I Don't Get This Logic at All

[COSteve]

A bunch of us were at the range yesterday and during a cease fire we got to talking about reloading vs buying commercial ammo. All of the guys who only bought commercial ammo used, as a part of their argument, that their time was priced at $XX dollars per hour and when added to the cost of the equipment and components it actually cost more to reload than to buy.

I listened to them push that drivel and when they smugly said that that proved that reloading was a waste of both time and money, I had enough and asked them the following; "Why would you put a price on your time for a hobby?"

Then I asked:
"How much do you charge yourself to take the time to come out to the range?"
"How much do you charge yourself to take the time to watch television?"
"How much do you charge yourself to take the time to go skiing?"
"How much do you charge yourself to take the time to go hiking?"
"How much do you charge yourself to take the time to make love to your wife?"

After the laughter died down from the the reloaders on the last question, they all jumped on the 'commercial' guys and said my questions were spot on and that figuring in a cost for your time was only appropriate if you are doing work not play.

I have to ask the reloaders here if any of you seriously doesn't enjoy the process and considers it work to reload? If so, why do you do it? To me, my hobby of reloading is at least as enjoyable as shooting if not more so. I seriously have asked myself if I reload so I can shoot or if I shoot so I can reload?

[GunnyMack]

I started shooting trap competitions at 14, I followed my coaches advice and started reloading. In the past 40 years I can't even begin to guess how many trap loads I've loaded, at one point I was shooting 500-1000 targets a week !
During that time I started loading rifle and pistol, I load for 18 or so centerfire and have a minimum of a few hundred rounds for each.
I also load for 410,28,20 ga.
The only things I hate to load is military brass and trimming for length.
Heck I just loaded a box each of 20 & 12 with a friend's parents ashes that we will us Thanksgiving morning shooting clay birds.

That whole my time is equal to X is horse hockey as we don't PAY ourselves!
As for shooting factory loaded ammo, yeah we all do it to get the supply of brass so we can reload it.

[Malamute]

I have to ask the reloaders here if any of you seriously doesn't enjoy the process and considers it work to reload? If so, why do you do it? To me, my hobby of reloading is at least as enjoyable as shooting if not more so. I seriously have asked myself if I reload so I can shoot or if I shoot so I can reload?

For most of the time Ive been shooting, reloading has been an enjoyable part of the process, certainly not a waste of time or effort nor charged against the cost of ammo at that rate of exchange like work. Unless really cheap surplus or commercial ammo makes it feel silly to reload for close to the same cost, Ive reloaded nearly all the ammo Ive shot.

I stopped reloading 223 years ago (1980s) when it was 20c/rd. I felt the same for 9mm, what little I ever shot of it in the past, it was just so cheap to buy its hard to justify the time and component cost to load. Pretty much anything else centerfire has been reloaded.

I think some people have a legit reason to value their time according to their value working, and probably have a pretty busy life, but that isnt me.

[1894cfan]

What with the renewed talk of ammo shortages and such, AND what with the rising cost of factory ammo, I find myself panic reloading 'cause I can still buy components! Besides, I exist in Kalifornication and am unable to buy factory ammo!

[jnyork]

I exist in Kalifornication and am unable to buy factory ammo!

Might be time for a nice 3-day weekend in Reno.

[765x53]

Yes, I enjoy reloading as much as shooting and casting as much as reloading. However, the cost benefit argument is spot-on when it comes to cutting fire wood.

[1894cfan]

I exist in Kalifornication and am unable to buy factory ammo!

Might be time for a nice 3-day weekend in Reno.

Yup, maybe! "Course I'm a bit closer to Arizona. Friend makes a trip now and then to Pahrump, NV., and I ride shotgun!

[Griff]

I started reloading because I could make ammo better than what was available in factory fodder. I found that I really enjoyed making my own ammo... even as factory offerings improved and became more diverse. When I started cowboy action shooting in the mi-1980s, factory ammo was easily 10 times the cost of a box of reloads. Might not have been quite so disparate if I'd shot 38 Specials, but for 45 Colt... I'd been casting my own round balls for my muzzle loader and enjoyed that hobby also. So too in casting for several other centerfire arms. In 1986 I started shooting in the black powder category, it required C&B revolvers and BP rounds in both rifle and shotgun. No one made black powder ammo at the time, so reloading yourself was a requirement. While I'd read about the potential danger of static electricity setting off a charge of BP, my attempts to replicate that failed. So, while still using a RCBS single stage and a MEC 600 Jr, I just loaded BP as tho' it were smokeless and have never looked back. While I still load rifle ammo on a RCBS single stage press, I've upgraded to a Dillon for pistol and a Hornady 336 for shotgun. It's still a hobby for me. I can buy components AND pay for my time and still be saving money over buying factory ammo!

Components run me about $0.16/round, or $7.97 for a box of 50. I can leisurely produce 300 rounds in an hour. At $35/hour that works out to $5.83 per box of 50. Show me again where you can buy factory lead 200 grain ammo for $13.80 for a box of 50! That hourly rate equals a $72,800 annual wage... before taxes... making your take home pay way less. I believe you can double that hourly wage and still save money by reloading. Besides, even if you consider reloading a chore, who pays themselves to mow their yard, clean the garage, or any other chores around the house? All of which you do to enjoy your time there.

[Ysabel Kid]

I started reloading when I was about 18, as I got into shooting a Ruger Super Black Hawk in .44 Magnum. At the time I think commercial rounds we PDE (pretty darn expensive), and I made less than $3/hr. I remember that I may have been able to afford to shoot one, maybe two cylinders full in an hour! My brother and I went 50-50 on a press.

What I found out was that, in addition to the economics, I could load all types of loadings that I couldn't find in the store. And reloading was fun and relaxing! Then, as I got older and my collection grew, I got into rounds where commercial ammunition had not been made in decades (or longer), and period ammunition was way to collectable to shoot.

So now I reload... because I want to!

[RIDERED350r]

I got into reloading about ten years ago during an Obama era ammo and component shortage.

I also find it to be as enjoyable as shooting. I have rifles that have never seen a factory round since I've owned them.

Definitely cheaper than buying ammo as some of the things I own are very near impossible to find as loaded factory ammo.

Add to that, this stuff state of NY now has BGC for ammo purchases and I've heard reports from reliable sources that people who have never been held up on the federal NICS check for firearms are getting held up for ammo. So, I just keep sticking up on components and flip the old middle finger to the tyrants running this show here.


The ones who say it's not worth their time...hell with them. Let them go on thinking that. More components available for us

[Scott Tschirhart]

Reloading my pistol ammo is therapeutic to me. I know what a visit to the therapist costs. I’m getting off cheap!!!

[horsesoldier03]

1. I enjoy it.
2. I can reload a variety for multi-purpose.
3. It is another tool in the box that if hard times hit, it is a barterable trade if not a necessity.

[Bill in Oregon]

I gave up reloading for 9mm, but much prefer to handload everything else save the rimfires (and that would be fun, too!). I feel kind of ashamed firing factory ammo. I also feel kind of ashamed fishing a commercially tied fly. I almost never eat out, either, because I so enjoy cooking -- and will make Cowboy Kent's double cheese smash burger and homemade buns this afternoon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jla5cCidSlo&t=23s

[JimT]

Reloading my pistol ammo is therapeutic to me. I know what a visit to the therapist costs. I’m getting off cheap!!!

I'm with you. After my wife died, casting bullets and reloading was VERY therapeutic for me. Kept my mind and emotions in a much better place. And these days it is MUCH better than feeding on the stuff they call "news!"

[marlinman93]

I've never taken time away from work, or anything that made money to reload ammo. So the theory that reloading costs us money we could be making only works if you turned down overtime, or paying jobs to stay home and reload.
I've been reloading for well over 50 years, and casting bullets almost that long too! I wont even try to figure out how much I've saved over all those decades, but I know it's a lot. But my main reasons for reloading are to get really accurate ammo, and to be able to shoot old guns in obsolete cartridges that I could never shoot if I didn't make cases and reload for them. How do you put a price on those things?

[Grizz]

I have to ask the reloaders here if any of you seriously doesn't enjoy the process and considers it work to reload?

I enjoy reloading too. It was a necessity in Alaska for me to have the loads I wanted to use for meat supplies. I considered reloading as part of the harvest and provisioning the household.

Your post brought up the reason I work on my own vehicles, it's financial. I don't pay myself exactly, but I do CREDIT my vehicle budget with the cost-savings of doing the wheel bearings and new brakes and toyota timing belt, and larger 4Runner brakes, etc . . . Over the years the amount of money I did not pay as parts markups and labor has more than paid for all the parts I've bought, and all of the tires, and probably all of the gas too.

I think this applies to reloading as well as cars and motorcycles . . . I won't pay someone for something I can do as well, and often better than someone else, UNLESS IT MAKES ME MONEY BY GETTING THE BOAT BACK TO THE FISHING GROUNDS FASTER . . .

[marlinman93]

I have to ask the reloaders here if any of you seriously doesn't enjoy the process and considers it work to reload?

I enjoy reloading too. It was a necessity in Alaska for me to have the loads I wanted to use for meat supplies. I considered reloading as part of the harvest and provisioning the household.

Your post brought up the reason I work on my own vehicles, it's financial. I don't pay myself exactly, but I do CREDIT my vehicle budget with the cost-savings of doing the wheel bearings and new brakes and toyota timing belt, and larger 4Runner brakes, etc . . . Over the years the amount of money I did not pay as parts markups and labor has more than paid for all the parts I've bought, and all of the tires, and probably all of the gas too.

I think this applies to reloading as well as cars and motorcycles . . . I won't pay someone for something I can do as well, and often better than someone else, UNLESS IT MAKES ME MONEY BY GETTING THE BOAT BACK TO THE FISHING GROUNDS FASTER . . .

Amen! If I had to pay the garage or dealer for car repairs we couldn't afford more than one car!
I do take my cars in for lube-oil-filter, just because I can't do it much cheaper than they charge, so makes sense to have them do it. But when I've gotten a quote for simple repairs I'm shocked at their estimates! A suggested brake job for 4 wheel disc brakes on my Fusion was $800! I did it for under $60 parts myself. An estimate for installing 6 spark plugs was $600! When I asked why so much they told me it was a 5 hr. job requiring the intake manifold to be removed to access the back 3 plugs. I took it apart and back together in 2.5 hrs., and even installed a new throttle body when the connector on the old one broke from being brittle. Grand total was $110, and $85 of that was the new throttle body.

[Drawdown]

One thing my Dad taught me early? Son, don't let no one who is just an acquaintance or stranger get you down. Opinions is like A-Holes, everybodys got one! Continue in what you know is good, right, and productive! And working 40 years in underground mining, it's kept me alive too!
But I've also learned I was awful hard headed about some things, that after I saw the light, I said, why didn't I start doing this long time ago. Hind Sight is 20/20!
But as to reloading, it always had my interest, just never knew anyone who done it, or took steps to learn! Vast majority of what I did learn to get me started, I read it on this forum long before I joined!
I started save my 30-30 Brass long before I tried reloading. After I did start? Lord, why didn't I do this long time ago!
Now I advice anyone when a shooting or hunting conversation comes up, You'll be glad you did if you start loading your own. It's adds so much more to your shooting and overall satisfaction of it all! It really is a therapy, getaway, satisfaction, and inspiration to me now!

[JBowen]

I agree with everyone above. It is fun, economical, a necessity on older stuff, a better custom product and challenging.
Nuff said

JBowen

[Ray]

I wholeheartedly concur with the therapeutic value of cartridge handloading and bullet casting and the like. There are some steps like case preparation that can be onerous but such things that try your patience also flexes that forebearance/longsuffering mental muscle that we all need more of.....

And my how the time flies when you are tinkering with such things ! Reminds me of when I mustered into uncle ronnie's yacht club in 1985. I had no time or opportunity to handload but I brought three books with me to my "C" school at portsmouth, va. A king james bible and a hornady #2 and a speer #9.

[Bill in Oregon]

"... but I brought three books with me to my "C" school at portsmouth, va. A king james bible and a hornady #2 and a speer #9."
Ray, I like how you roll!
(But I prefer the Revised Standard Version ... )