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Old 12-11-2006 | 09:07 PM
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Briman
Nontypical Buck
 
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Body in SE WI, mind in U.P.
Default RE: is reloading cheaper??

No!

Reloaders use math to justify reloading in a money saving sense, but it never works out that way. You usually start out by calculating that you need to reload 800 of xy-caliber to break even on the price of a press, dies, and otehr equipment. Problem is that after loading that number of rounds or a multiple of it, you decide you can now justify a $500 progressive setup so that you can really crank out the rounds. Along the way, you buy expensivetools that make the job easier- tumblers, chronographs, various case guages, better scales, competition dies, etc, etc. Pretty soon you are into $1000+ in reloadign equipment, and another 1000+ in components. All the while instead of shooting a 1/2 box of factory loads per range session, you start shooting 75-100 rounds at a time- all in the name of saving money. Then one day you are browsing the local gun shop and see a used rifle on the rack that is chambered in .264 Norma UltraThundercatMegavelocity Ackley Improved Magnumand you know that you can make cartridges for it if you buy a bit more equipment, you want to be the first guy on the block to have a .264 NUTMAIM- just because you can.

If you really want to lose a lot of money by trying to save it, start casting bullets. For about $400 you can get a good setup and start casting away. Then you'll decide that you want to try different moulds at $50 a piece, and maybe a 1/2 dozen new powders at $20/lb. If you consider how much time it takes to cast bullets, and if time is worth anything to you, buying bullets from a store with jackets made of 24ct gold might actually be cheaper.

Its a worthwhile hobby, but don't fool yourself about saving any money- save the money saving calculations and estimates to propose to your significant other on why you need a fully automated progressive reloading system


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