Is it still worth reloading?

General Firearms Reloading & Ammunition
1

I wasn’t too sure whether to put this in GD or reloading, so mods please move it if it doesn’t belong here.

I’ve been selling off a lot of things to come up with money recently. I’m planning on buying some land hopefully sometime this summer. I’m currently military, so I wouldn’t be using it for another 4 years when I build a house on it. The plan is to just lock something in while it’s available at current prices, and then focus on building the house when I get out.

Something I came across was my reloading components that I’ve bought years ago as a “just to have one day when I start reloading”. It’s mostly rifle and pistol powder and primers, all still sealed/unopened. I don’t have a press or projectiles. Reloading was something I always wanted to get into eventually, and the main reason for that was if ammo became too expensive or restricted one day.

Ammo prices are still pretty crazy right now compared to before the election. I do still have a decent stash of ammo. Being that I’m away from home, I can’t shoot it and I wouldn’t be able to start reloading till I ETS anyway.

I did the math on selling the reloading components, and at current market prices I think I can safely say there’d be $4 - $5k if not more. I’d sell locally in CA when I go back to visit in the summer to avoid shipping/hazmat.

So my question is: in your opinion/experience, would it be wise to just dump the reloading components for the few $k to put towards buying some land? I have a rule about not selling ammo, and I told myself I wouldn’t ever sell the reloading components. I’ve read multiple threads on opinions about getting into reloading and the common theme was that it was more of a separate hobby from shooting, and that “you won’t save any money on shooting, but you’ll be able to shoot more.” However, that was from a time where ammo was almost half as expensive. Things have changed, and now I’m trying to figure out if selling it would be something I’d regret later.

I’m sure in the near future I’ll start a family as well, and I just don’t know if I’ll have so much time for extra hobbies. If reloading is still more of just a hobby then I can let it go, but if you guys think that’s changed with the current environment, then I’d probably hang on to it.

Again, I don’t have a press or projectiles. I won’t be able to start reloading for another few years. I do have a somewhat ok stash of ammo - not close to a lifetime supply, but it would last a few years. $5k is $5k, I wouldn’t say that I make a lot of money, but I’m not on the verge of being homeless or eating ramen for the next 5 years. All of my bills still get paid on time, and I’ll be able to make monthly payments on the land. I’m just trying to get some opinions on what to do, I’ve never reloaded a single bullet so I really don’t know if it’s something I’d fall in love with - reloading has always just been a backup plan to getting around ammo shortages.

2

In my opinion; I would hang on to the reloading components.
With the way things are going, no telling if they will be available, legal or affordable in the future.

3

^^^^^^^agreed especially here in Kalifornia

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4

Keep the components for a rainy day in a secure and environmentally controlled location. Having the ability to generate your own ammunition is peace of mind! There is no garuntee regarding your ability to restock your current holdings once you have liquidated it.

For an aside, I shoot obscure cartridges that mandate reloading. So yes, it is worth it to me. I also have coworkers who don’t shoot any more due to ammunition cost/availability. I have not slowed down as I have the material on hand to maintain production.

5

Bullets are fairly “gettable” right now. Powder and primers are overpriced and hard to find. Building your equipment up is a long process of figuring out how you want to load and what you need to make it happen. Hang on to what you have.

6

I would take your time and find a good deal on a press, and start looking for bullets at a good price. Most likely powder and primers will come back down. I think everybody should should be set up to load just in case.

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7

By summer, the prices will be down and being second-hand, some would have reservations about buying from you based on the fact that there is no guarantee how it was stored. Whatever you believe it is worth, it may be a bit less and by summer it will continue to fall.

Remember, this time last year, you couldn’t buy primers. Now you can buy them at will for an elevated price. They are starting to sit around a few days now.

Hang on to them and have the peace of mind that you’ll be able to keep your rifles and pistols fed during the next inevitable shortage.

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8

What kind of land can you get for $5k in a spot where you’d want to live?

9

I hope you’re right. This panic has lasted too long.

10

I don’t know of anywhere that I could buy a piece of land for only $5k. The places I was looking at in the area were anything from $100k - $300k. What I was getting at with the $5k was that it would just go towards downpayment and/or monthly payments.

Thanks for answers everyone. I think I’ll hang to everything for now. It’s all kept in a safe climate controlled environment at my father’s house.

11

If that stuff is half way stored properly it will last a lifetime or more…

And thanks to inflation it will not become ‘cheaper’ to buy the same stuff ten years from now.

12

9mm, probably not worth your time unless you have a good progressive loading setup.

Anything else, yes.

13

i cast bullets for my pistols and rifles. This is where you can sav a lot of $$$$. For 9mm right now with the supplies i have it is costing me about $40/1Kbut that will change when i have to buy new primers. It will double at today prices. But that will be several years before i have to do that

14

Do not sell that jewelry called reloading. It may be best to hold on until you can reload.

PB

15

You have chosen wisely.

16

How old is your primer stock? Primers had been $3.99/100 for five years or so before the shortage.

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17

They were $26/1K before this bs started here. I still have 8K wolf sp left. They were like $18/1K. Have 3 full cases of 5K SR wolf left also. Then 5 full cases cci #41. at least 3K cci SP and 2K Win SP and 4K Win SR. I have been reloading since the early 90’s I learned my lessons back then to not get caught without. I had my C&R license back then and All the catalog retailers would give dealer discounts with it. Hardly none of them do now so I let it lapse around 2007 or so. The prices are with the gas factored into processing the lead to cast the bullets and the powder coat to coat the bullets.

18

Used to I got the C&R discounts. I don’t think I saw 2.99 in about seven years or better except when you’d catch sales. Good on you got stocking up. A friend of mine and I split a pallet load about fifteen years or so of CCI #41s. Ended up being less than $2/100. I don’t even remember how many I had but I’ve shot a ton of rounds and still have about 20k of them to work from. I just wish I’d bought more small pistol primers back in the day.

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19

Do you have pistols that will not light off the 41’s?

20

My USPSA pistols won’t ignite CCI small pistol primers all the time. Federal small pistols work consistently with it. Part of having that nice trigger in a competition gun though.

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