new rifle got questions

[rokdog13]

Just got .270WSM Vanguard SUBMOA. The ammo was $50 a box!! I want to gather som info on reloading, which I know very little about.
I want to reload in the hopes that I can save money and shoot more over the long term with the chance at increasing accuracy a benefit as I learn something about what works. I'm assuming the initial cost will be high, but will it drop off pretty quickly, or is reloading still comparable to buying off the shelf ammo?
Haven't shot the gun yet. Need to relieve the barrel a little, adjust the trigger and sight it in. Sure is a pretty gun.

[AJB]

well I know reloading my .243 rounds saves me some good money. I guess I am no way an expert in reloading alot of guys on this site have WAY more experience than I do but if you are close to a cabelas go in and check out the reloading presses or pick up one of their catalogs and check them out. We all started where you are now and grew from there.

[versifier]

"Can I save money by reloading?" seems like a simple, straightforward question on the surface, but it is the tip of an iceberg. Understand that I am not trying to discourage you, but if the cost is the only reason you are considering it, you are not looking at the whole picture. It is a fascinating and fulfilling hobby that has afforded me thousands of pleasant hours in the thirty-odd years I've been at it, and there are many thousands of us who are into it. It is not for everybody, but it just might be for you.

Yes, you can produce ammo for significantly less cost than you can buy it in many cases, especially with specialty rifle ammo. As you surmise, your startup costs may be significant, but you can get an "entry level" setup for one or two different cartridges for less than $100. Keep in mind, however, that the costs of components are rising as fast as those of factory ammo, and if you find that you enjoy making your own, your investment in tools and components will be potentially much more than you would even consider spending on ammo today. Saving money is all well and good, but there are other considerations that ought to weigh just as heavily on your decision. Here are some of the questions I think you should be asking yourself:
How much free time do you have?
Do you own a lot of different firearms?
Do you shoot them a lot? (Not "will you", do you NOW?)
Do you own any that ammo for is very difficult or impossible to find and buy?
Are you the type of person who is temperamentally suited to the job? (Are you a picky, detail oriented person who is willing to take the time to learn and process a lot of information about a complicated subject?)
Are you patient and methodical or are you always in a hurry?
Do you have a location and a home situation where you can work without interruption from anyone - family, phone, visitors, etc.?
Are the people you live with likely to understand and respect your need to be able to work undisturbed?

Understand that you would be working with forces that could turn any gun into shrapnel, injuring or killing the shooter and bystanders if you get charge tables confused or someone disturbs you while you are measuring powder and you drop a double or triple charge into a case without realizing it. Many who are the patient and methodical sort best suited to learning about it do not have a safe situation to work in for one or more reasons. If you aren't already shooting a lot or you don't have a lot of time to do it, you aren't going to be saving much of anything as the savings come with volume. If you are the kind of person who always has to have the biggest, the best, the fastest, and wants everything right now or even better wants it yesterday, you would be a serious accident waiting to happen. It takes some soul searching and the ability to be honest with yourself.
I have taught a lot of people the basics of loading safe ammo, but there have been a good number that I have refused to teach because they lacked the focus, maturity, or temperament to be able to do it safely.

Many of us get into the hobby thinking to save money, but guess what? It's a hobby, and the more you enjoy it, the more excuses you are going to find to try new tooling, a new powder, several premium bullets to see which ones your guns prefer, new guns to load for and the die sets to go with them..... And before you know it, you are in fact going to be spending a lot more money on it than you would if you just bought a few (albeit expensive) boxes of ammo to shoot every year getting ready for deer season. Yes, I can produce premium and extremely accurate ammo for a lot less than factory costs, but I'd be the last one to tell you I've saved much money doing it. I get to load and shoot thousands of rounds a year in a variety of rifles and handguns, have a great time doing it, have met a lot of really good people with similar interests over the years, and stayed out of a lot of trouble that would otherwise have found me.

And you know, I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Surveyor]

I am very new to reloading so my opinion can't be worth to much. I had considered reloading for several years but never had the cash to buy a complete new, quality set-up and did not know enough about it to risk buying used. Then I got lucky and was fortunate enough to win a $1000 gift certificate to Cabelas in one of the NRA sweepstakes. My ticket to reloading. I was interested in quality reloads as well as saving and had no interest in reloading large quantities of ammunition so I decided on a single stage press. By the time I bought the press and all of the other accessories, including case trimmer, tumbler, a couple sets of dies....a few pounds of powder, primers bullets, etc. I had put more than an $800 dent in the gift card.

The last box of Marlin .444 cartridges I bought cost $34.00 for 20, or $1.70 per round. The combined cost of jacketed bullets, powder and primer cost $0.45 -$0.50 per round. That is a major difference however the cost is somewhat higher than that as the brass has a finite life to it and must be replaced periodically.

Even though there is a potential savings by reloading I would not advise it if that is the only reason. If you don't enjoy it you are asking for a mistake to be made and for an accident to happen. Done properly it can be very time consuming. For me it has become another source of enjoyment. Frequently in the evenings I will spend considerable time at my reloading bench in the cellar and enjoy every minute. Sometimes I find myself wanting to go the range more on week-ends so that I will have an excuse to reload more during the week.

Good luck with your decision.

Frank.

[rokdog13]

I got a used RCBS single stage press from a guy at work. After looking at prices on other pieces I will need I think I will have done all the reading I can do before I am completly outfitted and begin reloading.
I have been looking at prices of all the equipment and I get confused rather quickly. I find myself wondering what it adequate and what is just plain overkill.
The guy I got the press from is going to loan me a die for 7mm rem mag and one of his books to help familiarize myself.
I plan to check books out from the library on reloading so I can get an idea of which ones I should buy. From what I have seen of how much it costs to get everything I need It will be a while. Everybody I have talked to that has reloaded said they really enjoyed it. I have been a gun nut for as long as I can remember, so I think this is the next step, or a natural progression. I dont see myself loading a huge amount of ammo but I hope to become competent and effective at tuning in a round for my gun and whatever occasion. and having access to ammo regardless of how restrictive our warm and fuzzy government tries to make it.

[versifier]

Sometimes I find myself wanting to go the range more on week-ends so that I will have an excuse to reload more during the week.
Frank.

Welcome to the forum Surveyor. Sounds like we've hooked another one.

rokdog,
You've got a good press and that's a step in the right direction. You also have someone to show you the basics, and that is priceless.
You will need:
> two or more current loading manuals
> a priming tool (I like the Lee AutoPrime2 - it is a press mounted ram prime with a primer feed that uses regular shell holders, but there are all different kinds, some press mounted, some bench mounted, some hand held.)
> case lube for FL sizing (I like Universal Sizing Die Wax - no mess, no lube pad, no wiping it off the cases after, nothing to contaminate primers.)
> a powder measure (This can be as simple as a set of Lee dippers or you can go with any of the bench mounted units made by the major manufacturers - I have a 30+ year old RCBS Uniflow that I have been using since day one, a Lyman #55 that I use for handgun cases, and a dipper set for emergencies.)
> a powder scale
> a case loading block (It lets you see what you are doing, keeps batches of cases organized, and makes it easier to inspect powder levels in all your cases after charging them.)
> a chamfer/deburring tool (For new cases and after trimming.)
> a dial caliper (There are inexpensive plastic ones, entry level steel tools, or you can pay big bucks for a top-of-the-line Starrett, but you need something to measure with accurately and you can do it for around $20 if you shop carefully.)
> die sets and shell holders
> a notebook to keep a log of what you load, when, and for what
> a case trimmer
> a strudy bench to mount your press on
> good lighting
> brass, primers, powder, bullets

Later you may want to add other tools, specialty dies, etc., but the above list covers all the basics.

[rokdog13]

thanx Versifier, I saved your list. I'll start reading and finding the pieces I need.

[dale clawson]

My new 257 Weatherby ammo cost $85 per box of 20. Cost of bullet, primer and powder is $8.90 box of 20. Yes, you can save money by reloading, some cartridges more than others. With these barrel burners you can find a load with less pressure spike and cooler burn that will give good accuracy and extend the life of your barrel. DALE

[versifier]

$85??!!!!!! Wow. I knew factory prices were getting high, but that goes way way beyond outrageous. When I saw $60 on a box of .444Marlins for my brother's rifle, I just about choked. Before he plunked down the cash I had a few words with him, then he bought me a die set and two boxes of bullets and he still came out ahead. Savings are not so spectacular on more common chamberings like 9mm's, but are still enough to make it worthwhile.

[dale clawson]

My newest brother in law got a Barret 50 cal. for christmas. Loaded ammo is $5.25 per round. STICKER SHOCK! DALE

[rokdog13]

A Barrett .50 for XMAS?? If I weren't already married I would inqiure if you had any single sisters!!!

[versifier]

I'm not. Do you?

[buster]

New around here, just wanted to pass this on- http://oncefiredbrass.com/

[versifier]

Welcome to Gunloads, Buster. Thanks for the tip.