Is reloading a chore?

[Alderman]

I am often reading forum topics discussing the pros and cons of reloading as a way to save money.
One of the arguments against is the value of a person's time in the reloading room, as if reloading is a chore.
Personally, as a person who is somewhat mechanically challenged I found the process of learning how to reload to be an interesting and enjoyable use of time.
I am always glad when I can make time to get into the reloading room and crank out some ammo and have a feeling of accomplishment afterward.
I find even the more tedious chores of case prep can be relaxing.

What the heck are people doing that their time is more valuable than that?

 

[DrMike]

Excellent point, Scott. Learning new skills is never a waste of time, especially if it results in pleasure to the one laboring to learn.

 

[Guy Miner]

Mostly I enjoy handloading.

Sometimes, when loading 500 cases... yeah, it gets to be a bit of a chore.

Guy

 

[wildgene]

...if it becomes a chore, if you're tired, bored or distracted, it's time to back away from the bench for a while. While it ain't "rocket surgery", for me it takes just enough concentration to shut off the 'white noise' of the modern world for a little while, & it lets me play w/ my more esoteric firearms that I couldn't afford ammo for otherwise...

 

[Kodiak]

My answer to the posted question is no.

Its just like lotsa things, you need to have time to do a proper job.

 

[jimbires]

to me the chore is taking them apart . pulling bullets is no fun to me .

 

[Guybo]

I really enjoy reloading but i'll have to admit that it can become a chore if I try to do to much in one session. I usually try to separate everything and do different steps on different days. The prep is the work part. When I set down to load I want to load and shoot ..... that's the fun part!

 

[Guy Miner]

Yeah - when I've got a bunch to do - like say 500 of the .204 Ruger cartridges for a varmint shoot, or 500 of the .308 Win for some target practice & match shooting...

I will often break them down into clumps of 100 to deal with at a time.

500 will make me crazy - this I know.

Guy

 

[truck driver]

I cast my own pistol bullets for my 38 Super and my .45 acp. I would cast around 500 per session and this was done in the winter when there was nothing else to do and usually ended up with around 5000 each for the up coming pistol match season when the weather broke and warmed up some. That's 10,000 bullets and they all had to be loaded in cases. I never looked at it like it was a chore but more a labor of love to achieve the perfect bullet and load for my pistols. I also have 2 Dillon reloading machines set up 1 for each caliber and a 550 that I can change heads on for other stuff.
Money well spent to achieve perfection and time well spent with satisfaction knowing I was making the best ammo I can.

 

[Thankful Otter]

I hope this comes out right or maybe I just hope I say it correctly. If not maybe Dr Mike or April will clean it up for me.

I love the idea of reloading and the results received from reloading and I thank god that my grandfather enjoys doing it. I have helped him from time to time and can not say I did not enjoy it or perhaps I just enjoyed the conversation on a cold night. I do find it to be tedious for me and I wonder if perhaps I am just too young to stay with it for hours and then test and retest and test again.

I find training dogs, running trap lines, hunting and field research more enjoyable but perhaps I will "balance out" as I get older.

The one thing I dont understand is when someone says this bullet maker or this case maker or whatever are too expensive. Most here travel to hunt and spend a few bucks per hunt. Believe me the bullets you use on that hunt will be the cheapest part of the hunt, That Norma case and woodleigh or northfork bullet will be the cheapest part of the hunt.

Alderman, please excuse me if this is not a proper post for this thread, and it will not hurt my feelings if you ask Jim to delete sir

 

[truck driver]

Hmmm YH, since when is it improper to discuss hunting and shooting and expressing your opinion here? I find your comments refreshing with a different point of view.
Thank you for posting and happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

 

[DrMike]

Came out just right, Cheyenne. I don't enjoy prepping brass. I do enjoy producing quality ammunition and the results at the bench. I do enjoy acquiring knowledge and the expansion of my knowledge base. I enjoy having a greater number of answers with the acquisition of greater information about the work. We are each individuals, enjoying differing aspects of the labour. The one thing that about all who post here do enjoy is the results of work at the bench when it translates into the field.

 

[desertcj]

Personally, no. I enjoy it and I enjoy the most "technical" aspects of every hobby I take part in. That's my personality. Ask yourself what you would be doing instead. If you have something more important to do, thenyou better do it! If you'd just be watching TV or some other time suck, then carry on!

 

[26NosFan]

Though I'm not set up to reload now I have been doing it my whole life. At first it was a necessity, we were pretty poor and reloading was just plain cheaper. I took to it at first because it was time with my dad, him teaching and me learning. I loved that part more than anything. He made sure I understood the cartridge, its intended purpose, read the manuals, reread, reread. Always working up. I never once found it a chore. Of all the game that I have taken I can only think of a few that were not with rounds of our own making. I found ballistics fascinating and studied. though we had dies for many(he reloaded for his buddies too) our staples were 308, 3006, 243, 45-70. later we got into the 6.5s(the sweet swede and 260) and pistols too. 357/38, 44, and 45LC. He and his buddies all chipped in and bought a Dillon RL550 turret press. Man I could churn out several boxes of 357s loaded with 158gr SWC in no time with that thing, then go to the range and burn them all up.
I now have the necessity again to get set up, having the 26 Nosler. At $3 a shot for ammo and no local source(buying and shipping from the internet) it is getting tedious and very expensive. only buying when on sale. Also my sons 9mm is a high cap, and boy can he burn through some rounds on range day. Though initial cost is high to get set up it is a money saver.

 

[JD338]

Reloading is a labor of love.

JD338

 

[PJGunner]

to me the chore is taking them apart . pulling bullets is no fun to me .

AMEN brother. Just broke down 60 some of 7x57s and .280 Remingtons just yesterday after noon, then neck sized them all. Add resizing a bunch of .270 and 30-06 as well made it a busy afternoon. The difficult part is the 7x57s were loaded with three different powders so had to make sure I didn't goof up. (I didn't. ) Tossed all the not yet fired brass and once fired into one tumbler and the rest into another. Took them out this morning and they looked great.
Paul B.

 

[Whitesheep]

When reloading becomes a chore I stop. I have found when the goal is to be done, not do it right and have fun, you are done. This applies to my work as well.

Brass prep is my least favorite chore so I do a lot of it at once. I can then really enjoy putting rounds together.

Since my day job involves sitting at a computer and presenting the results of those sitting sessions to others (finance), doing something different with my hands other than typing is fun for me. I also do most of my own vehicle maintenance and upkeep around the home as long as it is stuff I enjoy.

So if you enjoy work that focuses on detail and like working with your hands you will enjoy reloading. The money you save lets you just shoot that much more.

 

[30-338]

I enjoy reloading and I still have few tight neck rifles so never got tired of brass prep. I do have couple other hobbies that I also enjoy so that breaks things up for me.

I don't want a hobby to become like a job, something you have to do instead of wanting to do it.

 

[Silent Sam]

Some like to cook. Others just want to eat. Cooking usually involves washing the dishes...

 

[AzDak42]

I work in an office as an IT manager. My entire job happens between my ears. I spent at least 6-8 hours a day in meetings.

For me, reloading is something tangible. I get to work with my hands and know that what comes out the other side of my press is as perfectly crafted as I'm capable of making it. I can look at it, touch it and know that my own two hands did something material.

It's not a chore, it's righteous.