New gun for a Newbie

View · by **Rem700** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:13 am

Crunch the numbers and see if its viable for you.
Do you have the spare time its going to take to load the number of rounds needed on a single stage or would it take a more expensive progressive press, How many spare hours a week a month etc do you have?
I started out 35+yrs ago with a used $50 set up and only loaded maybe a 100rds a yr at the time then eventually a couple thousand rds per yr. About 15yrs ago I purchased several Dillon 650s and loaded appx 10,000 rds a year and for me I think I may have recouped my money, I still use my original RCBS Rockchucker for loading low volume numbers of pistol and rifle rounds. I also started loading shotgun shells 5-10yrs ago and it was cheaper then buying but about 2 yrs ago shot prices went crazy $35-40 for 25lbs of shot it would have been almost cheaper buying loaded shells. Fortunately I bought several pallets for $9 per bag yrs back so buying in bulk can save money :mrgreen:

I also heard primers selling for $30 thousand :shock:

I am still loading $7 primers which I am almost out of and will have to switch to $10 primers

View · by **rugersol** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:16 am

Rem700 wrote:I am still loading $7 primers which I am almost out of and will have to switch to $10 primers

I'll give ya $12 fer 'em?! 8-)

View · by **Rem700** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:26 am

rugersol wrote:
Rem700 wrote:I am still loading $7 primers which I am almost out of and will have to switch to $10 primers

I'll give ya $12 fer 'em?!

Thanks I think I will pass after the $10 primers I will have to switch to primers from Ahlmans that I had to pay $14.99 plus tax :shock:

Makes me wonder what I would have to pay in say another 20yrs

View · by **rugersol** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:31 am

Rem700 wrote:
rugersol wrote:
Rem700 wrote:I am still loading $7 primers which I am almost out of and will have to switch to $10 primers

I'll give ya $12 fer 'em?!

Thanks I think I will pass after the $10 primers I will have to switch to primers from Ahlmans that I had to pay $14.99 plus tax Makes me wonder what I would have to pay in say another 20yrs

Let us pray, fer the sake of everyone in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul (and northwestern Wisconsin) area, that when the chinese attack, they don't hit YOUR house! :shock:

View · by **Rem700** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:56 am

About 10yrs back I also started casting my own bullets to save money :roll:

I still scrounge lead where I can and take half of everything I collect and put it into my casting stash and sell the other half for consumables like powder.
So if I use fuzzy math to justify it to myself :lol:

My cowboy rds cost about nothing not includeing my time.
The lead I scrounge for free makes my bullet costs =0
Xtra lead sold to cover powder =0 Promo powder $85.00 for 8 lbs +-20,000 rds to the jug of the top of my head.
Primers = $.007 per round
Brass is a hard one I did buy a bunch of once fired about 10 yrs ago

View · by **Rem700** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 11:02 am

Thanks I think I will pass after the $10 primers I will have to switch to primers from Ahlmans that I had to pay $14.99 plus tax :shock:

Makes me wonder what I would have to pay in say another 20yrs

[/quote]
Let us pray, fer the sake of everyone in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul (and northwestern Wisconsin) area, that when the chinese attack, they don't hit YOUR house! :shock:

[/quote]

Dont worry I only keep a small supply at home to load over the winter months although lately it seems like come spring I am scrambleing to get stuff loaded.

View · by **tman** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 12:44 pm

FJ540 wrote:You're the first person I've ever heard of who decided to buy a DPMS because they made the parts at work.

Everyone else says that's why they'll never own one.

My department bought several carbines. The only problem I've had with mine was the magazines that came with the rifle sucked.

View · by **Seismic Sam** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 12:57 pm

Snowgun wrote:I've experienced nothing but great accuracy from DPMS, assuming you use appropriate ammo, have the right components (floating barrel, etc.).

Same here. Tony Rumore from Tromix used DPMS parts, and my 50AE Tromix sledgehammer is a damn tack driver. Especially after I put the Leupold M3 Tac scope on it. Put 5 rounds downrange once, and came back to the line with all 5 in the X ring and only two discrete holes in the paper, and the RSO told me that my gun was shooting disgustingly bad and that I should give it to him immediately to fix.

BTW, the standard joke with this gun is that it can 100% reliably shoot a 1/2" group. Pull the trigger once, and there's a .500"hole in the paper... 8-)

View · by **Snowgun** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 1:10 pm

tman wrote:
FJ540 wrote:You're the first person I've ever heard of who decided to buy a DPMS because they made the parts at work.

Everyone else says that's why they'll never own one.

My department bought several carbines. The only problem I've had with mine was the magazines that came with the rifle sucked.

I automatically got Pmags to use with mine and they have been great. Cheap (considering) as well.

View · by **FJ540** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 6:13 pm

All their small parts are listed as imported according to brownells. The guys who made their barrels talked about how they'd straighten them on a hydraulic press after being rejected and then send them right back. Ethan knows far more details than I do - he worked for a supplier for a couple years in St Cloud. All I know first hand is the dpms delta ring I bought because brownells was out of every other brand was indeed crap: glad I'm only out $7 (it's not on my gun).

Dpms has a great business model, but since they out source everything they do, they have no control of ultimate quality (they procure from the lowest bidder).

View · by **Mini SASS** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 7:31 pm

Wow guys, this tread got more attention than I expected, Thanks!

I'll probably hold off on reloading til next year when I get a .308 or 7.62 from DPMS if I'm happy with the Mini SASS (I can only buy one gun per year at dealer prices).

Here's what I've noticed from other forums. People like to dis DPMS for multiple reasons but never owned one. I equate it like this... Some people are Chey guys and some are Ford guys. Both build a quality product (well maybe not Chey) but its just a preference thing. I happen to like saving money, so I went with DPMS. The other employees at work like the DPMS AR's.. So, thats what I'm going with at this point. If I want something else in the future, I'll sell it and break even (hopefully). Anyways, I'm back into shooting and thats all that matters, right?

View · by **FJ540** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 7:56 pm

Lots of people voted for bama too (some did it multiple times

).

So why, after hearing story after story (from the guys working the machines), would I go and buy one?? I don't need to own a Yugo to know it's a DPMS.

View · by **Snowgun** on Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:15 pm

I hear dpms uses steel that has negative magnetism! Don't touch it!

I agree, lots of bs but not often from people who have owned one. I've run three so far and I've been impressed. Can u get a lemon? Yes, with any platform. But I've yet to meet anyone who has been disappointed.

View · by **PhilaBOR** on Sat Dec 03, 2011 12:14 am

I'm happy with both my LR-308's. More accurate than I am and reliable.