Another Gun Topic..I Need Some Help

The tax man was good to my family this year and my wife wants new furniture. She said I can have my new USPSA gun if she can have her furniture so the heck with any remodeling or anything practical, I might not get this chance again. I want to shoot .45acp and Im probably gonna buy a Kimber(not sure yet) but being the wicked cheap asz I am I don't want to buy factory ammo all the time. I figure on match days Im gonna go through at least 200 rounds probably twice a month! Ouch! my question goes to anyone with reloading experience, How much can I realistically save reloading my own ammo? Ive tried to add it up but that doesnt get me anywhere because that is new to me. Keep in mind Id be loading the bare minimum to stay in the major power factor class. I have loaded thousands of 12ga rounds before, then Dicks started selling them cheaper then I could load them. My co-workers that used to load their own havent done so since Christ was a corporal and they are of no help. Any information would be appreciated. Jim

Oh yeah Ive been drinking a little tonight and its taken me 25 minutes to type this!

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Your biggest savings will be casting your own bullets from wheel weights, I buy them for no more than .10 cents a lb, usually get them free.

1 lb of powder weights 7000 grains, add the cost of primers and do the math when sober!

I can load a box of 45's for usally less than $3.00.

Used to shoot 1200 rds a week

BK

Thanks BK , I didnt know that there were 7000 grains per pound Im not sure if I really want to be casting bullets though,!? All the molds I saw were only 4 cavity that doesnt seem too awesome to me, but my daughter is 22 months old know I can get her casting some bullets in no time Jim

A lot of guys say - and I agree: you don't 'save' any money reloading, but you shoot a whole lot more.

I am an avid reloader and have been for years. While it is true you will shoot more when you load your own and that is not a bad thing. What reloading will allow you to do is change any of the components to tailor the load to your gun and we all know it is a lot more fun shooting when you can hit what you are aiming at.

If you are going to reload in quantity, you will want a Dillon or other progressive reloading press... They aren't cheap.. But you can reload a lot of ammunition in fairly short time period.

I reload for accuracy for my long-range varmint rifles.. I haven't bought a box of factory loaded ammo in years..

I have several single process reloading presses, and set them up like an assembly line.. but it still takes a lot of time.

I used a Dillon to reload a few hundred rounds of .223 for my AR, [500 rds in an hour or so!] the Dillon was owned by a Guide on a shoot a few years back... I came within inches of buying a Dillon after that experience..

If you are serious about shooting,, I'd buy the equipment, and enjoy the shooting and the reloading. Might as well get 'fully immersed' in the sport.

Greg L

Keep your eye on places like Craigs List and even Ebay for used presses. Its not like anything wears out really then all you need is the dies new. Check out Shotgun News if you can get with it, Gun List ect, they all sell that stuff discounted to death and especially local gun shows. They are your best bet.
Personally I never liked a 45. I had to hump a Colt for 4 years as an army MP and I never could hit well with them be it an old army special or a Gold Cup. Give me a Glock any day in 40 cal. The first thing I did when I had a few bucks was go out and buy a model 23 and leave Custom's stupid Colt 6 shooter at home until they made me start carrying their Glock 21 in 9 MM. I always shot way better and far faster with the 40 than than either the 9mm or 357. I never could see a 45 for self defense really. I once shot some in silvertip hollowpoints into a wet couple Denver phone books and they didn't even open up a bit fired point blank. My 357 plus P's opened up to over 50 cal just like they say they do and I guarantee a 40 will go a bit bigger possibly with more controlability. When I was in the army a guy shot himself straight through the abdominal area with his by holding it backwards and opening it to clean the thing, seeing the mag and releasing the slide in the confusion. He had his trigger finger on the backstrap safety so it fired as soon as it closed up. He plugged both holes with his and another guys wound pack, they took him to the hospital and he was back in 3 weeks no worse for the wear. Another guy managed to put one through his holster down the side of his boot and ankle just slicing the boot and the edge of the leather sole. That ball round didn't even get stuck in the hardwood floor of the military short body school bus and only left a dent. I never had a lot of faith in them after that stunt aside from the legendary stopping power of 100 years ago but times have changed. Those big humping rounds are heavy too especially if you have to drag em around all night long.
Anyone hear anything more about that knuclehead US Air pilot who blew a hole in his plane on approach. One has to wonder why he was messing with the thing in the first place, probably some predeparture unloading procedure management dreamed up and he was doing it early. Whoopsie, even with that frangible exploding type non penetrating round they use.