Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Do I Wanna Start?

I agree with this 100%.

I started handloading in the mid '60s with a Herter's single stage C press. I later upgraded to a RCBS Rockchucker that still sits on my bench and I use it to deprime all rifle cases before I clean them, and to reload all of my rifle cartridges larger than .308 Win.

At least 30 years ago I bought a Dillon 550 progressive press. It too has been mounted on my reloading bench since I bought it. I load all of my pistol rounds on it, including .357 and .44 magnums, and all of my .223 and .308 rounds on it. It takes me about an hour to load 200 shells on it, and I load something on it just about every week.

I also began loading 12 gauge shotshells in the early '70s on a Honey Bair single stage press. When I started shooting competition Trap I upgraded to a Pacific 366 progressive 12 ga shotshell reloader, and when I started shooting competitive Skeet I added 3 more Hornady 366 progressive shotshell loaders in 20 and 28 ga and .410. I still have the 12 ga Honey Bair on my bench for loading hunting shells.

a turret press is the most versatile for my money and no more difficult to operate than a single stage........

I agree with this too. I still use my rockchucker for rifle loads (1st press), a reddington turrent (second presss) for hand gun loads, and a mec jr for shotgun shells (third press).

To me there are basically three kind of reloaders:

1-those who reload just to shoot/volume.
2-those who reload for accuracy.
3-those who reload for convenience eg obscure rounds.

In the end I don't really believe that you save any money, but do believe that you get to shoot more. Some people enjoy reloading - I do, it's kind of like fly tying...others think it's a boring chore.

Regardless, if you reload, you'll learn a lot about ballistics and maybe even develop a new hobby.

There are also guys that reload for all of those things. And yes, there is a whole hell of a lot of money that is saved. Those who don't think so are full of it..

Don’t get discouraged about components. They can be found with some effort.

"And yes, there is a whole hell of a lot of money that is saved. Those who don't think so are full of it.."

I tend to disagree...you're only looking at the cost per shell...look at your time spent reloading, time on presses and components and space consumed for big reloading setups like those pictured above. There isn't a whole lotta money saved. But you get to shoot more and not be dependent on the box store for ammo.

For example...guy #1 buys 5 boxes of pistol ammo for $100. So he is shooting say 40cent per shot.

Jackass number #2 reloads for pretend 10 cents per shot...so he shoots 4 times as much and posts online how much money he's saved...he doesn't add in his time per hour + floor space in house + bitchfactor of wife tripping over his old stuff + the geekness of chasing hulls at the range after every shot...it all adds up some how.

So I enjoy reloading, because I get to shoot more of the calibers I choose. But the same amount of money is spent + time + floor space + etc should be recognized for those starting out in addition to set-up.

So as Paul Harrell would say...GFY...oh he doesn't say that...oh well...

I gave my middle son my Hornady progressive as I had little use for it. He got it running just fine spitting out great rounds. I was on the phone with him last night and he commented that he is using it as a single stage of sorts as he enjoys the individual steps in the process with the eventual outcome.

single stage Rock Chucker

Lee 4 pc pistol dies...

Includes the factory crimp die (FCD)

ammo will run flawlessly

Lol, contradictory statements.
Hobby = relaxation = fun.
Now how many hunters and fisherman sit back and figure out how much it cost them in time for their hobby. Does the fisherman figure he’s spending 20 bucks per hour floating on the water? How much does the space for a bass boat/trailer take up. How much of your old hunting and fishing junk does the wife have to trip over and bitch about. How much did that batch of crappie or Bass really cost? How much did it really cost for you in man hours to scout out that 5x5 booner that you shot?

If you take a hobby and start figuring in your time in dollar amounts, then it’s no longer a hobby, it’s a damn JOB.

Swifty, that’s 100% true. Haha

Just one thought. When Wifey starts bitching about anything having to do with my gun/reloading room, it's time for a replacement or bachelorhood.

In forty years, she does not comment on my gun room. And I do not comment on her craft room.

Nothing wrong with a single stage press for the most part, and it has been my path since 1970, with exception of supporting shotguns for clays. Use a MEC progressive for that. I don’t load for machine guns so life is good. I doubt that progressive presses are useful for pursuing precision.

Factoring cost of time in pursuit of the pastime is absurd. Saving money? Maybe, maybe not. Check prices on .416 Rigby ammo and get back in touch. For that matter, just about any ammo price these days is nutz. Components aren’t cheap these days, but the prices will drop in time, and a little common sense applied to component purchase will go a fair ways down the road. Another option is casting. One can scrounge or purchase lead and even today $1/# is doable. One pound will make about 13 Quigley bullets, or ~155 Hornet bullets. Do the math.

I have little use for hot cartridges or whiz-bang velocity, but precision gives me a smile. Factory ammo is generally better these days, but I have found none other than .22 RF that I can’t beat. Sooner or later I’ll win the RF Derby.

So very true, I started in 1972, cannot begin to guess how many hours I've spent and am not sorry for spending a single one of them. Whether I've saved any money, I don't know, but I've gathered a great deal of satisfaction.

If I was starting, and not sure I was going to like rolling my own, I’d hit up eBay for a RCBS JR press. Or a Lee C press.

As one member said, walk before you run. Also, current component availability is the bottleneck. Although this would be backwards in normal times, find suitable components before purchasing equipment.

I picked up an arbor press not long ago, but for use with my Lee Loaders. That mallet gets one down pretty quickly. I also found a few LLs for rounds I didn’t have them for. They have solved a few problems for me over the years and are also kind of fun to use. Results have always been excellent.

Good points dan. For the guys that say they don't save money on reloading, they are doing it wrong for sure. The thing that pops into my head is this:



10 shots of pure enjoyment. Lets see what 10 shots would cost if that would have been factory ammo:

Nosler 9.3x62mm ammo $117.99/box

That ammo is $117.99/box, so that fun group would have cost me $59.00. Yet, it cost me no more than $6.00 for components. Guys get some really silly ideas here at times. No logic or real life experiences based opinions. You see it in many threads here. Makes your head spin.

Just for chits and giggles, how much do you think it would cost to load up some 270 winchester ammo with this bag of bullets I recently bought:


Yes, that is $5.00/bag of 100. My only thought is if reloading isn't costing a guy less money, that guy is not buying right. Even in times like these, you can still find good deals out there.

and that single stage press is always a good back up after you graduate to a progressive set up. It is still great for load development and small batches.

Everyone seems to not figure in the time spent reloading.
Time is money.
I use to reload until I figured out the REAL cost.
I could go to my shop and work and make more than I saved reloading.
How do you put a price on your free time? Time spent with the family? Time spent relaxing and doing what you enjoy?
If you honestly enjoy doing it and it's your hobby that's one thing but just doing it to save money is a bogus claim.

...And that is entirely subjective.

Hey Whackem, you go to work so you can pay some fella to service your wench?