Posted on 04/20/2009 3:31:08 PM PDT by freemike
I know nothing of loading ammo. Just curious. Is it expensive and difficult to load your own ammo?? I use mainly handgun ammo. What is the learning curve and how dangerous is it?? Special regulations involved??? ... and do you really save that much money??? Any and all advice I will consider. This is one thing I love about FR,, it's better than Google. Thanks so much!
Since everything is sold out, my plan is to use the weapons/ammo I have and drop the enemy/assailants and take THEIR guns and ammo when the day of reckoning comes. Voila!
Handloading isn’t difficult if you are a patient, detail oriented person. However, if you do things wrong, you can damage your firearm or hurt yourself.
I would recommend buying a book on reloading with techniques and “recipes.”
Once you have read the book, find someone with experience to work with you so you can get the hang of it with someone who has made the mistakes.
Then, if it seems like it’s something you want to do, go ahead and buy a press, dies in the caliber you shoot and the other tools needed. I would strongly suggest purchasing a high quality scale and a quality caliper so you can make sure your powder charge is exactly correct and your cartridges are the proper dimension. You’ll never regret purchasing high quality tools.
Don’t ever reload when you are rushed or impaired in any way. You need to be very detail oriented because one double charge will ruin you whole day. ...and you gun ...and possibly your face
“Anybody reload 460’s? Can it be done with cheap hand loader or do I need a real Dillon that costs 6-7 hundred? I want to start with 460, 480, 44, & 7mm. “
As long as you don’t want to reload fast, a regular press will do the job. I have a Dillon RL550b and an RCBS Rock Chucker press. I use them both.
“I always blaze a blunt during reloading it relaxes me”
I’m not quite sure why but I get a kick out of reading that.
I used the little boxed sets that were all hand operated (punched out the primers using a mallet) and saved my cash up and bought a RCBS Rock Chucker and all the good stuff including a good powder thrower.
I now use a Dillon progressive reloader.
The only supply problem I have had since Barry was elected was getting a large supply of primers for my 45 ACP. It took forever to get a couple thousand in my hands and the price was not pleasant. For some reason I got a burr up my butt way before Barry even started running for President and bought a ton of brass on EBay for most of my weapons. Liberal EBay now refuses to allow sales of ammo components or magazines and most of the sellers went to AuctionArms.com
Reloading used to make shooting really inexpensive but now you just save a little bit of money but you can tailor your rounds to get the best accuracy possible.
I also cast my own 45 and 38 bullets for punching paper and these rounds do save me ALOT of cash, even with the gas checks.
The thing I like about reloading is the satisfaction I get making my own ammo and that I know I can trust them.
I cannot even hazard a guess as to how many rounds I have made over the years (I know that it is in the six digits) but I can say with a straight face that I have never had a single one of my reloads hang or misfire. I have had a few, but not many, factory rounds do just that.
LOL! Come on, you gotta be kidding me. :-P
Now, 3 years ago, I had a friend leaving Alaska, drove all the way up the Taylor for a visit on his way to thru Canada. He asked me if I was interested in a dillon, 200 bucks, was the middle one. I didn't even know what a dillon was and said no not interested. Man did I miss the boat on that deal, neever see a used one again probably. I did later price one and it was 500 bucks, have they went up? Somebody said 3000 bucks?
Bingo!
Unless they have had a precipitous drop in quality in the last 15 years, Lee equipment is as good as any and they regularly produced innovative products such as the hand held primer seating tool.
“I did later price one and it was 500 bucks, have they went up? Somebody said 3000 bucks? “
The RL550B which is a manual progressive reloader is a decent machine for pistol ammo. If I was reloading rifle ammo for hunting and limited target practice, I would use the single stage press. You can get a good one for $100 new plus under $50 for a set of dies. You would make that back in a few hundred rounds.
Better late than never.
Dillon 550. Seriously.
Check my profile page.
I started with the LEE LOADER, and the LYMAN 310 tong tool. I now use a LEE bench loader.
You will not save money if you buy the cases new, primers, powder and bullets. You will save if you use once fired cases or save your cases after you shoot factory loaded ammo. The case is the most expensive part.
You can cast your own bullets out of wheel weights for low velocity rounds but will need jacketed bullets for high velocity rounds.
Get several good books on reloading. I use the Lyman reloading book and Lee reloading book. Some gun stores will carry powder manufacturer’s reloading books. The IMR powder booklet is free.
Get a writing tablet and keep records on what you load, powder and bullet weight. It saves me from having to look up the loads in reloading books. I still have the magazine pages on reloading by Elmer Keith and Skeeter Skelton from years ago along with what their “pet” loads.
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