Ammunition Re-loading

[ellebarto]

I've recently got into fun shooting with a Marlin 1894C and I can see its going ot get very expensive ammo wise. I keep being told and should load my own and ive seen starter kits for £500 which equates to about 1500 rounds of .357.

 

Obviously I have to research how to do it properly and the starter kits seem to have everything you need including instructions but how much cheaper does it make your ammo? I just want to work out if its a path I need to walk with my .357 costing me £16.50 per 50 at the moment!

 

Any re-loaders out there?

[blindeye]

I've recently got into fun shooting with a Marlin 1894C and I can see its going ot get very expensive ammo wise. I keep being told and should load my own and ive seen starter kits for £500 which equates to about 1500 rounds of .357.

 

Obviously I have to research how to do it properly and the starter kits seem to have everything you need including instructions but how much cheaper does it make your ammo? I just want to work out if its a path I need to walk with my .357 costing me £16.50 per 50 at the moment!

 

Any re-loaders out there?

 

reloading your own is much cheaper in the long run , my set up for 22.250 worked about to be around the 200 mark for the press ,dies,powder scales ( dispencer) and hand primer, put if take into account you can buy new dies if you change calibers in the future .reload ammo done propely is much more consitant than factory ammo and your get better bullet placment each time( if done correcly) .reloading is as not as scary as you may think,you just have to take into account that when you start buying primers/powder/cases/heads this can work out to be a bit expensive but in the long run it will defo work out cheaper .when i started to reload i was told why reload when privi is only 9 pound a box ? its simple relay i can produce a bullet with a expanding head than is more accurate each time as some times you only get one shot .to put it simple if privi (soft points )are 9 pound a box for 20 and winchester silver ( expanding) tips are 38 pounds for 20 rounds , i can produce 20 expanding rounds for less than 5 quid . so the choice is yours .

[ellebarto]

So are we saying in simple cash terms its about 40% cheaper but the bigger picture is a better quality product?

[blindeye]

So are we saying in simple cash terms its about 40% cheaper but the bigger picture is a better quality product?

its only a better product if you do it correcly but yes its cheaper .

[reaper6]

16.50 is cheap for factory loads keep saving your brass........to set up a loading press,dies powder thrower,scales is about £300........powder,primers,bullet heads cast lead ones only about £100......So in total about £400....but by the time you have reloaded 1500 rounds it will have payed for its self........i usually load mine with 6 grains of unique with a 158 grain lead cast bullet......and i have worked it out to roughly 0.8p a load.....if you want any more help give me a pm

[ellebarto]

16.50 is cheap for factory loads keep saving your brass........to set up a loading press,dies powder thrower,scales is about £300........powder,primers,bullet heads cast lead ones only about £100......So in total about £400....but by the time you have reloaded 1500 rounds it will have payed for its self........i usually load mine with 6 grains of unique with a 158 grain lead cast bullet......and i have worked it out to roughly 0.8p a load.....if you want any more help give me a pm

 

Cheers mate. Yeah I'm saving my brass for when I decide to have a proper go!

 

Is that 8p to load each bullet?? Does it require much space?

[the running man]

16.50 is cheap for factory loads keep saving your brass........to set up a loading press,dies powder thrower,scales is about £300........powder,primers,bullet heads cast lead ones only about £100......So in total about £400....but by the time you have reloaded 1500 rounds it will have payed for its self........i usually load mine with 6 grains of unique with a 158 grain lead cast bullet......and i have worked it out to roughly 0.8p a load.....if you want any more help give me a pm

bloddy hel reaper 6 grains of unique in a .357? hows ure shoulder mate? for .357 u want 4 gns of bullseye or titegroup,or 4.2 gns of american select.

this link is my loader,itts so quick!!

[ellebarto]

Now thats impressive. I would guess there is a lot of know how and setting up behind that but even so gives me food for thought!

[the running man]

Now thats impressive. I would guess there is a lot of know how and setting up behind that but even so gives me food for thought!

oh yeah u gotta know the dangers,the rest u can pick up by experience,high power rifle rounds are more difficult and not recommended on a progressive press like mine,I just use a single stage one. Check out www.reloading.org.uk he's got tons of info in there and if not others on here should be able to help you out. Don't rush out and buy the first thing u see though,it may not suit ure needs or be overkill. Pm me if uve any qualms.

[John_R]

Some of the guys at my club reload, in fact all the really serious guys do. It does work out cheaper per shot, but only if you forget about the money you spend on the loading kit, or put another way, if you reload enough rounds it'll pay back in the long run.

 

Their ammo is definately good too, very accurate.

 

However, another thing you have to factor in is the huge amount of time and experimentation, and lots of range time testing. I look at it like another hobby in itself, a bit like fly-tying, lure making, bait making etc. Personally I'll stick with factory ammo for my rifle for the forseeable!

[the running man]

Some of the guys at my club reload, in fact all the really serious guys do. It does work out cheaper per shot, but only if you forget about the money you spend on the loading kit, or put another way, if you reload enough rounds it'll pay back in the long run.

 

Their ammo is definately good too, very accurate.

 

However, another thing you have to factor in is the huge amount of time and experimentation, and lots of range time testing. I look at it like another hobby in itself, a bit like fly-tying, lure making, bait making etc. Personally I'll stick with factory ammo for my rifle for the forseeable!

1 hour 600 rounds,how much time? It can be a hobby in itself its just how much u want to put into it, but its gratifying and therapeutic,and u save a ton of money,my press paid for itself after 500 shots! ,trouble with factory is each round can be diffrent due to die wear at factory. U don't just save cash,u tailor a round to suit you,and along the way learn about ballistics,pressures burn rates trajectorys etc like all good shooters should.

[reaper6]

bloddy hel reaper 6 grains of unique in a .357? hows ure shoulder mate? for .357 u want 4 gns of bullseye or titegroup,or 4.2 gns of american select.

 

i find after using bullseye and tight group at 5 grains a load i could not get the same performance with the same amount of unique so i upped the the amount by 1 grain and the round really works for me either on the 25yrd or 50 yrd.......this is really what reloading is about.....finding the optimum load for you.....and of course the cheapness of it......and at 8p a load it makes shooting affordable to all

[ellebarto]

bloddy hel reaper 6 grains of unique in a .357? hows ure shoulder mate? for .357 u want 4 gns of bullseye or titegroup,or 4.2 gns of american select.

 

i find after using bullseye and tight group at 5 grains a load i could not get the same performance with the same amount of unique so i upped the the amount by 1 grain and the round really works for me either on the 25yrd or 50 yrd.......this is really what reloading is about.....finding the optimum load for you.....and of course the cheapness of it......and at 8p a load it makes shooting affordable to all

 

When you say 8p a load I assume you keep your factory cases (previously shot) and take that cost out of the equation but everything else included it costs 8p a round? So my £16.50 box of shells would be £4. If thats right I'd make the initial setup money back in 6 months then its all gravy after that!

[the running man]

When you say 8p a load I assume you keep your factory cases (previously shot) and take that cost out of the equation but everything else included it costs 8p a round? So my £16.50 box of shells would be £4. If thats right I'd make the initial setup money back in 6 months then its all gravy after that!

not quite,it depends on the load u are putting through the case as to how much u reload it,a £20 bag of 100 emptys reloaded 20 times with a light ish target round will cost u 1p a load for ure brass. If u use a heavy magnum load maybe 5p as case will split after 5-11 loads. And reaper quite right u use what's best for you,good shooting.

[KPV4]

Interesting reading, I'm thinking of starting to reload ammo for the 223 I have just purchased.

[the running man]

Interesting reading, I'm thinking of starting to reload ammo for the 223 I have just purchased.

run it in first,put 100 through it at a range.

[bigstevouk]

Copied from another site.....

 

Here are a few good reasons

 

1.you can load a far more accurate round than you can buy

2.rounds can be tuned to suit your rifle

3.you can vary the speed and the power of the rounds

4.it gives you a great deal of satisfaction to shoot your own ammunition

5.it is an enjoyable extension to the hobby.

6.it can be as simple or complicated as you want.

7.you can have as many bullets, cases, primers as you want, just don't assemble more than you can hold on your licence.

8.you can buy premium grade bullets etc and assemble your own rounds for the same cost as you can buy surplus ammunition

[KPV4]

run it in first,put 100 through it at a range.

 

 

Hopefully it should be Ok, I bought it second hand but it has had little use about 100-150 rounds through it so far. I've got 60 factory rounds to put through it and I'm keeping an eye out for some second hand loading gear as funding is now a little low afte purchasing the 223 and a 17HMR int he last couple of months I want to do a bit of research into the best kit to buy so any info would be greatly received.

[ellebarto]

It's just space I'm short of. Just watched a load of utube videos on reloading .357 and 12g an I've *** the burning urge to have a go now! Good to know we have a few helpful reloaders on here though. Feels like a skill you definitely want 1st hand advice on before you start!

[KPV4]

It's just space I'm short of. Just watched a load of utube videos on reloading .357 and 12g an I've *** the burning urge to have a go now! Good to know we have a few helpful reloaders on here though. Feels like a skill you definitely want 1st hand advice on before you start!

 

 

I've been watching a few on utube as well and I'm looking forward to getting into re-loading, I just need some more cash , I've found everyone on the site really helpful, and I'm sure I will be asking a lots of questions about re-loading before I start so I don't get things wrong

Edited August 23, 2010 by KPV4

[ellebarto]

I'm finding it difficult to find any online sources for shot, wad, primers, powder etc?

 

I'm guessing they arent allowed to supply most of that online but I cant even find uk sites to get prices and an idea of the kit I want.

 

Anyone know a good online resource for this kind of information?

[blindeye]

I'm finding it difficult to find any online sources for shot, wad, primers, powder etc?

 

I'm guessing they arent allowed to supply most of that online but I cant even find uk sites to get prices and an idea of the kit I want.

 

Anyone know a good online resource for this kind of information?

 

try midway uk . for online supplies , you will have to buy your primers from your local gun shop as they are classed as explosives every thing else you can buy online , if you ask on this forum for lead/steel shot i suspect some one makes there own and would sell you some . its worth and ad in the wanted section good luck and hope it goes well

[ellebarto]

try midway uk . for online supplies , you will have to buy your primers from your local gun shop as they are classed as explosives every thing else you can buy online , if you ask on this forum for lead/steel shot i suspect some one makes there own and would sell you some . its worth and ad in the wanted section good luck and hope it goes well

 

That looks the job. Cheers mate

[Guest CraigBenson]

You've got me interested now. I'm thinking of getting a .308 and would normaly have just gone down the factory ammo. I'll have to see how the finances go for getting the reloading kit.

[ellebarto]

I'm building up a lot of brass ready for when I start reloading but kinda waiting on a house move to get the space I need. In the meantime I wanted to try and ease into the simple side of this. Can you get hand held deprimers/primers or prep your cases in anyway for when you try it for real.

 

I have it in my head I can at least have boxes of deprimed possible primed cases ready to go for in a few months time when I start reloading!