Continue to reload?

[mjac]

I have been hand loading for a few years, just for a few calibers that my son and I were using. Factory ammo was/is available but I began reloading simply as a hobby and I have enjoyed it. I never got into it to try to wring the very best out of any rifle, and truth be told, they all shot factory ammo good enough. However my shooting/reloading time now competes with other interest these days plus my son is busy raising a family and his shooting/hunting time is down to nil. Exclusive of hunting I only shoot maybe 60~70 rounds per year.

I recently acquired another rifle of a different caliber to replace one I have retired. A purchase of dies and some bullets will enable me to load for it but I am wondering if it's worth it. I realize once I find the load it likes, it could be replicated. The new gun is accurate enough with factory ammo (for me anyway) but who knows what the next box of factory ammo would be like. Which brings me to question which way to proceed.

A) Should I continue to spend untold hours on the internet and/or driving around trying to find high priced factory ammo?
B) Make a bulk factory ammo purchase? I have sent many rounds downrange and have a handle on what it likes.
C) Buy the dies and some bullets (assuming I already have the other components needed) and make time to reload. I figure two, maybe three, boxes (about one year's worth) not purchased would cover this expense.
D) Sell off all my reloading gear (bought and paid for already) to finance A or B?
E) Sell the retired rifle to finance A, B or C?

Anyone else been at this fork in the road?

 

[AllOutdoors]

Never been in this fork in the road. Just like to reload.

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[Rubberduck270]

Nope. Handloading is a hobby. It's not cheap and it's time consuming BUT it's quite rewarding (at times). Plus, if your son is raising his family it seems as if you would have grand kids that will need someone to show them the ropes when it comes to shooting and reloading.

 

[1 good shot]

well the first question : what caliber is it?
if its a caliber that has been around for a good while i would say stick with the factory stuff
if it's one of the new trendy rounds i would probably go ahead and get the dies because so many of them just don't catch on
plus as more variations become availiable the less they manufacture of the ones that didn't sell like they thought they would
there are several that were hot items at the time but turned out to be a flash in the pan
the 7mm wsm, the 300and 7mm saum, the 350 rem mag are all awesome rounds but you can't hardly find ammo for them anymore. when you do it is priced outrageously
the brass is the highest priced component and rather than spend 80-100 bucks a box i started reloading

 

[mjac]

well the first question : what caliber is it?

Nothing really exotic, 7mm-08.

 

[Deer Assassin]

i wont give up reloading

i enjoy it to much

 

[FARMTOFIELD]

Nope I won't give it up, I enjoy it. For me it more of a the more I can get now the less I'm gonna have to pay next year thing

 

[tasaman]

From what I remember 7-08 can really come alive with some hand loading. Can tone it down for new shooters and speed it up quite a bit over factory loads. I factory 7-08 not alway on the shelf around here either. I would say keep handloading.since you already have most of the eqipment dies cost about what a box of factory ammo does so payback should be at about 50 rounds loaded I would say.

 

[1 good shot]

i would save the brass regardless

 

[bigtex]

I couldn't imagine not making my own ammo. To me it just adds another dimension to deer hunting.

 

[AllOutdoors]

"The other dimension" is what i like. Seeing how different bullets perform on game is intriguing. And the fact that you took an animal with something you put together is just icing on the cake.

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[mr.big]

whatever you decide,,NEVER SELL YOUR TOOLS

 

[Tiny]

Been reloading since I was a small kid an got to hold the bullets,an if good got to seat them...Its a part of me an and so I keep it up until the Lord says otherwise..

 

[treefarmer]

I couldn't imagine not making my own ammo. To me it just adds another dimension to deer hunting.

Same for me. I could buy beef at Kroger's but take a deer instead. I could pay someone to process my deer but do it myself. I could heat my house with gas but use firewood. Etc.

 

[mr.big]

it would be hard for me to buy 223 Rem 70 gr Berger VLD,,6.5x47L 140 Amax,,6mm BRDX 105 Berger VLD ammo at Walmart that will shoot sub .25 MOA 5 shot groups,,so I spend time relaxing in the basement reloading my own ammo,,

 

[hunt4646]

I will continue to reload for the calibers I have now. I do enjoy working up loads but Hunting is only a small part of the shooting with these guns. HOWEVER I am considering the purchase of a light weight 308 for just deer hunting. If I do find the right rifle I do not plan on spending the money for dies, bullets, brass for that caliber. Hornady's Superformance factory ammo is proving superior performance to my reloads in 243 win and 270 win. For a new caliber that is for hunting only, I will use the Superformance ammo.

 

[a retrohillbilly]

"C"

 

[mjac]

"C"

DING, DING. We have a winner!
Thanks for all the input guys. I appreciate your comments.
The dies are on the way. Now to choose and track down some .284 bullets to try. That is turning out to be just about hard as tracking down the factory stuff. There doesn't seem to be much available.

 

[DaveB]

Mjac-
Shooters Proshop has .284 partitions, 140 grain, $15.45 +$12.00 shipping so order plenty.

Or, do what I do, watch them 2, 3 times a day and when they finally have more than just the one item I realllly want, I'll pull the trigger. My average order frm thse guys is around 400 bucks.

 

[7mminatree]

It's not a hobby it's art in motion. Carry on.

 

[Realtree]

Reload!!!

 

[Spikes Tactical]

B then C - I won't give up reloading. I enjoy it, find it relaxing and have already invested the money in it. I guess the real decison is based on what other interests is reloading competing with and how important are those to you.

Good luck either way.

 

[Lost Lake]

I agree with Mr. Big, never sell your tools. Sounds like you've just had "life" descend upon you and a few hobbies have to take a back seat for awhile.

How about sitting down for a couple weeks and loading up enough ammo for several years? With some of the Big Bore rounds I shoot, there's no way I'd consider buying factory. I couldn't get exactly what I'd want, and the cost would be astronomical. Much cheaper to roll em myself.

Hope you work it out.

 

[.444 Marlin]

Continue to reload.

Ive been loading since I was 12 or 13 and have spent more hours than i care to count at the reloading bench rolling out ammo for .300 win mag, .375 H&H, .30-06, .223, .220 swift, .308, .270, .280, 7mm mag, 7.62x54R, .30-30, .45-70, .444 marlin, and who knows what other calibers. The only time I ever buy factory ammo is starter brass for a caliber I may not have brass for. But to me its more rewarding to harvest a animal with ammo that I personally made, and I think its more trustworthy than factory ammunition because I know what went into the creation of each round. Depending on my mood during any reloading session, I may be very strict on how i load. Back when I used to reload for a bench/hunting rifle I sold to TiminTN, I would weigh each brass case, bullet, sometimes primer, seat to an exact OAL, csase length..ect and would get sub dime groups at 100 with the rifle but nowadays I dont load as strict or as much but Ill continue handloading as long as there is a cartridge to load for.

it is expensive to do but its a hobby, if it has to be put on the back burner for awhile then so be it, but itll always be there for a bored rainy day with nothing else to do or if I just need a few rounds to sight in or hunt with.

 

[Wiley]

I consolidated my calibers and only load 4 calibers now. Less stuff to buy and keep up with and I just love loading my own ammo.