hunters_life

I have of late been using Federal's American Eagle 115g ammo since I just haven't had the time to sit at the Dillon to crank out ammo. I have found a source that allows me to purchase that Federal stuff at between .16-18c per round by buying bulk. Since I use pretty high quality components my reloads figure out to right at .13-14c buying bulk components. I've not been able to source anything cheaper other than Tula, which I would never subject any firearm I like to that crap and probably not even a firearm I hated either. I've went through a couple thousand rounds now of the Fed and have yet to have a misfire or any other problem. While I full well know the positives of reloading for my rifles to get the utmost accuracy at distance through tuning rounds to what my rifles like the best, I am starting to wonder to myself it is worth the time sitting at the bench to save a couple of cents per round when that Federal ammo is just as accurate and reliable. My main reason for reloading isn't cost, but accuracy and reliability although when we go through thousands of rounds a month, that cost does factor in. So, after that long winded reverie, what is your feelings about reloading common rounds that you can buy for just a touch more than you can reload them for and them be just as accurate and reliable as those you rolled yourself? Now I'm not talking about your defense ammo. I wouldn't trust anyone but myself to load something my life could very well depend on, but practice ammo to sling at paper and steel or even competition such as IDPA is what I am questioning myself about.

mounting man

Call me lazy but i would just buy them as you do . For 4 cents around as to how much time it takes to load them i would be buying them.
I would load some on rainy days or thru the winter for something to do .

Wingbone

When you're talking pistol or shotgun ammo, if I can buy it for the approximately the same price as reloading, I'll do it. I reload because it should be cheaper and more accurate than store-bought.

bronko22000

I don't reload rounds for my various handguns because of price. I do it more so to pass some time. I find reloading relaxing and a bonus it gets me out of my wife's hair. For my rifles that's another matter. Definitely price as well as accuracy. My goodness, my buddy just bought a box of .35 REM for a 336 he picked up recently and paid somewhere between $35 and $40 for them! I can load them for easily half that. And a couple years ago I bought a Rem 600 in 6mm and paid I believe $25 for a box of 20. Rifle ammo has gone insane.

Bocajnala

I don't reload for any of my high volume pistols. I buy them by the 1,000 or 5,000 instead. With three kids, I just don't have time to handload that much, and it's not really much cheaper anyway.

As for tula. I've shot it. I'll continue to shoot it when I have it, without fear or concern.

As for loading defense ammo, My department issues ammo. So I don't have that option. Including my off duty ammo.

It's like pulling teeth to get them to replace it every year. But I pester them until they do. That way I at least know I don't have 15 year old ammo that's been sitting who knows where.

Just have to way the time, vs the cost. To me, more time with the kids and more time shooting outweighs the price to load that much 9mm. JMO and as Cal would say YMMV

-Jake

hunters_life

I am in complete agreement with you Bronko as far as rifle ammo goes. I can even reload my .223 ammo far cheaper than buying factory loaded but 9mm ammo just doesn't seem to come to that fruition. Especially when my time is factored in. Now with my Dillon, I can crank out some serious round count on 9mm and .45acp so it really doesn't take a whole lot of time to crank out 1000 rounds but with the price difference of around $40 total, and that's on the high side of the estimate, lets just say that is nowhere near my hourly rate for the 2 hours it takes me to put out 1000 rounds. And like Bocajnala that 2 hours could be spent with my twins shooting or being in my wife's hair which is where the evil side of myself likes to be. Even after all this time being together we still like each others company for the most part.

Nomercy448

Put me on the list as "would rather be shooting than loading 9mm." Pistol ammo just doesn't cost enough to drive me to reload for it. It makes me itch a bit to load for pistol anyway, since I expect to lose a majority of my brass on every firing, or at least a major minority, so the financial advantage of loading vs. buying factory is diminished for me - it's just cheap enough to buy, such I'm not highly motivated to spend 10min kicking through the grass to find the 10 more pieces which are still missing - or even motivated to count them to know 10 are missing vs. 30 after a session.

hunters_life

Anyone ever try that CCI/Blazer brass 115gr FMJ? outdoorlimited has it on sale for $169 for 1000 rounds. Comes out to .17 a round which is about as cheap as I can find. Right now I use either 3n37 or CFE for powder in reloading and both are extremely clean burning. Those Federals are fairly clean but I wouldn't mind a bit cleaner burning. My K2p is a bit of a bear to clean the internals unlike my Sigs or my 1911's. I like to pull the trigger mech. as well as the pin after 500 rounds for cleaning and close inspection.

Boondock Patrol

Reloading for rifle, especially for long range, makes sense. Reloading the Plinking stuff, not so much!