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chunkstyle wrote:

The other round I started loading for is .40. It can use the same powders and primers as the Tok, so my start-up costs were low, really just dies. Brass for .40 can be had almost anywhere, in near-unlimited amounts. Plus, should the opportunity arise, the .40 dies can be used for 10mm. I did notice that Roger in Burnsville was saving 10mm brass for someone doing reloading, so there definately is interest there.

Quote:

All told, I'm now paying about $0.13 a round to reload on average, with FMJ or plated bullets, with lead hard cast, it's even cheaper. To buy similar .30 Tok is about $0.18-$0.20, and .40 about $0.17 or so, so the press and gear will pay for itself in under 3000 rounds. To say nothing of the value of the education and fun I am getting.

Brewman wrote:

I reload my .40S&W with Accurate Arms powder. It's for a 185 gr. LSWC bullet. The only recipes for reloading for this bullet I can find call for Accurate Arms powders. I have not found any other recipes using other brands of powder- anyone able to point me in that direction?
The place I was getting my AA powder isn't in business. I think Gander Mountain has it, but since all their powder is locked in a big plywood cabinet, I'm not positive. And last time I was in there they were too busy for me to ask.

mobocracy wrote:

45 ACP is like 18 cases of reloads vs. Blazer Brass; Blazer Aluminum savings require *44* cases of reloads to pay off the reloading setup -- or 200 rounds a week for 4 years.

None of this factors in the intangibles of being able to simulate PD ammo loads or load bullets not found in off-the-shelf ammo (SWCs, etc). Doing PD ammo training with home-rolled ammo that closely simulates factory PD ammo (bullet, charge, etc) is probably a calculable savings as well, considering most are $25/20.

chunkstyle wrote:

Yeah, about Blazer, but who really wants to shoot that dirty stuff? Good for training, I guess, but for target? Ugh.

Very true about the intangibles. Reloading not only can make cheaper ammo, it can make better ammo.

Quote:

I get my AA at GunStop in Minnetonka. I looked around for more data on the 185 LSWC (a fairly rare load), but AA is the only source I could find, out of Lee, Lyman, Vihta Vuori, and Speer.

Brewman wrote:

Thanks for the tip, I'll have to check them out when I need more AA. Or I can just go to Gander Mountain when it's not so busy, whenever that might be.

Dave Matheny wrote:

I dunno if it's state law -- it might be -- but why not just go to Wal Mart for the .22 and shotshells? They've got 12-gauge target loads for $15 and change for 100 these days.

Brewman wrote:

I've heard nothing but praise for Dillon's reloading machinery.
Is the 550B a progressive press?

Author:	chunkstyle [ Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:44 am ]
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I started reloading one of the most difficult rounds, .30 Tokarev. Fascinating history, and interesting reloading, too. I have improvised swaging down .32 bullets, originally meant for .32 ACP or .32 S&W Longs to fit, and worked out how to fit bullets for .30 Carbine, as they are about .001 too small. But Sierra makes good 85gr bullets that fit well, and you can improvise with some Hornadys and Speers. The Normas I got in Hopkins were 77gr, and I can't see that they are made anymore. Most of the data for this round was from Accurate Arms, so I have been toying with the #5 and #7 powders, but lately I have found good data for Vihta Vuori and some Alliant selections, too. At least now I can fall back, like so many others, on Unique! My main goal here was to find good light target loads with just enough power to reliably cycle the CZ-52. I don't own a chrony, and have no interest in the "how hot can I make rounds till my gun blows up" game. The other round I started loading for is .40. It can use the same powders and primers as the Tok, so my start-up costs were low, really just dies. Brass for .40 can be had almost anywhere, in near-unlimited amounts. Plus, should the opportunity arise, the .40 dies can be used for 10mm. I did notice that Roger in Burnsville was saving 10mm brass for someone doing reloading, so there definately is interest there. I have discovered that rounds strong enough to cycle the Beretta 96 may not work the CZ-40P. All told, I'm now paying about $0.13 a round to reload on average, with FMJ or plated bullets, with lead hard cast, it's even cheaper. To buy similar .30 Tok is about $0.18-$0.20, and .40 about $0.17 or so, so the press and gear will pay for itself in under 3000 rounds. To say nothing of the value of the education and fun I am getting.

Author:	Brewman [ Mon Jan 09, 2006 7:55 am ]
Post subject:
I reload my .40S&W with Accurate Arms powder. It's for a 185 gr. LSWC bullet. The only recipes for reloading for this bullet I can find call for Accurate Arms powders. I have not found any other recipes using other brands of powder- anyone able to point me in that direction? The place I was getting my AA powder isn't in business. I think Gander Mountain has it, but since all their powder is locked in a big plywood cabinet, I'm not positive. And last time I was in there they were too busy for me to ask.

Author:	mobocracy [ Mon Jan 09, 2006 8:10 am ]
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chunkstyle wrote: The other round I started loading for is .40. It can use the same powders and primers as the Tok, so my start-up costs were low, really just dies. Brass for .40 can be had almost anywhere, in near-unlimited amounts. Plus, should the opportunity arise, the .40 dies can be used for 10mm. I did notice that Roger in Burnsville was saving 10mm brass for someone doing reloading, so there definately is interest there. That someone is me, unless someone else is taking the brass; I put about 150-200 rounds of 10mm down range there about every week, so a fair amount should be Starline nickel cases with a growing number of extractor marks on their rims. I try to take home what I can, but a lot get flung ahead of the line. Quote: All told, I'm now paying about $0.13 a round to reload on average, with FMJ or plated bullets, with lead hard cast, it's even cheaper. To buy similar .30 Tok is about $0.18-$0.20, and .40 about $0.17 or so, so the press and gear will pay for itself in under 3000 rounds. To say nothing of the value of the education and fun I am getting. The weirder the round, the cheaper to reload. 10mm is about $12-15 a box, depending on what you buy. Last box of Remington UMC I bought was $15. My spreadsheet tells me I need to load about 6 cases of 10mm to achieve enough savings to pay for my reloading setup. 45 ACP is like 18 cases of reloads vs. Blazer Brass; Blazer Aluminum savings require 44 cases of reloads to pay off the reloading setup -- or 200 rounds a week for 4 years. None of this factors in the intangibles of being able to simulate PD ammo loads or load bullets not found in off-the-shelf ammo (SWCs, etc). Doing PD ammo training with home-rolled ammo that closely simulates factory PD ammo (bullet, charge, etc) is probably a calculable savings as well, considering most are $25/20.

Author:	chunkstyle [ Mon Jan 09, 2006 9:01 am ]
Post subject:
Brewman wrote: I reload my .40S&W with Accurate Arms powder. It's for a 185 gr. LSWC bullet. The only recipes for reloading for this bullet I can find call for Accurate Arms powders. I have not found any other recipes using other brands of powder- anyone able to point me in that direction? The place I was getting my AA powder isn't in business. I think Gander Mountain has it, but since all their powder is locked in a big plywood cabinet, I'm not positive. And last time I was in there they were too busy for me to ask. I get my AA at GunStop in Minnetonka. I looked around for more data on the 185 LSWC (a fairly rare load), but AA is the only source I could find, out of Lee, Lyman, Vihta Vuori, and Speer.

Author:	chunkstyle [ Mon Jan 09, 2006 9:06 am ]
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mobocracy wrote: 45 ACP is like 18 cases of reloads vs. Blazer Brass; Blazer Aluminum savings require 44 cases of reloads to pay off the reloading setup -- or 200 rounds a week for 4 years. None of this factors in the intangibles of being able to simulate PD ammo loads or load bullets not found in off-the-shelf ammo (SWCs, etc). Doing PD ammo training with home-rolled ammo that closely simulates factory PD ammo (bullet, charge, etc) is probably a calculable savings as well, considering most are $25/20. Yeah, about Blazer, but who really wants to shoot that dirty stuff? Good for training, I guess, but for target? Ugh. Very true about the intangibles. Reloading not only can make cheaper ammo, it can make better ammo.

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Author:	mobocracy [ Mon Jan 09, 2006 9:10 am ]
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chunkstyle wrote: Yeah, about Blazer, but who really wants to shoot that dirty stuff? Good for training, I guess, but for target? Ugh. Very true about the intangibles. Reloading not only can make cheaper ammo, it can make better ammo. From a purely economic perspective I guess somebody most, but I agree that it is dirty. But I also think that 45 ACP shoots dirty anyway; even using VV N320 I get a dirty muzzle. Far dirtier than 10mm with even Unique. I figure it's the low pressure of that caliber that leads to less-than-incineration burning.

Author:	Brewman [ Mon Jan 09, 2006 11:10 am ]
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Quote: I get my AA at GunStop in Minnetonka. I looked around for more data on the 185 LSWC (a fairly rare load), but AA is the only source I could find, out of Lee, Lyman, Vihta Vuori, and Speer. Thanks for the tip, I'll have to check them out when I need more AA. Or I can just go to Gander Mountain when it's not so busy, whenever that might be.

Author:	mobocracy [ Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:57 pm ]
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Brewman wrote: Thanks for the tip, I'll have to check them out when I need more AA. Or I can just go to Gander Mountain when it's not so busy, whenever that might be. About "never", I think. Gander Mountain -- at least the store in Lakeville -- seems to have a woefully understaffed gun area. I've waited like 20 minutes to buy .22LR, and I'm not entirely sure why even .22LR has to be behind the freaking counter. Shotshells and rifle ammo aren't, is it some kind of state law?

Author:	Dave Matheny [ Mon Jan 09, 2006 3:36 pm ]
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I dunno if it's state law -- it might be -- but why not just go to Wal Mart for the .22 and shotshells? They've got 12-gauge target loads for $15 and change for 100 these days.

Author:	mobocracy [ Mon Jan 09, 2006 3:46 pm ]
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Dave Matheny wrote: I dunno if it's state law -- it might be -- but why not just go to Wal Mart for the .22 and shotshells? They've got 12-gauge target loads for $15 and change for 100 these days. 1) Wal Mart makes me sick. 2) Wal Mart makes me sick. 3) Wal Mart makes me sick. 4) I was looking for specific .22LR shells -- Federal Gold Medal Match and CCI Standard Velocity -- for my S&W Model 41 which isn't terribly fond of the garden variety bulk-pack high-velocity .22s typically found at Wal Mart. Shotshells aren't behind the counter at Gander and neither are any of the rifle loads, which makes me wonder why pistol ammo has to be behind the counter. Theft? State law?

Author:	chunkstyle [ Mon Jan 09, 2006 5:47 pm ]
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I was just at AmmoCraft on Shady Oak in Hopkins, and he has AA, too.

Author:	Brewman [ Mon Jan 09, 2006 7:12 pm ]
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Fleet Farm keeps .22LR ammo right out on the shelf next to the rifle cartridges and shotgun shells.

Author:	Zerwas [ Wed Jan 18, 2006 12:23 pm ]
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I reload my 40 caliber and 45acp ammunition. This is the best way to fine tune the ammo to the gun you are shooting. It is also the cheapest way to go. I reload everything on my Dillon 550B. It is a GREAT machine.

Author:	Brewman [ Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:27 pm ]
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I've heard nothing but praise for Dillon's reloading machinery. Is the 550B a progressive press?

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Author:	mobocracy [ Wed Jan 18, 2006 3:54 pm ]
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Brewman wrote: I've heard nothing but praise for Dillon's reloading machinery. Is the 550B a progressive press? No, manual indexing. SDB (which is pistol-only, non-standard dies), 650, 1050, and the SL900 (shotshell) are autoindexing.