Should I start reloading again?

[Jiminvirginia]

I reloaded ammo quite a few years ago. Sold all my equipment because I did not have a place to shoot. Now I'm thinking about getting back into it, cartridges are .308 and .38 Special.

I don't shoot that much or often, so I think the Lee Loader would be ok for me.

I'm struggling with cost. Bullets seem expensive, and when I factor that in to my math, and right now I can find 20 rounds of .308 for 10 - 12 dollars, it does not seem worth getting into reloading again. Am I missing something? Is there a source of lower priced bullets out there?

[pcox]

The price around here for 308 is around $20 a box

[tmark]

Find a few catalogs like Midway, etc. Price out bulk items like primer, powder, bullet (most expensive component). Save shells from commercial ammo. Figure out price per round using reloads vs commercial rounds.

Problem is you now have to buy new reloading equipment. Depending on how little or how much you reload, it just might not be economical to reload.

There is commercial rounds out there that is inexpensive but watch out for the quality of it. Some are cheap because they're not meant to be reloaded.

[PhillipM]

Are you target shooting, hunting, or plinking with the 308? Makes a big difference in bullet selection.

Search pulled or surplus bullets if plinking

[p246]

If your hunting with your 308 only....no. Plinking...no buy cheap ammo. One of the guys who occasionally comes out and shoots with us buys perfecta. He does decent with it. Target shooting your 308 then yes I would. As far as .38 I reload cast only and pick up brass from our range so it's cheaper for me to reload. Right now ammo is available again and one can find some deals. The next drought might be years away or tomorrow. That's when reloading pays.

[Jiminvirginia]

If your hunting with your 308 only....no. Plinking...no buy cheap ammo. One of the guys who occasionally comes out and shoots with us buys perfecta. He does decent with it. Target shooting your 308 then yes I would. As far as .38 I reload cast only and pick up brass from our range so it's cheaper for me to reload. Right now ammo is available again and one can find some deals. The next drought might be years away or tomorrow. That's when reloading pays.

I'm plinking so I'm thinking that reloading is not my best option right now. Perfecta works well in the rifle (Savage Hog Hunter). Wolf steel case is even better. Tula works but where the bullet goes is kind of a guess. Thanks for the input all!

[Sunray]

The Lee Loader will do if you're not shooting a semi-auto, pump or lever action. Those require FL resizing every time. The Lee Loader only neck sizes. Throw those silly scoops away and buy a scale too.
"...I can find 20 rounds of .308 for 10-12 dollars..." Reloading isn't about saving money. It's about using the best possible ammo. That $10 to $12 ammo may or may not shoot well out of your rifle. If you're not reloading, you really need to try a box of as many brands and bullet weights(think 165's first) as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best. The price of it means nothing. Ditto for the .38.
"...Bullets seem expensive..." Sort of. Roughly 30 cents each per 100. Approximately 60 cents each at $12 per 20.

[Major Tom]

I shoot hundreds of rounds per year. I own several handguns and long guns, so, reloading works for me. I bought my reloading tools years ago when the cost didn't drain my bank account. I would not want to buy those tools today at today's prices.

[PhillipM]

I shoot hundreds of rounds per year. I own several handguns and long guns, so, reloading works for me. I bought my reloading tools years ago when the cost didn't drain my bank account. I would not want to buy those tools today at today's prices.

It kinda makes me wonder why people think a Dillon 550b is so expensive. It comes with a powder measure, a priming tool, and one caliber conversion kit consisting of a shell holder plate and in the case of a pistol, a flaring die/powder funnel.

This keeps one from buying a flaring die, a powder measure, a loading block, and a priming tool separately

[m1ashooter]

You can buy 500 bullets from Wideners for $80. The limiting components are primers and powder. I can find primers locally but the powder I like is hard to find and I don't want to buy it in a 8lb jug. If you can get powder and primers locally then reload. Look at a Lee O Frame and check Ebay out for used gear.

I'd cast my own bullets for the 38.

[psteinmayer]

I started reloading back in the early 80s with a LEE handloader, and then moved on to an older LEE Challenger press, which I still use to this day! I started because of the cost and availability of ammo for one of my rifles, and now it's about cost saving and loading for Match shooting. I now load several rifle and a few different handgun calibers. Once you offset the cost of equipment, you can reload for dimes instead of dollars! You don't need to go out and buy the most expensive equipment to start out either. A LEE press will cost you under a hundred bucks, and serve you well for decades. I agree about the dippers... toss em' and get a scale (the volume in the dipped charge can vary by several grains from dip to dip). I use an inexpensive digital scale and back it up with a beam scale to check accuracy.

[bruce]

Re: OP. Reloading is the way to go. A Lee press will give good service. There are used RCBS presses for the same money or even less that will work extremely well. As to costs... it depends. For my part, I buy bullets when I find them on sale. Blemished bullets are a good buy. Also load a lot of cast lead bullets in both handgun and rifle. Shoot nothing but cast in my revolvers. Have gotten extremely good results shooting cast bullets in my 03 and 03-A3 rifles. Single loading cast loads in a M-1 has worked well, as well as any other rifle. Have not loaded them heavy enough to get semi-auto function.

Even at current prices, there are great savings to be had shooting handloaded ammunition compared to factory loaded ammo. Even in military surplus rifles, the costs are worth the investment as the supply of cheap surplus ammo is about dried up. JMHO. Sincerely. bruce.

[Matt Anthony]

I solved the cost problem with plinking and target practice by using Berrys 150 grain 30/30 bullet in my 308's and 30/06 rifles. Using 12 grains of green dot or 13 grains of red dot I can get 583 cartridges out of a pound of green dot or 538 using the red dot.
Cost per cartridge is so low it's pathetic. The plus is the load is extremely accurate. Fps out my rifles is 1690. Last weekend I fired a round through two 2×4's. Good deer load for under 100 yards.
Cost per round is 18 cents by using the components I bought years ago. I bought bulk whenever I could. I estimate I have 20 years of reloading without buying a single component.
Extreme bullets are even cheaper but in my opinion Berrys are more accurate.
Matt

[psteinmayer]

+1 on the Berrys. I use em in .45ACP, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, etc. Great for plinking and fun at the range!

For my rifles, I use Hornady, Sierra, Nosler, and some cast bullets.

[Hefights]

http://ultimatereloader.com/tools/reloading-costs-calculator/

Here's a reloading cost calculator to give a decent approximation. At Bartlet's GI Brass you can get 1000 7.62 for $150. Going by my rough figures for jacketed bullet reload components, about $0.45 per round for 7.62, roughly $0.36 per round 5.56. However, if you factor in brass going 5-8 reloads (or more), it gets cheaper. Using lead or plated bullets in rifles and plinking loads like Mr. Anthony, you can save a lot more. What it does not factor in is the cost of reloading gear if you are just starting, or the cost of your time, which you may or may not want to consider. Reloading is in itself a hobby and for fun, but you can reload for better accuracy in rifle cartridges in many situations.

Handgun can be much cheaper to reload than rifle and big savings over factory ammo, especially if your brass is (free) range brass, or you just saved once fired from factory ammo you or a friend shot over the years.

[psteinmayer]

That's a great calculator! Thanks for sharing it.

[blackhawknj]

One of the benefits of reloading is you can tailor your loads, finding the right one for your gun can take, but the results are well worth.
I have the Lyman and Lee hand presses for those calibers-45-70 e.g.-that my RCBS can't handle. For a very casual/small scale reloader, or where space is at a premium, they'll do the job. The Lyman can be bolted to a base if so desired. Recall reading articles in years gone by where shooters made their own dippers, grind down a cartridge case when you find the load you want, attach a wire handle.

[CJCulpeper]

I reloaded ammo quite a few years ago. Sold all my equipment because I did not have a place to shoot. Now I'm thinking about getting back into it, cartridges are .308 and .38 Special.

I don't shoot that much or often, so I think the Lee Loader would be ok for me.

I'm struggling with cost. Bullets seem expensive, and when I factor that in to my math, and right now I can find 20 rounds of .308 for 10 - 12 dollars, it does not seem worth getting into reloading again. Am I missing something? Is there a source of lower priced bullets out there?

Get the reloading stuff and pick up the hobby again if for no other than you will have everything you need in case of bad times. We have just come off a very bad period for the Republic and it could either be better or worst depending on who wins the Electoral College on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December.

Jump on the various auction sites or usual sales outlets to get the tools you need on sale. Try to find what you need cheap since the Federal Reserve (meaning the Congress) are always inflating the Federal Reserve Notes and decreasing the value of what we perceive as money.

May you live in interesting times.

CJC

[Dollar Bill]

Roll your own. Put out some WTB ads here and any other forums or ranges you may visit. I've given away inexpensive presses before and I know people will sell them at a very reasonable price if you explain your situation. Shoot cast bullets. They are cheap to buy and will deliver good accuracy when you find the right load and they are very frugal on powder charges. If I don't count the initial cost of brass, a loaded round cost me about $0.13. Match quality 308 and 30-06 loads, which can be produced on the cheapest equipment just as well as the most expensive, run about $0.35 with the cost of once fired brass spread across 10 reloads.

Just shop smart.

[Jiminvirginia]

Thanks for all the good advice. I'm going to look for the equipment and get back into it I think.

[RED]

I don't think I could reload without them. First of all, I weigh every rifle powder load and the dipper is perfect for that. I can put a close charge in the pan and quickly adjust the load to the exact weight. I fill a small glass bowl with powder and run the dipper through it and can usually come within a grain or two... after a while how much to add or take away becomes intuitive, but O'haus never lies.

I have tried measurers, tricklers, and salt shakers but nothing works better than the little dippers for me. I once bought a Dillon 550 and used it for four months. I loaded more bad ammunition in that four months than I have in forty years so I went back to using my RCBS Rock Chucker press and my 40+ year old O'haus 10-10 scales. I don't shoot thousands of rounds a day like a lot of you guys but I can load 50 rounds of rifle ammo in (don't laugh) an hour. For me that's good for a month.

Pistol ammo. I do sometimes use the dippers directly into the cases. I load .38 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol, not .380 and not .38 Spc.) with 5 grs. of Unique and you cannot get too much of that powder in the little .5 cc dipper.

[psteinmayer]

RED, I'm like you... I can do 50 in an hour too. I just don't use the dippers anymore, but I also don't use tricklers or shakers either. I use a little scoop and I've got pretty good adjusting my load by a grain or two by digging out or tapping in. I weigh each and every charge too!

[PhillipM]

Before my 550B, I used the dippers to scoop powder from old pill bottles directly for plinking pistol ammo.

If one is too big, the mouth can be sanded down to get a more precise charge.