Should I start reloading?

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Minuteman
Mar 16, 2014
64
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Virginia
#1
Here in the next couple weeks, I'm about to buy a nice 308 gun and join a club with a 500yd range. A buddy of mine reloads and has been for the past 3-4 years. I have helped here and there over the years and have learned a little.
Right now, he's out of work due to injury, so we've got plenty of time to work up loads and crank out rounds. However, when he goes back, our schedules don't exactly line up so reloading time for me will be limited.
Just today, we casted over 1000 9mm bullets. Painted them all and sized most of them. I also resized ~1700 9mm casings and primed about 800. I'm having fun doing it.

I can either just buy primers/powder/bullets and use his equipment...on his time...
or
I can buy my own beginner setup and reload as I wish on my time. I was thinking either a RCBS single stage, or maybe a Dillon BL550 Basic Loader. I like the idea of a turret style...especially if I do 9mm later on, or bulk 223.

The only thing I will be loading is 308 and 223....maybe 9mm in the future. I've got 4k of factory ammo to go through first...
 
#3
You really have to weigh out your friendship? Is it going to burden him after time. A guy taught me a rule, if I borrow something 3 times, buy it, it actually makes sense. I'm not talking rentals here, don't buy a lawn aerator on the 3rd time, your going to have to store this for 20 years!
Friendships get stressed or ruined over the pettiest shit, be careful.
 
#4
Hands down, buy your own stuff. It seems like you're pretty set on continuing reloading, so it's not fair to keep freeloading off of his time and equipment. Don't be that guy.
 
#6
I started out using a friend's equipment while he was teaching me what he had learned from several decades of reloading. He enjoyed having me come over to load at his house, but also encouraged me to start acquiring my own equipment. As time went by, I accumulated a pretty decent assortment of reloading equipment and then my friend/mentor died, so it turned out to be a wise move to get my own stuff rather than rely on using his. For the past couple of years, I've been teaching a young guy on my equipment. I told him right from the start that he would be wise to start purchasing his own equipment because I ain't gonna be here forever. Besides, it's just nice to load ammo whenever it is convenient rather than try to do it at someone else's place when it is convenient for them.
 
#10
Handloading is well justified, from both standpoints, precision and economy. Personally, I never borrow stuff, I buy my own. However, I do loan, and I assure you, no good deed goes unpunished. My best saltwater rig moved out of state, my 270W dies came back with a stuck case, which was made 100 times worse by the moron's attempts to fix it. My wife's floor polisher....my drain snake; never mind, you get the idea. BB
 
#11
I think that once you start getting serious about shooting with precision, converting to handloading becomes the logical course of action.

I would go with a Dillon. The BL550 has more potential than any singe stage press, but I also believe that upgrading a BL to an RL is probably going about it backwards, and may well end up being the more expansive route to owning an RL550B. Going straight to the RL550B was my way, and it turned out to be one of the more classic examples of "Buy once, cry once". Only you can make such a decision, but I think it was worth it.

Greg
 
#12
I'm not taking advantage of him...he's the one telling me not to buy all the equipment because he's already got it all.
I guess I'll start saving my money and do some research. I'll just get setup for 308 for now
 
#13
Only if you want to be frustrated because you can't find powder and primers. Just doesn't make the sense that it used too. Even if you find components, its not as cheap as it used to be. On the other hand if you want loads that are tuned to your particular rifle to achieve the utmost in accuracy, then by all means do so.
 
#15
If you do begin to reload please promise to not become another cry baby bitch pussy who starts a "I can't find Varget thread because I'm too lazy and retarded to realize there are several other powders out there that will do just as good, sometimes better and I just want to let everybody know how much of a bitch I am and they need to coddle my cry baby wet vagina ass" thread.
 
#17
leadbullet said:
Reloading sucks, just another addiction to feed. Pass, on the whole shooting thing, just buy the guns and keep them clean.
Trying to help.
Cheers.
Click to expand...

I've got a few safe queens already! Haha! I am a little worried that I will get carried away and end up with several thousand invested like my buddy... :rolleyes:

Ultraman550 said:
If you do begin to reload please promise to not become another cry baby bitch pussy who starts a "I can't find Varget thread because I'm too lazy and retarded to realize there are several other powders out there that will do just as good, sometimes better and I just want to let everybody know how much of a bitch I am and they need to coddle my cry baby wet vagina ass" thread.
Click to expand...

I've gotten my fair share of whiny bitches over the past 16+ months over .22lr....I know the feeling

NATE40 said:
If you dont load your own, You have somthing other than yourself to blame when you miss!
Click to expand...

The perfect scapegoat!
 
#18
Ultraman550 said:
If you do begin to reload please promise to not become another cry baby bitch pussy who starts a "I can't find Varget thread because I'm too lazy and retarded to realize there are several other powders out there that will do just as good, sometimes better and I just want to let everybody know how much of a bitch I am and they need to coddle my cry baby wet vagina ass" thread.
Click to expand...

Though I never published this, I somehow feel you've plagiarized me.
 
#19
Ultraman550 said:
If you do begin to reload please promise to not become another cry baby bitch pussy who starts a "I can't find Varget thread because I'm too lazy and retarded to realize there are several other powders out there that will do just as good, sometimes better and I just want to let everybody know how much of a bitch I am and they need to coddle my cry baby wet vagina ass" thread.
Click to expand...

I almost just shit myself laughing.
 
#23
If you figure out the cost per bullet from reloading, you will see it is less expensive to reload. Even when buying the equipment you will need, after a certain amount of Rounds you will have paid for that equipment as well.

There are some who will say reloading is not less expensive because you will end up shooting more. That's a possibility, but then again for the money spent you'll have more fun than if you bought factory ammo.

Either way, reloading is a great option.
 
#25
If it was me I would buy my own setup even though your buddy has the equipment, With your own set up you can load at you convince. I would go with the Dillon 550B and a Chargemaster 1500 powder dispenser/scale. That way you won't have to upgrade after you are reloading a while.
 
#27
samnev said:
If it was me I would buy my own setup even though your buddy has the equipment, With your own set up you can load at you convince. I would go with the Dillon 550B and a Chargemaster 1500 powder dispenser/scale. That way you won't have to upgrade after you are reloading a while.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I have. I have put over 300K rounds through my 550B.. Their lifetime guarantee is great. I just call them when parts wear out, and they replace them for free with no questions asked." The CHargemaster is awesome.
 
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