First the disclaimer. I am not working for any company that makes or sells reloading equipment or components. I am not the best, or anywhere close to the best, reloader around. I do enjoy reloading and reload for all my own guns. Do I reload for others – nope, but I am more than willing to help you as you get started and you can even start by working your brass in my basement. I would suggest that if you are thinking of reloading for profit or to just recoup some of the money that you have invested, that you talk with your insurance representative and see what kind of coverage you really “don’t” have. Someone shooting ammunition that you have reloaded sticks his gun in the mud, blows up his gun, and guess who either the shooter or the next-of-kin think is responsible. If you were just “there” while the shooter reloaded, your responsibility will be much less. Anyway, how about we move on to the first part. First part you ask. Yep, this may need several parts to tell the whole story.
One thing that I will stress here is that you NEED to check a reloading manual. It is a wealth of information and will keep you from getting in trouble reloading. There have been changes in load data over the years – usually today’s loads are lower than they were in the 60’s. That doesn’t mean that you should up today’s loads, it only means that you will find different data in different manuals. Also, the same gun was not used for the RCBS, Nosler, and Speer, etc. tests. What might be a “slightly warm” load in one of my guns could be a “hot” load in another of my guns. It is always better to start on the cautious side and be SAFE.
The first question that I usually hear is “How much can I save by reloading?” That question has many answers and needs many questions answered first. Like, how many rounds do you shoot each year? How much time do you have to reload? Can you concentrate if you start reloading or do you like to look around and take a break every few minutes? Are you happy with the results that you are getting with the ammo you are currently using? Can someone really put five rounds in one hole? And the list goes on and on, but we are going to start by answering some of these questions.
How much can I save? Part of the answer depends on if you already have the press, dies, and other equipment (or if you have a friend who will let you use their press, dies, and other equipment). Let us assume you are planning to reload your 22-250, have no once-fired brass, and use Midway component prices for comparison. You will spend about $62.40 (100 rounds of new Remington 22-250 brass $30.00, Nosler 55 grain ballistic tips $20.00, Remington 9 1/2 primers $2.80, and Alliant Reloader-15 powder $9.60 {$19.00 per pound, you are shooting 35.3 grains x 100 = 3,530 grains}. So each shot, with NEW brass, will cost you 63¢ and that drops to 33¢ for the second reload since you won’t be buying new brass. Federal premium uses the 55-grain Nosler ballistic tip in their ammo, which sells for $25.00 for 20 rounds or $125.00 for the same number of rounds at $1.25 per shot. So, your projected savings would be $62.60 for new brass and $92.60 for reusing your brass.
Now there were many assumptions made above like getting your powder and primers locally at online prices because if you have them sent you will pay a HAZMAT delivery fee. You will also be paying normal shipping for your brass and bullets, but it gives you a “general” idea of the savings. Another assumption is that you already have the reloading equipment. Finally, there is also the assumption made that your time is not worth much.
If you don’t already own the needed reloading equipment or have a friend who does, then everything changes. The RCBS Rockchucker Master kit has a price tag of around $260.00 and another $50.00 for dies. This is a pretty good reloading press and one that will allow you to reload just about any cartridge. There are less expensive kits out there and there is also the chance that you can find used equipment – both will save you money. The thing to remember is that quite often you get what you pay for and a cheap press that is not aligned very well will not give you the results that you want. I have heard reloaders swear by, and also at, some of the cheap reloading presses. Personally, I will try to save a little longer and get what I want.
What can reloading do for the shooter? Now there is a question that makes much more sense than some I have heard.
1. When you buy a box of ammunition, you get what the manufacturer gives you. The bullet might be seated a little short for your rifle, but there is nothing you can do about it. If you reload, you can back the seating die out a little and the bullet will be seated longer.
2. You want to take your son or daughter out and they want to shoot the “big gun” but you are concerned that the recoil might make them less apt to want to go with you in the future. You might need to change powders, but you should be able to find a reduced load that will not kick as much. Hodgdon has youth loads on their site using H4895 at 60% of a normal load. That brings the load down to 19.2 grains for the 22-250. The bullet will not hit at the same point of aim as the full load, but many smaller frames can enjoy shooting this load. Or you can load some lighter bullets at lower velocity, which could also help.
3. Can groups really get smaller by reloading – yes, if you are willing to work. You will need to find out what your gun likes and then load what is needed. It might be a different powder charge, a different bullet, a different primer, a bullet seated a little longer or a little shorter, but all of these things can make a difference and you can make that difference.
4. You are in control of what you are doing. Remember that with being “in control” you also need to be “responsible.”
So, if you are shooting 40 rounds a year and are getting respectable groups, then you probably do not need to get started reloading. At the same time, if you are shooting 40 rounds a year and plan to continue for the next 10 years, you might as well start now.
