Is the panic over?

[grousemaster]

Well, reloads may be quality, but I have some issues with them:

1) I KNOW my new brass casing in my new ammo hasn't been used, and when it is, it will be used once by me, but with reloads, I don't have any idea how many times the same casing has been used.

2) Many people who reload use non-jacket bullets because it's cheaper, and I don't want that much lead mess in my gun. (Not sure how many people use jacketed bullets when they reload, but my guess is not many.)
3) As for the cost of reloading per round, yeah it's generally cheaper than new rounds are; of course I could see it costing the same or more depending on components used as far as quality and price paid, even so, what about the cost of your time to reload? Do people factor that in? What is YOUR time per hour worth? At some point, it will cost you more money to reload than to just buy new when you figure in your time per hour.

4) It's not me loading it. I know I'm not reloading new rounds either, but the ammo companies have quality control, consistency, insurance in case someone sues their butt off, etc. If any kind of legal case was ever brought against them, they have the cash whereas Uncle Bob loading in his basement does not. I know you put your trust in someone else whether they are reloading it for you, or if you're buying new rounds, but I'd rather put my trust in the ammo company.

5) It's my gun. That trumps all other things above. My gun. No reloads.

Comparatively speaking, most people don't load their own bullets,they buy new, just like most people don't roll their own cigarettes when they can buy packs, or most people compile their own operating system's kernel when they can run just use a pre-made one instead, even though when you do something yourself, get more control over it.

You have no idea about reloading. Might want to gather some more info before making assumptions.

#5 still applies.

Would you allow reloads on a range you owned?

[Hoot]

It is matter of perspective and individual interpretation of entertainment. Everyone likes to eat, especially well executed food. Some prefer to cook for themselves and some prefer to eat out. Both have their merits. If you saw me, you'd know my problem is I like both and too much

I have never loaded a boolit, just jacketed bullets. As much as I enjoy trigger time, I equally enjoy designing loads and then loading them. As much as I enjoy fabricating my own parts on the mill and lathe as opposed to paying someone to do it for me, when it is A) faster turnaround and B) not overly more expensive or beyond my skill level. I enjoy craftsmanship and touch labor, along with a healthy dose of scientist wannabe.

My time is not entirely spoken for and reloading is a pleasant pastime. When I retreat into my man cave, mug of good coffee in hand, music I like on the stereo, faithful though useless dog at my side and shut the door, life is good. My fastidious approach yields ammunition that often exceeds the results obtainable from commercial products, assuming they are even available in the caliber and bullet I happen to be interested in. When someone else cooks for me, I am at the mercy of their menu. That's before quality control even enters into the equation. Reloading is enjoying yet another facet on the gem. Sometimes I use new brass and some times I reuse brass. I track every piece of brass I reuse for the number of times it has been reloaded because they change over time from the abuse of autoloading and from work hardening. When thy do not meet my criteria, they go in the scrap bucket. I'm a Walter Middy kind of guy. A DIY kind of guy and a general seeker of knowledge. Reloading is a means to an end that provides me with diversity of mission, entertainment and enlightenment. My interest in shooting, aside from hunting season would deteriorate if I could no longer make my own ammunition.

It doesn't have to be an us versus them relationship. I didn't have the opportunity to reload my entire shooting life. I totally get folks who prefer to simply shoot ammunition manufactured by someone else. They no doubt get more trigger time than I do.

YMMV

Hoot

[Mn01r6]

Would you allow reloads on a range you owned?

My guess is only if shooting out past 400 kilometers with a 3" barreled .45ACP from a hardened, individual concrete bunker with active noise cancellation and seven layers of AR500 steel.

[XDM45]

Would you allow reloads on a range you owned?

My guess is only if shooting out past 400 kilometers with a 3" barreled .45ACP from a hardened, individual concrete bunker with active noise cancellation and seven layers of AR500 steel.

...and you'd be wrong.

Sure. I'd allow reloads on a range I owned....right after they sign some paperwork absolving me and the business fro any and/or liability whatsoever. Actually, everyone would sign it, so sure, have at it.

[FJ540]

So by not allowing reloaded ammo in your own guns, you're admitting you don't even trust your own abilities to do simple tasks, yet here you are instructing others what they should do based on your own personal philosophies.


Man, you can only have this level of _____ in America.

[XDM45]

So by not allowing reloaded ammo in your own guns, you're admitting you don't even trust your own abilities to do simple tasks, yet here you are instructing others what they should do based on your own personal philosophies.

Man, you can only have this level of _____ in America.

Perhaps I should have been more specific since apparently you didn't pick up on the fact I was referring to ammo reloaded by other people and not myself. I didn't think I needed to dumb it down that much, apparently I was wrong. Next time I will.

By not allowing other's people reloaded ammo in my own guns, I'm admitting that I trust Federal more than I do you or someone else who isn't a professional ammunition company with all the right paperwork, insurances, etc etc etc. Not sure how you made a wild ASSumption having to do with me and my abilities or lack thereof, because I was speaking about ammo reloaded by other people, and I don't reload.

I'll answer your next question of why don't I reload.

I trust myself to reload my own ammo, of course, so why don't I reload? Well, for the same reason I don't do a lot of things....mainly because it would cost me more to do it myself vs. just buying it newly made from a professional ammunition's manufacturer. As many a person who reloads has said to me "You don't shoot for less, you just shoot more for less." There's also the initial investment of tools, and at some point, you will tip the scales in your favor of where you'll save money after that investment of tools and supplies, but again, you need to figure in your time as well. I don't think most people do cost accounting, because if they did, they'd see that it's not JUST .19 a round when they figure in every other expense related to it, which includes labor.

I don't grow my own food or work on my own vehicles either, not because I can't, but because it's not the most efficient and effective use of my resources. Quite simply, it's more cost efficient and effective for me to simply pay someone else to do it than to do it myself. If I can do something myself to save money, sure, of course I will, however on other things there is costs involved outweigh the benefits.

I guess if I was making a pittance of money per year, unemployed, cheap, really anal, just liked to reload for fun, because I just wanted to do it, or whatever else, sure, I'd reload.

As for instructing people, Not at all. Like everyone here, I'm voicing my opinion, that's all. Agree, disagree, matters not to me, just like who reloads or not.

[FJ540]

And if you knew anything at all about reloading, you would understand that very few people even allow others to shoot their reloads...

Would you like to expound on your opinions of what life on Mars is like too?

[XDM45]

And if you knew anything at all about reloading, you would understand that very few people even allow others to shoot their reloads...

Would you like to expound on your opinions of what life on Mars is like too?

Why not? Don't they trust their reloading reloading skillz? Are you saying they (or you) aren't competent?

[FJ540]

I let others shoot mine if they want.

[Zatoichi]

Checked Cheaper than Dirt. They have 9mm... but its alot more expensive than dirt.

69.69 pmc fmj 1.39 a round.

Listening to alot of podcasts. Some say its getting better, Some say it will get worse before it gets better.

Is the Panic Over? I won't even Guess. Nobody Knows.

[grousemaster]

I guess if I was making a pittance of money per year, unemployed, cheap, really anal, just liked to reload for fun, because I just wanted to do it, or whatever else, sure, I'd reload.

but, I thought you said reloading didn't save money?

[DanM]

Well, reloads may be quality, but I have some issues with them:

1) I KNOW my new brass casing in my new ammo hasn't been used, and when it is, it will be used once by me, but with reloads, I don't have any idea how many times the same casing has been used.

2) Many people who reload use non-jacket bullets because it's cheaper, and I don't want that much lead mess in my gun. (Not sure how many people use jacketed bullets when they reload, but my guess is not many.)

3) As for the cost of reloading per round, yeah it's generally cheaper than new rounds are; of course I could see it costing the same or more depending on components used as far as quality and price paid, even so, what about the cost of your time to reload? Do people factor that in? What is YOUR time per hour worth? At some point, it will cost you more money to reload than to just buy new when you figure in your time per hour.

4) It's not me loading it. I know I'm not reloading new rounds either, but the ammo companies have quality control, consistency, insurance in case someone sues their butt off, etc. If any kind of legal case was ever brought against them, they have the cash whereas Uncle Bob loading in his basement does not. I know you put your trust in someone else whether they are reloading it for you, or if you're buying new rounds, but I'd rather put my trust in the ammo company.

5) It's my gun. That trumps all other things above. My gun. No reloads.

Comparatively speaking, most people don't load their own bullets,they buy new, just like most people don't roll their own cigarettes when they can buy packs, or most people compile their own operating system's kernel when they can run just use a pre-made one instead, even though when you do something yourself, get more control over it.

You have to want to reload before it makes any sense to do so. There are reasons people want to reload. And reasons people want to cast boolits. Or to use jacketed bullets. It's all up to you.

Reloading can save you money. But there's more to the story. For these activities to be fun, there has to be some satisfaction gained in the doing of them. In other words, it's ideal if these are hobbies in and of themselves. Hobbies within a hobby. Otherwise there is the drudgery factor - "got to reload some more shells so I can shoot this weekend". Utterly do-able, but not necessarily fulfilling.

I enjoy reloading for it's own sake. A new skill set, tools, and expertise to master. And I get ammunition out of it to shoot with. And I enjoy shooting, too.

Some are shooters. Some shoot and reload. Some shoot, reload, and cast boolits. It's all good, but all of it is not necessarily for everyone.

And there is little cost justification in any of it. No one is paying me anything, and I'm not selling my reloads. So I don't get hung up on the economics of the proposition.

Then there are the muzzleloaders... (putting on the flame-proof suit now)

[Hoot]

...snip...

Then there are the muzzleloaders... (putting on the flame-proof suit now)

Also a labor of love. Collecting little spoons of places where you've been, still eludes me though.

Hoot

[XDM45]

Then there are the muzzleloaders... (putting on the flame-proof suit now)

I think that's a large part of it, but I agree with everything you've said.

[Need4Speed]

Fox news jsut reported on something we have all known about for months. lol

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/04/05/laws-rumors-have-ammo-flying-off-store-shelves/