To LOAD or not to LOAD

A great resurgence in the art of hand loading, aka reloading, is upon us.  Ammo shortages have driven folks who otherwise would never have considered loading their own ammo into one of the countless horde standing in line for the last pound of powder at the gun store.

For those who have yet to take the plunge, you may have questions.  So lets go through the basics.

Why reload?  

#1  Cost

Do the math and you will quickly realize that loading your own ammo is more cost effective.  Some high volume rounds such as 9mm Luger can be bought in bulk for reasonable prices as new ammo.  So the cost savings may be somewhat minimal.  In fact you might say that it just isn't worth the investment.

However, for most rifle rounds, as well as many less common pistol rounds the savings can be substantial.  So, look at what you plan to load, and decide.  Is it worth the investment in equipment and time for me to do this?  If your only reason to consider re loading is cost and you only shoot common calibers every once in a while, no it's not worth it to re load.  But, if you are an avid shooter that runs through tons of ammo, even the common calibers can be cost effective to load for.

#2 Control

Having control over your ammo has always been one of the big draws to hand loading.  For example, I was loading a 125 grain hollow point bullet for my Mauser 98.  It was a great round.  Low recoil and a heck of a lot of fun.  You simply cannot walk into any store and buy that ammo.  It is not made with that bullet weight.  But I could make it and save money over factory ammo at the same time.  There are just way more bullet choices out there for the re loader that aren't available as loaded ammo.  Having options is always nice.  Want a light load for new shooters?  No problem.  Want
accuracy and consistency?  Hand load. 

#3 Obsolete and odd calibers

Ever seen 38-40 ammo on the shelf.  What you say?  Sure, you can order a box for nearly $100 and shoot your Winchester.  No thanks!  Or, you could have your rifle re-chambered to some popular caliber and ruin the collector value.  Again, not a good option.  So, gather up some brass and load your own.  The 38-40 takes a 40 caliber bullet and pistol powder, so it's really no big deal once you have your brass located.  It's a way of having your rifle and shooting it too.



Going back to the Mauser that I loaded for.  7.92x57 (8mm Mauser) brass is not exactly laying all over the range, But you can always find someone with a supply of 30-06 brass that they will practically give you.  Run the 06 brass through the Mauser die and trim the excess and now you have Mauser brass.  Not so hard right?

Why on earth would you pay astronomical prices for factory loaded ammo when you can make your own for so much less?  The big ammo makers have setup and tooling time to recoup.  That's why they charge so much for low volume calibers.  You don't have to worry about all that.  Cha Ching!!

So, it's up to you.  Do you value the control factor that hand loading affords?  Is the cost savings of loading your own worth the investment?  Are you tired of paying through the nose for those odd calibers?  Answer yes to any of those questions and you are in the re loading game.  Enjoy!