I'd like to see a new thread on this subject. (Maybe a whole forum section as there are so many topics...) starting with living without power...thats why I started burning wood to begin with
Its never easy setting aside money. I would suggest the Dillon 550, or just the Lee classic set to get started. Casting saves a ton of money, especially if you shoot in volume. It takes time to cast, its a skill and takes knowledge. Even lead is getting expensive and hard to find, but if you buy it right, the projectiles essentially cost only time and labor.
I probably only shoot 100 rounds of centerfire a month on average. I just can't justify the cost of a Dillon at that rate. It's hard to justify the upfront cost of reloading period, but it's more for the learning experience for me over actually saving money.
If you shoot 100 rounds a month and buy lee stuff it will be paid for quick....depending on caliber. If you just shoot 9mm it will take a lot longer. If your like me and shoot say 50 , .44 mags off sometimes the savings on a box of those is like $30+ per box. I shoot a lot of .38s too.
Right now I about evenly shoot 9mm, .38 Special and .45 ACP. I plan on reloading just .38/.357 to begin with because I'm planning on a lever gun in that caliber in the next year or so. My .44 mag is out of tune so I don't shoot it much. I really need to send it back to Colt and have that fixed because I'd love to work up some lighter target loads, and even deer hunt with it.
My firewood stockpile is in good shape, prob about 3+ yrs ahead, thats a good place to be for me. This fall I'm starting a small firewood business and knowing I'll be able to process many more cords of wood than I would for just myself also makes me happy. I'll be able to tap that and not have any out of pocket costs, and this will be a continuous flow of seasoned wood. Guns and rounds...no change. I stockpile on factory rounds when the sales from the factories are keeping the prices down. I like to be comfortable having 1500 target rounds on hand and 200 carry. Genny runs 1x/mo and my used chevy duramax has a PTO and a A/C adapter if worse comes to worse.
Yup depending on the cartridge, and quality desired you can save alot or shoot more for the same you spend. The Lee 50th anniversary kit is 120+- then a die set. Say you reload .308 @ 50 cents a round. Federal gmm is 1 dollar a round. Every 100 rounds is now half as expensive. I also shoot lots of .45 acp, its essentially a primer(3-5 cents) and a cent or two for powder and call it a cent for a bullet. I also powder coat them for another cent, So its usually under 10cents a round. 10k+ rounds a year is much more affordable this way.
I am loading .30/06 for $0.75 a round. I am useing Accubond bullets which is where the price comes from. But you can't find those bullets for like less than $35 a box I think some go upwards of $60 a box of 20. But 3/4 shots through the same hole @100 yards I think the few cents more a round was worth it...least to me These rounds were produced on a lee single stage press....a $20 unit with Lee dies.
Aren't those Accubonds something? I use them in my .30-06, 7mm-08, .308, and I just loaded some for my .250 Savage-can't wait to see what kind of groups I get in that gun. That's a .664" group out of my Browning A-bolt .30-06.
Yea. I have never shot a group that good. After the second shot I seriously thought I missed the paper. After the third shot I just saw a bit more ragged hole I was like "there going through the same hole"!!! And I don't claim to be a good shot or anything. This was from a cheap shooting vise off amazon, nothing nice and still had to be very still since it was so lightweight. This really shows how you can develop a good load reloading. Now I did my part on the bench and loaded up test rounds to shoot but I have never come close to thst accuracy with factory ammo. Usually a 1 to 3" group at 100 yards...probably close to 1.5"
Bought some Israeli bandages, they aren't that expensive some will be stashed and will be going in the ATV cars and anywhere i use a chainsaw.
Looking at saiga 308s, hopefully tomorrow I'll buy one. Going to buy a few stripped lower receivers and parts kits before they get scarce. Just more boomsticks to feed.
Another lower may or may not be on its way to my ffl. Sale price and free shipping sucked me into hitting the buy button. I figure I better get one now while they are cheap and available.
I was going to get one of them black rifles but decided I would get a lot more use out of a new deer gun and a .22 pistol for about the same $. Just need to figure out which ones. I'm all set on ammo...just need to buy a little here and there to replace what I shoot....which isn't much these days . Prices and availability locally are pretty good. Saw .22lr on the shelf for a good price for the first time last week. They had a bucket for 79.99 and CCI 100 packs for 7.99. I haven't seen any on the shelf for a long...long time.
Which .22 pistols are you looking at? I have a Browning Buckmark and Ruger MKI, I really like both but it's tempting to pick up a S&W Victory to see how it compares.
Not sure. I need to shoot a few. I'm open to about anything but those target pistols just seem gigantic to me. I'll never shoot competitively....
The small 22s like the p22 or sr22 usually suck for accuracy, and seem to be very ammo picky. And theres no reason to ever carry a 22 other than for snakes or to hunt and if your hunting you want a target pistol. I have a ruger mark III 22/45. I love it. It's accurate and I run hundreds of rounds through it.
