RE: Is it really worth it?
"Worth" is relative. If you are a casual shooter, a time or 2 at the range then don't bother. BUT if you like being exact, or shooting thousands of rounds, shoot weird cartridges, then yes. If you go in to reloading with the mindset that it is a hassle....stop and don't do it. You'll be trying to shortcut things and blow yourself up.
For me it's worth it, because I can shoot more for the same money. I'm sure my dies and stuff have well paid for themselves. I like the self satisfaction of shooting a deer with my own loads. I can load up or down whether I am plinking or hunting. I've learned a ton about ballistics, pressure, physics etc. Loading shells beats watching pointless things on TV.