tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post116901591210400249..comments2023-11-10T04:17:00.492-05:00Comments on View From The Porch: It's aliiive!Tamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169552500047902552007-01-23T06:41:00.000-05:002007-01-23T06:41:00.000-05:00As several people pointed out, the ammo you're mak...As several people pointed out, the ammo you're making when you handload isn't usually the bulk loaded Remchester wal-mart specials. You're usually at least making the $10/20 boxes even if you're loading .223. And you're definitely not making 2 MOA milsurp ammo either...Dravenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02595598824850294819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169516281013841422007-01-22T20:38:00.000-05:002007-01-22T20:38:00.000-05:00Yer were a girl back when you discovered "Wesson's...Yer were a girl back when you discovered "Wesson's Fine Case Lube," and yer still a girl, Tamara!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169436706040669732007-01-21T22:31:00.000-05:002007-01-21T22:31:00.000-05:00I've been into the reloading thing for awhile now....I've been into the reloading thing for awhile now. Honestly I do save quite a bit on certain loadings rather than buying a box of ammo. .44Mag and .45LC are both fine examples of which I can produce better loads at less than half the price. But that is not the primary reason to reload.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169091403043685812007-01-17T22:36:00.000-05:002007-01-17T22:36:00.000-05:00Sounds like my first attempts, I've fallen off the...Sounds like my first attempts, I've fallen off the purity-wagon and ordered a bunch of pre-prepped and weight-sorted Nosler brass, I just got so tired of all those Lake City mil-crimps and the primer-pocket prep and the rest. Still, I can make my own M1-Garand loads cheaper than buying Match .30-06 ammo which may not be exactly right for the old girrl, or too hot to work well at only 200-yards.NotClauswitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14358707844087117280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169076676645114902007-01-17T18:31:00.000-05:002007-01-17T18:31:00.000-05:00There's a gunshop near me that buys odd lots, esta...There's a gunshop near me that buys odd lots, estates, etc. and they often come up with cheap primers and other components. $50+tax for 5000 primers is not everyday, but it does happen. Just a few weeks ago I bought 2000 .224 FMJBT bullets there for $15+tax. <BR/>Even Midway has 5000 primers under $100, regular price. Wait for an overstock clearance (it does happen) and buy enough to make the shipping & hatmat inconsequential, and you're doing OK.<BR/>I use mostly surplus powder from gibrass.com, have a friend who works at a tire store (free wheelweights) and make my own bullet lube (C.E. Harris style). <BR/>Besides, as stated before, I said ".22 rimfire", not "the cheapest possible loss-leader .22 LR".<BR/>If I compared something to "full-power centerfire rifle ammo" I wouldn't necessarily be talking about Turkish milsurp 8x57, would I?<BR/><BR/>TracyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169066750230548172007-01-17T15:45:00.000-05:002007-01-17T15:45:00.000-05:00Like I said, buying powder and primers in bulk. I ...<I> Like I said, buying powder and primers in bulk. I can get primers now for 1.1 cents each, buying them by the sleeve of 5000.<BR/> Besides, the ammo I produce is better than loss-leader Wal-Mart crap. You can't buy GOOD .22 rimfire for $1 a box.</I><BR/><BR/>Excuse me for pressing the issue, but hey, I'm on topic for once.<BR/><BR/>Where do you get your primers for that cheap? How many do you need to by to get them at 1.1 cents? Are you figuring in shipping and hazmat fees with that?<BR/><BR/>It <B>was</B> a long time ago, but back then I figured that even if I hand carried the primers from the factory to avoid the fees, used surplus pull down powder, used the fastest powder possible, re-used brass that I scrounged up at the range and stole the wheel-weights off my neighbor's cars, I still could not beat the price for the Federal bulk pack (550 rounds for $9.99) fodder that I got at mall-wart. Since that Federal stuff shot so well, well I've bought enough to paper a small room with the cartons. I should still have enough to teach my grand-nieces how to shoot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169065634889828262007-01-17T15:27:00.000-05:002007-01-17T15:27:00.000-05:00I have been single staging it for 20 long years. I...I have been single staging it for 20 long years. I hate reloading. I'm sorry if that offends anyone, but darn it, that's the way it is. <BR/><BR/>Even with a powder dump, pistols are the worst.<BR/><BR/>I bought a bargain basement Lee and that damned thing is still chucking out shells. I am probably going to die before it does.<BR/><BR/>I should buy a progressive but I am a cave dwelling luddite that fears and loathes the idea of making reloading more complicated than it already is.<BR/><BR/>Great blog, BTW.<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/><BR/>JimAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169056193867521652007-01-17T12:49:00.000-05:002007-01-17T12:49:00.000-05:00Like I said, buying powder and primers in bulk. I ...Like I said, buying powder and primers in bulk. I can get primers now for 1.1 cents each, buying them by the sleeve of 5000.<BR/>Besides, the ammo I produce is better than loss-leader Wal-Mart crap. You can't buy GOOD .22 rimfire for $1 a box.<BR/><BR/>TracyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169055219124830982007-01-17T12:33:00.000-05:002007-01-17T12:33:00.000-05:00Dr. StrangeGun, I'd mention this in your blog, but...Dr. StrangeGun, I'd mention this in your blog, but for the comments thingy:<BR/><BR/>http://www.instructables.com/id/E6VQS8JNGQEWPKH4JG?ALLSTEPS<BR/><BR/>not big enough for long guns, but still perhaps some ideas...<BR/><BR/> Anonymous:<BR/><BR/> <I>By casting my own bullets and buying powder & primers in bulk, I can load full-power .44 Mag for the price of .22 rimfire.</I><BR/><BR/>Hmmm, how do you manage that? last time I checked primers cost more than two cents each. I can get .22 rimfire by the brick at mall-wart for less than that.<BR/>---<BR/>Just remember, when lead gets <B>really</B> scarce, you need to wait until you can see the little squirrel's head, and make sure the tree he's on is an ample backstop, so you can pry out the slug with your patchknife and melt it down again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169054469357468112007-01-17T12:21:00.000-05:002007-01-17T12:21:00.000-05:00Few joys in life parallel those afforded by gadget...Few joys in life parallel those afforded by gadgetry.phlegmfatalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08636803080525003892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169045074418467572007-01-17T09:44:00.000-05:002007-01-17T09:44:00.000-05:00By casting my own bullets and buying powder & prim...By casting my own bullets and buying powder & primers in bulk, I can load full-power .44 Mag for the price of .22 rimfire. Reloading is also a hobby for me, and I enjoy it as much as I do expending the end result.<BR/><BR/>TracyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169043790330324062007-01-17T09:23:00.000-05:002007-01-17T09:23:00.000-05:00"There's very few common rounds you end up produci..."There's very few common rounds you end up producing that end up being cheaper made than bought with your labor factored in."<BR/><BR/>....for now.Dr. StrangeGunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03349076338197668654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169042870621631022007-01-17T09:07:00.000-05:002007-01-17T09:07:00.000-05:00Never had problems with my reloads. I use an old ...Never had problems with my reloads. I use an old Rockchucker and mainly hard lead bullets. And anyone reloading should ALWAYS use carbide dies; having to use lube is a mess and a waste of time.BobGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15405172215849046373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169042809601560562007-01-17T09:06:00.000-05:002007-01-17T09:06:00.000-05:00It's not a matter of spending dollars to save dime...It's not a matter of spending dollars to save dimes. It's a matter of building ammo that works in your gun for less than similar commercial ammo. <BR/><BR/>My .45 load is a 200 grain Gold Dot over 7 grains of Unique (a mild +P load - use at your own risk). It hits where I aim it, and costs a metric buttload less than Speer's commercial loading with that bullet.<BR/><BR/>My .45 Colt load uses a cast 270 grain SAA bullet (more like 285 grains as cast) at about 900fps. You can't buy that load. Anywhere.<BR/><BR/>My .223 load is the 75 grain Hornady HPBT over 23.5 grains of Varget. It costs about the same as M855, but it shoots sub-MOA.<BR/><BR/>If you aren't into reloading, if you're easily distracted, if you're not mechanically inclined, whatever - DON'T RELOAD. A screwup can cost you. A gun, a limb, a home. (Set off a tube of 100 primers next to a full powder measure. Then try to put out the flames before they get to your powder stores.)<BR/><BR/>But there's a reason there's an entire industry that supports reloading, and it's not just because we like to spend dollars to save dimes.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10324035824298948422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169041214161382202007-01-17T08:40:00.000-05:002007-01-17T08:40:00.000-05:00Officially, I'll agree with your dollars to dimes ...Officially, I'll agree with your dollars to dimes statement. I've also got the random assortment of reloading bits and those buckets full of empty brass that I've been sitting on (well, technically I'm actually sleeping over them). I've done little reloading myself.<BR/><BR/>That harsh reality is that if you value your time at all, you squander it reloading. There's very few common rounds you end up producing that end up being cheaper made than bought with your labor factored in.<BR/><BR/>But then there's something about the flexibility and freedom you get from producing your own boomstick fodder that does not directly translate into dollars and sense.<BR/><BR/>If we define ourselves and distinguish our nation as different because we have a rifle-person behind every blade of grass, then we need to have a reloading press on every bench. Because there's a threat to liberty when a simple executive order can illegally threaten the feedstock of our liberty's teeth through a perversion of the commerce clause.<BR/><BR/>If they ban or tax to the stratosphere our ammunition, well, we're just going to have to fall back on the freedom of the (reloading) press.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-1169018865308472382007-01-17T02:27:00.000-05:002007-01-17T02:27:00.000-05:00Lessee...126 gallons in an imperial buttload -- ho...Lessee...126 gallons in an imperial buttload -- how much is that in metric? When I moved to AZ, I bought a whole Dillon set-up to replace my rarely used RockChucker. My first batch of .45s absolutely refused to cycle through my Para, though my friend's P14 ate it right up. He should name it "Mikey." My blue press has about nine years of dust on it now.Cowboy Blobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13880979084783592543noreply@blogger.com