. Quite satisfying and I've learned volumes through all of this. I'll chock up the initial investment to "lessons learned".

 

[Tilos]

After creating this thread I came to the same conclusion and I'm now one week into rolling my own. I bought a Hornady LNL AP press at a decent price after being on many notification lists. Over several weeks I sourced dies, powders, primers, and projectiles to load 9mm, 38/357, and .40/10mm. I started out loading 10mm as that's the round I sourced supplies for first. I'll be loading the rest in the next week as final supplies arrive. I bought all my various 5k primers from people who made the mistake of ending their GB auctions on Thanksgiving day so I got them for $100 per k shipped or less. An actual bargain in these whacko times. My initial investment for hardware and consumables was around $1400. That's including a nice bench I got at an estate sale, digital and beam scales, tools, pretty much everything. So here I am loading my own 10mm for slightly less than pre-Covid prices per round, which ain't too shabby.

Good for you
And know if you find out re-loading is not for you, you can sell everything and get your money back in this panic market.
load-on,

 

[bbbass]

If not already said... IMO

Of course! Even if you can't use it now, you should be able to use it once the shortage is over. Unless you believe a Biden admin is going to permanently mess things up...

 

[partsed]

There is that possibility.....

 

[DizzyJ]

If not already said... IMO

Of course! Even if you can't use it now, you should be able to use it once the shortage is over. Unless you believe a Biden admin is going to permanently mess things up...

That's the fear.

 

[bbbass]

That's the fear.

Fear is the mind killer...

 

[DizzyJ]

Fear is the mind killer...

Normally I'd agree to just wait it out, but with the incoming administration and what we know to be their agenda, I'm not so sure. This time around it seems a lot more is up in the air.

There's a reason I haven't sold any ammo for a few months now.

 

[bbbass]

Normally I'd agree to just wait it out, but with the incoming administration and what we know to be their agenda, I'm not so sure. This time around it seems a lot more is up in the air.

There's a reason I haven't sold any ammo for a few months now.

I think the Dim run OR Legislature is really going to screw things up with new gun laws this coming year...

 

[DizzyJ]

I think the Dim run OR Legislature is really going to screw things up with new gun laws this coming year...

That's just one level. I see lots of higher up levels affecting us too. I wish it weren't so, but when Trump lost, that was the start of the ball rolling.

 

[ThunderMtnOrd]

I've been shooting 8-10k rounds of handgun ammo for the last five years and yes, I'm one of the guys who took cheap ammo for granted. In my own defense, before the current crisis, numerous reloaders told me it wasn't worth it based on my overall consumption.
Now here we are.. I'm still stocked with 2k each of my favorite calibers but.. Range trips will be much more rationed until things change. If they change..
During the last couple years I'm shooting more revolvers than 9mm and that's mainly why I'm looking into reloading. A buck fifty for one round of .357 just ain't gonna work.
I've been eying the Hornady Lock n Load AP press. Gotta be quick as they sell out instantly but I'm pretty sure I can still grab one. I'm aware of all the extras I'll have to buy and the fact that it may be some time before I can find components to put the thing to work. Not to mention the learning curve but that now excites me where it didn't a few years ago. Basically an investment in the future with no immediate returns.. So what say all of you who have been through this before? Start putting my kit together now, albeit at slightly inflated prices, or ride it out with my current ammo stash and depend on an occasional two box score at Bi-Mart? I'm ten years from retirement, kids are grown, and the appeal of the time spent reloading now appeals to me. (And my wife) Just not sure if I've waited to a point where I'd be throwing my money away.

YES! If you are shooting that much you had better roll your own. Given the situation we're in now politically speaking, it becomes even more important.