Do we need a reloading section?

[HCM]

All true. Anyone with some patience, mechanical ability, and the ability to read and follow instructions can reload. But that doesn't mean you'll enjoy it.

Another point to consider is how much free time you really have. If you have to scrape out shooting time, reloading will take a bite of that and you might be better off looking for ammo sales.

This is me. I work 50 to 60 hours per week. I reloaded back in he 80's and 90's when I had more time than money. Now I reload calibers like 45 Colt and 45-70 where the cost difference is great but for 9mm and 5.56 the time isn't worth it. I'm saving my brass in 5 gallon buckets for when I retire and that time/ money ratio reverses.

I started with Lee Loaders, then a RCBS jr press and. 550. Most of my loading equipment was in my Dads basement and disappeared after he passed away 15 years ago. Yes, I'm still pissed.

[Shotgun]

I wonder who the 3 "negative" votes are.

I have reloaded shotgun shells since the mid-80s. However, rifle and handgun cartridges have always been a mystery. How deep do you seat the bullet? Does the bullet need to touch the lands? When does one size and trim the cases? Reloading shotgun shells is mindless. Your powder and shot charges aren't measured with any more precision than that given by a charge bar. You reload a shell until it wears out without having to worry about size or trimming for goodness sake. I would welcome a reloading section. It would be nice to learn to reload for pistols, at least for plinking and practice.

[LSP972]

All true. Anyone with some patience, mechanical ability, and the ability to read and follow instructions can reload. But that doesn't mean you'll enjoy it.

Another point to consider is how much free time you really have. If you have to scrape out shooting time, reloading will take a bite of that and you might be better off looking for ammo sales.

This. Since I've been shooting mainly 9mm the past several months, I haven't reloaded a round… of anything. While the 21 cents a round I'm paying for bulk EuroPellet is five to ten cents more than I can reload the same caliber for, my time is worth something. Once the thrill wears off, only a hard-core bench-rest shooter will continue to enjoy reloading. It is a means to an end. And you WON'T "save money"; you'll just shoot more.

That said… if a Reloading Section shows up here, I'll gladly throw my two cents in to help newbies. Pistol only, though… I'd rather take an ass-whipping than reload bottleneck cartridges. BTDT; too much of a PITA for me.

.

[Hambo]

I'm not a hardcore benchrest guy, but I am a tinkerer and load for a crapload of calibers, thus I do enjoy it. I load every round I shoot with the following exceptions:

1-carry ammo
2-if I'm going to a class I'll usually just buy a case
3-shotgun shells are so cheap now I just buy them cases at a time

[LSP552]

I hate to reload....but love to shoot! I own a Dillon because I no longer have unlimited access to free bullets. I currently load pistol ammo for 9mm, .44 Special and .45 Colt. Have loaded a ton of .45 ACP, .38 Special and .357 mag in the past. I load rifle ammo in .30-06 and .308 because I own very accurate hunting rifles that I like to get the most out of. Reloading rifle ammo is therapy and pistol ammo a chore.

I buy my AR ammo and what little .38 Special I feed the J-frames.

I started reloading in 1979 on a RCBS Rockchucker clamped to my apartment dining room table. Brass was cleaned by boiling on the stove. Yep, single at the time.

[JDM]

I am afraid it illustrates the opposite.

How's that?

[olstyn]

Reloading rifle ammo is therapy and pistol ammo a chore.

I agree that pistol ammo can be a chore, but it's also relatively simple and easy, so it's not too bad to get my phone playing some music and just crank away on the press until the job is done.

Brass was cleaned by boiling on the stove.

Hopefully not in a pot you also used for cooking; I'd hate to see what that'd do to your blood lead levels.

[ranger]

I voted "no" because there are just so many other places to get reloading information. Will be glad to participate as I am very active reloader.

[Malamute]

I wonder who the 3 "negative" votes are.

I have reloaded shotgun shells since the mid-80s. However, rifle and handgun cartridges have always been a mystery. How deep do you seat the bullet? Does the bullet need to touch the lands? When does one size and trim the cases? Reloading shotgun shells is mindless. Your powder and shot charges aren't measured with any more precision than that given by a charge bar. You reload a shell until it wears out without having to worry about size or trimming for goodness sake. I would welcome a reloading section. It would be nice to learn to reload for pistols, at least for plinking and practice.

Loading shotgun shells would be a mystery to me. Bullet doesn't need to touch lands unless working up freak accuracy loads for a particular gun. Rarely if ever trim pistol cases, others do. I don't think I ever trimmed a 45 auto case, and rarely if ever on any other pistol/handgun case I recall. Choose a load (charge/bullet combination) from a manual, or figure one out from looking at manuals, load a few at lower charges just to be sure no gremlins are in your stuff, and once figured out, load like crazy. Overall length is where the crimping groove or canelure is on the bullet. Or what works in your gun, or whatever is closest to normal spec for the caliber. Some guns/bullet combinations in revolvers can be loaded to much longer OAL than book, simply because they fit in the cylinder of the gun and the bullet doesn't stick out the front and keep the cylinder from turning. Very few loads have been to a specific length spec other than at or below max, mainly in rifle loads or auto pistol loads. They have to fit in the magazine or feed through the action. Too short can raise pressure though, if it reduces the powder space over typical loads for that bullet weight. Charges can be thrown from a measure once its set. No charge bars, just an adjustable measure you set with a scale.

Size pistol cases every time, rifles generally, though you can only neck size them.

It isn't rocket surgery, though some knowledge and tricks help. The basics are pretty basic.

[StraitR]

I voted "no" because there are just so many other places to get reloading information. Will be glad to participate as I am very active reloader.

I don't see a "no", are you sure you didn't vote that "Mods here are shit"?

Speaking of Mods, I see that someone (probably LL) is moving pertinent threads into the new reloading section. Maybe we can move the one I started on 300 BLK projectiles...

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ojectile-Guide