To reload or not???

K

Keywestguy

New member
I have inherited a rem 700 BDL in 25-06 and contemplating whether to reload or go with factory ammo. I have a few questions please.
1. After all is said and done, what is the average cost per round when hand-loading?
2. How much better will hand loads be when compared to factory match type ammo in terms of accuracy and consistent groups?
3. How time consuming is creating a batch of rounds, let’s say 50?
4. How do I know which brand of equipment to buy and what is needed? There are many options on the market.
5. Once I have created loads that my rig likes to consume, how difficult is it to find supplies?

Thanks for your reply.

God bless each of you and this country.
 
If your time is worth a penny an hour, and you are getting into reloading for cost saving. Return back to your old ways of buying factory ammunition.

If you are fascinated by the hobby, have lots of extra time and money, consider reloading.
 
Well, let's see .....

1. The average cost per round can vary depending on the particular components you use. And also the quantity of components purchased at one time. Hard to put an exact number on it but I highly doubt that you will save any appreciable amount of money reloading. The initial cost of equipment is your most expensive layout. Presses, powder measures, dies, etc.

2. If you go about it properly, most of the time handholds are better because they fit YOUR rifle's chamber and barrel specifics. However, this all depends on what degree of accuracy you are chasing. If your rifle shoots accurately enough for your wants & needs, then factory ammo may be the way to go for you. If you are chasing one-hole groups, then you'll probably need to reload to get that.

3. If time is a factor for you, I'd recommend that you don't do it. Reloading is better approached as a hobby ... not something to hurry through.

4. Brand and specifics are picked out through research and asking questions. Lots of info out there that is easily accessible to everyone with a little effort.

5. As of this time, supplies are hit and miss. Some things are hard to find, others are plentiful. Powder and primers seem to be the most in demand currently.

After saying all of that, here are my suggestions for anyone contemplating reloading for the first time:

Get a manual. Heck, get several. READ them cover to cover. Several times. Ask questions. Do research. And take people's opinions on loads with a grain of salt. As the saying goes, Trust But Verify. And do all of this BEFORE you purchase anything else.

Here is a great place to start:

Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading: 11th Edition Reloading Manual
 
The components supply chain has not returned to pre Chinese flu pandemic levels, so you probably will be limited in load testing. Bullets .25-.50 each,powder .20-.30 each, brass 1.00+ each( you will need new just to avoid a lot of little problems that can occur using brass fired in other rifles), primers .10 each. These are guesstimates, another 300$ ish for a single stage O type press,scale,die/shell holder. Do you have shooting buddy that reloads? Hand loads CAN be more accurate for individual rifles, but that is dependent on load testing and reloading equipment operating skills. 50 rds would take less than 1/2 hr starting with brass ready to load. An hour if I'm starting with fired brass that doesn't require cleaning(just wiping off grime so cases can be lubed properly). For what it's worth, I have 50+ years of reloading experience and have developed step by step method that works well for me. SAFETY has to be the main priority because each round is a potential explosion near your face.
 
I think a lot of your questions are irrelevant. The biggest bonus with reloading is the increased accuracy. I get MUCH more accurate shots with reloading then I ever could with factory ammunition. There are so many variables with rifles: freebore, throat size, bullet shape, powder weight, rate of twist, direction of twist, case overall length restrictions, etc etc etc. Reloading allows you to tune the ammunition to the rifle. You can find reloading components no problem, they are just expensive now and will remain so. It is the new normal thanks for the current administration.

Good luck and let us know what you ultimately decide. A lot people on here are very helpful.
 
I've a couple questions first.
1..What are you planning on doing with the rifle , hunting, target shooting, both , etc.. ?
2.. Based on the answer of above, how much do you plan on shooting (round count) ?

If just a general hunting rig ,find some factory ammo choices and see what the rifle likes. If it shoots well, buy a case or 2 and spent time hunting and not crafting ammo.
 
I haven't bought any 25-06 bullets in years. Going by other prices, I'll use a round number of $30 per 20 round box of bullets for 25-06 hunting bullets? You can cut that cost by half when reloading but that does you no good if 50 bullets a year is the goal.

At that rate it would take 15 years of reloading to save enough to offset the cost of getting set up. On the bright side, reloading is addictive an no way you will 'only' load 50 bullets. In less than a year you will find yourself with 3 presses, 4 powder dispensers and a hall closet full of retired equipment. And churning out 3,000 bullets a year. Now THATS when you see the real savings from reloading
 
How many other guns do you have that you could reload for?

It is an addictive hobby. And that is just how you have to look at it, a hobby. I reload and cast bullets for many things as well as shotgun stuff. Some things I reload for you really can't buy ammo for.

I would figure that I don't save money reloading. I just shoot more with the money I spend.
 
IMO that's a totally subjective question that only you can answer.

In most cases playing with different powder and bullet combos will squeak out the best in a rifle... but with components hard to get at times, especially primers, that can get costly and exceed the "juice worth the squeeze" principle.

In addition to that, just how much will you actually shoot this rifle? You don't "save" by reloading... you simply shoot more for what you spend.

If you're not already set up to reload, those costs could mount up as well.

Good advice from others already as stated in other posts.
 
The squeeze on ammo/components will only get worse as democrat/globalists continue to push the year 2030 agenda. The great reset requires the disarming of private citizens, along with taxation and digital universal currency(the next step to limit gun sales,food production/sales,petroleum use).
 
Keifus said:
If this trend doesn't change, it will go to you can never get factory ammo
Click to expand...
Sorry, I don't understand the drift of your answer.
We reload more to get a better match for each rifle.
Sometimes you just CAN'T get ammo.
Like my 8mm rem mag, 6mm rem. 7x57 AI. ext.
 
I have to use lead free bullets in my rifles and lead free shot in my shotguns and I can't order any ammo and have it delivered to my house.

Reloading rifle and shotgun shells is the only way to go for me. I get a huge savings reloading my own ammo and I get to shoot what lead free loads I want to shoot.

If you go with factory loads and you find a load that shoots good in your rifle you should by at least 5 to 10 boxes of them because they may not be available to buy when you want to buy some more.
 
The only thing that sucks more than getting started reloading is getting started during a complete shortage. I started in the heart of the covid because I couldn’t get my good factory ammo.

I paid an absurd amount on what little primers, powder, and brass I could find on the used market. It really hurt buying 1k of primers for 200-300 bucks and seeing old price stickers of 34.99 on the box. Same with powder but at the end of the day, I was shooting while others were fighting over crap factory ammo or lack of.

If your thinking about it, I would go all in and secure some primers and powders before everything disappears again. I keep hearing about this upcoming shortage but I’m good for a number of years. I’ve found trading to be my biggest help in getting components.
 
If you’re just getting into reloading now, I would tell you to buy factory ammo. It’s gonna cost you probably a grand to get started in my opinion with today’s toilet paper panic prices. If you have a buddy who reloads buy a die set for him and see if he or she will teach you. Good handloads will consistently be WAY more accurate than any factory loads. If your Thinking about getting into reloading to load a couple boxes of shells Like all my buddies have done over the decades Your gonna be shocked. They all wanted to hand loading because they were cheap and didn’t want to spend money on factory ammo. As soon as i invented everyone of them over to my house and showed them how to reload, showed them how much items cost, and how much was time was involved in the process it turned them ALL off within 15 minutes. I reload because I wanted more accurate rounds than factory commercial ammo. Also in the long run it saves money after the initial investment. I have some rare and obsolete calibers and if I didn’t reload I wouldn’t own or shoot them. Some of my calibers cost over $200 per 20 rounds with factory loads. You’re gonna be very shocked what it’s gonna cost to get you going. Probably the price of 3 or more 25-06’s.
 
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Yes, the best way would be to find someone near by and get the experience before you pay. Like I alluded to earlier, "I" am in a rabbit hole. I like it, but it is not for everyone for sure.
 
The 1st thing a man who is getting into reloading thinks about is, how/where do i safely store these components away from heat, humidity, fire hazards and children.

On down the line, what height should i build a bench, and where should i screw the bench into the studs.

Can i follow directions? Can i handle multi step processes?

Even trace amounts of heavy metals can reduce your child's IQ
 


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