Reloading question.

[Oldcountryboy]

Does reloading your own shotgun shells save you money?

Reason why I ask is cause several days ago I stopped in at a small gun shop to see what they had available to get started in reloading shotgun shells. They didn't have much at all and didn't have any shot at all. They said at $59 bucks per bag it wasn't worth it. This made me wonder if it would be cheaper to just buy several boxes of shells then to keep reloading.

I was wanting to stock up on reloading supplies incase the SHTF.

[Ed Norman]

$59? Last time I bought it I complained about $20. Even back then, I figured it was cheaper to buy the loss leader and promo brands for dove hunting. I would load my duck and pheasant loads, but now steel is required for waterfowl.

I currently load for 410 with a MEC and have 10 ga and 12 ga dies for my cartridge loading press. I use them to load slugs or other fun loads. Slow, but so what? The 410 definitely saves lots of money, so does the 10 ga. Ever seen 2 1/4 ounces of 12 shot hit a starling?

[brownegg]

Depends on how much stocking up you plan on doing? You can prolly go buy 25 boxes of 25 for around $100.

If you purchase a reloader, primers, shot, wads, powder,and casings...you will quite a investment, unless you plan on using the equipment quite often, shells are cheaper.

One advantage, is to be able to make a hotter, faster load with certain charge bars...for instance, I load a 16ga trap load for a 20ga game load...faster and hotter than any store bought load....depends what you need and want?

brownegg

[Bearfootfarm]

The price of shot has more that tripled over the last couple of years.
It USED TO BE cheaper to reload.
It's STILL cheaper to reload if you cast your own SLUGS, but for shot loads, its no so true anymore

[Michael Kawalek]

I bought my Champion shotshell loader at the flea market for 20$ and I still don't bother reloading shotshells. It is just so expensive to buy components. About the only cheap loading you can do is slugs and buckshot, as BFF suggested, because you can scrounge the lead for it for free.
Michael

[Macybaby]

I bought a .410. DH and I figured it out, and in about two years we'll have saved enough on his reloading to recoup the cost of componenets plus the cost of the press. But .410 is not only more expensive, it's harder to find.

DH also has a 20g and 12g press. Reloading is his hobby, and so far he saves enough on what he reloads to pay for his equipment and then some. Not too many hobbies do that.

We shoot a lot too - shooting is one of the things we both enjoy doing. If we didn't shoot that much it might not be worth it. If DH didn't love doing it, he for sure wouldn't do it only because it might save money. He spends a lot of time, and time is valuable too.

Cathy