[Tony1990]

Since it is still hard to get as much ammo as I need at a good price I have been thinking about reloading my own ammo. However if the ammo is in short supply are the supplies need to reload ammo also in short supply?? And is the cost going higher as is the store ammo. Anyone into reloading ammo???

Thanks

 

[blitzen25cat]

Hey Tony. I've been reloading for twenty five years now and have had my equipment paid for when the the folks who enjoyed the shooting sports weren't demonized. With the cost of powder,primers,brass,bullets and the equipment to get started...I don,t know. Example...I'm in the process of loading for my 30 caliber m1 carbine and the primers (Winchester small rifle) has the price tag on the box of 1000 @ $12.99. I always bought in quantity an these are from a while back..can't remember when. A buddy of mine and fellow reloader went to a gun show and said they were asking $75 per 1000. If you had the press and dies and what you need I would say go for it but if you're old(70) like me I don't know. I may reload for the new Bersa 380 cc if I can find what I need as the ammo has dried up. Reloading is a nice hobby and used to be a money saver but now I don't know. I hope this gives you some insight. Best regards Dick

 

[Tony1990]

I put reloading on hold for a while since at this time I am not sure what will happen with the price of ammo and the price of reloading supplies. The feed back I have gotten makes me want to reload my own ammo but need wait before I jump in reloading with both feet.

 

[robhic]

I don't reload but I've read on a couple of other forums where some members who did reload had some trouble finding individual components and/or dealing with some jacked-up pricing. I guess ammo is ammo and if you get it factory or piece by piece it can be slim picking right now.

 

[kate]

If you are using standard 230 grain ammo, try a lighter projectile first. Also, a knowledgeable shooting instructor (not Bubba), may be able to help with your shooting technique. I knew a little old lady, a long retired Army nurse, who kept and shot a 1911. She kicked my butt when I was shooting 38 Specials.
I just hate the idea of drilling the barrel and slide of a perfectly good firearm, especially as a first option.

 

[Allyson75]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Keltyke]

I reload several calibers, including the .380 ACP. Even though the reloading supplies have increased across the board along with factory-loaded ammo, I can still reload a box for about half what I can buy it off the shelf for. Reloading is addicting, and if you reload what you shoot, you will quickly recover the initial cost. You don't need to start with $1,500 worth of Dillon 650. Any good turret press will crank out plenty of ammo to keep you in weekly practice rounds.

 

[klmspider]

reloading will always be cheaper, when only the components are figured. You can use cast bullets (about 7 cents), powder, (2 cents) and the primer, about 4 cents... the used case will come from what you have shot, or, get once-fired cases for about 5 cents each. These rounds will work fine, if care is used in assembling. Never use for personal defense, or whenever it is absolutely critical that each round always works perfectly. It doesn't pay to stake your life on a reload! The effects on a paper target, although, will be hard to ever tell from brand new ammo.

 

[Tony1990]

reloading will always be cheaper, when only the components are figured. You can use cast bullets (about 7 cents), powder, (2 cents) and the primer, about 4 cents... the used case will come from what you have shot, or, get once-fired cases for about 5 cents each. These rounds will work fine, if care is used in assembling. Never use for personal defense, or whenever it is absolutely critical that each round always works perfectly. It doesn't pay to stake your life on a reload! The effects on a paper target, although, will be hard to ever tell from brand new ammo.

Welcome on board the Bersa Pistol Forum from the Great State of Texas. Glad to have you with us.

Great point about not using reloads for personal defense, that's not the time to have a misfire.

 

[hobbles]

Mornin klmspider,
"It doesn't pay to stake your life on a reload!"
I gotta strongly disagree with that statement. Have you ever checked out store bought loads? Especially Winchester in the white box. The AOL of them very so much that it makes me wonder how much the powder is off. The reason we reload our own is to test and find out what the best bullet, powder, amount of powder and what the best AOL is for our weapon. That takes about a month to try everything to get your setup. Then you have the price with how many rounds you get for your investment. I get over 2800 rounds for under $150.00. I get good penatraction with my reloads so I know the effects of them. We get the same powder and primers as the the company's get. so I see no problem there.
I've never found a hot load that was better or even close to a medium load, and your weapon will show you what load you need by how close your pattern gets. If it ever came to my Wife's or my life being put on the line, Yes I'll trust my reloads.

 

[klmspider]

Hobbles- I won't argue the point that a handloader can make a more accurate cartridge than the poorer factory loads. I'm sure you can. Not all handloaders can, or will be that careful and exacting. But, just as much to the point, a handloaded cartridge, used in self-defense, opens up one more prosecution area of attack on the user of the handload. They argue that you were either out-gunning for someone, and had the intent- or, may have made "extra-strength killer loads". No, this guy may reload, and practice a lot with my own reloads, but I don't need to give prosecutions another way to attack my self-defense claim!
Although I can get quite a few reloads from a case, I do realize, that my used-case reloads may not be in perfect size and strength, as is expected from virgin brass cases. That bothers me a bit.
If I felt I HAD to use my own loads in a self-defense setup, I'd start loading more expensive hollow-points, and use virgin brass. That alone would negate most of the cost advantage of my reloaded cast bullet/ used case loads.

 

[hobbles]

Mornin klmspider,

Your comment "a handloaded cartridge, used in self-defense, opens up one more prosecution area" is a sad truth. It seems like the bad guys have more rights on their side in a lot of states. Heck, Kentucky had the "run away" law till 05 or 06. Now we can defend our self and our property. Before if a bad guy broke in the front door, we were suppose to run out the back door and call the police.
And your "Not all handloaders can" statement is also true. I have made a few mistakes when I first got into reloading. But now, with a few years behind me in reloading, I feel like my reloads are just as good and any store bought loads and better then some. I also feel like my reloads are the perfect "size and strength" for my weapon. That's one of the reasons why I reload. If your OAL is off then your POI will be too. If your weapon is shooting to high, like Bersa's do, you can make your OAL shorter to compensate for the sights. I don't want the hollow points for self defense. I like the blunt nose, kinda like a bowling ball, It don't have to be the fastest going down the lane to knock all the pins down.
I shoot with friends that practice aiming at the person silhouette, I aim at where a button would be on the silhouette. The old "aim small, miss small" theory. Kinda like when I deer hunt, I won't take a shot unless I can hit both lungs. And yes, more walk away than I take a shot at. I think that's because I'm to darn lazy to have to track them for a hour. I like it better when they just drop. I still get some that will run for 100 feet first, but then they don't move. Same goes for yotes, (They keep my ears warm when I'm riding, a western hat don't.)
Now I'm not saying your wrong, I'm just saying we have a different point of view, different style's and use different theory's. With that in mind, and we are ever together when the

, you take the ones on the left.

 

[Keltyke]

Reloading components are in short supply, with in-store stocks spotty and prices increasing. However, with the parallel increased cost of factory ammo, I can still reload for bout half what the boxed stuff costs.

I use factory ammo for self defense. There's none better than Speer Gold Dot JHP. I simply don't want to take a chance on my reloads, nor do I want the hassle in court of a prosecutor accusing me of reloading "especially deadly" rounds.

 

[hobbles]

Afternoon Keltyke,
I can see a prosecutor accusing me of carrying my weapon with "especially deadly" intentions. If I ever have to pull my weapon to protect my Wife or me, I do believe he would be 100% correct.
You aim for the BG's leg, I'm aiming for the 3rd button down.
The prosecutor is going to love me.

"Better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6".

 

[Tony1990]

Afternoon Keltyke,
I can see a prosecutor accusing me of carrying my weapon with "especially deadly" intentions. If I ever have to pull my weapon to protect my Wife or me, I do believe he would be 100% correct.
You aim for the BG's leg, I'm aiming for the 3rd button down.
The prosecutor is going to love me.

"Better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6".

Amen to that, my feeling totally.