[ennbee15]

Gotta be a typo. New reloader here. I found my handloads more accurate than the store bought. My groups were very tight. Normally I'm a shotgun group pistol shooter. Lol

[therewolf]

I would recommend reloading to anybody who can stand to do it.

The information in a good reloading manual alone is almost

priceless.

[Rockyrules]

Outstanding Tango i really appreciate the info!!!

[1982flh80]

Just my 2 bits worth. Great writeup on first choice in picking a reloading setup. I agree its all about how much one shoots. For a newbie, in my opinion, a Lee 50th anniversary Breechlock kit is a nice setup. I just purchased a Classic turret press and finished off 200 rds of .45acp in little over an hour and a half. I like it. Oh bty thanks for the input on downloading pics.

[pagj17]

Tango, thanks for the input, along with everyone else. It looks like I may bite the smaller bullet and start off with the cheapo lee c press, and dies for my 8mm, see how well the 8mm shoots with properly loaded factory ammo. I'll get a better press in a few months, maybe longer, but the lee c press makes a great graduation gift for myself.
Thanks again. Tango so very helpful.

[therewolf]

There ya go, you're getting the hang of it already.

Enjoy, and don't forget to enjoy, and did I mention

enjoy your time reloading?

[Fumbles]

Might as well regenerate this thread a little.Great thread Tango, thanks for the advice.

About 12-13 years ago I bought a Ruger Super Blackhawk from an Uncle in law He "threw in" a complete RCBS Rockchucker single stage kit that he had used for quite a few years. I have never even set it up let alone reload with it. It has almost everything I need, including dies for 9mm, .38/357 and .44.

I know it has extra's he bought along the way, small hand tools, powder scale, powder measure and stand, a hand primer and even a Lee Loader single caliber complete kit....for .44Magnum. No case tumbler so I'll pick that up when I go buy powder, bullets and primers....as well as a die set for .223/5.56 and a case trimmer setup.

You said that one will not save money overall. I have wondered about that also as one must consider your own labor I suppose plus supplies, the reloader equipment etc...against the cost of commercial.

So as far as the reasons to reload. I have read here and elsewhere .......

Reloading to save a few bucks. Then there is.....

Reloading for the sheer fun, enjoyment relaxing aspect and personal battery recharging therapy.

Reloading for super accuracy and consistency between rounds and related stuff....the best deer round, best round for marksmanship, home defense, stopping power, competition reloading like light .38 Super rounds for IPSC etc. Going by memory here.

Am I right so far? Being as I have no practical experience whatsoever.

All of the above seem aimed at the more than casual shooter who wants to avoid factory/commercial ammo if he/she can help it and shoot a lot of rounds to boot. Also mostly aimed at shooting during periods of a "normal" socio political climate. Non-troubled times.

But what about a SHTF scenario though? Is it valid to want to learn how to reload consistently well and safely, just in case actually going to a store to buy ammo proves to be impossible, illegal or just plain risky? Maybe the government has procured it all under some emergency statute, outlawed reloading, banned the sale of all ammo...... or there is civil unrest and the gun stores have either locked up and closed or been looted. Maybe leaving one's home at all becomes risky?

This is what worries me. So my thought is to learn to reload so I can do it well in multiple calibers......... and then stock up with supplies in case I ever have to load my own. In the meantime shoot whatever is on sale or my own reloads...whatever...buy, reload...it don't matter......... based on the reality that I am only going to shoot 2-4 times a month. Mostly 2.

Does this sound reasonable?

Well, at least help me out with a justification here! You see...........these are the reasons I am giving Mrs Fumbles as to why I have now commandeered a further chunk of real estate in the garage as my own....to make my reloading station. First I built a home recording studio in just less than 1/2 the space...... then I moved in my toolboxes from when I was a pro motorcycle mechanic.......now I am building my own reloading table.

I'm gettin' the stinkeye let me tell ya!

[Oldawg]

Fumbles....I'm not seeing any replies to your post, so I'll throw in my 2 cents worth. I've been reloading off and on for many years, but had been getting kind of lazy with it, since it was easier to make some good buys at gun shows for my ammo needs. However, after Obama got elected, all shooters went into a panic mode because no one was sure what he was going to do with gun laws and such, and the handgun ammo supply dried up almost overnight. I was thankful I had a fair supply of components, but when I went to stock up with more, I found primers very hard to come by. Also, since I like to be self-sufficient, I went out to pick up some more lead for bullet casting and found everybody else seemed to have the same idea. My usual tire shops that used to give away old wheel weights by the bucketful, were all tapped out.
Things have eased up now, everything is available again, altho the price has jumped considerably on most components.
Bottom line...I am now worried this may happen again, maybe much worse than before, so I want to be prepared. Primers and powder will keep for many years if stored properly, so I'm trying to build a good supply of components, just in case.
I think you have a valid concern. If we don't need the stuff for emergencies, we can have fun shooting it in our old age!

[budman46]

cpttango lays it out well. i particularly like his comments on saving money...we could, but always manage to rationalize purchasing more than the savings realized by reloading.

i've been reloading and casting for 40+ years, starting with lyman/rcbs single-stage equipment because that's what was available. i added dillon presses, a 550 and two square deals in the 80's, when shooting a lot of a few calibers. these days i'm into ww2 milsurps thanks to a c&rffl. i normally load 40-80 rds at a sitting and find lee's classic cast turret press fits my needs better than the single stage 'chucker or dillons.

the classic cast turret equals/beats my rockchucker, costs about half the price and, with the turret system, is faster without giving up the strength of the 'chucker. it can be used as a single-stage, but i don't know why one would do so.

[therewolf]

I reload for accuracy, to make more sedate loads than the

store shelf, which, IME, is not as well made, and punchy, as

an "average" load.

As to SHTF, are you really going to be able to find reloading

components easier than finished bullets? Wouldn't reloading

vendors dry up, just like all other supply sources? Sure, you

could reload, until your first reloading component ran out...